I think we have all been there at one time or another where you are craving something. You go into the kitchen thinking you want something sweet like chocolate, oh wait no salty maybe popcorn. You open the cupboard and see peanut butter, which always hits the spot! Yep those days where you take the spoon and just grab a spoonful of peanut butter, mmm. Or rolling that spoonful of peanut butter in chocolate chip, you know what I am talking about. These cupcakes are a cure all to those cravings! Rich dark chocolate cupcakes, filled with white chocolate peanut butter, topped with chocolate ganache and sweet and salty kettle corn (or salty caramel corn)!

 

It is all about moderation, I have said it over and over. So if you do indulge in one of these delicious cupcakes today stay turned for  a little fun fitness fuel recipe tomorrow that will get you out there burning those calories off!

 

 

Double Chocolate PB Popcorn Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

1 c flour, white, whole wheat white, gluten-free all-purpose (plus 3/4 tsp xanthan gum for gluten-free)

1 egg, chia egg, or flax egg

1/3 c unsweetened apple sauce

3 TBSP coconut oil, melted

1/2 c almond milk, or non dairy milk of choice (used So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk Plus)

1 c coconut palm sugar (Navitas Naturals)

1/2 c dark chocolate cocoa powder (or half raw cacao powder and half dark cocoa powder)

1/2 c boiling water

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

 

Filling

3/4 c peanut butter (used Peanut Butter & Co White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter)

 

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

1/2 c raw agave

1/2 c coconut oil, melted

1/2 c raw cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of sea salt

 

Topping

3-4 c kettle or caramel popcorn (used Angie’s Kettle Corn, Angie’s Salted Caramel also tastes great on these)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 and bring a pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl mix together flour, coconut palm sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl mix together egg (prepared chia/flax egg already thickened if using), apple sauce, coconut oil, vanilla, and almond milk. Pour wet mixture into the dry and with a whisk or electric beater mix for 1-2 minutes until the mixture has come together. Whisk or mix in boiling water until smooth. Line cupcake tin with 12 paper liners and pour or spoon mixture into the lined baking cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack removing from tin after a couple of minutes. Once cupcakes have cooled completely cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake. Using a paring knife cut a half dollar size hole in the top of each cupcake holding the knife at an angle pointed to the center. Save the cut out piece as you will use it to cover the peanut butter. Place peanut butter in a plastic bag or pastry bag, clip the corner if using a plastic bag. Squeeze a 1/2-1 tablespoon of peanut butter into each cupcake. Now take the piece of cake that you cut out of the center and cut off the point keeping only the top 1/2″ of the cupcake piece and place it over the peanut butter to seal the peanut butter into the cupcake. Now make the ganache frosting. In a medium bowl mix together agave, coconut oil, and vanilla until the mixture comes together. Whisk or mix in the cacao powder and sea salt. You can now frost the cupcakes, spooning the ganache on each cupcake and spreading it with a frosting knife, which will give them a smooth ganache finish as shown in these cupcakes. Or you can refrigerate the ganache for 10-15 minutes until it is solid and whip it with an electric mixture giving it a whipped fluffier texture as shown in the photos above. If you are making these on a hot summer day you will want to keep them in the refrigerator as the ganache will not hold up well in the heat. Press popcorn into tops before serving. You will not want to top them with the popcorn too long before serving as the popcorn will get soft and stale as it sits out. Enjoy!