Raw mulberry-coconut cupcakes
After last month’s setback, I was determined to put a little more thought into my next SOS Kitchen Challenge creation. Work deadlines and household chores can wait. This girl’s got more important priorities.
When Kim and Ricki announced June’s feature ingredient as one of my favourite superfoods, blueberries, I got super excited to incorporate it into a healthy yet decadent treat. Although I’d like to think every brightly coloured fruit and vegetable fits the category of a superfood—as do nuts, beans, seeds and aromatic herbs and spices—there are some that contain proven beneficial properties and are just fun to eat.
Enter my raw mulberry-coconut cupcakes with blueberry frosting. Yes, that’s right: blueberries and mulberries.
I recently experienced my first bite of a sun-dried mulberry when creating cake pops with Lisa back in April, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Chewy and soft with a fig-like crunch, sun-dried mulberries are nature’s version of candy. A delightful alternative to raisins, it’s difficult to not eat them straight from the bag.
Better still, mulberries are also considered a superfood. They’re one of the few fruits to be considered a protein source; they’re an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamin C and fibre; and they also contain a high concentration of Resveratrol, an antioxidant compound that combats free radical damage.
So why not combine these two superfruits into one sweet, super-power cupcake? Coconut is the dominant flavour in these tiny treats but the mulberries provide a fruity sweetness like no other. The quick and easy blueberry frosting rivals any sugar-loaded frosting I’ve made before. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flour (grind coconut flakes to a fine powder)
- 1 cup almond flour (grind raw almonds to a fine powder)
- 1/2 cup ground, dried mulberries (grind dried mulberries)
- 1/3 cup date paste (blend 1 cup soaked dates with 1/4 cup water)
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp flax meal
- 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
- 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
- 6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the coconut flour, almond flour and ground mulberries.
- Add the date paste, almond milk and salt and mix until combined.
- Finally, add the coconut oil and flax meal and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. It should look like thick cake batter.
- Line a mini muffin tray with mini muffin or candy cups. Scoop a 1/2 tablespoon of the cupcake mixture and mold it into a ball or cupcake shape and gently press it into the muffin cup. Repeat with remaining mixture. Place the tray in the fridge or freezer while you make the frosting (recipe below).
For the frosting:
- Using a high-speed blender, blend the blueberries, cashew butter and agave nectar until well combined and smooth. Add the coconut oil and blend just to combine.
- Scoop the mixture into a piping bag and attach a small tip. Decorate each cupcake and return the cupcakes to the fridge until ready to serve.
These look amazing! Any idea of a good sub if I don't have any dried mulberries, though? I do have freeze-dried blueberries….
Blueberries AND mulberries–AND a blueberry frosting–AND the cutest little mini cupcakes EVER!! Oh, my goodness, this is superfood fabulousness overload!
I absolutely love the sound and look of these–and now you've got me wanting to try mulberries. What a great recipe! Thanks so much for entering it in the SOS Challenge this month.
Beautiful Nicole! I love the raw cupcake base you've created. I plan to give these a try very soon.
xo
YUMMY – those cupcakes sound just up my alley! It has been awhile since I have had mulberries, that needs to change because these look so great!
yummy! i love vegan, healthy baked goods. and the blueberry gives such a beautiful color
themommybowl.com: I think any dried fruit that can be ground into powder should work. I would suggest something that complements the coconut and almond base. Have fun with it!
Ricki: Thanks! They were a lot of fun to make.
VeganLisa: I've learned a lot from you when it comes to raw creations. I love that it involves less chemistry and more creativity than baking.
Pure2raw Twins: Thank you! I hope you are able to give these a try soon.
These look awesome! Making this weekend. Question – Can I use fresh blueberries for the frosting, or will only frozen work?
These look gorgeous and I actually might try them – I actually just got a dehydrator and my parents' neighborhood (and a bit south of here) are just bursting with mulberries – albeit not the golden kind. I'm a big fan of the seedy crunch of figs and would love to try drying some of my own berries.
Me, Myself and Pie: I found that frozen berries blended into a smoother consistency. If you only have fresh, try popping them in the freezer for a few hours if you can. I hope you like them!
foodfeud: Wow, that sounds amazing! I wish I could try drying my own mulberries. They're delicious.
Love the idea of the blueberry cashew frosting! I have a boatload of strawberries picked this weekend, I may try it out with those instead
Wow these are stunning!!! I wish I had the creativity that you do! I don't think I've ever had a mulberry come to think of it.
could these look any cuter! absolutely beautiful:)
I never would have thought to make cupcakes out of raw ingredients. It looks fantastic.
I adore mulberries but hardly ever see them used! I love how you grind them up to use them here.
I can't find mulberries at this time of year. What would be a substitute?
dreaminglotus: I used Navitas Naturals dried mulberries for this recipe. You can buy them online here: http://www.navitasnaturals.com/products/mulberry.html
You might also be able to find them at a local health food store.