Who says cupcakes have to be a guilty pleasure? With our healthier twist, you can enjoy delicious hot chocolate cupcakes without the guilt and of course, make a few extra to share for the holidays.
Easy Low Cholesterol Chocolate Cupcakes
By making small substitutions – like adding Choco Nuvo in your recipes – you can savor the taste of chocolate with the added benefit of lowering your cholesterol all in the same bite.
Choco Nuvo’s individually wrapped chocolate squares are great on their own daily, but we figured, why not add these chocolates to our cupcake recipe as an added health benefit without sacrificing any of the taste we have all come to enjoy in a baked good. Choco Nuvo’s chocolate squares are like a dark chocolate with the texture of milk chocolate and use Plant Sterols that are proven to help reduce cholesterol, and flavonoids which promote cardio and circulatory health. Like I said, delicious without the guilt.
My Go-To Non-Stick Kitchen Pans
Symon Sheet Pans and Symon Utensils give us an advantage while preparing and baking our cupcakes – taking them from fresh ingredients to table. The non-stick cupcake pans are easy to use with or without paper cups.
A Healthy Alternative to Semi-Sweet Chocolates
As chocolate lovers, we enjoy a good liquid center in our desserts, so it’s a perfect use of our new-found chocolate obsession. Melting Choco Nuvo achieves that lava center in a healthier fashion than standard semi-sweet chocolates.
To make it even more of a holiday treat and as you’re baking throughout the holiday season, top your goodies with a dollop of whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies to add a bit of flare.
Rustic Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Servings 12 Cupcakes
1 cup flour (regular or almond)
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sweetener of choice (Stevia or sugar)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Filling and Topping:
15 individually wrapped Choco Nuvo squares
Whipped cream and peppermint candies, if desired
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F, and place 12 cupcake liners inside Curtis Stone Cupcake Pan or spray with a nonstick baking spray. In a Staub bowl, combine the dry ingredients (first five) and mix very well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine remaining four ingredients and whisk until the mayo spread is completely smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Immediately divide among the cupcake liners—it won’t seem like a lot of filling, but these cupcakes rise.
3. Bake 15 -20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
4. Take a small spoon and scoop out a small portion of the center of each cupcake. Place 10-15 Choco Nuvo squares in microwave safe bowl, we like our Staub dish! Microwave for 25-40 seconds and slowly stir.
5. Pour melted chocolate into the center of the cupcakes. If using cupcake liners, serve right side up. If not, you can flip upside down on a plate.
6. Add whipped cream to the top of each cupcake, just like you would with hot chocolate, add a bit of crushed peppermint if desired, and serve.