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I used to make Low Fat Cheesecakes when I was first married. I was on a low fat kick (you know that jelly beans are low fat, right? Ugh. They were a problematic regular indulgence.) and make Snickers and Marble Cheesecakes for special occasions.
They were amazing. But our diets have changed.
Now we eat sugar free, whole grain only. Could I make something fabulous with those restrictions?
Sounds like a tough job, eh?
My oldest has a life threatening dairy and egg allergy and we are all gluten and sugar free.
Talk about a challenge. Finding a gluten free, dairy, egg and sugar free cheesecake and then a gluten, dairy and egg-free chocolate cake recipe to enrobe it….
and to make it all taste great?
Well, we have a real winner here, folks.
This recipe is amazing. The 24 cupcakes I made were gone in a flash and I have 3 males begging for more.
It all started with Ricki’s photo of these delectable Chocolate Cupcakes, I knew I had to make them.
Even though Ricki and I both have predominantly sugar free blogs, I wanted to get a way around the fruit juices in the cake part to make them less of a glycemic issue for us.
And I ended up tweaking her cheesecake filler a bit.
(By the way–not a follower or Ricki’s? Hop on over there and check out her wonderful blog now 
.)
Anyway, I paired the tweaked “cheesecake” filler with my Homemade Chocolate Chips and this recipe from Copycat Cook with a few minor alterations.
The result?
Wonderful.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten, Dairy and Sugar Free w/ Egg Free Option)
Makes approximately 3 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients
Filling:
3 cups nuts or seeds (cashews or macadamias will make the most “cheesecake looking” filling, but use whatever you like.)
3 Tbsp. water
3/8 cup lemon juice
4 tsp vanilla extract
3/16 tsp salt (I recommend RealSalt)
6 scoops stevia extract (or 1/2 cup sweetener of your choice. I use NuNaturals.)
1 cup chocolate chips (I used my Homemade Chocolate Chips)
Cake:
4 cups gluten free flour mix (see Notes below)
1/2 cup arrowroot starch (or other light starch)
1 1/2 cup cocoa or carob
1 tsp gelatin (I recommend Great Lakes. Vegans could use a gum like xanthan or guar.)
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp baking powder (See Homemade Baking Powder)
2 2/3 cup sweetener (I used xylitol due to needing a low glycemic sweetener)
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups milk alternative (like Easiest Almond Milk or Easiest Coconut Milk)
4 scoops (1/8 tsp) stevia extract (I recommend NuNaturals) *see below for measuring details
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup oil (I used melted coconut oil.)
Method
1. Make the filling first so it has time to cool. (If you make my Homemade Chocolate Chips with coconut oil you will want it cool or it might melt the chips 
.)
2. Please all filling ingredients in a high-powered blender (like Vitamix) and blend ’til smooth.
3. Fold chocolate chips into the cheesecake mixture.
4. Make the cake batter.
6. Fill prepared muffin tins about 1/2 full with cake batter.
7. Spoon about 2 tsps of the cheesecake mixture on top of the cake batter.
8. Top each cupcake with remaining cake batter.
9. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until a tester comes clean out of the cupcake part.
NOTES:
1. Please use Soaked and Dehydrated Nuts or Seeds.
2. If you use a stronger-tasting nut like pumpkin seeds, you will need more sweetener. (Pumpkin seeds are a great zinc source, by the way.) Macadamias and cashews are a good mild choice for this filling.
3. I used a minimal amount of starch because I try to bake with whole grain flours only. The cupcakes sink “a tad” using this recipe. If you want a completely “non sinking” cupcake, trade a little of the whole grain flour for some starch.
4. My basic “go to” gluten-free flour blend is typically 4 parts sweet brown rice, 4 parts mixed whole grain gluten-free flours, consisting of millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and long grain brown rice. I pretty much use whatever I have on hand .
5. Measuring Stevia: These stainless mini measuring spoons from Amazon are super duper handy. The 2nd smallest is 1/32 of a teaspoon so you can easily measure stevia extract.
Creamy dairy free cheesecake filling with crunchy chunky chocolate (or carob) chips, surrounded by a “just right” chocolate cake.
Honestly, I’ve made a number of cakes over the years (well, I do make more cookies and such than cakes), but these were a clear favorite.
Gobbled up lickety-split.
By the way, you will have extra filling with these proportions. I thought about reducing the proportions, but we really liked having the extra.
My husband likes to add it to his cupcakes by putting a big dollop on top when he ate them. While my oldest just eats it by the spoonful for a snack .
You could, alternatively, use it as a frosting of sorts. Or even a fruit dip.
Whatever way you choose to eat is, it’s just great.
For other yummy desserts that are healthy and allergy free, check out:
- Homemade Almond Joy
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- No Bake Coconut Delights
- Luscious Lemon Bars
What’s your favorite cupcake recipe?
Shared at The Shabby Creek Cottage, GNOWFGLINS, Diet, Dessert, and Dogs, Gluten-Free Homemaker, Life as Mom, Cybele Pascal, and Sorta Crunchy.
