Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields: 12 cupcakes
 
These tender cupcakes are full of warm, cozy spices and rich wintery flavors. They’re a wonderful and easy holiday dessert, and they’re practically healthy enough for breakfast, too! Leftovers will keep for at least four days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • for the cupcakes
  • 2 cups (240g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp (11g) ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup (60mL) molasses
  • ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
  • 6 tbsp (90mL) nonfat milk
  • for the frosting
  • 4 oz (112g) block-style Greek yogurt cream cheese
  • ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • ¾ tsp vanilla crème stevia
  • cinnamon, for sprinkling
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners, and coat them with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. To prepare the cupcakes, whisk together the flour and next 7 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the molasses and maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk to the yogurt mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour in 3 equal parts.)
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake at 350°F for 19-22 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. To prepare the frosting, beat together the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and stevia in a small bowl until smooth. Spread on top of the cooled cupcakes, and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, use the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if they’re measured correctly. I cannot guarantee whether any other homemade blends will work.

Do not substitute anything for the molasses. It’s a dark, thick liquid with a consistency similar to honey, and it’s what gives gingerbread its iconic flavor and color. Molasses is inexpensive and can be found on the baking aisle near the other liquid sweeteners.

Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese may be substituted in place of the Greek yogurt cream cheese.

Do not substitute any other liquid sweetener (i.e. maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.) in place of the vanilla crème stevia. Liquid sweeteners will make the frosting too thin and runny. If using a different granulated sweetener, you’ll need the equivalent of 6-8 tablespoons of sugar.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2015/12/13/gingerbread-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting/