While writing my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook, I debated which recipe to feature on the front cover for a very long time. Should it be something classic, like the chocolate chip cookies on P.76 or the fudgy brownies on P.84? Something that looked over-the-top decadent, like the peanut butter cup cheesecake on P.122? An assortment of baked treats?
Eventually, I settled on the dark chocolate cupcakes (P.114), one of my favorite desserts in the entire cookbook. When I awoke on the day of the cover photo shoot, I felt a few butterflies flitting about my stomach as the morning sped past. Even though we’re not supposed to, people still judge a book by its cover… I thought. So it has to be perfect! No pressure or anything, Amy… Oof!
In the kitchen, I sifted through my collection of 31 different paper liners, trying to find the ideal pattern and shade, preferably something that looked subtle and classy. From the back of the drawer, I picked out a sleeve of simple black liners, knowing those would let the tall frosting swirls and plum-colored title text shine.
After pulling the cupcakes from the oven and smelling their tantalizing rich cocoa aroma for what felt like years as they cooled on the counter, I filled a piping bag with the sweet light brown frosting, sneaking a taste from the spatula, and bent over the first treat, which sent the butterflies into a frenzy, threatening to burst out of my chest. Breathe, it’s okay; no pressure! I reminded myself.
I surveyed my tall frosting swirls, selected the three that looked the best, and carefully carried those cupcakes over to the table. After scattering a few baby pink and pastel purple sprinkles around the table, I turned on my camera, peered through the viewfinder, and pressed my finger down on the shutter before checking the image on the tiny digital display. Then repeated. Again and again and again, until I finally captured the perfect shot.
Whew!
When Healthier Chocolate Treats came out as both a hardback cookbook and an eBook (EEK I was so excited!! You can see a special sneak peek and preview what’s inside here and order a copy too!), I thought the best way to celebrate would be with these Ultimate Healthy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes! They’re slightly different than those in my cookbook, topped with my all-time favorite fudgy chocolate frosting instead, and taste as rich and decadent as the ones you’d buy from a bakery.
So it’ll be our little secret that they’re incredibly easy to make and completely healthy!
The recipe begins with two key ingredients: white whole wheat flour and unsweetened cocoa powder. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour, but it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour.
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour would be the perfect substitute, and I’ve included my preferred gluten-free flour blend in the Notes section, too.
As for the second part, you just need regular ol’ unsweetened cocoa powder! Because you’ll use 1 full cup, the cupcakes already taste really rich and dark chocolaty without Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. I actually recommend not substituting either of these. They have a different acidity level, which will affect the taste and texture of your cupcakes.
It’s also incredibly important to measure the cocoa powder correctly, using either a light hand with the this method or a kitchen scale. I highly recommend the latter! This is the inexpensive one that I own, and it was the best $20 I’ve ever spent. I use it every day! Too much cocoa powder will dry out your cupcakes and make them taste bitter, but my trusty kitchen scale ensures that these cupcakes turn out perfectly tender and rich every time.
To keep the cupcakes clean eating friendly, you’ll sweeten them with pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Be sure to use the real kind! Avoid pancake syrups or sugar-free syrups; those contain other ingredients that will affect the texture of your cupcakes. Pure maple syrup typically comes in thin glass containers or squat plastic jugs, and the only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” You can typically find it near the other sweeteners at the grocery store, as well as online!
Low-fat cupcakes tend to stick to liners like superglue, so I have a special trick to get around that… Coat the cupcake liners with nonstick cooking spray! This simple tip means the liners will peel away much easier from the cupcakes once they’ve completely cooled. And if the cupcakes still stick more than they should, seal them inside of an airtight container for at least 24 hours to help loosen the liners a little more.
And now for my favorite chocolate frosting! It’s really rich and fudgy, almost like spreading fudge on top of the cupcakes… Pure bliss! Even better, it’s mindlessly easy to make! Simply stir together unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, and a little liquid stevia in a bowl. That’s it! You just need a fork — no mixer required — which makes clean-up a breeze!
Note: Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and a little goes a long way. You’ll only need ½ teaspoon! This is the kind that I buy because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice a strange aftertaste, like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I generally buy it online because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Time to celebrate the Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook! (And maybe with a second cupcake too… Or even a third!)
