These healthy chocolate cupcakes are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free, nut-free, and so decadent. The perfect guilt-free chocolate treat, and easy to make too!
Updated version of this recipe HERE!
I’m starting off 2015 with a chocolate bang!
These cupcakes started as a far-fetched idea that I never imagined would work…but that didn’t stop me from trying it. While they were baking, I couldn’t help but check on them at least 12 times. And right before my peeking eyes they were becoming cupcakes!
These cupcakes are what I like to call everything-free. In other words, they are…
-Gluten-free with GF oat flour or certified GF oats ground to flour
-Oil-free with just a small amount of fat found naturally in oats and cacao
-Nut-free as long as you use a non-dairy milk made from rice or oats or flax or hemp
-Soy-free
-Refined sugar-free instead sweetened naturally with dates
Well maybe not free of everything, because then they would be invisible. And then you couldn’t find them. And then you couldn’t eat them. And that would be sad.
They are definitely not free of dreamy chocolate flavor thanks to a few tablespoons of cacao. I love using cacao powder in place of cocoa powder even in non-raw recipes.
Why I love cacao
-It’s rich in minerals like magnesium and iron.
-Rich in antioxidants.
-Rich in fiber with about 4 grams per 2.5 tablespoons.
-And rich in sweet chocolate flavor. Since it’s not roasted, I find the flavor of cacao powder more pleasant than cocoa powder, which tends to have a bitter edge.
Nothing beats a healthy chocolate cupcake popped straight out of the pan into your waiting hands for an oven-warm nibble. But if you’re after a thicker frosting then I suggest you frost them and the refrigerate them. Once they are chilly, the frosting texture is so fudgy. In fact, it reminds me an awful lot of a certain chocolate frosting I used to enjoy by the spoonful straight from a plastic can with a red top.
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These healthy chocolate cupcakes are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free, nut-free, and so decadent. The perfect guilt-free chocolate treat, and easy to make too!
See the updated version HERE!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcake
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates ((about 12))
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup cacao powder ((or cocoa powder))
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates ((about 12))
- 2/3 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tbsps cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 can full fat coconut milk chilled overnight
Instructions
- Chocolate Frosting: Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. Chill for at least 2 hours.
- Coconut Whipped Frosting: Scoop out the solid part of the separated coconut cream. Whip till smooth. Sweeten if you want, I personally like it as is with just the natural sweetness of coconut.
- Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Blend the dates and water until smooth. (A high speed blender works best, if using a food processor either wrap a towel around it before turning it on or add the water slowly to avoid date water spraying all over your kitchen.)
- Add the oat flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and non-dairy milk. Blend until well combined.
- Spoon the batter into 6 lined or oiled muffin tins. Fill them 3/4 of the way, and smooth the tops.
- Bake at 350F for approximately 25 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and let them cool on a cooling rack.
- Once they are completely cool, frost them with the chilled frosting.
- Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge.
Hahaha, I love the name because that’s how I cook and bake!BUT I have never cooked with dates yet……foodie fail :/ I will…one day…it’s on that long long list!
Haha my sister came up with the name while I was rambling off a long list of non-ingredients to her 🙂 You really need to get on that, I’m slowly falling in love with those yummy tasting but nasty looking little dried fruits!
hi
i have a question can date nectar be used instead of 1 cup of medjool dates mixed with water
thank.you
The actual dates blended into a paste add a lot more moisture and help bind the cupcakes, so I would not recommend subbing date nectar. Or if you do, add in something like applesauce or mashed banana to give them that same binding and moisture. Sorry!
Hey Natalie, can I use just a gluten-free flour rather than oat flour?
Hi Abby! You can, I have done it before, but they are not as soft and fluffy as with the oat flour.
I can’t see your reply for some reason can you email me abbylaf@outlook.com
Much appreciated
Never mind just saw it. Great thanks a lot
Oh my goodness!! They’re like little superfood cupcakes – these are way too adorable. You are killing it with your recipes, seriously! Amazing as always 🙂
Thanks Shannon! We must be thinking alike with all these healthy cupcakes lately 🙂
Love these cupcakes! The date frosting is such a great idea, I’ll definitely have to try them 🙂
Thanks Charlie, I hope you do! I love the date frosting, I use it on everything. It’s amazing on top of nicecream, almost like hot fudge sauce 🙂
Hello! Tried making these, and they tasted super good (the frosting was divine!) except the cake was much too fudgy for my liking. To be expected with dates, I suppose, but is there anything i can do to make them a little more cakey? More oat flour, baking soda, less dates?
