Recipe

I recently threw Kendan his 4th birthday party; which I will write more detail about in another post. For his party, I made homemade, dairy-free, sugar-free cupcakes. I was very nervous about this venture because, not only was it the first time I had made cake from scratch but, it was the first time I had (consciously) altered a recipe so severely. I googled plain vanilla cake and just started hacking away at it. I've been substituting dairy in recipes for years now due to Kendan's allergy but, cutting the sugar out too? I was nervous about how these would turn out. 

I wanted the cupcakes to be sugar-free because, over the last six months or so, I have gone on a crusade against sugar. I won't go into much detail on that subject; again, that's another post for another time. But, I got the impression I am not the only one who is trying to escape sugar's grip on our health. One of the mothers at the party originally passed on having a cupcake because she recently gave up sugar. I've never seen a happier face than when I told her they were sugar-free. I also received more requests for the recipe to these cupcakes than I ever imagined. I am happy to share! Especially a treat that I know I feel good about my kids eating. I'm also thrilled to be promoting sugar and dairy free efforts. And, the truth is, you'll never miss those ingredients. These cupcakes received rave reviews. 

So, here is the recipe for some yummy, much healthier cupcakes. 

Dairy and Sugar Free Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes or a 9x9 cake 

- 1 1/4 cups honey (16oz bottle)
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour 
- 1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 
- 3/4 cup milk (I use almond milk) 

1). Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 9x9in pan or line muffin tin with liners.

2). In medium bowl, beat together the honey and coconut oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to the honey and oil and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour/spoon batter into prepared pan. 

3). For a pan cake, bake for 35 to 45 minutes. For cupcakes, bake 25-28 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

I hope you all have the opportunity to make this delicious dessert. Cheers to happier, healthier, and definitely sweeter lives!