When you bake yours, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy chocolate cupcakes!
The Ultimate Healthy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup (160mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
FOR THE FROSTING
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
Instructions
- To prepare the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, and generously coat the liners with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter or coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the pure maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners. Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until the centers feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the frosting, add the cocoa powder to a small bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour in the milk, vanilla, and liquid stevia. Stir until thoroughly combined. Spread on top of the cooled cupcakes.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
♡ Mini Chocolate Cupcakes (Vegan)
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes
♡ Mini Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
♡ Funfetti Cupcakes
♡ Mini Dark Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
♡ Pumpkin Cupcakes
♡ Almond Joy Cupcakes
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cupcake recipes!
I really love your recipes I aways trust that it will turn great!! But I have a Q why does the frosting is too watery although I measured it exactly like what you have written?? Can you please let me know
Much appreciate it.
I truly appreciate your kind words about my recipes, Sarah! That’s not how this frosting should turn out, so I’m happy to help solve that issue. In order to do so, I have some questions for you! 🙂
By “too watery,” do you mean it’s as thin and liquidy as milk? Or a little thicker, like honey? Or just that it’s not stiff enough to pipe?
Did you make any modifications to the frosting, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the frosting ingredients — especially the cocoa powder and milk?
If you used one of the alternative sweeteners (pure maple syrup, honey, or agave), did you use a kitchen scale to measure them?
What’s the exact cocoa powder that you used? (Brand + product name!)
How was the flavor? Was that okay, and it’s just the consistency that’s too runny?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit (and how to fix it!) once I know your answers to all of them!
Hi Amy, I’m Lisa , I enjoy your recipes. But I don’t eat yogurt of any kind, what can I substitute for the yogurt and still have it
turn out right. And can I use the substitute for all recipes with yogurt. I don’t like the taste the recipes have. I Thank you for your time.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Lisa! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. That really means a lot! 🙂
When you made these chocolate cupcakes as directed, were you able to taste the yogurt in them?
In the majority of my recipes that include yogurt in a batter or dough (ie where it’s then baked in an oven, as opposed to something like frosting or whipped cream that isn’t!), you shouldn’t be able to taste the yogurt in the finished baked treats. It’s there to provide moisture and a better texture, and any sort of yogurt flavor should be masked by the other ingredients by the time the treats come out of the oven. Some of my family members are really sensitive to the taste of yogurt, but they can’t detect it when it’s inside of batters and doughs — like in these cupcakes, muffins, scones, quick breads, brownies, etc!
Because my recipes were specifically designed to use yogurt, I can’t vouch for whether any other substitutes will work. Although others may provide a similar moisture content, they might not result in the same texture. You’re welcome to experiment on your own though! That’s how I develop my recipes… Through experimenting, trial, and error! 😉
1 whole cup of cocoa powder but only 0.75 cup flour? seems off.
We really appreciate your interest in our recipe, Amy! Those measurements are correct. In our rounds of recipe testing, we found these amounts produced the exact dark chocolate flavor we wanted. However, we also understand some people don’t enjoy dark chocolate as much as we do! 😉
If you baked these cupcakes and found the chocolate taste was too strong for your liking, you’re welcome to reverse them! You can also use ½ cup of cocoa powder and 1 ¼ cups of flour for a much milder flavor.
I did end up adjusting the cocoa/flour ratio a little, and added 2 extra splashes of milk, to make the batter more workable.
It means a lot that you ended up making our recipe, Amy! Thanks for taking the time to let us know and share your modifications. Is there anything we can help troubleshoot, whether about their flavor or texture? Based on your reply and recipe rating, it sounds like you might not be 100% happy with the way your cupcakes turned out, so we’d love to help fix that, if you’d like! 🙂
I think with the littlel bit of extra milk to offset the amount of cocoa, it was a fine result. Dense and not too sweet (which I mean as a GOOD thing), and healthy (the most important part). Thank you!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed them, Amy!
