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Grain-free Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream (Gluten free, Nut free) | acalculatedwhisk.com

Treat yourself to small batch of paleo-friendly, grain-free vanilla bean cupcakes with mocha buttercream! They’re made with coconut flour, so they’re also nut free.

I’ve really been craving a classic vanilla cupcake recently, and wanted to try my hand at making grain-free vanilla bean cupcakes. To me, vanilla beans are the epitome of classic elegance in dessert flavor form. I ordered half a pound of vanilla beans online months ago, used half of them to make a bunch of little bottles of homemade vanilla extract (find out how to do that yourself here!), and still have a bunch left. I highly recommend ordering beans online in bulk, since it’s much more economical and they’re likely to be much fresher than overpriced grocery store beans.

These cupcakes are light and fluffy, because they’re made with coconut flour instead of almond flour. Of all the paleo & gluten-free treats I’ve made, these may be the closest in taste and texture to their gluten-laden cousins. I highly recommend them! They’re also perfect for people with nut allergies or for bringing to birthday celebrations in nut-free classrooms. This recipe makes a very small batch (good for people like me with no restraint), but can easily be doubled.

The mocha frosting pairs perfectly with the rich vanilla cupcake. It’s so good that I had a lot of trouble putting it on the cupcakes, since I was so busy tasting it again and again. You won’t notice the honey–just the robust flavors of coffee and chocolate. Make sure to use good coffee that you enjoy drinking, and make sure it’s finely ground. If you don’t eat butter, I recommend trying this vegan chocolate frosting from Elana’s Pantry, and adding ground coffee to that (the cupcakes themselves are already dairy free). You could also probably make my recipe with coconut butter or vegan butter, but I haven’t tested that myself.

If, on the other hand, you don’t want any coffee flavor at all, you can leave it out and have a classic chocolate frosting. You may want to add a tiny bit more cocoa powder if the frosting doesn’t taste chocolatey enough to you.

If you’re looking for more grain-free dessert recipes, check out this grain-free spiced shortbread or the black forest cake in my cookbook Paleo Planet (it’s on page 276!).

Grain-free Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream

Name: Grain-free Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 5-6 cupcakes
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 3 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon cocoa; Tiny pinch of salt; 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee (I love Medaglia D'Oro; Coffee beans for garnish (optional); 1/4 cup coconut flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon baking soda; Seeds scraped from half a vanilla bean; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 large eggs; 1/4 cup coconut oil; 1/4 cup honey

Yield: 5-6 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Treat yourself to small batch of paleo-friendly, grain-free vanilla bean cupcakes with mocha buttercream! They're made with coconut flour, so they're also nut free.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Seeds scraped from half a vanilla bean
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey

For the frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
 3 tablespoons honey
 1 tablespoon cocoa
 Tiny pinch of salt
 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee (I love Medaglia D'Oro
Coffee beans for garnish (optional)

Instructions

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F and line six cups of a muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla bean seeds and mix together with your fingers, pinching the powder between your fingers to evenly distribute the vanilla seeds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla extract, eggs, coconut oil, and honey. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk well, or beat with a hand mixer, until very smooth.
Pour the batter into the cupcake cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a rack before frosting them.
To make the frosting, beat the butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until very smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until incorporated. If your frosting does not seem stiff enough, refrigerate for a little while, then beat again.
Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread on the frosting (I used a Wilton 1M tip). Top with a coffee bean if desired.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 809Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 40gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 763mgCarbohydrates: 89gFiber: 13gSugar: 66gProtein: 9g

The nutrition label provided is an estimate for informational purposes only and may not be accurate. I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.