Yeah they are quite fudgey 🙂 I personally love them that way, but for a lighter texture my ideas would be more leavening (baking soda or baking powder along with some apple cider vinegar) or trying a different type of flour. Maybe pastry flour, something lighter than oat flour. If you reduce the amount of dates they will be too dry. You could add oil for more moisture, but then they’re not everything free which is kind of the purpose of the recipe. Hope this helps!-Natalie
How about banana flour? In Australia this kind of flour is really taking off.
I love banana flour, but it’s quite unique and not one that can easily be subbed in for other flours without risking a really gummy texture. I have a couple of banana flour recipes here though if you are interested:
https://www.feastingonfruit.com/grain-free-chocolate-brownie-donuts/
https://www.feastingonfruit.com/banana-flour-chocolate-chip-cake/
I had similar issue, so in order to make it more cakey and not fudgy I tried using
6 dates
1 cup alomond milk
1/2 cup cacao
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup apple sauce and vanilla extract
Blended it in a mixer and poured it in 1.5 cup oats flour + 4 tbs baking powder (also added ground walnuts to it). Finally added 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar.
It worked for me. I like the texture and taste both 🙂
You can add a little coconut sugar to make it more sweet.
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Very good to know, thank you for sharing your ratios! I’m glad they turned out yummy 🙂
It was all inspired by your other recipes. 🙂 Thanks to you!
Always happy to inspire 🙂
I just came across these on Pinterest. The cupcakes look heavenly! I’ve been stuffing myself with dates this winter, but I am not at all bored of them yet. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you stumbled upon them! After many batches of these cupcakes I’m not bored of them either, but I am getting low on dates 🙂
These cupcakes look devine! I definitely will be trying them out. I’m not familiar with cacao, however. How does it differ from regular cocoa that I buy in the baking aisle at the grocery?
Cacao is similar to cocoa powder, but it is made from cacao beans that have not been roasted. That makes for a sweeter flavor, and higher levels of minerals and antioxidants. Cocoa powder will definitely work too, the difference is subtle. Let me know how it goes!
Just made these while waiting on Blizzard Juno to hit NJ shore… So far so yummy.. I did fold in some chocolate chips in the hopes my son would eat them. Icing them later and adding some fresh strawberries on top
Ooh yes chocolate chips sound like a great addition! I hope you love them and your son gives them a chance 🙂 Good luck with the weather! (blizzard? I can’t even imagine what that must be like!)
Could you sub oat flour for almond or coconut?
I haven’t tried it, but I would think so.
OMG delicious! I do admit I made some changes so I could use what I had at home. Instead of dates I used half/half of soaked figs and raisins. I added a couple table spoons of chia seeds and maca powder so they are even more superfoody. I just enjoyed one with real double cream and sour cherry jam like a scone. MMmmm happy girl.
Whoa!! I want to try one of yours!!! The fig/raisin thing sound awesome, I will have to make a batch like that! I’m so glad you loved them <3 And I love hearing from you, so thank you for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Awesome!
Thanks! You will love them <3
Oohhhh my goodness!!!! I can not have any refined sugar or gluten…… these saved my life!!! This coming from a girl with the worst chocolate addiction!! yummy! Thank you!!
Aw Shanna that makes me so happy to read! I’m so glad these cupcakes can satisfy your chocolate addiction <3
I made these cupcakes today. There are delicious”. I added some unsweetened Apple sauce and they r so good and I love that they r also guilt free ?
That sounds wonderful Gricelda! So glad you enjoyed them! they are totally guilt-free and even breakfast approved I think 🙂
Happened to have all of these ingredients laying around in my vegan pantry except non=dairy milk…but I made my own oat milk then whipped up a batch! Came out so soft and pillowly and chocolatey. Yum!
That’s fantastic Andrew, so glad you liked them! I need to remember that next time I’m out of almond milk because I always have oats around. Thanks for trying the recipe 🙂
How to make oat milk if im not wrong example 1cup osts nd 1nd half cup milk soak overnight nd in morning keep on flame nd cook it lyk porridge plz reply
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I usually make it in a blender without any heat/cooking at all. Here’s a good recipe: http://simpleveganblog.com/how-to-make-oat-milk/
These are delicious!! Perfect sweet (and healthy) treat!
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These are sooooo delicious. Love the ingredients! Perfect sweet and healthy treat.
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I’m so glad you like them Camille! They are my go-to dessert <3
how many days can i store those cupcakes?
i made those cupcakes o.O love them!!!
