You are going to wonder where these homemade chocolate cupcakes have been all your life! Made with grain-free flours, natural sweeteners, and the perfect hint of rich cacao powder… these cupcakes are a dessert to be reckoned with. The taste and texture are amazing, perfectly soft and moist, just as a cupcake should be. But what really tops these cupcakes off (literally) is the creamy peanut butter frosting, the chopped peanut garnish, and the delicious peanut butter cup topper! I can’t wait to share this grain-free chocolate cupcake recipe with you!

a grain-free chocolate cupcake decorated with peanut butter frosting and a peanut butter cup tree

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Modern Pioneer Recipe

These grain-free chocolate cupcakes are a modern pioneer recipe! This recipe uses simple, wholesome ingredients to create a delicious but ‘healthier’ modern pioneer dessert. Whether you are looking to eat a cleaner diet, trying to avoid gluten-free, or need to stick to low-inflammation foods… this modern pioneer recipe has got you covered!

And it’s certainly calling all modern pioneers who love peanut butter and chocolate! If you have a weakness for peanut butter and chocolate (like myself), then you are going to love these cupcakes. Personally, I am more of a peanut butter fan than a chocolate fan. But combining peanut butter with chocolate makes the two irresistible!

These cupcakes are also allergy-friendly! When I first went on an anti-inflammatory diet and cut all grains, processed sugar, and dairy (except for butter) from my diet, I thought for sure all I’d be eating for the rest of my life were meat and vegetables. I was so wrong! These cupcakes are just one of the many gluten-free and grain-free recipes I have been able to enjoy while still being on a low inflammation diet!

They make you feel great and still provide the joy of eating a cupcake! These chocolate cupcakes are…

gluten-free
grain-free
tree nut free
corn free
soy free
sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup
low inflammation
have a dairy-free option

For the dairy-free option, you would simply substitute coconut oil or avocado oil for the butter that is called for in the recipe. For a dairy-free frosting, use Simple Mills dairy-free frosting and mix in 2-4 tablespoons of peanut butter.

If chocolate is not your thing, then don’t worry! I have another cupcake recipe that is just as delicious and healthy! Check out these grain-free vanilla cupcakes!

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a gluten-free chocolate cupcake frosted with homemade peanut butter frosting

How to Make DIY Peanut Butter Cups

Dealing with extra cupcakes is not a problem, at least not in my house. However, extra frosting is sometimes an issue. I know it’s hard to believe, but we get so wrapped up in the actual cupcakes that the extra frosting gets shoved into the recesses of the fridge and forgotten.

But wait!! I solved that problem this time around! The extra peanut butter frosting I had was too good to waste. So I made my very own homemade peanut butter cups! They turned out fantastic and were super easy to make. Even my dad, who eats the real Reese’s peanut butter cups, thought these cups tasted just like the real thing!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Recipe

Peanut Butter Filling: Make the peanut butter frosting as outlined in the cupcake recipe in this post. Place the peanut butter frosting in the fridge.
Chocolate: Melt a 1/2 bag of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat.
Cup Liners: Place 12-18 mini cupcake liners on a cookie sheet or in a mini cupcake tin. Using a spoon, cover the bottom of each cupcake liner with chocolate. Place the liners in the freezer.
Filling Disks: While the first layer of chocolate is hardening, take out the peanut butter frosting and start rolling small balls and flattening them. The disks should be small enough to fit in the cupcake liners with space all around them.
Assembly: Once the bottom layer of chocolate is hardened, place a peanut butter disk in each liner. Spoon more chocolate over the peanut butter disks until they are covered. Shake and tap the liners so that the chocolate seeps all the way down the sides.
Freeze: Place the cups back in the freezer to let them harden. Once they are hardened you can store them in the fridge for whenever you need a little snack!

The whole process goes very quickly and is actually quite fun! I cut a few of mine in half and used them to decorate my cupcakes with along with some crushed peanuts. You can also use Lily’s Sweets peanut butter cups or UnReal peanut butter cups to decorate your cupcakes with.

