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A perfect hit for this year’s Halloween parties, you would never know that these decadently delicious cupcakes and finger cookies are also gluten-free, with zero added sugar!

 Decadent Chocolate Halloween Cupcakes

Makes 12 servings

Cupcake Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup + 2-½ tablespoon cocoa powder
  • ⅔ cup fine almond flour
  • 2 tablespoon coconut flour
  • 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter, softened)
  • ½ – ¾ cup Swerve Granular (depends on sweetness- ½ cup is more of a dark chocolate flavor, and ¾ cup will be more of a semi-sweet chocolate flavor)
  • ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces coconut oil (or two sticks butter)
  • 6 tablespoons whipping cream or milk
  • 2-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cups confectioner’s Swerve

Cupcake Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin pan (or two) with cupcake liners.  In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, espresso powder and salt.  Set aside.

With an electric mixer, stir together coconut oil, Swerve, almond milk, eggs sour cream, and vanilla.  Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix for 3 minutes until well combined.  Pour the batter evenly into the muffin liners, about ¾ full.

Bake for 19-22 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean; you do not want it to come out completely dry.  Let cool for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost Cupcakes, and then top with Swerve Raspberry Sauce and Swerve Human Shortbread Fingers or Halloween decoration of choice.

Frosting Instructions:

In an electric mixer or with a hand mixer combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until well combined

 Per serving: 360 calories, 35 grams fat, 27 grams saturated fat (can be mostly plant-based), 103 mg sodium, 32 grams carbohydrate (10 grams net carbs), 5 grams fiber, 1.8 grams sugar, 5.7 grams protein.

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Raspberry Sauce

Makes 24 servings

Ingredients:

  • 9 ounces fresh raspberries
  • ¼ – ½ cup granular Swerve (depending on the sweetness you want)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 tablespoon water (optional- depending on if raspberry sauce needs to be thinned)

Instructions:

Combine raspberries, Swerve, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until raspberries break down, Swerve dissolves, and sauce is heated through, 7-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and press sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Place back on stove top at medium heat and add xanthan gum, whisking quickly to thicken (1-2 minutes).  Remove from stove top and set aside to let continue to thicken and come to room temperature.  Serve instantly, or cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 45 minute until serving.

Per serving: 5 calories, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 mg sodium, 3 grams carbohydrate (1 gram net carb), 1 gram fiber, 0 gram sugar, 0 gram protein

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 Creepy Shortbread Finger Cookies

Makes 36 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cup fine almond flour
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • 6 tablespoons coconut oil instead of butter softened
  • ½ cup Swerve Granular
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 egg (room temperature)
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 24 sliced almonds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie ingredients until a thick, creamy batter is formed.  Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts.  Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper.  Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie (do not make cookies too big or they will become fat fingers).

Press one sliced almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail.  Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles.  You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance.  Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.  Bake in preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 8 minutes.

Per serving: 60 calories, 5.5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 35 mg sodium, 4.4 grams carbohydrate (1.7 grams net grams), 1.5  grams fiber, .5 grams sugar, 1.5 grams protein.

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