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They’ll be good for about 4 days in the fridge, after that they will start to dry out. And I’m so glad you love them 🙂
I was just wondering if I could used bananas instead of the dates? Do you think it would work?
I don’t think it will be sweet enough with just banana. You could use a combination of banana and coconut sugar though!
Awesome! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Natalie, what are your thoughts on using deglet noor dates instead of medjool? They are dryer but they’re the only ones our coop carries. Thoughts?
They will work, just put them in a bowl with the 1 cup of water you are going to use anyways and let them soak for 30 mins to an hour before blending. Actually maybe add an extra 1/4 cup of water since they will absorb some of it. Hope that helps!
Oh, and since they are smaller you will probably need more than 12, just go for about 1 cup packed.
Thanks! I will try it! Experimenting for my baby’s birthday party coming up… Your blog has been most helpful. Can you point me towards a white frosting recipe that I could color with a little beet juice?
I’m so glad it’s been helpful! Frosting…
I would either go with a coconut whipped cream base like this: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/sugar-cookies-with-beetiful-swirl-icing/
Or a cashew based frosting. I don’t have a recipe personally, but here is one from my friend Tiina: http://www.myberryforest.com/mini-carrot-cupcakes-with-cashew-cream-frosting/
You could do a more traditional powered sugar “butter” cream thing too, but I’m assuming you’d rather keep it healthy for your little one.
Can you line the muffin tin with cupcake papers?
For sure!
I made these last night and am happy to finally review them. They are delicious! Moist, chocolatey with a perfect hint of sweetness. I was surprised to see them rise nicely as well. I used a different frosting recipe which Natalie linked above (strawberry cashew cream) which was lovely and yummy in and of itself but I think the date frosting accompanying this recipe probably pairs better with the cupcake. I’ll try it next time…
I did make some modifications which I’ll note. Used deglet noor dates instead (dryer and less sweet than medjool) and soaked them beforehand for 30 min before putting in food processor. I put the dates and water in at the same time and the food processor FREAKED OUT and splattered the whole kitchen (LOL) so I took out the water, just puréed the dates and slowly added water through the spout until it was a nice pasty texture. I added about 1 TBSP of coconut sugar to make up for the less sweet variety of date I was using. Also used cocoa powder instead of cacao. Again, this is a great recipe that is definitely going in my rotation. Simple, delicious, and healthy without tasting ICK. Thank you, Natalie, for sharing!
P.S. Natalie, what do you think about using buckwheat flour in place of oat? I have a bunch on hand….
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I’m so happy they worked Katie, I have been waiting to hear how your cupcake adventures went! I’m sure they looked gorgeous with that pink frosting, plus strawberry and chocolate are so good together. But the chocolate on chocolate is good too, I definitely suggest trying the chocolate date frosting sometime it’s my favorite I put it on everything <3 And no lie my food processor did the exact same thing the first time I made this recipe. It hasn't happened since, don't know why, but I had date water on the walls and everything. You'd think those food processors would be water tight, but apparently not. Sorry for the mess, at least you know now how to avoid it. Thank you for the great feedback, I really appreciate it Katie!
And as for buckwheat flour, I personally really dislike the taste so I never use it. But that said I have had readers successfully make this recipe using it so I think it would be worth trying!
I wish I had read your comment last night before making these, Katie. I, too, have date wallpaper in my kitchen now! haha
I will be blending just the dates and slowly adding water next time.
What is up with these food processors not being water tight. Going add a note to the repine now since it seems to be a common problem?
Ok, just tried a half batch with buckwheat flour and, yeah they taste like hamster food. I’ll leave buckwheat in my pancake recipe and stick to oat flour with these! Now I know!
Lol perfect description 😀 It just has a very strange flavor, I’m not a fan. Good to know though.
Sounds Amazing!!! Is there anything I could use instead of dates (I dont have any right now) like maple syrup or apple sauce? Will that affect the texture?
THANKS!
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Since the dates sweeten and bind you’ll probably have to use a combination of things. I’d suggest either applesauce or banana to bind them and keep them moist. And coconut sugar or maple syrup to sweeten. You can sort of base it off of this recipe: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/vanilla-blueberry-muffins-oil-free-gf/ but add cacao powder in place of some of the flour and leave out the blueberries of course. I hope that helps!
Thank you!!! Can’t wait to try!
I finally got round to making these last night, swapping the dates for bananas and brown sugar.
I also made the icing with bananas, cocoa and a little sugar.
Wow, they came out awesome! This is definitely my new go to recipe for cupcakes!
