What if I told you that you can have have not just one cupcake for dessert, but two or three, and your body will spare you the love handles? This recipe is a creation born from my attempt to make chocolate cupcakes as light as possible without compromising taste. Sweetened with coconut palm sugar, this chocolate cupcake recipe wonâ€™t spike blood sugar levels. And, with whole-wheat flour, nut milk, and coconut oil, you are subbing in the healthier versions for health-offending ingredients, such as white flour, diary, and low-quality oils. Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Makes 10-12

Ingredients:

For the cupcake batter:

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/3 cup +1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 cup vegan milk (almond, rice, soy)

For the Frosting:

1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk the vanilla, vinegar, 1/3 cup of coconut oil and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold until evenly combined. Pour into a cupcake tin greased with a total of 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.

Bake for 30 minutes, until they have risen to a firm finish. Remove from oven, set aside, and let cool to room temperature.

For the frosting, use coconut milk that is thicker, which can be achieved through refrigeration. You can use a BPA-free brand, such as Native Forest or Aroy-D. Omit any liquid. Whisk in the remainder of the ingredients.