Here is the healthy cupcake recipe that won’t let you down.
Cupcakes so soft and fluffy…
No one will ever guess that they’re low-fat!
I went through five or six attempts before finally achieving the results I wanted: a “no-fail” healthy vanilla cupcake recipe that both health-food eaters and junk-food eaters will love.
Above, a skinny vanilla cupcake with Healthy Glaze Icing.
You can have fun with this recipe: keep it simple, or add just a few ingredients to make blueberry cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, or even chocolate-chip cupcakes. Everyone should keep a good basic cupcake recipe in his or her arsenal.
Can be sugar-free, too!
Skinny Vanilla Cupcakes
(makes 9-10 cupcakes)
Or click if you’d prefer: Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes.
- 1 cup spelt flour, or white flour, or Arrowhead Mills gf mix (140g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ener g powder, or 1 tbs ground flaxmeal
- 4 tbsp xylitol or sugar (54g)
- 2 Nunatural stevia packets (or 2 extra tbsp sugar)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt of choice (Silk or SoDelicious both work) (230g)
- 1/4 cup milk of choice (60g)
- 3 tbsp coconut or veg oil (can omit, but the cupcakes will be a bit gummy) (36g)
- add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum if using the gf mix
Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease muffin tins. Combine all wet ingredients with the energ or flax, and stir vigorously. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining dry ingredients, and mix very well. Pour wet into dry, and mix until just combined (don’t overmix). Cook 18-20 minutes, then let sit at least 10 before removing from muffin tins.
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oh that looks so delicious and cute! i love the healthy ingredient list! thanks for sharing!
These look divine!!! I think this recipe could easily be altered in a couple different ways to make some yummy summer flavors. You could add some lemon extract or lemon zest for a vanilla lemon combo or even add some pureed strawberries to the mix for a strawberry cupcake. Oh my goodness, it could even be topped with strawberries mixed with a bit of truvia. I need dessert now!!!
Ooh, I think a lemon one would be quite nice, or a peanut/other nut butter filled one, or green tea, or other tea flavored if you used tea instead of water? Likewise with coffee… Hm!
Those look delicious! But why are you trying to make low-fat recipes? Healthy fats should not be avoided. I haven’t followed your blog long enough to know if you always do, but please don’t help to perpetuate the idea that low-fat is the best way to eat–that’s one of the factors responsible for the US obesity epidemic in the last 20-30 years.
Don’t worry, I’ve been following Katie’s blog for a while, and I can assure you that she does NOT shy away from healthy fats, and actually encourages the use of them! But it is nice every once in a while to post a low-fat recipe for people who get enough healthy fats in other meals but want a little extra dessert 😉 You should check out some of her older posts and you’ll see what I mean.
Thanks, Megan–that makes me feel better! I just get so tired of hearing the low-fat mantra repeated ad nauseum, and people are getting sicker and sicker because of it. When will the madness end!!?? =)
lol yup, I pretty much am always telling people to eat more fat. I took a nutrition class in college, and I was marked down because the amount of fat I ate was more than the RDA. But it bugged me that I was marked down, since I’m healthy and believe I don’t eat too much fat… I actually went in and debated it with the teacher. And she changed my grade! 🙂
P.S. ironically enough, my next recipe is very high in fat. I like to change it up ;).
I think I’ll have to call you Enlightened Katie. 🙂 Keep preaching it!
When I enter my food into a site called http://www.fatsecret.com, the pie wedge marked “Fat” is very large! But it’s all good fat and I believe in a low-carb lifestyle…and I can’t imagine how anyone keeps within the RDA. I mean, all I normally have is butter or coconut oil on my one piece of toast, a bit of half & half in my decaf coffee, dressing on my salad, and full-fat dairy for the occasional cheese or yogurt I eat. The other fat mainly comes from food (eggs, meat, whatever–oh, and chocolate of course). It’s not like I go out of my way to find fat–and I don’t eat ice cream or French fries or doughnuts, or any trans fats or soybean oil if I can help it!