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Yay!!! I’m so glad the substitutions worked out and that you loved them! That makes me very happy to hear 🙂 Banana frosting? I might have to try that! Thank you for the feedback!
Absolutely scrummy recipe! I made them yesterday and immediately gobbled down 2 cupcakes. Admittedly my cupcake tray was smaller than yours so I got 8 little cupcakes for my mixture. The only change I made was to use half oat flour and half whole wheat flour. Also it would be better to pre soak the dates (mine were really dry) because they made a big mess in my food processor, water flying everywhere, without actually blending, I had to pop them into the vitamix to get a smooth paste. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so so happy you liked them! And I have done the same food processor spray thing. I thought it was just my food processor being old and not water tight, but if it happened to you too then I should probably note that in the recipe. I will often use a blender for this recipe too, mostly just because the vitamix is always out and ready to use. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback here, and enjoy the rest!
So ive recently become fully vegan! honestly the only difference is i stopped consuming eggs (a main using agent in gluten free baking) and fish. But I have been on the hunt after many frustrating baking attempts simple oat recipies and omg your brilliant with the use of oats. I finally made these into brownie form by baking at 325 instead of 350 here a bit fudgier 🙂 I used dried figs instead of the dates and added a whole tablespoon of espresso powder. I about died they were so good! Thanks girl for making simple vegan low fat recipies can’t wait to make more from your blog!
Yay!!! Your comment makes me so incredibly happy Zoe! Figgy and extra fudgy–that’s a variation I gotta try because it sounds fantastic. Congrats on being fully vegan now too. Funny enough I actually made this recipe today too 🙂 It’s still one of my favorites. I’m so happy you tried them and that easy, oaty, and low fat vegan recipes appeal to you too. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
Thank you for replying! I just love how your desserts are healthy enough for even breakfast
Wat is non dairy milk plz reply
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I just made these today and they are soo delicious! I didn’t end up making the frosting even though I wanted to because my food processor wasn’t happy when I blended the dates for the cupcakes. Let’s just say there was date water everywhere. Also, I absolutely love your blog! I can’t have dairy, fat, or sugar, but I love to bake. I may have hyperventilated a little when I discovered your blog. It’s absolutely perfect! Thank you so much for your amazing recipes! 🙂
Really that happened to you too!?! I thought it was just my food processor that didn’t seal well or something, I seriously did the exact same thing the first time I made them. Well to save others from the date water spray I just amended the recipe to call for a blender to make the date paste and then mixing everything together in a bowl. Or if you don’t have a blender, a towel wrapped around the food processor works too. I’m so happy that that you like the recipes Hayley, your comment put a big smile on my face 🙂 Baking is a little trickier without those things, but certainly not impossible!
Do you think I could substitute the oat flour for buckwheat flour without changing the texture of the cakes much? 🙂
I have had other people make that switch with good results, but I have not tried it personally. But these seem to work with most flours, so I would give it a try!
These are gorgeous! I love the mulberries on top!
Thank you Ashley! Mulberries are the best little topping, aren’t they 🙂
Made these yesterday following the recipe to the letter (but didn’t bother with frosting). Absolutely awesome – rose well, rich and chocolatey and a big hit in the lunchbox today.
I will make again but am considering using a smaller 12 cupcake tin so more of them :-). I think I might stir in a few frozen raspberries before baking – choc and raspberries are a winning combo.
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Yay!! I’m so happy they turned out well, and I’m glad you little one likes them too! Mmmm if only these had been around when I still had a lunchbox 🙂
They work really well as minis. I know, the batch makes a strange number, and actually I sometimes get 6 or 8 depending on which of my cupcake pans I use. Adding in raspberries sounds SO tasty! And it would add a little extra volume which equals helps with the more cupcakes part too 🙂 Thanks for taking time to leave feedback here!
Thank you so much for this healthy chocolate cupcakes! Made these today. They are so good and so fluffy! I’ve been searching for a healthy recipe and I’m so happy to have found you. Do you think these will work well if I used a round cake pan? I was thinking of making these again for my sons birthday party.
Hi Sarahsan! Oh yay, I’m so happy you liked them 🙂 Yes I have made this recipe as a cake before, but only ever a 6″ cake. I’m afraid if you go much bigger the center won’t cook all the way. But it works fine in a 6″ pan, just bake it for longer (about 30-35 mins)
Thank you for replying back to my question! I’m making this again soon and every time I’m in need of a cupcake! I can’t believe how healthy they are, and they are sooooo good! 😀
Question: Can I use honey dates instead?
