
On February 14, 2017 The Migraine Relief Plan debuted in the world. I couldn’t be prouder of this book or the lives it’s touched in the last two years. I have traveled the country meeting migraine sufferers at wellness events and patient education days. I have more than 800 members of our Facebook support group who help each other on a daily basis. And I’m thrilled to see that it sells consistently on Amazon, knowing that doctors all over the country are recommending it to their patients.
When I asked my readers’ group what I should do to celebrate this milestone, the obvious answer was “birthday cake!” So I hereby present this tasty recipe for simple vanilla cupcakes with rich, buttercream-like frosting that is of course, migraine-friendly. A huge shout-out to my friend Ricki Heller’s book Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free: Allergy-Friendly Vegan Desserts: 100 Recipes Without Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, or Refined Sugar for the inspiration. I highly recommend her book, as she’s a genius with desserts for people on special diets.

Just a note: As with all desserts, this is meant to be eaten in moderation. Yes, there’s a little sugar in them.

Vanilla cupcakes with fudgy frosting
Ingredients
Vanilla cupcakes
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free) Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 is best (includes xanthan gum)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder (only if using a flour blend that doesn't include xanthan gum)
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup agave syrup honey, or maple syrup
- 3/4 cup coconut milk whole milk, hemp milk, rice milk
- 1/3 cup grapeseed oil sunflower seed oil, light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract alcohol-free for migraine diet
Fudgy frosting
- 1 cup coconut sugar (organic)
- 1 cup sweet potato puree (canned or use a baked sweet potato)
- 40 drops stevia (organic) drops, vanilla flavor preferred
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract alcohol-free for migraine diet
- 1/2 cup carob powder
- 1/2 cup carob chips Sunspire brand unsweeted carob chips
- 1/2 cup tahini or unsalted sunflower seed butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Instructions
Vanilla cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4. Line 18 cupcake tins with liners.
- Separate the eggs.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour with baking powder, baking soda, and psyllium husk powder (if using).
- In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat egg yolks, agave syrup, coconut milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add flour mixture and beat just until no lumps remain. Fold in egg whites using a spatula until mixed in completely.
- Scoop batter into prepared pans, about 2/3 full. Place on center rack. Bake 10 minutes, then rotate pans. Bake another 10 minutes, or until tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
Fudgy frosting
- Place coconut sugar in blender and blend on high for one minute or until a fine powder.
- Place sweet potato and stevia in food processor fitted with S-blade. Process until smooth.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place remaining ingredients and stir over low-medium heat until melted and smooth. Scrape into food processor. Blend until very smooth.
- For thick fudgy frosting, immediately spread on cupcakes. For pipe-able buttercream style frosting, refrigerate until cold. Then beat until fluffy. Use a large piping tip to create frosting swirls as shown.
Looks yummy! Glad the recipes from my book were inspiring. These look fabulous–I love me a good carob-based treat, so can’t wait to try them! :) Congrats on the 2nd anniversary of your fantastic book, too!