WordPress tells me this is my 100th post… I think that calls for a mini magical celebration.
Weeee!
Since we celebrate with sweets over here, this is a Single Serving Chocolate Chip Cupcake just for you – because sometimes all you need is 1 cupcake – not 12.
And let’s be real, spring break is like, right around the corner. While I would love to eat 12 of these cutie cupcakes, I should probably stick to one..
I’m also trying something new in January! I’m going oil-free for the month with Lindsay from The Planted Palate. We decided to team up so we can help each other out. Please join us! I’ll be sharing oil-free yumminess for the entire month. I’m not saying I will go oil-free forever but I want to give it a shot and see if I honestly miss it or if it’s all in my head.
There’s no such thing as “healthy oils” and I want to challenge myself to come up with oil-free recipes that are mouthwatering, enticing and plant based. Check out this post to read more about oils, what to replace them with and why cutting back on them is beneficial for your health.
So this cupcake is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free and for the hippies.
Just kidding! (about the hippies part)
It’s actually the yummiest and most adorable cupcake I’ve ever made. Plus you can’t go wrong with coconut cream frosting.
So who wants to join us and go oil-free in January?!
I’ve significantly cut back on cooking with oil the past couple months and I’m finding it totally unnecessary. I used to think cooking with oil was for flavor – that is so not the case! You will not miss all those empty calories – especially in this cupcake. Instead of oil, I used applesauce which I do quite often in baking. I hope you enjoy!
Prep Time:
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PinIngredients
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour (buckwheat, millet, etc. I also used spelt flour)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or raw cane sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- tiny pinch of fine grain sea salt
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon applesauce
- 1/2 tablespoon dairy-free chocolate chips (like the Enjoy Life brand)
Coconut Cream Frosting
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream (*1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight)
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 330 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with one cupcake liner.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add in the almond milk, applesauce and chocolate chips. Mix until well combined.
- Pour mixture into the cupcake liner and bake for 14-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
To make Coconut Cream
- Open a can of full-fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated overnight. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the cream from the top of the can (it has separated from the water) and place in a small bowl. Add coconut sugar and whisk until creamy.
- Frost your cupcake after it has cooled.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Save the remaining coconut cream and water to use in a smoothie or soup!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Thank you for following TGF on this health journey and supporting a plant based way of life. If you want to participate this month, use the hashtag #oilfreejanuary on social media.
Happy weekend and HAPPY 2015!!
Is the batter supposed to be liquid? I don’t know what went wrong for me, but the mixture was just crumbs… and the finished product was dust. I used coconut flour, and I didn’t have any applesauce, so I used an egg (for two cupcakes’ worth). I’m sure I measured everything right, but there just wasn’t enough liquid.
It was so good! I did use stevia instead of sugar, but it was really yummy! It was like eating an apple flapjack withouth the greasy puffpastry. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello! What a lovely recipe! Do you think that oat flour would work well?
There are many healthy oils. They may be high calorie, but they are healthy.
Having a hard time with the coconut cream – I can never get it to thicken… am I doing something wrong? Should I try a different type of coconut milk?
Hey Christi! Make sure it’s full-fat canned coconut milk. I use the Thai Kitchen brand because the generic brands have never worked for me! Refrigerate it overnight and when you remove the can from the fridge, gently open it without shaking it or stirring it up. The cream should separate from the watery milky mixture in the bottom. I hope that works! Let me know.
xx,
Shannon
hello-
i would love to make this recipe but for a whole tray of cupcakes, since its a great recipe without oil. How would i do that?
Hi Danielle, I’m thinking about doing this recipe for 12 cupcakes but it will take some experimenting and calculations as I haven’t tried it before. There are recipe measurement calculators online if you want to experiment and calculate it out!
This is too darn cute! I totally love the single serving size, because it’s just me and my dog around here and we definitely don’t need 12.
I’m totally with you, oil-free January sounds like an awesome idea!! I already try not to use oil as much as possible, but this will keep me accountable 😉
Haha yea sometimes all you want is one little cupcake without anymore temptations! I’m happy you want to join in on the oil free january fun 🙂 Thanks Natalie!
You state that the cupcake is gluten-free, but it has spelt flour? I didn’t think that spelt was gluten-free? It sure looks good though!
Hi Sue – you are correct! My mistake, I did try it with buckwheat flour and it worked just fine so any gluten free flour you have on hand would work well! Thank you for pointing that out!
Hi! I am very much looking forward to your oil-free recipes this month!
I have learned a lot about oil-free cooking in the past couple years after following bloggers like Happy Herbivore and Vegan 8! I never saute veggies in oil anymore – I always use vegetable broth/stock and I think it tastes just as good! The only thing I’ve found that I’ve missed oil on is popcorn – the seasonings don’t really stick to it without the oil so you’re basically eating it dry and I still use a little cooking spray on my casserole dishes and bake-ware so the food doesn’t stick.
Hi Carey – That’s awesome! I’ve been using broth instead too! I never thought about popcorn.. hmm I will miss oil on popcorn! Guess I will have to stay away from casserole type recipes too, at least for this month. I don’t plan on being super strict and going oil-free forever but I want to try it out and know that oil isn’t required. Can’t wait to share and thank you for following along!
Congrats on your 100th post! Love how to chocolate chip cupcake serves one. I might just double err… dodeca (yes, look it up!) this recipe! I’m sorry but I can’t go oil-free….I’m not that brave yet…maybe next January 🙂
Thank you Vanessa! I don’t blame you – it’s a little crazy.. but I honestly don’t think it will be as hard as it seems. We shall see!!