I’ve never tried it since I can’t get those here, but should be fine!
Hi. Can I use quinoa flour instead of oat flour?
Yes I think that could work! Quinoa flour is no a flour I work with regularly, so I have not tested it personally but I have had readers successfully make this recipe with lots of different flours before 🙂
Made these for the first time tonight!! So so so so so good!!!!! And the batter was good – I licked the bowl 😀 I didn’t frost them and I don’t think I will. They’re perfect as is! I didn’t have Medjool dates so I just used the smaller ones. Thank you for this recipe!!
Yay!! I am so so happy to hear it Wendy. Especially warm from the oven they really don’t even need the frosting, I agree. Still my go to recipe for serving to people or just a good dose of chocolate all to myself, so I’m really glad you gave them a try 🙂 Thanks for the lovely feedback!
Hi Natalie, Can i use metal pan and cupcake liners?
Absolutely!! Just make sure you let them cool completely before trying to remove the liners or you will lose some cupcake to the paper 🙂
HI Natalie! I’ve heard that you make your own oat flour by blending oats,but i just wanted to know if you sift the oats for a finer flour or you just keep it as is? Also,i can never afford dates so in your cake recipes could i replace the dates with sugar instead? Example:1 cup oat flour,1 cup water,1/4 cup plant milk,1/3 cocoa powder,baking powder/soda,and 1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar? Sorry i know i’ve rambled a bit! Thank you for always answering my questions.
Hi Renae! No I do not sift the oat flour after blending. You certainly could, and in some recipes it may make for an even better texture, but in a recipe like this where you are bldening up the entire batter anyways it’s not necessary. If you were to mix the batter by hand then it could be a good idea to avoid lumps–still not essential though in my opinion. As for using regular sugar here, it doesn’t work as a straight substitution because the dates make up a large bulk of this batter and add a lot of moisture as well as sweeten. You would have to remove the water since that is really just to make the date paste, and add in either pumpkin purée or applesauce for moisture and more nondairy milk as well. It would look something like:
1 cup oat flour
3/4 cup applesauce/pumpkin purée
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1 tbsp baking powder
I hope that helps!!
Ohmygosh! Thank you so much! I cannot wait to try it! Also i forgot to ask,how tightly to you pack your cups with oat flour? would it be ok if you could give me grams? Thanks Natalie! Your a superstar!
I basically just scoop the flour with the cup measure so how ever tightly packed that makes it which I know is not a very exact answer, so I just weighed it and it comes to about 130 grams for 1 cup oat flour 🙂
Thank you so much that really helps 🙂 Also i was wondering(more of a request really) If you could come up with a pineapple cupcake recipe.I cannot seem to find a gluten free and oil free one anywhere! Thank you so much for always replying so quickly to my posts.Love your recipes 🙂
Mmmm that sounds lovely!! Yes I am imagining a deliciously tropical pineapple cupcake already. Will do, thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Where wil i get a non dairy milk plant in India plz reply nd wat wil be d substitute for it plz reply on my email tfmemon@yahoo.com
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Non dairy milk can be almond milk, soy milk, or any nut/seed milk–they will all work here. Or you can even use regular milk. Or last resort you could just use more water. Hope that helps!
Hi, thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I’ve been vegan for 6 years and I’ve just made these. This was also my first successful attempt at baking. I thought they were absolutely delicious!! Thanks again, I shall be baking these all the time!
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I am so happy they were a success!!! Wow 6 years without homemade vegan baked goods, I don’t know how you’ve managed. But hopefully now these will add a little extra healthy chocolate sweetness to your life 🙂
Hi Natalie, these sound absolutely amazing. Just wondering whether an immersion blender would work here?
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I have not tried it personally since I don’t have one, but yes I think it could work. What I would recommend is soaking the dates in the water for 30 minutes and then blending that with the immersion blender to get it as smooth and chunk free as possible. Then you can add in the rest of the ingredients and just mix by hand. Good luck, I hope they turn out perfect!
Hi! Can I use a 6inch cake pan and use same measurements of ingredients for the cake? Thanks!!
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Yes you can! I’ve done it many times and it makes for a perfect little cake. Enjoy😊
i did it!! i used a 6 inch cake pan and its awesome love it! thanks!!
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i finally did it using a 6 inch cake pan and i used your chocolate frosting using almond butter and it was amazing! my co workers loved it! if i use a 9 inch cake pan, will i just double the ingredients and double the baking time with the same temperature?
