these grain free vanilla-flavoured cupcakes are completed with a swirl of caramel, made out of fresh dates. there is also an optional but delicious vanilla frosting to complete the cupcake.
Sometimes you want a simple cupcake but with a little twist. I mean, it can’t be tooooo simple. These vanilla cupcakes are exactly that, with the addition of homemade caramel sauce made entirely out of medjool dates giving the much-needed twist to an otherwise simple recipe. And even with this so-called twist, the recipe is pretty easy.
Lately, I’ve been on a medjool date-blending binge. Literally just been blending all the medjool dates for various different recipes. And among those recipes, there has been mass quantities of date caramel sauce, and even within those mass quantities I’ve tested a few different ways of creating the caramel.
This particular recipe goes the easiest route, with the softened medjool dates and water only, although you can also use any preferred nut milk in the place of water if you want a more decadent and sweet caramel, but water is so easy because while I don’t always have nut milks ready to go, I always have water! Amirite or amirite???
In addition to the caramel, I decided to randomly frost a few of these bad boys after I made them. Not necessary of course, these cupcakes are delicious and sweet enough without the vanilla frosting, however if you are a frosting person then I’m including the rough frosting measurements I used for this recipe below.
Like many grain free baked good, I recommend storing these in the fridge or freezer. I’m not sure how the frosting will freeze though, so just be weary if you are freezing them with frosting.
grain free vanilla caramel-swirl cupcakes: ingredients
caramel swirl
- 1/2 cup of pitted medjool dates, soaked and softened (you can soak for 30 mins prior in boiling hot water)
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract
vanilla cupcakes
- 1/2 cup of coconut flour
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 + 1/2 tbsp of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 4 eggs
vanilla frosting (optional)
- 1/2 cup of dry curd cottage cheese (aka farmer’s cheese)
- 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp of honey (depending on sweetness preference)
grain free vanilla caramel-swirl cupcakes: how to
caramel swirl
- Start by preparing your caramel. Blend your softened dates with the water in a food processor on high, pouring the water in as you blend, and adding your vanilla extract and salt.
- Continue to blend until it’s well-combined and there are no more date remnants/pieces (as much as you can, some processors blend better than others).
vanilla cupcakes
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl or in the food processor (just clean it out quickly after the caramel), and add in your wet ingredients, blending/mixing until well combined.
- Spoon the cupcake better into a muffin tin lined with parchment paper cups. You’ll want to fill them 3/4 full, approximately.
- Now spoon in a tablespoon or more of your date caramel into each muffin. Swirl the caramel into the vanilla cupcake batter using a toothpick or knife (photos below).
- Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25-30 mins. Allow to cool before icing, if you are icing.
vanilla frosting (optional)
- Blend the dry curd cottage cheese (farmer’s cheese) in a food processor with the vanilla extract and honey.
- Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Place the frosting in the fridge or freezer to allow it to cool a bit before frosting, while also allowing your cupcakes to cool.
- Frost each cupcake using a flat butter knife, and store in the fridge.