Cookies 'n Cream Cupcakes

Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 29 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 94 Calories from Fat 40

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.5g 7%

Saturated Fat 0.9g 4%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Cholesterol 8mg 3%

Sodium 75mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 13.5g 5%

Sugars 7.6g

Protein 0.9g

 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa
½  cup sugar

2 tablespoons sugar substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup milk
½ cup hot water

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
 42 Oreos

¾ tub Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Break chocolate cookies into pieces and place on the bottom of cupcake pan or use the whole cookie.  Mix together the dry ingredients and then add the wet to the mixture.  Fill the mini muffin tins three-quarters full with batter.  Optional: Swirl frosting into batter.  Bake for 5-6 minutes and then top with frosting and either whole miniature cookies or broken pieces (about 1/6 size) 

Makes about 50 minature cupcakes. 

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 TSP baking powder
1/4 TSP salt
1/2 TSP baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 shortening OR 3 TBSP canola oil OR 2 TBSP butter + 2 TBSP canola oil
2 eggs
2 TBSP skim milk
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Bake at 350°F till a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 60 to 65 minutes.  Cool for another 10 minutes.  Good for breakfast, a snack or dessert.  

Corn Bread

Corn Bread

Love this recipe.  It is a baked cornbread, not a skillet cornbread so it does not have that cast iron taste.  Best eaten warm plain or with smart balance butter spread or honey-butter OR crumbled cold in milk like cereal.  (I do that a lot lol)   Honestly I could eat this cornbread for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt                     (DO NOT OMIT)
1 egg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk or non-fat plain yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a glass 8X8 pan.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl then add to the cornmeal mixture.  Stir until it is just combined.  Note: The mixture will be dry and thick.

Place the batter into the pan and gently smooth the top.  Bake for 20 minutes until the bread is golden brown.  Cool for 10 minutes.

(The note about the salt: I accidently forget to put it in once and it tasted very bland.  And I buy unsalted butter and I'm not a big salt consumer so if I say you need it, you really need it.)  If you want to make it healthier, you could use the yogurt instead of buttermilk, the egg substitute equivalent and you could try to substitute some of the canola oil for unsweetened applesauce.  I have not tried using whole wheat flour because it might overpower the corn flavor.

On Cooking

I might be big on weight loss (what an ironic phrase) but I LOVE to cook. As in really really love to cook and would love to open a restaurant. (wow so many "love" 's) My cooking can prove that super delicious does not have to mean super fattening. Oh and all of those fancy low-fat ingredients that are expensive and hard to find? Yeah I don't use those either.  

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake

This is one of my favorite recipes.  I also use it to make cupcakes and as the base for other batters like almond, plain, etc,.  To make it even healthier,  substitute some of the canola oil for unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas.  I have also used no-cal sugar substitutes before.  If you want to make it plain, omit the cocoa powder and use less sugar. 

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cider vinegar


Preheat oven to 325°F. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add water, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Stir and pour into greased 8X8 glass pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then loosely edges from pan and remove. Best served hot with ice cream, fresh fruit or cold milk.