These Mini Chocolate Crinkle Cups are perfect for bite-size desserts and for bringing to holiday functions. I wanted to share this recipe with you as part of some holiday tips and tricks this week on how to avoid binge eating over the holidays.
When I went about adapting this recipe from the Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from Kroll’s Corner, I wanted to challenge myself to make the sugar content either less or from more nutritious sources. One tip you can take into the holidays is that it is okay to half the recipe or adjust the size of the final portions. This is really helpful in setting healthy guidelines for yourself, and you will often find that it is easier to eat intuitively.
These cups are extremely light, and other than the light dusting of powdered sugar and the brown sugar, the sweetness comes from coconut sugar, which is a more natural kind of sugar that has a low glycemic index. This is important because the higher the glycemic index of a food, the more likely it is to cause a steep rise in blood sugar levels, often followed by what we call a “sugar crash” when levels drop.
In other words, coconut sugar still contributes to calories but like honey or maple syrup, it is more nutrient dense and has a more positive effect on blood sugar than added sugar alternatives. Switching from cane sugar to more natural sweeteners may not seem like a hugely important habit, but it can add up to long-term health. If you are having trouble making the transition, try making half of the sugars added from a more natural source. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup cane sugar, try making ½ cup from can sugar and ½ cup from honey (1-3).
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Mini Chocolate Crinkle Cups
Adapted from original by Kroll’s Korner
Ingredients
¾ cup Gluten-Free (GF) flour
⅛ cup cacao powder
½ tsp arrowroot powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup unsalted plant-based buttery spread, cold (~4 Tbsp)
¼ cup organic dark brown sugar
¼ cup coconut golden sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional:
1 ¼ cups chocolate chips, dark
⅛ cup or less of powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a mini muffin tin with liners.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, powders, baking soda and powder, and salt together. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix butter (cold and cubed) on the lowest possible mixer setting. Cream for about 30 seconds. Add the sugars and mix until fully incorporated.
Add egg and vanilla. Blend together until evenly mixed. Wipe down the sides of the bowl or mixer if needed with a spatula.
Keeping the mixer on the lowest speed, gradually add in dry ingredients from large bowl set aside in step #2. Do this at about ¼ cup dry ingredients at a time.
Optional: Add in chocolate chips until incorporated by mixing machine or mix in by hand if desired.
Use a tablespoon measure to help ball the dough into evenly sized mini muffins. Optional: If desired, gently tap one side of the small dough ball in powdered sugar before placing it into the mini muffin tin.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. It’s okay to pull them out of the oven before you think they may be done. Since they are a lighter consistency, they will finish baking a bit once taken out of the oven.
Let cups cool for about 15 minutes and then carefully take them out of the cups. They are crumbly and crisp and so be careful not to put too much pressure on them if you intend to serve them in their mini muffin shape. Enjoy!
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References
Health Essentials. The best foods to help relieve your joint pain. Cleveland Clinic. 2016. Accessed at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-food-to-help-relieve-your-joint-pain/
Health Essentials. Reclaim your Kitchen with Dr Mark Hyman. Cleveland Clinic. 2019. Accessed at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/podcasts/health-essentials/reclaim-your-kitchen-with-dr-mark-hyman
Nunez K. What are the benefits of coconut sugar. Livestrong.com. 2019. Accessed at https://www.livestrong.com/article/367337-what-are-the-benefits-of-coconut-sugar/