Healthy Hostess Cupcakes!
Hostess cupcakes iced with Hot Chocolate Butter.
Along with yesterday’s Healthy Cookie Dough Dip, I brought these cupcakes to Sunday’s pirate party.
For a while now, I’d been looking for an excuse to try making a healthier version of the popular creme-filled cupcakes. So when I discovered I could stretch the “yo ho/ ho ho” pun and pass these off as pirate-themed, I knew they had to be made. Unlike Hostess’ cupcakes, mine are whole-grain, low in fat and calories, and free of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats.
But seriously, people will eat them up!!
Healthy Hostess Cupcakes
Inspired by My Favorite Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup spelt, white, or Bob’s gf flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar or xylitol
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt of choice, such as SoDelicious
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- marshmallow fluff – I use my Vegan Marshmallow Fluff
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients, then add wet – excluding marshmallow fluff. Don’t overmix. Pour into cupcake tins, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool, then cut or poke holes in the tops and scoop in the cream. Re-cover the tops. (Recipe continues below.)
Frost cupcakes with warmed Hot Chocolate Butter or with melted chocolate chips. Then put the cakes in the fridge for the frosting to harden. Once hard, you can use an icing writer for the tiny squiggles if you wish. Yes, I know the icing isn’t healthy. But it’s only like a 1/8 tsp, so I still feel justified in calling these cupcakes healthy.
An alternative to the creme:
Try stuffing them with Healthy Cookie Dough Dip.
Or, you could imitate some of the people at the party and dunk these cupcakes into the cookie dough dip. Sugar on top of sugar. So much for this being a healthy dessert blog!
Just made these with the cookie dough dip for filling for my family. Huge hit! Thank you. I’ve been trying to convince my parents to accept vegan-ism and your site has been a huge help. Thank you! You are such an inspiration! 🙂
Is there any way that you could make a vegan vanilla cupcake? I like vanilla ones better than chocolate but there are no good recipes. 😛
I’m definitely working on it! The first try wasn’t good, but I’m still working :).
I’d also like to see a vanilla cupcake, I’m throwing a baby shower for a friend in June and she desnt like chocolate….vanilla recipe would be awesome!
how many does it make
Never mind I made them for superbowl lol etc instead of icing im using more mellow cream 😉 using an icing decorator
Aww that’s awesome! I love your idea to put the mellow cream in an icing decorator. I hope they tasted good!
I just made the cupcakes using this recipe, and they turned out super fantastic. Very moist and tasty. I live in a high altitude, so I never know if the baked goods I make will turn out, this one did. Yay. Also I made my own marshmallow fluff from this recipe: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/fantastic-marshmallow-fluff-clone-75813
and I made my own corn syrup from this recipe: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/homemade-corn-syrup-substitute-simple-syrup-74080
Everything turned out great. Although, I’m not vegan, so I didn’t follow everything to a T…I did use reg. milk, etc…and these are sooo sugary and not that healthy…but it’s valentines, so I’m letting my kiddos have them today. Thanks for the recipe!
Making these tomorrow! !!!! Love your recipes! Dessert and healthy can be in the same sentence and not with the word not! Yea for chocolate! Also making the cookie dough dip to bring to work,hopefully I’ll fool everyone & convince them to try something new! I’m definitely going to point them in the direction of your blog! Keep up the fantastic work in the name of chocolate!
Hey Katie,
So keen on your recipes just wondering what alternative i could use for applesauce in your recipes? I don’t know where to find applesauce haha
x
For this one, you could use mashed banana or even pumpkin. The flavor will be a little different, though. But it’ll still work! Or maybe even baby food plums or mashed peaches!
How many cupcakes does this make?
How many does the recipe make??
9-10
I just made (and ate) these. They are awesome!! I made a couple of tweaks based on the availability. I used brown rice flour, which made the cupcakes so light and yummy, and subed in splenda brown sugar for white. I stuffed it with fluff, but topped it with normal white frosting. These are very rich and messy, and totally delicious!!! Thank you Katie! I think I am going to make these next week for my B-day cake. (Oh, and they make 9 for inquiring minds)
Approximately how many cupcakes does this recipe make, and would melted earth balance work instead of the oil? 🙂
9-10
Yes, I think so!
how many calories are in one of these cupcakes????its says low in calories but doesnt say how many…..
Just made these cupcakes and they are fantastic! I have made several of your recipes and they are divine! One question if I have leftover cupcakes should I keep them in the fridge? Or are they ok at room temperature? Thanks!
With the cream filling, I’d definitely leave in the fridge.
Your amazing desserts that I have tried out for my vegan friends as well as myself are way better then the real thing! I am heading that direction to be Vegan. Keep your yummy creations going! Thanks Katie!
I am having trouble finding vanilla soy yogurt near me. Could I substitute a vegan vanilla/chocolate pudding instead?
I think that sounds good… but I haven’t tried so I can’t be 100% sure. If you try, I’d love to hear results!
I just used this recipe to make the BEST chocolate cake ever! I added 1 egg white, and 2 tbsp maple syrup and some chocolate chips in the mixture. It was BEAUTIFUL! thanks 🙂 (Baked for 30min)
(Just ignore this whole post if it’s a stupid idea)
Hey Katie! I just got an idea for a recipe and had to run the computer to post it! You’ve already made a recipe for hostess cupcakes, and as you probably know Hostess just went out of business. Why don’t you save all the twinkie lovers out there from hideous withdrawal symptoms and make a healthy twinkie recipe? You could prevent riots and obesity in one fell swoop!
I tried once, and they were awful… but you are the second person to mention it today. I might have to try again! In fact, now I really want to :).