Recently NuNaturals contacted me to try their line of Stevia products. I jumped at the chance because I have been in love with Stevia for over a year now, but haven’t baked with it yet.
Inspired by Ben’s almond cupcake from this weekend I wanted to make almond cupcakes topped with frosting and coconut. I used this recipe from the Pastry Affair as a starting point and tweaked it some.
Almond Cupcake Recipe – no sugar
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup stevia
- 3/4 stick butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 almond milk, add more as needed when you combine to achieve batter consistency
Directions: Mix dry ingredients. Separately, mix wet. Combine slowly. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until done.
My #1 baking tip is to make sure and bake an extra one for yourself. You have to taste your work!
Try your cupcake when it’s still warm.
But, make sure to frost it first!
Baking Tip #2: Try not to make inappropriate noises while consuming as your neighbors already judge you for so many other reasons…
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes. There are only 9 on this plate. Do with that what you will 
I love cooking and baking, but have tons of baking failures. I finally realized that BUTTER is the key to good baked goods. In the past I’ve always tried to make things healthier with apple sauce or pumpkin – but they never go over well 
This time everyone loved them! Ben and my brother Michael are often my harshest critics and they gobbled them up.
Use.Real.Butter.
It doesn’t have to be 3 sticks per recipe, but use it.
Yes, Paula – I’m finally a believer 
(source)
Finally, Frost to your liking and dip into shredded coconut. I uses store bought stuff because I didn’t have a lot of time. It works.
Enjoy!
True…
No time for makeup today! This actually happens daily often, but I don’t talk about it. It makes me happy to not wear makeup – especially at the end of the night when I don’t have to take it off!
Question: Are you afraid of any ingredients?
I used to shy away from butter, but now I’m a “Butter Believer”!
It’s funny, I’m not afraid of butter, but I very much like the texture better when I use applesauce. I used it once to save calories and I’m never going back. It makes baked goods sooo much more moist!! I’m just not a butter believer 😉
Amber, What do you eat?! You must be wasting away to nothing over there!
lol, I wish! Actually, no that’d be pretty scary. I’m meeeeeelting 😉
Don’t worry while Ben & Jerry’s won’t be sponsering me anytime soon (though they should), my internal love of nut butters and avocados keep me sane.
These look so great! I want one! 🙂 I’ve been dying to try stevia but haven’t bit the bullet yet. (It’s kinda pricey).
I’m not afraid of any ingredients as far as baking is concerned. I LOVE to bake. But I do fear tempah. I’ve brought 3-4 packages in an attempt to force myself to try it but then I never use it!
I love tempeh!!!
I’m scared of any ingredient which is composed of ingredients that I cannot pronounce. 🙂
yum! did you use the stevia baking blend for this or was it just plain old stevia powder?!?
Stevia baking powder
I find that the things I bake without butter actually turn out pretty well, so I sometimes bake with butter, sometimes I don’t. Like today, I baked some scones with part yogurt and part butter and it was still delicious!
I still can’t seem to grasp the whole baking with cold butter thing. My recipes never seem to work when it includes that.
These cupcakes look delectable! I love coconut!
If I am making cupcakes, I go all the way. Creamery butter, superfine sugar, madagascar bourbon vanilla; life is too short to not eat the best cupcake possible. Then I’ll go run a few miles. It’s all about balance, padawan. 😉
Also, I haven’t had a sugar substitute yet that doesn’t taste like crap or give me migraines. (There goes my stevia sponsorship, haha!)
Yes, that’s the best part about not wearing makeup – Not having to take it off!
True story: I was cooking on the Rachel Ray Show in November (my sorority was asked to go). We started sauteing vegetables. My mouth began watering and I asked “What is that SMELL!!!” My sorority sister (also a healthy eater) turned to me, smiled, and said “Butter, Sarah. Butter.” From that day on… I knew there was no such thing as a substitute.
I lurve coconut! I think its weird when people don’t like it. There are pretty much no ingredients I shy away from, but I do usually cut the sugar by at least a third when baking… sometimes.
I just wanted to let you know, I have been a long time lurker, but I have started my own blog partially inspired by you 🙂 I have finally decided to take loosing weight seriously and really it’s because I read your adventures every day. Thanks so much for putting yourself out there everyday!
I actually don’t really like coconut and ate my cupcakes without the coconut on top 🙂
They look delicious! And you look adorable without makeup. Really, you look amazing!
i want those so bad right now! they look awesome! i love that there’s no sugar added
Wow…those cupcakes look deeeeelicious! I love how you sprinkled them with a little shredded coconut. I love coconut!
I hate fake butters and the 0 cal butter spray, nothing tastes as good as a little bit of the real thing! I use real stuff when I bake, I used to shy away from real sugar until I had a nutrition teacher tell me stevia is just as processed as splenda so now I use regular old sugar in my baked goods. Can’t beat the tried and true!
PS those look delicious!
Thanks 🙂
I’m not afraid of butter, but for some reason sugar bothers me. I always feel the need to reduce the amount or sub something like maple syrup for it. It’s weird.
I’m someone who doesn’t wear makeup every day but when I do wear it, I forget and I ALWAYS rub my eyes! That’s why I cannot wear it daily.
I haven’t had butter in a loonng time…or baked.:(
My makeup bag has been in my husband’s car since Saturday afternoon. That should explain my feelings towards makeup right now.
I’m totally making that recipe gluten free. I love me some coconut covered cupcakes.
These cupcakes look AWESOME!! I agree, baking with butter is definitely the way to go. There’s no good substitute for it.
I also agree with you on the no makeup thing…there’s nothing better than not having to worry about taking it off at night. Love that! 🙂