Hi guys, today’s post is going to be my first recipe using the Indigo Herbs nut butters. As promised in my post on Tuesday, I’m using the walnut butter* today. Some of you may remember that last month I said I was going to use my Lyon’s coffee bags to bake with as well. So, today we have vegan coffee and chocolate cupcakes with a walnut centre and a creamy walnut whip icing.
I decided to add a walnut to the top of my cupcakes before I decided to ice them so that step is totally optional. However, if you decide you don’t want to ice yours for any reason, I’d skip the walnut. The weight of the nut on top of the light cake mix does cause them to dip ever so slightly, so they look better without if you’re serving them uniced. Don’t think that’s a word but I’m sticking with it regardless.
These cupcakes are really easy to make and take minimal prep time.
I’m not about to try and declare these as the healthiest option on earth, but they’re not the unhealthiest as far as cakes go either. I made mine with gluten free oat flour and raw cacao powder. You’re getting the iron, zinc, magnesium (and more) from the cacao and the oat flour is a healthier alternative to regular white flour.
Walnut Butter
Use the amount of walnut butter in the cupcake part of the recipe as a rough guide. I used roughly half a teaspoon per cupcake but wasn’t being too precise. Just drop a bit from the spoon and use your own judgement as to what looks like enough. Be careful not to let it cover the full cupcake though or it will start leaking from the edges.
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, soy free (optional) and vegan.
I used muffin cases in a cupcake tray, so they don’t look as full and fluffy as they should.
Vegan Coffee & Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ¾ cup water or dairy free milk
- ¼ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil I used sunflower
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup GF oat flour
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 2 tbsp coffee approximately 1 coffee bag
- ¾ cup golden caster sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Approximately 5 tsp walnut butter
- Walnut pieces to decorate optional
For the icing:
- ¼ cup walnut butter
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract optional
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
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Preheat the oven to 175°c. Line a cupcake tray with 10 cases.
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In a large bowl, whisk wet ingredients, excludung the walnut butter. Do not forget the vinegar. Let sit at least 10 minutes, and sift all remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.
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Pour wet into dry, stir just until evenly mixed, and smooth into cases.
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Only fill up about ¼ of the way, add the walnut butter then fill the case to the half way point, leaving room to rise. Add a walnut halve to the centre, if using.
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Bake for 20 minutes in the middle of the oven. Allow to cool before icing.
For the icing
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First, whisk together or blend together using a mixer all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy, add some non dairy milk if the mixture is too stiff.
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Place in the fridge for 10 minutes before piping/ spooning some on each cupcake.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
The times shown are for the cakes without icing, allow extra time for cupcakes to cool and iced.
What did you guys think of today’s recipe? Anyone inspired to try some walnut butter? Let me know your thoughts! Don’t forget, you can shop all of Indigo Herbs’ delicious nut and seed butters here. Let me know which butter you’d like to see me use next too!
Until next time,
Sophie
These look so good! Can’t beat chocolate cake!
Jess /
xx
I don’t like drinking coffee but I actually don’t mind coffee in cakes. I’m really intrigued by these! I’ve never had walnut butter before but I’d definitely be willing to give it a taste. I always discover a new product or food after reading one of your recipes. It’s great!
Every single part of this sounds amazing. Coffee…chocolate…walnuts…cupcakes! And they’re vegan. What’s not to love? Will definitely be trying this recipe out!
Nicola
http://nicshealthylife.co.uk
Love love LOVE finding new recipes! These look scrumptious as well! Yum.
Thank you for sharing this.
Ashleigh
http://www.thestoryofashleighdavis.com
These look really yummy, I might have to give these a try! Those but butters look delicious, do you have a favourite? I like the look of the hazelnut one!
Oh my gosh, these sound amazing! I need to make them myself, thanks for sharing
With love, Alisha Valerie x | http://www.alishavalerie.com
These look amazing! I’m not sure if I would put the walnut on top just because I’m not a crazy but fan in puddings. Great recipe- thanks for sharing!
These cupcakes look so good, it’s definitely cupcakes I probably wouldn’t rush to try as I’m very fussy, but you’ve convinced me to experiment with my cakes!
Holly x
http://www.adailydoseofholly.com
Ohh these sound yummy! I am always looking for new GF recipes for desserts
Ooo these look amazing, and as they are slightly healthier, you won’t mind having a few at once!
I’d like to make healthier recipes so I will deffo be giving these a go!
Lovely recipe!
Aimsy xoxo
https://www.aimsysantics.co.uk
Coffee and chocolate is for sure one of the best flavour combinations. I’m ALWAYS ordering mochas when out for a drink, they are the absolute best. These could essentially be mocha cakes… Love the idea of the walnut but I’m not the biggest fan taste-wise although the nut butter really does sound intriguing! I also didn’t know that cacao powder provided you with so many beneficial things, will definitely be looking into that as I always feel my body is lacking in nutrients etc.
