Gluten-Free and Vegan Fudgeeo Cupcakes

As kids gets older, they become more sensitive about their differences, in this case, their food intolerance(s). They just want to eat what everyone else is eating! Especially when it comes to birthday parties and other social gatherings.

Not too much to ask, is it?  Unfortunately this can get a little tricky.

In order to make my kids feel a little better about being the only one eating a gluten-free cupcake at a birthday party, I’ve decided to get a little more creative. If they’re at a party, I want to make sure they feel really good about what they’re eating.

Thus, the Fudgeeo Cupcake was born.

Do you remember Fudgeeo Cookies ? Definitely one of my favorite childhood treats. Talk about a chocolate and sugar overload!

I’ve combined three recipes into one fabulous Fudgeeo Cupcake.  I’m pretty sure you and your kids will be happy about these. In fact, these Fudgeeo Cupcakes were the talk of the latest birthday party. Everyone wanted one!

Step One: Make Oreo Cookies

Gluten-Free and Vegan Oreo Cookies

Yield: 16 Oreos

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature (not liquid)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 14 drops (1/4 teaspoon) NuNaturals Alcohol Free Stevia (we used Vanilla)
• 1 tablespoon ground chia combined with 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon psyllium seed husks
• 1 cup teff flour , plus a little extra for rolling
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder (cocoa powder works too)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Cream coconut oil, coconut sugar, and stevia in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in ground chia and water mixture, vanilla, and psyllium seed husks.
4. Combine until all ingredients are fully mixed.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the teff flour, cacao, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined.
7. Move dough to a lightly floured surface (I use extra teff flour for rolling) and roll out until about 1/2 centimeter thick (or to desired thickness).
8. Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter , cut into shapes and place on tray.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, longer if you want them really crunchy. Just be sure to check on them so they don’t burn.
10. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Repeat with remaining dough, you may need to refrigerate dough if it gets too soft to work with.
12.Once cookies are completely cool, cut each cookie in half and frost with Fudgey Chocolate Frosting (see Step Three) or desired frosting.  Top with another cookie half and set aside.

Step Two: Make Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 10 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup dairy-free milk (I used coconut milk – this one)
• ¼ cup tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
• 1 cup teff flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon psyllium seed husks
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used raw cacao)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (I use coconut sugar)
• ½ cup coconut oil, liquefied

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers (or lightly oil).
2. Combine the apple cider vinegar with the coconut milk and dairy-free milk in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to create a “buttermilk”.
3. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the starch, teff flour, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium seed husks, sea salt, and cocoa powder.
4. Add vanilla, sugar and coconut oil to your “buttermilk” mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake pan and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until tops bounce back.
6. Remove cupcakes cake from oven and let cool for fifteen minutes. Move to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
7. Frost with Fudgey Chocolate Frosting (recipe below) or desired frosting.

Step Three: Make Fudgey Frosting

Fudgey Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, room temperature
• 2/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon raw cacao
• 1 cup icing sugar (I grind my own using cane sugar or coconut sugar)
• pinch sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut milk, if needed

Method:

1. Whip Earth Balance and coconut oil in the bowl of a mixer until well combined.
2. Sift in raw cacao, icing sugar and sea salt. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Add vanilla and coconut milk, if needed. Mix until well combined.
4. Use to frost cupcakes and Fudgeeo cookies.  I used a ziploc bag snipped in the corner to frost my cupcakes and a frosting knife for the cookies.
5. Place one cookie on each cupcake.

Trying to cut back on refined sugar?  Try Ricki’s chocolate “buttercream” frosting. I bet it would be amazing with this recipe.

How do you survive birthday parties and other social gatherings?