My fun weekend plans:
This past Saturday morning, I woke up, packed as much as I could into my little blue car, and drove to my cousin’s house…
22 hours away.
I knew I’d be without my baking supplies but wanted to publish at least one Halloween-themed recipe before the holiday this year. Therefore, last Friday afternoon became Halloween in my Texas kitchen.
Can you guess which popular candy bar inspired these cupcakes?
Candy Bar Cupcakes
(makes 12)
Cupcake Base:
- 1 cup spelt or all-purpose flour (130g) (Arrowhead Mills gf also works.)
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder (30g) (not Dutch)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup xylitol or sugar of choice (180g)
- 1/2 cup mayo-style spread, such as Vegenaise (Or you can use this chocolate cupcake recipe.)(120g)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp water (185g)
Preheat oven to 350 F and place 12 cupcake liners inside a cupcake pan. In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Sift very well. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining three ingredients and whisk until the mayo spread is completely smooth. Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined. Immediately divide the batter among the cupcake liners—it won’t seem like a lot of filling, but these cupcakes rise a lot. Bake 21 minutes, then let sit 15 minutes before removing from the pan. These taste ten times more chocolatey and rich the next day, so bake the cupcakes the day before eating if possible. Store in the refrigerator.
Date Caramel:
- 120g pitted dates (jam-packed 2/3cup, or about 17 small dates)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- level 1/4 plus 1/16 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- optional, for richer sauce: 2 tsp vegetable or melted coconut oil
Blend the dates in a food processor until they’re completely broken up. (I like SunMaid dates, because they’re much softer.) Add all other ingredients and blend thoroughly until the sauce is completely smooth. Please blend the dates first or it will splatter! I used a smaller food processor for this, so if your food processor is much bigger you can double the recipe for smoother blending. Poke a hole in each cupcake and stuff with 2-3 tsp filling.
Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or allergy-friendly alternative (110g)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar or Sugar Free Powdered Sugar (30g)
- 1/4 cup milk of choice (add 1-2 extra tbsp if using natural peanut butter)
Beat all ingredients together until completely smooth, using hand beaters if you have them. (If you must, you can stir everything together with a fork using maximum effort and patience. A Magic Bullet will also work.) Spread about a tbsp of frosting on each cupcake. You will most likely have leftover date caramel and frosting, but it’s a good idea to make the full recipes for smoothest blending. Top the cupcakes with chopped peanuts if desired.
Question of the Day:
Do you like to drive?
The only time I enjoy driving is on quiet, long and winding roads without a single car in front of me… bonus points if I’m in a convertible. Otherwise, if someone else offers to take the wheel I will happily relinquish the keys. Link of the Day:
…..237 Healthy Chocolate Recipes
Today is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!
Leslie says
These look awesome and I plan to make them tomorrow. Just a quick question, do I stuff the cupcakes with caramel before or after they are cooked? Thanks!!!
Unofficial CCK Helper says
After.
Kate says
How can the calorie count be so low?? These look too good to be true! 🙂
Kayla says
Well I got my learner’s license on October 21st so I’ve only been driving for 12 days but I’m not hating it.. Except parking. I hate parking.
Rose Moretz says
I love just about anything chocolate..these look really delicious! Do you bake with sugar or a sugar alternative??? Just wondering because I didn’t know how it would turn out with a sugar alternative. Since Stevia tends to have a bitter after taste.
Maggie says
I always use coconut palm sugar in all recipes, and I’ve never had an issue. I actually think it’s more delicious than normal sugar. 🙂
Raina says
Hey Katie, Christmas is around the corner and that means a lot of butter-laden spritz cookies. I was wondering if you could make a healthy spritz cookies recipe? Thanks!
Unofficial CCK Helper says
What about trying this recipe in a cookie press?
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/12/01/healthy-sugar-cookies/
Raina says
You know what, I should’ve thought of that. Thanks!
Becca says
I made these this weekend and they’re awesome! Now I wish I’d had a muffin tin with 12 spaces instead of only 6 (I halved the recipe)!
Ellie H. says
When I made these cupcakes, I crushed up peanuts and sprinkled them on the top, and the cupcakes were TO DIE FOR! Snickers were my favorite candy before I became vegan, so I am so happy I can now enjoy the taste(yay!)- in cupcake form (double yay!)! Thanks for posting!
Janna says
These look amazing! Might I ask what would happen if I used Dutch cocoa? That is all I have and I don’t want to ruin these!
Sarah says
Has anyone tried these without the peanut butter frosting, or with a different type of frosting? I want to make something healthy for a coworkers birthday but OF COURSE we have a nut allergy in the office too!
abbie says
this recipe sounds absolutely delicious! i just have one question : it says in the recipe to use “1/2 cup of mayo-style spread” does this mean a vegan mayonnaise? i’m quite confused as to why mayonnaise would be in any cupcake let alone in a candy cupcake? somebody please answer asap, i’m intrigued to make cupcakes for my friends & am a new vegan! thank you
Karen says
Yes, it means vegan mayonnaise. I know it sounds like a strange thing to put in cupcakes but I believe it is there as an egg substitute. I have made these before though (well the plain chocolate version, but the point is they had mayonnaise) and I promise you can’t taste it at all.
Michelle says
Can you use regular mayo?
Leila Kennedy says
How do I convert a cake recipe into a cupcake recipe?