Paleo/Gluten-Free Cupcakes [Recipe Swap]

This recipe is from my soror, Kirstyn Scott. She hails from Harlem, New York and writes about all sorts of fabulous things (including food) over at North of the Park. She is kind of killing all the excuses my sweet tooth makes when I reach for traditionally-made desserts. Be sure to leave any questions about this recipe below and check out Kirstyn's other creations on her site.

Thanks for reading!

Anyone who has ever gone paleo/gluten/grain free knows that the struggle can be super real when it comes to sweets. Say adios to cake, buh-bye to ice cream cones, and sayonara to most post-dinner sweet treats. It can be painful, but it doesn’t have to be. All it takes is a little bit of know how, and a lot of almond flour.

Consider your blender your new dessert best friend. Knock-your-socks-off cupcakes can be made quite easily with this simple kitchen tool. Grab the ingredients below and your favorite fruit for delicious cupcakes that will have you forgetting about flour - stat.

What You’ll Need:

Paleo (or Gluten-Free) Cupcakes

2.5 cups of blanched almond flour or gluten-free flour

¼ tsp of pink himalayan salt (sea salt is okay to substitute)

¾ tsp of baking soda

⅓ cup of coconut oil (at least semi-melted)

1 cup of honey

4 eggs at room temperature

1 lemon

1 tsp of ginger

2 tsp of vanilla extract

½ cup of your favorite fruit (I used blueberries)

Paleo Frosting

2 egg whites (easier at room temp)

⅓ cup of honey or agave syrup

¼ tsp of lemon juice

Let’s Get It:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. You can either put muffin cups in your baking pan or line each cup with coconut oil. Totally up to you and what you have on hand!
3. Put the honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and ginger in the blender. Zest about 1 teaspoon worth of the lemon, and squeeze half of the lemon’s juice into the wet mixture. Blend on the lowest setting for 20-30 seconds. You want frothy/bubbly top on the mix when it is finished.
4. Add all of the dry ingredients and continue to blend for another 45 seconds. You may have to scrape the sides to make sure everything is incorporated. It will be thick, but it should be smooth.
5. Pour your batter out of the blender into a bowl. Grab a spatula and fold in your fruit until it is evenly mixed.
6. Put an even amount of batter into each cup - about ¾ of the way full.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending upon your oven), and take them out to cool before frosting them.
8. When the cupcakes are almost completely cooled, boil the honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
9. Take a hand mixer and beat the the egg whites and lemon juice until peaks start to form.
10. Keep beating, and pour in the boiling honey. Continue to mix until the honey is completely incorporated and the meringue is cooled for about 6-9 minutes.
11. Put the icing into a frosting bag, an icer, or just spread it over the cooled cupcakes with a knife.
12. Feel free to add decoration to the top! I used a chai powder and a few blueberries to make the white cupcakes pop. Enjoy!
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