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I am so happy you liked it!! For a 9 inch pan you will need to double the ingredients but the bake time won’t double it will probably be around 35-40 minutes. The larger pan the higher likelihood of the center not baking thoroughly while the outside becomes too done, so that is why I prefer it in the small pan though. Just a word of warning 🙂
Hi nathalie,
I really love your work and i made soooo many recipes From you:) my family loves your truffle bars:)i used the bar recipe as a base of my no bake oreo cheesecake-of course healthy 🙂 will the muffins stick to the liners if i would use some?
Continue your great work and love,
Naima
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Hi Naima, I am so happy you and your family enjoy the recipes! Ooh yes, those truffle bars are one of my all time favorites. Since these cupcakes are oil free they will stick to the liners, that’s why I usually spray the muffin pan instead. I have made them with liners before, and if you do go that route letting them cool completely before you remove the liners helps 🙂 Enjoy!
Can I make these without the coconut sugar? Would they still be sweet enough? Thank you! Looks delicious!!
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There isn’t any coconut sugar in this one, completely date-sweetened and plenty sweet enough as is!😊
Oh duh!! lol my bad! I meant for the flourless chocolate blueberry cake? Is it sweet enough without the coconut sugar?
Oh gotcha, no worries! Um I really would not recommend skipping the sugar on that one because there is quite a lot of cacao powder so it would be really intensely chocolatey and bitter without it. Blueberries just aren’t quite naturally sugary enough to do all the sweetening on their own in that one. Sorry!
Ok sounds good thank you!
Can I use homemade but milk? Will it bind well?
Yes, homemade nut milk will work great!
Do you know about how many calories might be in one cupcake? Like a rough estimate?
Sorry for all the questions! I’m just really excited to make this today for my guy’s birthday 🙂
I do not know as I choose not to calculate for myself personally, but you can plug all the ingredients into MyFitnessPal (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator) and find out quite easily 🙂
I tried this with almond flour and it did not work! Booooo I actually will have to throw the batch away. It just won’t bake. I’m going to try with a gluten free blend and see if that works! I hope! Thank you for your Amazing recipes!!
Okay, Im the one that used almond flour. I am not throwing these away! It kind of turned into a pudding molten cupcake! Sooooo yummy! I wish i had coconut cream to whip up to put on top. I’m so shocked at how sweet these are! These are not quite cupcakes but very edible and the best part, my son can eat them! He has a grain and egg allergy! Thanks again! I love your recipes!!
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That sounds different but also so good–I can’t wait to try it now with almond flour!! I love baking experiments that turn out unexpectedly decadent 🙂 And I am so so happy your son can enjoy them too!
Hi there! I’m making this for my gluten free, dairy free best friend (today is her bday). I don’t have any non dairy milk on hand, can I sub it with something else? I have canned pumpkin and coconut oil…
In the cake itself, you can just use more water in place of the nondairy milk. Coconut oil would work as well and may add some extra moisture if you don’t mind them being a little higher fat though. Or even a mix of the two 🙂 I hope she (and you!) love them!
Thank you! 🙂
I haven’t tried the cupcakes yet but the frosting is awesome. I actually am just trying to start making healthier desserts and when I saw this I didn’t have much confidence but it was awesome. We ate it with peanut butter and with fresh strawberries for dessert. I can’t wait to try the cupcakes and more of your recipes Natalie! Thanks!
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That sounds like a marvelous dessert situation, I am so happy you liked the frosting! Happy (healthier) baking 🙂
I tried that recipe then many people thought i bought them until i told them. They hardly believed.
Very delicious and healthy. I just added to the recipe small amount of coconut oil and enough stevia sweetner. And on the top, i made chocolate sauce with stevia+milk+cacao+agar powder.
Thanks for the great recipe. I will try other recipes on the website too.
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That’s amazing!! It’s always fun to wait until AFTER the first bite to tell people that they are vegan and healthy and all that jazz 😀 Loving the sound of that sauce on top, I am so happy you tried and liked these. Thanks for the feedback and happy baking!
Can I make these with regular dates instead of medjool dates and whole wheat flour instead of oat flour? I need to know asap-thanks!
Yes and yes, both will work! The regular dates are not quite as sweet as medjools though, so just keep that in mind and maybe add 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup or frost them for extra sweetness. You will need 1 cup (packed) of dates, which with regular dates will be more than 12 since they are smaller. Hope that helps and I hope they turn out perfect!