Twitter: rickiheller
says:
Your cupcakes look fabulous!! And so funny–I used to gorge on jelly beans in my 30s because they were “low fat” (even though I didn’t really like them!). Ah, how times have changed, eh? Thanks so much for the cupcake mention, and glad they inspired these! xo
Ricki recently posted..Flash in the Pan: Savory Pan-Fried Oatmeal Wedges with Shredded Carrot and Green Onion
They are soo good! Thanks to you! The only problem is…this time they really stuck to the paper cupcake liners. We didn’t have that issue last time. I recall reading something about that years ago but I don’t recall what it was. Do you typically use the liners?
The jelly bean thing is so funny. Do you have Jelly Bellys in Canada? They are truly amazing and there was a store about 45 minutes north of where I lived when I was a “bean” addict. It was an outlet for the Jelly Bellys. Bad news, right? Anyway, they even had bags of the “rejects” and they were called “Belly Flops”. We even bought those a few times. Hubby and I shared that horrid addiction. We ate whole grains, vegan chilis, etc., but would regularly indulge in those. How funny! I don’t like the regular ones, but those Jelly Bellies were something else.
Times sure have changed. Now we indulge in sugar free, dairy & gluten free cupcakes. Thanks again!
Twitter: rickiheller
says:
Yes, we have jelly bellys! I had my favorite flavors “back in the day”. And I’d buy the rejects, too (sometimes huge ones where two stuck together, mis-colored ones, weirdo flavors, etc). So funny!
Re: the liners, yes, I do use them. I’ve found things stick sometimes if underbaked or if I let them cool too long in the pans. . .but sometimes, they just stick no matter what.
Well, the first time I made these — no sticking. I did change the recipe a tad so maybe I need to go back to the original. Thanks!
Just thought I’d point out that dairy-free and vegan aren’t the same thing. Vegans don’t eat animal products or those produced by animals: the recipe contains gelatin which is a protein substance derived from collagen taken from the tendons, ligaments and tissues of mammals.
I knew that but was typing so fast I forgot! There’s a vegan option now and I changed the wording. Thanks!
These look so wonderful! I’d love to have you share them on The HomeAcre Hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/01/the-homeacre-hop-4.html
Lisa Lynn recently posted..The HomeAcre Hop!
Thanks, Lisa. I’ll see if I can
.
These look pretty wonderful, I can’t lie. As a special treat these would definitely hit the spot.
France recently posted..Keep It Real Thursdays – Yummy Comfort Foods
Thanks, France!
YUM, these look amazing and I love Ricki! I’d love for you to link this up at our Gluten Free Fridays party this week! Its live now! I hope you make it this week!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
These cupcakes look amazing!! Thanks for sharing! :*)
~Brenda @ChattingOverChocolate.blogspot.com
Brenda recently posted..EASY DIY Chalkboard Magnets {Step-By-Step Photo Tutuorial}
You’re welcome. They are gone gone gone at our home
.
Yummy! These look delicious.
Wow, those look good! I’m going to pin them so I don’t lose the recipe and share it with my baking daughter.
Thanks!
Annie Kate recently posted..Pantry Challenge: What Next?
how much is in a “scoop” of stevia?
1/32 of a tsp
. I have linked to the scoops I use at times in certain posts. If you need it, let me know.
Can you link to the unnatural product you used in this recipe does it come w a scoop? Thx
I’ll do it soon – thanks!
Hi – I did link to it in the ingredients. It does not come w/ a scoop. If you like I can put a scoop link at the bottom of the recipe.
The comment above is about the nunatural sweetener you used sorry about this autocorrect mechanism
Funny
.
Thank you. Yes I saw the link to amazon after my comments. Duh! sorry about that. I will purchase this item. Nunaturals have so many stevia products — I did not know which one this was. But you already had it linked. My kindle makes the worst autocorrections
Sorry about that and thank you.
No worries!!
Oh my, these look scrumptious! What a wonderful allergy friendly recipe!
These look absolutely amazing. I’ve been looking for a new idea for my daughter’s birthday… I think I’ve found it!
Twitter: gfhomemaker
says:
These cupcakes look sooo good. I love the filling idea, and of course, the fact that it is dairy free. Thanks for sharing this at GF Wednesdays. It looks like your forgot to link back.
Linda recently posted..Comment on Intense Chocolate Almond Bites & Almond Giveaway by Kim L
Oops – we’ll take care of that. My son, my assistant, hasn’t been as on top of things this week
. Sorry!
Adrienne, this is stupendous! I wanted to feature it, but no link back
gorgeous tho. xo
Thanks! My apologies once again. We’ve had such chaos here..broken bathroom mirrors, car battery twice, son’s sprained ankle and leaky kitchen sink. You can imagine Val Day wasn’t that much fun
. My son just took care of it. He remembered me saying I linked to you but he forgot the link back. Hugs.