Mocha Avocado Cupcakes
Gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, heart-healthy
These “veggan” cupcakes are the real deal for chocolate and coffee lovers who crave healthy MOCHA dessert. The cupcakes are light and fluffy, topped with scrumptious dairy-free, healthy frosting. Both, the cupcakes, and the frosting are made with avocados, providing healthy fats and a wonderful, smooth texture. The perfect sweetness comes mainly from low-glycemic sweeteners –dates and coconut sugar –balanced by the strong flavors of coffee and chocolate. Your friends will never know that these cupcakes are healthy because they are so beautiful and YUMMY.
Mocha Avocado Cupcakes
© Sweets You Can Eat by Megan Matthews and Patricia Schroeck 2019-2023
Ingredients
Cake
Wet
2 avocados (1 cup packed)
8 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup dried dates, rough chopped
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
Dry
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons espresso powder or finely ground coffee beans
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Frosting
Soak
1/2 cup strong, extra hot coffee
1/2 cup dried dates, rough chopped
3 large ripe avocados (about 1 1/2 cups packed)
1 tablespoon vanilla
A pinch of salt
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
Melt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup plant-based milk (rice, almond or soy)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Makes 24 cupcakes
Instructions
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Line two 12-tin cupcake pans with cupcake papers.
2. Combine wet: avocados, eggs, dates, coconut sugar, maple syrup, olive oil and vanilla into a large bowl. Using a hand blender or stand mixer, blend until completely smooth for about 2 minutes.
3. Add dry: cocoa powder, almond flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Blend again until smooth.
4. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling each to just below the lip of the tin. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake the cupcakes, they continue to firm up as they cool.
Frosting
5. Prepare dates by removing pits and roughly chopping them. Make 1/2 cup extra strong, extra hot coffee in a large mug or small bowl and add dates to soak for 15 minutes.
6. Place avocados, soaked dates, coffee liquid, vanilla and a pinch of salt into a food processor or blender. Blend on medium until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Scoop avocado batter into a bowl and add cocoa powder. Stir into a smooth paste.
7. In a small saucepan combine maple syrup and milk. Heat over low until liquid is steaming then remove saucepan from heat. Pour chocolate chips into the liquid to melt. Do not stir for a few minutes while the chocolate melts in the hot liquid.
8. Finally, stir the warm chocolate/milk syrup until it becomes glossy and thickened. Add syrup into the avocado batter and stir until smooth.
Finish
9. Once the cupcakes are cooled, spread 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons frosting over each cupcake.
Photos by Milkshake Creative
Do you want to be our test baker? Please, share a photo of you with your bake on Instagram or Facebook and let us know how the recipe turned out and add any other comments you have! We can’t wait to hear from you!
This recipe contains affiliate links, which means that Sweets You Can Eat LLC (Megan’s and Patricia’s partnership) will make a small commission if you purchase using these links. The price you pay is the same as going there directly. We only recommend products that we use ourselves and that we trust and love!