Healthy Eggnog Cupcakes

Yields: 12 cupcakes

These cupcakes are such a fun treat for the holidays! They’re full of sweet eggnog and warm spice flavors, and the creamy cinnamon frosting is a lovely finishing touch. The cupcakes are best if eaten the same day they’re frosted, but leftovers will keep for at least three days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

for the cupcakes
2 ½ cups (300g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
2 large egg whites, room temperature
4 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp liquid stevia
6 tbsp (90g) granulated erythritol
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 ¼ cups (300mL) light eggnog or vegan eggnog (see Notes!)
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, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the granulated erythritol. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Stir in ½ cup of eggnog. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the remaining eggnog, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.)
Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners. Bake at 350°F for 20-24 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 hand mixer or stand 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, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ¾ cup (90g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons 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. I do not recommend substituting for it in the cupcake batter. If you do, you’ll need to reduce the amount of eggnog to compensate, and your cupcakes won’t taste like eggnog as a result. 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 granulated sugar.

I buy my erythritol online here. If you prefer not to use erythritol in the cupcakes, substitute 6 tablespoons (72g) of granulated, brown, or coconut sugar.

I actually prefer using vegan almond milk nog in these cookies! This is the one I found at Target, and it tastes just like regular eggnog. Both vegan eggnog and light eggnog work equally well, so use whatever you prefer!

This is the instant pudding mix I use. You just need the dry instant pudding mix—don’t prepare it according to the package directions! You may omit it, but you’ll need to increase the liquid stevia. 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, low fat, lower sugar}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/12/06/healthy-eggnog-cupcakes/