KTVQ, one of the local TV stations, asked me to make them some heart healthy cupcakes. Well, cupcakes and heart health don’t really go hand and hand, but they aren’t mutually exclusive either. I’ll share a few tweaks that can make any batch of cupcakes a bit more (heart) healthy. And, I’ll also give you the recipe for the cupcakes I made for Q2.

First, one can replace some or all of the fat (butter or oil) with a fruit puree like applesauce of pumpkin puree. I recommend only replacing up to 50% of the butter or oil, otherwise the texture of the cupcake might not be very cupcake-y This is a 1 for 1 replacement. For example, my recipe called for 1/2 cup of butter. Instead I used 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup of applesauce. This substitution cuts down on fat and cholesterol.

Second, one can cut out more cholesterol by using only egg whites instead of whole eggs.

Third, one can substitute part of the flour with ground oats and ground nuts. Both of these ingredients contain fiber, which is good for the heart. This is also a 1 for 1 substitution.

Lastly, if a recipe calls for milk, one can substitute soy milk, almond milk, or even coconut milk. This also cuts down on the fat and cholesterol.

Here are the cupcakes I made.

Heart Healthy Cupcakes

Heart Healthy Cupcakes

They are raspberry almond oatmeal cookie cupcakes.

Makes 1 dozen regular sized cupcakes
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 ground old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 – 1 cup raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream butter, applesauce, sugar, honey and maple syrup.
3. Mix flour, ground almonds, ground oats, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients with wet, mix until fully incorporated.
5. Gently fold in raspberries or press a couple raspberries into cups once filled.
6. Fill cups between 1/2 and 2/3 full.
7. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top.
8. Bake about 20 minutes.

You’ll see why they are called oatmeal cookie cupcakes. :)
One last heart healthy thing about these cupcakes is the raspberries. Berries have anti-inflammatory properties, which are beneficial to the heart.

Also, I used a maple cream cheese frosting. I’ll post that recipe another day.