Alice Xx
I need no convincing to try some cupcakes, these look gorgeous :)) Great recipe! x
Oh wow these sound & look so amazing! I absolutely love walnut so these would be right up my street xx
oh my goodness! To be honest I’ve never heard of walnut butter so when I saw walnut cream frosting, I was really intrigued to read this!! Don’t get me wrong, the chocolate coffee cupcake part sounds really scrumptious too. 😉 This looks amazing and I would love to try it, especially icing with the walnut cream frosting!!! Thank you for sharing <3
Geraldine | https://geraldinetalks.com
The combination of coffee and walnut sounds delicious to me I’ve never tried walnut butter either – I do love almond butter as a peanut butter alternative, though. I’d love to try these soon – I’m getting back into baking, and I’m suddenly craving coffee cake
Beka |
Oooh, it is interesting to see all of these different ingredients being incorporated into recipes. I love that the cupcakes are easy to make and tastes delicious at the same time. The icing on top definitely looks like it adds a good kick to the cupcake. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
This looks so good! I’m happy it’s Vegan!
So I made lemon meringue cupcakes yesterday but the meringue didn’t set properly and would not stay in place as frosting. They were good though. I do love a chocolate cupcake too! I have never combined it with walnut but it sounds like a great idea!
I’ve never tried a nut butter before, but these both look and sound amazing! You really want to make me try one (An influencer doing her job right haha)
Jas xx | https://thoughtsfromjasmine.co.uk
Today’s recipe looks super yummy! Its my nephews birthday in a few days and this is the perfect excuse to do a little bit of baking.
Thanks for sharing (:
I love coffee cake, so these sound/look great! And you’re right, there’s still some fairly healthy ingredients in these considering they’re a sweet treat. I’m obsessed with peanut butter and I like cashew butter as well, but I’ve not tasted walnut butter as yet – think I need to give it a whirl!
http://www.missblogsabit.com
These sound absolutely amazing. I love coffee, chocolate, and walnuts. I like that this is a GF recipe as well! Thank you for sharing. YUM!
Oh my god these look absolutely amazing! As someone who is dairy free I’m over the moon to see this recipe as it means I’ll be able to have it
Kayleigh Zara
These look so yummy! I’m vegetarian and I’m definitely going to try this! Thanks for sharing x
http://new-lune.com
Coffee and chocolate is the BEST combination! Walnut cream frosting sounds delightful as well. I love that these are vegan, gluten free and contain iron, zinc and magnesium. I made some cupcakes at the weekend (from a kit) which were not healthy in the slightest, ha ha. I think I need to follow one of your recipes one day, they always look soo delicious! Thanks for sharing Sophie <3 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
These look so incredibly delicious, I’ll have to give them a try!
Britt | http://alternativelyspeaking.ca
These cupcakes look absolutely heavenly my lovely!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Wow these look so good!
xx- Nina
http://www.stylingwithnina.com/2019/01/edgy-look.html
Sophie, I always know that I can depend on you the delicious vegan recipes! I had never actually heard walnut butter prior to reading this post but I now really want to check it out! My mum is a big fan of cashew nut butter so I definitely think that I need to branch out and trying more alternative butters, especially with tasty recipes like this to whip up!
These cupcakes sound and look amazing, there’s nothing better than a chocolate cupcake and with coffee! Even better, these also don’t look too difficult for me to make. Will have to give them a go! X
Coffee and walnut is such a classic combination (which I love) but I’ve never thought of adding chocolate too. One of my social media clients is a huge fan of raw cacao and makes lots of goodies with essential oils and raw chocolate – I’m going to show her your recipe too, I bet she’d love it! This looks so yummy, Sophie, thank you for sharing 🙂 x
Lisa | http://www.lisasnotebook.com
These look so good! I love baking, but haven’t done it for such a long time now which is a shame. May have to get back to it, starting with these. Thanks for sharing xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
These sound amazing! I’m always looking for healthier baking options!
I love coffee in cakes. I make a really nice chocolate cake with coffee in it. It makes such a difference to the recipe! These cupcakes look so good.
I’m not a coffee drinker but I would definitely try these! (Tbf, I’d try anything you make!) And nice to see the Indigo Herbs product being used in this too!
They look so yummy x
http://www.ofbeautyandnothingness.co.uk
I’m not the biggest fan of coffee or wanuts but these look so yummy! I love the idea of baking using different ingredients and the walnut butter looks interesting! Maybe I’ll have to try the walnut butter in cakes first and ease my way in!
Liz x
These look cute, I used to make so many cupcakes but I haven’t for ages! I must get back into it at some point. I’m not a fan of coffee, so anything with even a hint of coffee taste I don’t like, but I find with cupcakes if there’s an ingredient you don’t like there’s something you can replace it with!
Chloe xx
http://www.chloechats.com
Not at all a coffee fan but these sound delicious all the same! X
Melanie || http://www.melaniewithanie.com
These look so nice. I’ll have to look out for walnut butter.
These sound utterly delicious!