Hi Amy! Quick question – what tweaks to the recipe/baking time would you recommend if making these as a cake instead of cupcakes? Thank you!!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Claire! I haven’t personally tried, but I’m guessing it’d work to make a cake instead. I’d recommend a 9″-round pan. You could either make one decently thick layer or two extremely thin layers — it’s not quite enough batter for a standard-sized two-layer cake! Because I haven’t tried, I’m not sure of the baking time. It’d probably be a good idea to start checking on it after 15-18 minutes. It may need more time than that, but it’ll be done when the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with dry crumbs attached.
I’d love to hear how your cake turns out if you end up trying that! 🙂
Ok, wonderful! Thanks so much!!
You’re welcome, Claire! 🙂
Can I make these cupcakes in advance and freeze them?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Sophia! The unfrosted cupcakes freeze and thaw really well. However, the liners don’t peel away as easily after thawing and tend to stick quite a bit to the cupcakes, so I’d recommend removing them prior to freezing. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these chocolate cupcakes if you end up making them!
I just made these; I forgot the yogurt, and they were perfect. (Wait….here I go getting a second! still hot)….they are likely dryer but I think that is what I was wanting. Also I was out of vanilla, and not missing it. Went heavy on the salt. Used melted bittersweet choco chips at same amount..cut the amount of maple syrup in half, cuz I am trying to ration my jug a bit….The eggs I used were large, which probs compensated for the yogurt missing. Finally, I used a good quality organic unbleached white flour and not whole wheat. I was driven to making my own because sweets at the bakeries are always regretfully too sweet for me. Glad I did, thanks for the inspiration.
That’s the best kind of compliment, to reach for a second when they’re still warm and fresh from the oven! 😉 I’m so happy you enjoyed these cupcakes, Jacquelyn! Thanks for taking the time to share your modifications too. I always love hearing about what recipe tweaks work out!
Hi Amy,
First of all, I’m so happy that I have found your website!
Your recipes are exactly what I was looking for – healthier versions of tasty treats!
I followed this recipe exactly but using gluten free flour and it was perfectly chocolatey and the texture was fluffy!
I wondered if there was any way of adding in a little moisture? Could I add more oil? I prefer cupcakes to be far less sweet than most, but I’m less concerned with fat content.
Thank you so much!
You’re so sweet, Melissa! I’m honored by your kind words. ♡ There are millions of recipes on the internet, and I’m so glad that mine fit what you’re looking for!
It means a lot that you tried making these cupcakes! Would you mind elaborating a bit more about their texture? They’re meant to be really moist and a bit dense, with an almost fudgy brownie-like texture. If they turned out drier, with a lighter and fluffier texture similar to something like a store-bought cake or boxed cake mix, then there’s a chance that something might’ve been off with your batch. I just want to make sure I understand the exact texture of your cupcakes and provide you with the best possible advice! 🙂
Hi Amy,
Thank you for your quick reply. They turned out drier and fluffier rather than brownie-like.
The substitutions I made were UK store bought gluten free flour (Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Maize Flour, Raising Agent: Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Thickener: Xanthan Gum)
(lifted with a fork) and coconut yoghurt as I’m lactose free.
I haven’t made the frosting, I just wanted to experiment with the base first of all. I liked the look of your raspberry frosting. Thanks for helping.
It’s my pleasure, Melissa! I’m happy to help. 🙂
Thank you for sharing these additional details — it’s incredibly helpful! It sounds like your store-bought gluten-free flour may be self-raising because it includes a raising agent. Is that true? If so, that would’ve contributed to the difference! The extra raising agent included in your GF flour blend would’ve yielded a lighter and fluffier texture.
In general, I don’t recommend substituting self-raising flour (whether wheat-based or gluten-free) in my recipes. Many brands and blends contain different amounts of raising agent, so it’s nearly impossible to determine by how much you’d need to reduce the raising agents already included in the Ingredients list to compensate. If you have access to a plain gluten-free blend (not self-raising!), I have a feeling your cupcakes will turn out with a better and moister texture!
I’m so happy to hear you used my fork method for measuring too! When you did that, did you happen to gently nudge or shake the measuring cup back and forth while filling it — to “level off” the mound of flour, for example?