I’ve got you on my Pinterest feed and look forward to seeing more here.
Oh don’t get me started on the RDA! I get so mad that they try to fit people into a black-and-white box! We’re all different, and so it’s only natural we have different needs. I trust my own body, and how a certain eating style makes me feel, not some sheet of paper that says the exact same thing for me and the person sitting next to me who has different genetics. 😕
Sorry, didn’t mean to ramble. I know the guidelines are only there to help… but really, I think it should be stressed more that we listen to our own bodies and see what works for each individual.
These are amazing. I got a ton of cherries in our CSA box this week, so I threw in 1/2 cup halved, pitted cherries, and added a little cherry juice to the glaze. Aaaaaaaand I ate 3.
That sounds so good! I was actually thinking of making a cherry version… with chocolate chips, of course ;). Now I want to try your glaze idea!
Hey Katie,
I am so excited! I want to make these over the weekend. 1T of vanilla extract sound like a lot…is that correct?
Thanks 🙂
It actually is! In the first batch, I only added 2 tsp… but I wanted more of a vanilla flavor. The alcohol evaporates during cooking, so you’re not left with a weird overwhelming aftertaste like you’d get if you used that much in a non-baked recipe.
Oh Katie, these look so good! I’m going to make them after dinner, and serve them to my family! <3 You're the best ever!!!!
Oooh, I have flavor suggestions! They’re a little out there, but if you’re feeling adventurous:
Basil and Raspberry (one of the best desserts I’ve had in my life was a basil ice cream with raspberry sauce and a cage of caramelized sugar over it, so I think this flavor combo should be pretty good…in fact, I make strawberry, basil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper sorbet and it is delicious!)
Lemon, cucumber, ginger, and mint- I love this flavor combo!
Pears and red wine – another favorite dessert of mine; which pairs very well with vanilla: pears cooked in red wine, cloves, cinnamon, and sugar (or sweetener); until they’re soft…you could then puree them and use it for the sugar part of the recipe?
Ok, I’m intrigued… I love basil, and I love raspberries so I might have to try your suggestion!
Hi katie! These look awesome! The only problem is my mom likes the chocholate mousse you made but I do not like chocholate. But I want to make these how much coco would you put in half the batch or would you even recommend it?
Make 1/2 this recipe, and maybe try making 1/2 the linked recipe for chocolate ones. It’s a different recipe but many of the ingredients are the same.
I’m trying to think of a way to make these Pumpkin Spice cupcakes….
Either way I’m sure your recipe will be 10x’s better than my last attempt at ‘healthy’ baking (black bean brownie fail!)
A mint chocolate chip cupcake!!
Thanks for this recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
I agree with the coconut suggestions. I’d use coconut extract instead of the vanilla and add shredded coconut.
Yah! Finally a healthy cupcake! I love it!!!
Mmmm.. Delish! Have you ever tried Sweet Rice Flour? You can get it at most asian markets, whole foods, chamberlains (FL only) or online. Might be able to cut back on the sugars a bit? I used it in your chocolate chip cookie recipe (Half oat flour, half Sweet Rice flour) the other day, omitting the white sugar, and they came out perfect!
But fave cupcake or cupcake flavor? Strawberry with a cream cheese or vanilla frosting.. YUM!
I haven’t. I’ll have to look for it!
I am SO going to make these for my birthday! 😀
Hello:)
It’s nice to see a healthy cupcake that looks glossy,fluffy and delicious..vs. dry,flat,and non to appetizing (even though they’re still usually just as delicious!).
Thank you so much for this recipe & continuing to create good-for you desserts! Me & my younger (cupcake obsessed) sister are both vegan and we love desserts,I often tell her that you have to be happy & healthy at the same time which is hard because you can’t be healthy without cake!
With your blog we can be both:D
By the way I think a chocolate version would be perfect for a bachelorette party.Chocolate is a womans best friend,one should always indulge at such a party (you could even put a little alcohol in it if you wish:/ ).Decorations is the only thing you need to spice it up!
Whatever you choose will be delicious for sure:)