Speaking of peanut butter cups, you might want to check out this no-bake peanut butter pie, which is another delicious dessert garnished with those tasty treats!

a grain-free chocolate cupcake topped with peanut butter frosting, chopped peanuts, and a peanut butter cup

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Tips

These grain-free chocolate cupcakes are super simple to make, however, I will give you a few recipe tips to ensure that your cupcakes turn out fantastic. Honestly, this cupcake recipe is pretty flexible and I think you will like them no matter how they turn out!

Recipe Tips:

Melted Oil– Your butter or coconut oil has to be melted to achieve the proper consistency. Softened butter or coconut oil will make the batter too dry. You can also use avocado oil in place of the butter.
Room Temperature Eggs– Having your eggs at room temperature will help them incorporate into the batter better and will actually help the cupcakes rise better too. To warm up eggs that have been in the fridge, just run warm water over them for a minute or two.
Applesauce Substitute– You can use dairy-free yogurt in place of the applesauce in this recipe. Using yogurt will yield a slightly less sweet cupcake, but when topped with frosting, you really can’t tell the difference!
Ingredient Order– The sequence in which you combine the ingredients is important. Adding them in the correct order will ensure that you don’t get butter clumps or the ingredients don’t get inadequately mixed.
Frosting Tips– When making the frosting, make sure your butter is only softened. That means it is soft but is still holding its shape. You need it just soft enough that you can easily whip it with your beaters.
Powdered Sugar- You can also make your own powdered coconut sugar to use instead of powdered cane sugar. Use a high powder blender to grind coconut sugar into powdered sugar. Coconut powdered sugar will make the frosting darker in color.

Want to try a chocolate cake instead of cupcakes? Then you’ll definitely want to try this super moist grain-free chocolate cake recipe!

a line up of homemade gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

These grain-free chocolate cupcakes are the best grain-free cupcakes I have ever had! They are light, soft, moist, and delicious. The peanut butter frosting is what seals it for me. With this combination of chocolate cupcake and peanut butter frosting, you can’t go wrong!

Grain-free Chocolate Cupcakes (gluten-free)

Recipe by The Pioneer Chicks

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1 15

Author Alexa Lehr

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic cacao powder
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup organic, grass-fed butter or avocado oil melted
1 cup organic applesauce or dairy-free yogurt
1 cup organic coconut sugar
2 large pasture-raised, organic eggs room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder corn free
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup organic, creamy peanut butter
6 T. organic, grass-fed butter softened
1 1/4 cups organic powdered sugar

Instructions

Line a stoneware muffin tray with 12 parchment paper cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter (or avocado oil), coconut sugar, applesauce or yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Add the remaining cupcake ingredients and stir to combine. The batter will seem thicker than traditional cupcake batter.
Scoop the batter out into the cupcake liners. For muffin top cupcakes, fill the liners 3/4 full. For shorter, more domes cupcakes, fill the liners 2/3 full. You will get more like 14 cupcakes instead of 12.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. The cupcake should bounce back when pressed gently.
Let them cool for 10 minutes. Then turn them out onto a wire wrack to finish cooling.
While the cupcake are cooling, make your peanut butter frosting. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Scoop the frosting into a sandwich bag with the tip snipped off or into a frosting piping bag with a decorating tip attached. Pipe onto your cupcakes!
Decorate with crushed peanuts and your favorite peanut butter cups and enjoy!

Where to Find the Ingredients

a grain-free chocolate cupcake topped with peanut butter frosting and a peanut butter cup

These grain-free chocolate cupcakes are the perfect from-scratch modern pioneer dessert! They are moist, flavorful, and topped with the best peanut butter frosting. Plus, they are super simple to make, use healthy ingredients, and are fun to decorate. You can whip up a batch of these cupcakes in the homestead kitchen using wholesome ingredients from the pantry and fridge to create a healthier and delicious dessert that modern pioneers of all ages are going to love!

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by Alexa