(Sorta-Single-Serving) Coconut Cupcakes!

Boa Noite! How's your Thursday going? I've got something that might perk you up regardless of how your day has gone so far! Unless you hate coconut, then I'm going to be fairly worthless at improving your day ;) We'll keep our fingers crossed for some coconut love. Meanwhile, I'll be writing this post hunch-backed, as Rory decided my shoulders > the couch for his lounging.

Anyways! When I thought about creating this type of recipe, I was thinking I'd make it a single serving, as in one cupcake. As I whipped up the ingredients and went to find my cupcake molds, I realized it was looking more like two cupcakes. Two healthy cupcakes for the price of one (and these are free!)! I grabbed two of my flower cupcake molds (yes, I only have flower-shaped ones) and gave it a whirl. The result: two coconut-y cupcakes just in time for Easter and spring (or lack thereof spring if you live in Iowa)!  Eat them both or share one with someone you like a lot.

Aren't they cute?

I wrote the recipe with some general ingredients ("milk-whatever type you want to use") because I've had to avoid some food groups recently. However, I'm thinking if it was good with gluten-free flour and coconut milk (and whole wheat pastry flour, made for someone else!), it will be good with any white/wheat/gluten-free flour and  cow/almond/any other milk you wanna splash into it. A good recipe is all about flexibility, right? ;)

Healthy Coconut Cupcakes
makes 2


1/4 C flour (all-purpose, whole wheat pastry and gluten-free are all solid options)
1 tsp. coconut oil (you can use butter/margarine if you don't have this, it won't make or break them, they just won't be quite as coconut-licious)
tiny splash of vanilla
1/2 Tbsp. shredded raw unsweetened coconut (if you use sweetened, decrease the sugar a bit!)
1/2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar (more if you want these babies super sweet)
1 pitted date, chopped into baby pieces
1 tsp. baking powder
a dash of salt
2 Tbsp. milk of your choice (coconut milk is my favorite choice for these; the more coconut the better!)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the milk in a bowl and mix well. Add the milk and stir again. Place liners in a muffin pan or grease your flower molds (I used coconut oil to grease mine; mostly because it smells amazing and I didn't want to put it away yet). Pour batter equally into both liners/molds. If you're using molds, I suggest putting them in a larger dish to put in the oven so you don't risk them tipping over! The non-circular ones such as mine have a tendency to do that. I put mine in a bread pan.
 Bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden on top and a toothpick comes out mostly-clean (I sometimes struggle with that test).

You could top these with frosting if you wanted, perhaps even whipped cream, or just eat them plain if you're going for the healthiest version possible! I'm not a big frosting person, and I love coconut enough that I eat them plain. :) Yum-o!

Nutrition (2 cupcakes without frosting): 160 calories, 7 g. fat, 11.5 g. sugar, 2 g. fiber, 1.8 g protein

                             
 Why, yes, this picture was taken on my duvet cover. Better light there than the kitchen!

Have a fabulous rest of your Thursday night; hooray for tomorrow being Friday!!

--KQ