Did you measure the cocoa powder with the same fork method? (I’m assuming you did, but I wanted to double check, just to be safe! 😉 )
Also, did you use regular unsweetened cocoa powder? Not Dutched, special dark, black cocoa, or anything else?
You mentioned that you prefer cupcakes to be less sweet. Did you use the full amount of pure maple syrup in the batter? (You said you followed the recipe, so I’m assuming you did!)
Lastly, how long did you bake your cupcakes?
Thanks so much for your patience and answers to these questions as well, Melissa! Knowing all of this info will really help us narrow down any other potential culprits so we know exactly how to make your next batch of cupcakes turn out better. 🙂
HI Amy,
Thank you for your reply!
I did use self-raising flour because I preferred the blend of flours and it also had the addition of xanthum gum. The plain flour version from the same brand is a combination of Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Maize Flour.
I do also have a plain flour from Doves farm which is readily available here. The blend is Rice, Potato, Tapioca, Maize, Buckwheat, I could give that a try.
The cacao powder I used says that it has not undergone alkalisation.
I don’t use measuring cups, I measured both the flour and cacao with the fork directly through a sieve into the bowl, which was place on kitchen scales.
I baked them for 20 minutes at 350F.
Regarding the maple syrup – I’m now not sure if I used the full amount! I may have instinctively added less as I have a tendency to cut some out of recipes….:D
One last query I had – could I use olive oil and would that be 28g also?
I made your “ultimate healthy chocolate muffins’ yesterday and added defrosted raspberries to the batter. I now know I’m using the wrong flour but it helped add moisture and was really delicious!
I’ll be baking these cupcakes again this weekend for my boyfriend’s birthday. Really look forward to making the tweaks! Thanks so much for your time xx
Thank you so much for your detailed answers, Melissa!! It makes solving the mystery much easier. 🙂 I have another follow-up question based on your replies and your question about the amount of olive oil…
Are you using your kitchen scale to measure liquids, like the pure maple syrup?
I’m so glad to hear you’re using it for the solid ingredients like flour and cocoa powder! It’s generally more accurate for these, compared to measuring cups, and I love how using one usually results in fewer things to wash too. 😉
However, it’s not as accurate for measuring liquid ingredients. It’s often worse than measuring cups — and often results in adding the wrong amount too.
Scales can only measure weights, not volumes! This is because the weight of liquids like milk, honey, pure maple syrup, etc actually depends on their density, and almost every liquid’s density is different. There’s no way to program every different density into a kitchen scale, so that’s why it doesn’t work for measuring liquids. (Except water, which has a density of exactly 1.0g/mL!)
If you used your kitchen scale to measure the pure maple syrup, you were unintentionally measuring it by weight instead of volume, for the reasons I shared above, and that resulted in adding less than my recipe called for! (160g of pure maple syrup is just shy of 120mL, or ½ cup, because it has a density of between 1.3 and 1.4g/mL.) That would throw off the ratio of wet and dry ingredients, especially if you instinctively added less on top of measuring it like that… And using less maple syrup would also factor into why your cupcakes turned out fluffier and drier. That would be an even bigger culprit than the self-raising flour! If you measure the pure maple syrup — and all liquid ingredients with metric measurements provided in mL — with a measuring cup or measuring spoons, your cupcakes should have a much better texture because you’ll be adding the correct amount!
Since you prefer things to be less sweet though, you can use less pure maple syrup and then replace the “missing” amount with milk to ensure your cupcakes still turn out really moist. For example, if you’d like to use ½ cup of pure maple syrup, then add an extra 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of milk. Just remember to measure them with measuring cups and spoons! 😉
If substituting olive oil, the volume amount will remain the same (2 tablespoons, or 30mL), and I recommend measuring it with measuring spoons instead of a kitchen scale. While it’ll achieve the same texture, olive oil can impart a noticeable savory flavor in the background, so keep that in mind if you decide to substitute it in these cupcakes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed my chocolate muffins recipe too! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! ♡ I also love your idea of adding raspberries to the batter. Chocolate and berries is such a fantastic combination!
Happy birthday to your boyfriend as well! I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating!