Coconut Part Two: Gluten Free, Grain Free and Sugar Free Healthy Coconut Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

This photo comes straight from the original recipe found at Healthy Indulgences. My photo will soon replace this, as the current one I own does not do the recipe justice. Anyone want to help me out on my photography skills, or lack there of?

I have made some great things from many different bloggers and websites available on the net. It's been an amazing experience to see different recipes that are healthy, gluten free and refined sugar free, and then putting my own little twist on them. They also give me wonderful new ideas for brand new recipes that I can bring to you to really liven up your own menu.

But, these cupcakes are so good, you would NOT know they were healthy. Believe me, you won't. I've adapted this recipe from Healthy Indulgences (one of the few blogs I go to to find basic recipes to then go out and experiment with my own). Lauren is around my age, and we're both college-bound, gluten and sugar free healthy advocates. She's a bit more experienced then me (OK, a lot more than me), but I'm getting there. I'm glad to have her, as well as others, be my "teachers", even though they don't know that they are just yet.

These cupcakes are grain free, meaning that they are going to be low in carbohydrates and gluten will be nonexistent. Many people find that they can lose weight, gain energy and vitality, reverse digestive disorders or dis-eases, clear up skin, etc., quite easily when they cut grains out of their diet. If you want to read my own grain free experiences, read my story here.

The coconut cupcakes surprisingly don't taste too much like coconut, but you can still sense that tropical feel once you bite into this amazing superfood; and as your tongue reacts to the flavors while you eat this slowly, you energy starts to feel refreshed, replenished and your mood can stay elevated for hours. OK, maybe nothing is that good--but these do come close. They definitely WILL NOT result in an energy crash like other cupcakes, because again, they are low in digestible carbohydrates (particularly refined carbohydrates, which can turn into sugar quite quickly in your body) and refined white sugar, all of which can cause a quick insulin spike and crash, resulting in low energy. So you really are good to go with these.

Be sure to try and pulverize the dried coconut in either a blender, Magic Bullet, coffee grinder, ect., as you really do want a find powder. I used a food processor the first time, and it resulted in half powder, half coconut "bits". If you don't mind having those "bits" in your 'bites', then it shouldn't bother you. Me, I would rather have a cupcake with a smooth texture. Also, make sure you are using real eggs and REAL butter or oil, as using replacements will result in a different texture and you will also be missing out on any health benefits the egg yolk, butter or coconut oil provides.

Now, on with the recipe. I tend to speak too much about the recipes I post, which will come to an end on the next one, I promise. This is a super quick, easy treat for you or anyone you know, and can be eaten as dessert, snack, or even be a high protein, high fiber meal replacement.

P.S. This cupcake is full of coconut, so you know that the fat in this recipe will not be stored as fat, but be used as energy very quickly in your body, even resulting in a higher metabolic rate. Read more here about coconut in the PART 1 of this series.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup blanched dry almonds, pulverized into a flour

2 cups unsweetened, dry coconut, pulverized into a fine flour, meal or powder

1 Tbsp. Coconut Flour

-OR Protein Powder

1/8 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

1/2 tsp. Grain Free Baking Powder

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

3 eggs

1/4 cup coconut or almond milk (or whole, organic raw milk)

2 TBSP. Organic Butter or Coconut Oil, melted

Sweeteners

12 drops Vanilla Creme Stevia

1/4 cup Xylitol

1/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar

1/4-1/2 tsp. Stevia Extract Powder, to taste

-OR-

3/4-1 cup natural sugar substitute

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Set oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Mix the almond flour, dried coconut meal/flour/powder and coconut flour in a small bowl. Add salt and baking powder. Mix together well and set aside.

In another bowl, combine vanilla extract with 3 eggs. Next add the sweeteners. Stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients in with the sweeteners. Mix well. You can also do this in just one big bowl, if you so desire.

Line 8-9 big muffin cups with paper liners. Or, line a mini muffin pan with 20 mini muffin liners. Grease the paper liners well.

Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin cups, making sure that you are giving enough room for rising to occur.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until "springy" to the touch. Set out to cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (but they will be gone much sooner than that!).

Carob added to the final frosting. As I said before, my photos do not seem to do it any justice. Reading up on photography!

Yield: 20 mini cupcakes, or 9 regular sized cupcakes

Healthy Buttercream Frosting

4-6 TBSP. Organic Butter, or Coconut Oil (hard)

1/4 tsp. Stevia Extract Powder
or 1/4 cup Xylitol

1 TBSP. Coconut Milk (optional)

Blend the butter or coconut oil with the stevia or xylitol. Add the coconut milk, if using. Frost cool cupcakes (make sure they are cool) and place in refrigerator for storage.

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There you go, for a healthy, meal on the go or quick snack or dessert to help support your healthy lifestyle. Please check out the ingredients you may have not been familiar with anywhere on this blog by doing a quick search, or look them up on your favorite search engine to find out more. Super healthy and extremely nutritious.

Try these out and tell me what you think! I know you won't be dissappointed.

This is The Healthy Advocate.