Wow! These are amazing! I made them for my friend who is gluten free and dairy free. The best complement was that he asked for a glass of almond milk after biting into it. That’s a good sign that you’ve got a really good chocolate cake! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
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Haha that really is the ultimate sign of a fudgy-ness, isn’t it? 😀 I love it, and I am so happy to hear you both liked them. Thanks for the feedback and happy monday Maribeth!
I was looking for a birthday cake recipe for my soon to be one year old daughter! We cut the white sugar at home and since she was born she never ate white sugar. Always sugar from fruits! My family and friends were laughing at me because of my parental decision: “A sugar-free cake AND frosting, yeah sure… ” they said
I wanna prove them that eating healthy is not boring! Thanks for sharing and I’ll try it tommorow! 😀
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Hi Isabelle! Wow props to you for making that switch, I bet she will be thanking you one day for setting her tastebuds to think fruit = sweet enough😊 Haha well I think this one just might prove them wrong, it’s one of my faves and actually my go-to recipe for sharing with non-vegan/healthy eaters. But I do have an updated version here with just a few tweaks that I like even more so maybe go with this recipe instead: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/the-best-healthy-chocolate-cupcakes/ I hope they turn out perfect and happy almost birthday to your daughter!
I just made these for my son’s second birthday party (he’s allergic to eggs and I’m gluten-free) and they turned out beautifully and were a major hit with our guests – everyone wanted the recipe! Thanks so much for creating a gorgeous and innovsticw recipe.
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YAY! I am so happy to hear they were a yummy success and happy belated bday to your son 🙂 Thank you for the feedback and have a great week, Kristen!
Omg these were delicious! I added chopped walnuts and used the coconut frosting with mulberries. Yum! Also I used nutri bullet to blend the dates and water. Couldn’t not believe how tasty they were even without sugar, eggs and all the regular ingredients. I am vegan and these are going to be new party treats. Already share these recepie with my vegan and non vegan friends as they were so delish! Thank you
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YAY!! I am so so happy you loved them🤗 Surprisingly dessert-y without all those normal cake things, right? I love the walnut addition, almost makes me think of a brownie cupcake. Thank you for the feedback and for sharing, Estera! Have a wonderful weekend😊
How can I make this recipe into a cake instead of cupcakes?? I want to use this awesome recipe for my daughters first birthday smash cake.
Hi Lisette! With the amounts as is it will fill a 6″ cake pan perfectly and just need an extra 5-10 minutes of cook time. To make a regular 9″ cake you will need to 1.5x the amounts. Hope that helps!
Hi Natalie,
I wrote once before about this recipe, but I just needed to write again. I go to an excercise class each morning, and they also promote healthy eating. I made the cupcakes for my friend’s birthday and shared them after class. Everyone loved them! The owners of the place liked them so much that they distributed the recipe to everyone in the program. The recipe already saved another member so that she could have a sweet treat on her birthday, too. The recipe that was passed out has your website on it, so I’m hoping everyone sees your other amazing recipes, too! Thank you again so much. I really appreciate you and your recipes!
Warm regards,
Maribeth
Maribeth!! Omg your comment just put a huge smile on my face, THANK YOU❤️ You have no idea how much that means to me that you are enjoying them and sharing them and spreading the healthy cupcake love! And um i want to come to your gym no because no one has ever handed out post-class cupcakes at my yoga studio and now I feel jipped😄 Thank you for the wonderful feedback, and very happy weekend to you!
Made these for an office birthday party today – two of our colleagues are vegan, and one eats gluten-free. They were a BIG hit. Thanks for a yummy recipe.
Woohooo! I am so happy they were a success🤗 Thanks for the feedback Jacqueline!
My family loves these. I love that they are super healthy and super super delicious! Thank you so much!
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Woohoo!! I am so happy you guys are enjoying them Megan, one of my all time faves too🤗 Thanks for the feedback!
About to try these for a friends birthday…We are going camping though…do you think I could freeze them?..and the frosting, maybe separately?
Hi Deb! The cupcakes will freeze just fine, but I not sure about the frosting. I’ve never tried it and I worry you may never be able to get it creamy and smooth again😬
Hi Natalie,
I tried this super simple recipe worh minor modifications and it turned out great. My picky eater husband devored it too! Thanks a ton!
Now i am wondering can i skip dates completely and use mangoo puree, apple sauce and sweeten it with stveia and cocnut sugar instead. By any chance do you mucb i will need it if i sub dates? Amy be i can add some flax egg too?
Thankyou!
