Easter Basket CupcakesYou can add pipe cleaner handles to make these look more like baskets! I love Easter treats, they remind me of the joy of finding colored eggs in the yard or around the house, new dresses and bonnets for church, and my magical Easter basket full of candy. This treat evokes all of that nostalgia while being quite a bit healthier. These tasty cupcakes look like little Easter baskets and taste of sweet coconut.

I created a light coconut-scented cupcake that’s free of refined sugar, gluten-free and plant-based, then topped it with fluffy frosting, naturally colored coconut grass, and candy-coated almonds. While there is a little sugar in the almond coating, they are far less sugary than jelly beans or other Easter treats. And for kids or grandkids who can’t have gluten or dairy, these are super cute. Enjoy and happy spring!

Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, reduced-sugar diets

Not for:
low-sodium or migraine diets

Could this be migraine-friendly?

This recipe is tricky, as it’s from my days before I was diagnosed. Here’s how I might renovate this recipe to be migraine-friendly:

  • Sea salt > omit to make lower in sodium
  • Soy milk powder > sub rice milk powder
  • Lecithin granules > use sunflower lecithin if available (most lecithin granules are made from soy)
  • Agave syrup > this recipe is higher in natural sugars than I would normally recommend and reformulating with stevia would involve completely starting from scratch. For a special occasion, these would be okay.
  • Candy-colored almonds > nuts can be a migraine trigger. I would omit or use organic jelly beans for decoration, then toss.

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Easter Basket Cupcakes

Easter Basket cupcakes

Adorable Easter Basket cupcakes, using natural sugars, no food coloring, and tasty coconut grass.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
  

Cupcakes

  • 1 cup sweet sorghum flour (135 g)
  • 1 cup oat flour (gluten-free) (120 g)
  • 1 cup brown rice flour (160 g)
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour (25 g)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder (5 g)
  • 1 tsp psyllium husk powder (2 g) or xanthan gum
  • 1 tsp sea salt (2 g)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (1 g)
  • 3 tbsp flax seeds (ground) (15 g) plus 6 tbsp (90 ml) filtered water
  • 1 cup agave syrup
  • 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened) unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil 1
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp coconut extract
  • 1 cup water (mineral) plain or lemon-flavored

Creamy vanilla frosting

  • 14 ounces coconut cream
  • 1/2 cup soy milk powder rice milk powder preferred (185 g)
  • 1/4 cup agave syrup light
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp lecithin granules (8 g)

Coconut grass

  • 2 cups coconut (flakes, unsweetened) large flake, unsweetened (100 g)
  • 4 tsp parsley juice

Notes

Per frosted cupcake:
  • 238 calories
  • 9 g fat
  • 7 g saturated fat
  • 0 g monounsaturated fat
  • 0 g polyunsaturated fat
  • 0 g trans fat
  • 0 g cholesterol
  • 192 mg sodium (93 mg sodium with salt omitted)
  • 105 mg potassium
  • 34 g carbohydrate
  • 4 g fiber
  • 15 g sugars
  • 5 g protein
  • 6 Weight Watchers Points Plus
If you cannot find rice milk powder, you can use soy milk powder or powdered sugar. If you don't have a juicer just run some chopped parsley through your blender, then strain it before using. I found these almonds at Williams-Sonoma (pricey!) and they say they might contain traces of wheat, dairy, or egg. So read your labels if you avoid any of those foods.