Gluten-Free Almond Joy Cupcakes
Gluten-Free Almond Joy Cupcakes are laden with all the luscious decadence of the Almond Joy candy bar. However, all the ingredients are au naturel. No chemicals. So, smile. Enjoy the lush mingling of chocolate, coconut and almonds!
This recipe yields 14 cupcakes and is adapted from a Hold the Grain post. (The frosting recipe is a Ninja Baker original.)
Cupcakes:
1½ cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
½ cup French vanilla coconut milk creamer
¼ cup coconut oil
3 room temperature eggs
¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Generous 1 cup of almond meal flour
Heaping ¼ cup of coconut flour
¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
Frosting:
1¼ cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 (8 ounce) package of vegan cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration:
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
14 raw whole almonds
Cupcakes:
Line muffin tins with cupcake cases. Preheat the oven to 350°
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Or set a heatproof bowl (like Pyrex) over a simmering pan of hot water. Once the chocolate is satiny smooth, stir in the creamer. Remove from the heat. Pour in the coconut oil. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and vinegar. Transfer the contents to the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture. Beat for a minute or two until well combined. Divide the batter between the cupcake cases.
Bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frosting:
In the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer, fluff up the cream cheese on medium speed.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Or set a heatproof bowl (like Pyrex) over a simmering pan of hot water. (Just like the batter for the cupcakes.) Remove from the heat and add to the cream cheese. Beat until smooth Gradually add the powdered sugar. Sprinkle in the vanilla. Beat for another minute or two until the frosting is completely smooth.
Smooth the frosting over cooled cupcakes. Garnish with coconut flakes. Place one almond in each center.