Flourless Brownie Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
You really can’t go wrong with brownies or cupcakes for dessert — no exotic ingredients or frou-frou toppings. Just mix, bake, and eat. But you know what’s better than brownies or cupcakes?
Brownie cupcakes. With peanut butter frosting.
Beachbody made these Flourless Brownie Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting for a very special occasion: the first anniversary of the launch of Shaun T’s dance-tastic CIZEprogram!
The key to these brownies is the “flourless” part: Instead of processed white flour which has a high glycemic load and can spike your blood sugar, we use chickpeas as a binder. The bonus? Chickpeas are rich in protein, fiber, and iron. So these brownies taste like a decadent treat and they’re packed with nutrition.
But chickpeas aren’t the only healthy ingredient. In fact, this recipe runneth over with good stuff for your body: Pure maple syrup provides sweetness and polyphenols, nature’s antioxidants, that protect your cells from damage. Coconut oil may get a thumbs down for its high saturated fat content, but the saturated fats are made up of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
And of course, no brownie (or brownie cupcake) recipe is complete without the heart-healthy goodness of cocoa powder. Studies have shown that the antioxidants in cacao and cocoa products can help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Add Vanilla Shakeology to the mix and your cheat treat just turned into a pretty healthy dessert.
Some people aren’t fans of frosting since it’s usually full of refined sugar and more than a few unpronounceable ingredients. But the frosting for these cupcakes has just four ingredients — peanut butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and Vanilla Shakeology — so there’s no reason to fear (or avoid!) the frosting.
TIP: Check the label and make sure you’re using 100-percent pure maple syrup. Beware of syrups that are “maple-flavored” or contain added sugars.
Ingredients:
- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup + ¼ cup pure maple syrup, divided use
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all-natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅔ cup Vanilla Shakeology
Instructions
Here are your instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Prepare 12 muffin cups by lining with muffin papers or coating with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Place chickpeas, eggs, ⅓ cup maple syrup, cocoa powder, baking soda, coconut oil, and extract in blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth.
Divide batter among 12 prepared muffin cups.
Top each cupcake with about four chocolate chips; push into batter.
Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely and enjoy!
To make frosting while cupcakes are baking, whip peanut butter in a medium bowl; beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until creamy.
Add almond milk; beat until well blended.
Add Shakeology; beat until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally.
Slowly add remaining ¼ cup maple syrup while beating on medium speed. (If frosting is too stiff, add 1 to 2 tbsp. additional almond milk.) Set aside.
Once cupcakes are cool, evenly spread with frosting.
Recipe Notes
