Healthy Mini Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
These cupcakes taste exactly like snickerdoodle cookies! Sweet, spiced, with that iconic subtle hint of a tang… In other words, absolutely perfect! (I even used my ultimate healthy snickerdoodles recipe as the base to make sure the flavor was exactly right!)These supremely moist and tender cupcakes are best if served the same day that they’re frosted, but they’ll keep for at least 3 days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (I use a cake-carrying case like this to store them!)
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 3 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
- 2 ½ tsp cream of tartar (see Notes!)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
- ¼ cup (36g) confectioners’ style erythritol (see Notes!)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk
- frosting, for serving (see Notes!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line 38 mini muffin cups with cupcake liners. Generously coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil and egg whites. Stir in the vanilla extract, liquid stevia, and erythritol. Add the Greek yogurt, stirring until no lumps remain. Stir in ½ cup of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and 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.)
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 11-14 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack. Once completely cool (and not before!), top the mini cupcakes with frosting just before serving.
Notes
IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE: Do NOT use a hand-held or stand mixer to make the batter. This will result in overly dense, gummy, or tough cupcakes. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: It’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will dry out your cupcakes and give them a crumbly texture, instead of having them turn out supremely moist and tender!
IMPORTANT CUPCAKE LINERS NOTE: You must generously coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray before adding the batter. This batter will stick to liners like superglue if they aren’t coated with cooking spray.
OTHER FLOUR OPTIONS: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. See "Gluten-Free Option" below for my gluten-free recommendations!)
CINNAMON TIP: I highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon! It’s stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. I buy mine online here! If using regular cinnamon, then increase the amount by ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon. (I absolutely LOVE a strong cinnamon flavor, so I often use a full 4 teaspoons of Saigon cinnamon!)
CREAM OF TARTAR NOTE: You must use the cream of tartar. It’s necessary for both taste and texture. I do not recommend omitting it or substituting for it. (See the text of my blog post above for more details!)
STEVIA NOTES: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. (I buy mine online here because it’s the cheapest price I’ve found!)
Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they're not always a 1-for-1 substitution. If using a different brand and product than this one that I use, you may need a different amount, and you may need to make other modifications to compensate as well.
OTHER SWEETENER OPTIONS: If you prefer, 1 cup (240mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the liquid stevia AND the milk. (Do not use any milk if using any of these sweeteners!) Alternatively, substitute 1 cup (192g) of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar for the liquid stevia AND reduce the milk to ½ cup (120mL) to compensate for the added volume.
ERYTHRITOL NOTES: I buy my erythritol online here, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too! Coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar may be substituted for the erythritol.
OTHER MILK OPTIONS: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
FOR ALL FROSTING OPTIONS: I highly recommend Fage Greek yogurt for all of the frosting options below. It’s much thicker than many other brands, which yields a much better frosting consistency.
If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia in the following frosting options, then substitute 6-8 tablespoons of confectioner’s style erythritol or regular confectioners’ (powdered) sugar. (If using regular confectioners’ sugar, then sift it first!)
VANILLA FROSTING, OPTION 1: Add 2 cups (480g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 servings (16g) sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding mix, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ⅝ teaspoon liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste!) 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.
VANILLA FROSTING, OPTION 2: Add 2 cups (480g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt, ¾ teaspoon vanilla, and ⅞ teaspoon liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste!) to a large bowl. Stir until just combined. Cover the top of the bowl with foil, and refrigerate until ready to spread on top of the cupcakes. (This frosting option is clean eating friendly! However, it won’t be stiff enough to pipe, so you’ll need to spread it on the cupcakes instead.)
CINNAMON FROSTING, OPTION 1: Add 2 cups (480g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 servings (16g) sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ⅝ teaspoon liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste!) 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. (← Although I photographed these cupcakes with vanilla frosting, this cinnamon frosting is still my favorite — and the one I highly recommend using!)
CINNAMON FROSTING, OPTION 2: Add 2 cups (480g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ⅞ teaspoon liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste!) to a large bowl. Stir until just combined. Cover the top of the bowl with foil, and refrigerate until ready to spread on top of the cupcakes. (This frosting option is clean eating friendly! However, it won’t be stiff enough to pipe, so you’ll need to spread it on the cupcakes instead.)
For Vanilla Frosting Option #1 and Cinnamon Frosting Option #1, you just need the dry instant pudding mix — don’t prepare it according to the package directions! Remember to use the correct amount too. You need 2 servings, which should be about half of one box. (But check the side of your box of instant pudding mix to see how many servings are in the box before measuring!)
TO MAKE STANDARD SIZE CUPCAKES: If you prefer, this recipe will yield 12 standard sized cupcakes. To bake standard-sized cupcakes, bake them at 350°F for 25-29 minutes. The cupcakes will be done when the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
{gluten-free, clean eating option, low fat, low sugar}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amyshealthybaking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.