Chocolate zucchini cupcakes filled with shredded zucchini and topped with highly delectable Biscoff cookie butter icing! Do you want to try more hidden vegetable desserts? Have a look at my chocolate beet cake.
I’ve returned! Apologies for the month-long break; things got crazy. New work, extreme new commute, exciting new responsibilities, and a super-fun new illness. Yeaaaaaah. I experienced a steady building of a cold for about a week before waking up one morning with full-fledged illness.
So I’ve been a pitiful ball of mucous for a while, and who wants germ-infested baked goods? Not me, and (I would guess) not you!
I felt cupcakes loaded of vegetables would be a wonderful way to reintroduce myself to the real world. Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes, to be exact! I feel like I’m forgetting something, oh wait, it’s the icing. Cookie Butter icing. OMG, YES.
Contents
That’s right: Cookie butter frosting
Do you see what I mean? It is not your average buttercream icing. That’s cookie butter buttercream icing right there. Creamy, sweet, and with a touch of the classic cookie butter gingerbread taste.
You may have noticed this post about the Biscoff gift pack that I got if you follow me on Instagram. First and foremost, that was AMAZING. Second, The Biscoff Cookie & Spread Cookbook is chock-full of goodies that make me drool all over its gorgeous, pretty pages. I came across a recipe for this frosting in the book and was motivated to locate the right combination to pipe that exquisite icing over.
Good news: this is easily made vegan-friendly!
I decided to make the dish vegan-friendly since many people have asked for more vegan recipes, and I want to offer them what they want!
This dish can easily veganized by substituting:
- in lieu of eggs, use applesauce
- vegan yogurt in place of conventional yogurt
- Replace the unsalted butter with Earth Balance vegan butter.
And I’m sure you had no idea Biscoff Cookie Butter was vegan, did you? And so, too, are the cookies!
So it practically gives you permission to sprinkle those cookies all over everything, which is precisely what I did.
Crumbled Biscoff cookies on top
Biscoff cookies stuffed into the icing
yeah. I make wise choices. You should make an equally excellent judgment and act quickly.
Tip for using shredded zucchini
Here’s a hint: Squeeze the extra liquid from the shredded zucchini, but preserve it until you’re ready to bake the cupcakes. Why, you could ask?
And if your batter becomes too dry, you may put it back in a bit at a time. There are no extra ingredients required!
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Cookie Butter Frosting
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Description
Equipment
- tin for cupcakes
Muffin
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, drained of any extra liquid
- 1 cup whole grain flour
- chocolate powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- a cup of coconut sugar
- 2 cup applesauce 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- cup nonfat plain yogurt or vegan yogurt
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting (adapted from The Biscoff Cookie & Spread cookbook):
- softened cupunsalted butter
- Biscoff Creamy Cookie Butter 1 cup
- granulated sugar
- When required, use coconut milk to thin it down.
- For garnish, crushed Biscoff cookies
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 10-12 baking cups (and spray the inside of the cups with cooking spray for good measure). Set aside.
- Shred the zucchini and set it in a strainer over a dish lined with cheesecloth or paper towels to capture the moisture. Squeeze the zucchini gently to remove any extra liquid. Don’t throw away the remaining liquid just yet!
1 cup grated zucchini - 2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp espresso powder, 1 tsp baking soda, pinch salt
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing basin. Set aside.
1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon - 2 cup coconut sugar, 2 eggs, and 2 tbsp coconut oil
In a separate large mixing basin, add the sugar, applesauce, and oil until well blended.
1 - 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 4 cup coconut milk
3 cup nonfat plain yogurt 1
Beat in the yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until just blended.
1 - Mix in the flour mixture until it is barely mixed with the wet mixture.
- Stir in the shredded zucchini to mix. If your batter is too dry, whisk in some of the remaining zucchini juice (a little at a time).
- 4 full (a bit less if you want to stretch the batter to 12 cupcakes) (a little less if you want to stretch the batter to 12 cupcakes).
Fill prepared cupcake liners approximately 34 full with batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-17 minutes on the middle rack of the oven (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
- Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing and cooling entirely on a wire rack.
Frosting:
- 2 tablespoons Biscoff Creamy Cookie Butter
4 pound unsalted butter 1
On high speed, mix the butter and cookie butter until smooth.
1 - 4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Add powdered sugar gradually, beating on high speed until light and fluffy.
3 - If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until the appropriate consistency is reached.
To thin it out, use coconut milk. - Cupcakes should be frosted and topped with crumbled Biscoff cookies. Enjoy!
Biscoff cookies, crushed