Woohoo!! I am so happy they were a success and husband approved🤗 I’ve never tried them with another fruit puree before, it will likely affect the texture at least somewhat (make them a bit less cakey and more dense) but you will have to experiment and see. I would recommend about 1 cup of whatever fruit mix you decide to use and about 1/3-1/2 cup coconut sugar. I don’t bake with stevia so I can’t really give you a recommendation there, sorry. Good luck!
Hi Natalie,
I am interested in trying this recipe however can’t get my hands on any gluten free oat flour. Do you have any suggestions on what other flours I could use that are gluten free and will give the same and/or similar texture?
I have an almond flour version of these cupcakes here that I LOVE! Will that work: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/the-best-healthy-chocolate-cupcakes/
These came out SO well! I didnt have any milk left so just used water only and had to add a bit extra to the batter. I also swapped the oat flour for wheat flour . I actually ended up with NINE beautiful little muffins. They are not sweet really at all, more like a moist date and cacao bread but still really nice and once the frosting is added they are amazing. Thanks heaps. Wish I could post a photo!
I am so happy you liked them and they came out so well with those few tweaks! Yes perfect description, the frosting makes them more dessert-y but without they are like a subtly sweet bread. Thanks for the feedback even without a photo 🙂 Enjoy the rest!
Hi, I love the idea of these but I just made two batches and they didn’t seem to rise. The tops fell in and I’ve cooked them almost 30 min more and they still seem too soft, do yours actually hold together? Mine fall apart. I personally think they are delicious, I just wonder why they don’t stick together as well?
Thanks!
I’ve made these dozens of times and gotten lots of feedback and can tell you that yes they definitely hold together and shouldn’t sink after coming out of the one if you get the ingredients and bake time right. Did you make any changes at all? And how long did you bake them? I actually have an updated version of this recipe as noted at the top based on feedback and many trials that may work better for you: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/the-best-healthy-chocolate-cupcakes/ It’s not very different, just a few tweaks. Hope that helps 🙂
I know this is an old recipe now, but have you had any more success using ALMOND FLOUR? I’d love to try these but the link above from Apr 28, 2018 goes to an OAT flour recipe too. Any suggestions? Hoping to try these tonight for tomorrow’s birthday boy (turning 3!)! 🙂 Thank you!
Yep, I actually have a tested almond flour version that I like even better🤗 It’s in the post linked at the top, but at the bottom in the notes section under the video. I’ll copy paste it here for you:
For a grain-free option: Replace the oat flour with 1 1/4 cup almond flour. Add 2 tablespoons tapioca, corn, or arrowroot starch. And replace the non-dairy milk with 1/4 cup of any nut/seed butter.
Hope that helps!
Thank you! I found it shortly after I posted asking – I had read too quickly – oops! 🙂 These were DELICIOUS – so moist and came right out of the pan for me with the suggested changes! Thanks so much!
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I am so happy you liked them! I love the almond flour version, yep super moist and rich😋 Enjoy the rest!
I used almond flour instead of oat flour cause I couldn’t find oat flour in 2 grocery stores. I used deglet noor dates instead of medjool but I can’t figure out why after baking them 30 mins only the side is risen leaving a big dip in the middle . The texture also feels like it’s completely uncooked and has a bitter taste with the sweet taste. I’m baking Them 10 mins longer to see if it’ll harder up but I’m confused ????
So the almond flour is definitely the issue here. Oat and almond flour are not interchangeable, almond flour contains MUCH more natural moisture that is why they are still uncooked and mushy inside. If you go to the updated version of this recipe (https://www.feastingonfruit.com/the-best-healthy-chocolate-cupcakes/) there is an almond flour option included in the notes section though, but it takes some tweaking to get it right. And the bitterness may be due to too much baking powder, try cutting back a little bit there. Hope that helps!
Is there anyway I could substitute Cacao/ Cocoa powder?
You could use carob instead! Or I have a vanilla version here: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/everything-free-vanilla-cupcakes-2/
I’ve backed them for an hour and still were unbaked :/
Could you freeze these?
Yep, they freeze quite well unfrosted 🙂
I already have date paste made. Would I just use a full 1 cup of date paste for this recipe, healthy chocolate cupcakes” AND also “the best healthy chocolate cupcakes” recipe? Also just fyi, the “print” link for “the best healthy chocolate cupcakes” recipe goes to your home page instead of opening a print dialogue box (10/26/20). I copied and pasted the recipe so I could print it.
Yes one cup date paste would work for this recipe or the “best healthy chocolate cupcakes” (that is just an updated version of this post). And I am working on fixing the print button issue, appreciate you letting me know!