Happy birthday to you! OK, so maybe it’s not your birthday, but it’s somebody’s birthday somewhere, so there’s a good reason right there to immediately bake a batch of these chocolate cupcakes smothered with homemade chocolate frosting. And when you have your first decadent bite, you just might drop the rest of your cupcake when you realize that they’re low calorie and totally vegan, plus the frosting is made with avocados instead of butter!

The healthy fats in the avocado make these cupcakes as healthy as a bowl of kale and bean soup! OK, maybe not that healthy, but healthy enough to feel good about reaching for more. Each cupcake offers almost six grams of fiber and is just 200 calories. A real-deal chocolate cupcake is 459 calories! That’s a crime when you can make these chocolate gems.

From Jenny Sugar, POPSUGAR Fitness

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes With Avocado “Buttercream” Frosting

NOTES

Be sure to use ripe avocados for the frosting.

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:

2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper or silicone cups.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla extract, and mix well.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet to form a smooth batter.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcakes.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and after a few minutes, move cupcakes to a cooling rack.
7. While the cupcakes bake, make the frosting. Scoop out the avocado flesh, and place in a food processor.
8. Add the cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla, and puree until smooth.
9. Frost the cooled cupcakes, and enjoy!

 

Source: Calorie Count

 

INFORMATION

Category

Cupcakes, DessertsYield

12 cupcakesCook Time

40 minutes

NUTRITION

Calories per serving

 204

Source :  popsugar.com