These cupcakes are based on the cake recipe that started me off on bean baking (baking with legumous beans as a gluten free, high protein alternative)– I’ve played it straight, messed with quantities, gone Black Forest, chillified it, red-velvet-and-cream-cheesed it, made it as muffins… it’s never failed me and it’s spectacularly easy.
Today being Independence Day, peanut butter cups seemed appropriate. Packed with fibre, protein and good fats, and super-cute to boot. Love.
Chocolate peanut butter cupcake bites with peanut butter frosting
Makes: 40-50 cupcake bites
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20-40 minutes – oven or cupcake maker
Dietary: Gluten and dairy free, contain eggs.
Before you start: These cupcakes are super-easy if you have a food processor, a bit harder if you’re using a blender, and can’t be done with a stick blender (or no blender at all). I adapted them, over several stages, from a cake recipe on another blog; I’ve made the cake several times as a layer cake and also as muffins and it’s always amazing. I’ve halved the quantities for these mini-mini cupcakes but just ask if you want the muffin/cake recipe.
These really are bite-size – the mini cupcake cases I got were so small I think they probably held half the capacity of my (brand-new-had-to-use-immediately) mini-cupcake maker’s pockets – if you find bigger mini-muffin cases they’ll easily be twice the size (though still dinky) and of course make half the quantity. For the sake of your sanity, do, do use cases.
Ingredients
Cupcake mix
- 1 cup cooked OR ¾ can black bean, drained and rinsed very well
- 3 small eggs
- ½ Tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsps coconut oil
- ¼ + 1/8 cup maple syrup, honey or agave nectar
- 4 Tbsps cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsps natural peanut butter
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ Tbsp water
Peanut butter frosting
- 80gm natural peanut butter
- 80gm coconut oil
- 100gm unrefined cane powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Tiny pinch sea salt
- ½ Tbsp liquid – soy milk and/or lemon juice (I like a bit of lemon juice to make it a bit tangy)
Directions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/170°C OR turn your mini cupcake maker on. Line mini cupcake trays or lay out cases beside cupcake maker.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine all cupcake ingredients.
- Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. The batter may seem thin, but that’s okay. Taste-test it before pouring: add a bit more cocoa or a bit of extra black beans to your taste.
- Use a teaspoon to carefully fill cupcake cases two thirds full and:
- Oven: bake for 7-10 minutes on the middle rack until the tops are springy. Check them at 5 minutes in case your oven cooks fast. (Note: If your oven has a top element, place a tray or sheet of baking paper on the rack above them after 4 minutes to stop the tops from overcooking). Remove the cupcakes from the oven, cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely before decorating.
- Cupcake maker: carefully but quickly place a filled cupcake case in each pocket; close lid and cook for seven minutes, until tender and springy. Remove quickly with a silicone spoon and leave to cool, fill up the machine again and repeat until you run out of cupcakes.
Frosting
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Beat with an electric beater for five minutes then leave in the fridge until cupcakes are cool. Whip again quickly with a spoon to soften before frosting.
- Decorate each cupcake with a small blob of frosting (blob, scoop, swirl or pipe it on!) – you don’t need much as the frosting is very sweet and not entirely necessary – they’re pretty tasty plain. If you prefer, just dust with a bit of icing sugar before service. Store in the fridge overnight. Note: you can also frost just before serving.
Please try these out and let us know if you think they are as fabulous as we do!
Everyday Small Things 