Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

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I love mint chocolate. I mean, I REALLY love mint chocolate. Thin Mints, mint chip ice cream, York Peppermint Patties.... the list goes on and on. I also love cupcakes. Who doesn't, right? Baking cupcakes is so much fun because there are endless options for flavors, colors, frosting styles, and presentation. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find delicious mint chocolate-flavored treats or cupcakes when you're watching your gluten and/or dairy intake. Luckily, with a little help from Elana's Pantry, I have found a way to indulge in my love of mint chocolate (and cupcakes!) in a much healthier way.

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

The recipe below is based on the Chocolate Cake recipe from "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" by Elana Amsterdam. This recipe makes about 16 cupcakes.

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour (my favorite is from Honeyville Farms)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, mix well, and combine with the dry ingredients.

4. Using a small spoon, scoop the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each cupcake liner half-way with batter. 
5. Put the cupcake pan in the oven and bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into one of the center cupcakes comes out clean. While your cupcakes are baking and cooling, make the frosting (recipe below).
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan.
7. Once the cupcakes are cool, use a spoon to pop the cupcakes out of the pan.

Mint Chocolate Frosting

The following recipe is based on the Vegan Chocolate Frosting recipe from Elana's Pantry. It does not make a ton of frosting, just enough for a thin layer of frosting over 16 cupcakes. If you like using a lot of frosting on cupcakes, consider making a larger batch of this frosting.

Ingredients

1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (many times dark chocolate chips are dairy free. You can also find dairy free chocolate chips at most grocery stores).
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
pinch of salt

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil.
2. Stir in agave, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt.
3. Put frosting in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to chill and thicken.
4. Remove from the freezer and whip the frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy.

5. Frost your cupcakes! For the cupcakes you see in the picture below, I used a Wilton 1M tip to frost. You could also frost them the old-fashioned way with a spatula. Get creative and make some delicious, beautiful, and healthier cupcakes!