Healthy Cinnamon Apple Cupcakes

Yields: 12 cupcakes

These cupcakes practically taste like apple pie, just in cupcake form! They’re supremely tender with lots of cozy spice flavor, both in the batter and in the frosting. They’re perfect for the 4th of July, Memorial or Labor Day, or any day you’re craving spice cake! Leftovers will keep for at least 3 days (if not longer) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

for the cupcakes
2 cup (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
2 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 ½ tsp liquid stevia
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
¾ cup + 2 tbsp (210mL) nonfat milk
1 ¼ cups (155g) diced red apple (about 1 large)
for the frosting
2 cups (480g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 servings (16g) sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding mix (see Notes)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
⅝ tsp liquid stevia, or adjusted to taste

To prepare the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, and coat the liners with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Stir in 2 tablespoons of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the diced apple.
Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners. Bake at 350°F for 19-22 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.
While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting. Add the Greek yogurt, instant pudding, cinnamon, and liquid stevia to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Cover the top of the bowl with foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe the cinnamon frosting on top just before serving.

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 ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) should work as well, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients (you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine!), and I buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. For sweeter cupcakes, increase the liquid stevia by ½ teaspoon (for 4 teaspoons total).

If you prefer not to use stevia in the cupcakes, substitute ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210mL) of agave, honey, or pure maple syrup for the liquid stevia. Omit the milk if using any of those liquid sweeteners. (The batter should be fairly thick, similar to muffin batter.) If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia in the frosting, then substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of this powdered stevia OR ¼ cup of Truvia or granulated sugar.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

I use Fuji apples because they have a great texture for baking and lots of natural sweetness. Make sure to cut them to be no larger than chocolate chips to ensure your cupcakes bake evenly.

This is my preferred Greek yogurt for the frosting because it's extremely thick!

You just need the dry instant pudding mix (I use this one!)—don’t prepare it according to the package directions! You may omit it, but you’ll need to increase the liquid stevia. Also, do NOT beat it for 2 minutes! Simply mix until all of the ingredients are just barely combined. Without the instant pudding mix, the frosting will no longer be stiff enough to pipe, so you’ll need to spread it on the cupcakes instead.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, higher protein}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/05/08/healthy-cinnamon-apple-cupcakes/