Low Calorie Chocolate Cherry Cupcake-Muffins
These delicious treats were actually a result of a mistake in the kitchen (Hey! It happens!!). Low Calorie Chocolate Cherry Cupcake-Muffins a little sweeter than a traditional muffin, and just a little less sweet than a cupcake. They are, without a doubt, one of the best “mistakes” that I have ever made! If you bake them in a standard (12-cup) muffin tin, they have only 62 calories a piece!! So even if you decide to make them in a jumbo (6-cup) muffin tin, they will still only have a modest 124 calories each.
Equipment
- oven
- 12 cups standard muffin pan
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 small bowl
- 1 electric mixer
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces vanilla fat-free yogurt
- 3 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 package frozen (or jarred) pitted, unsweetened dark sweet cherries, thawed and drained (keep 12 cherries aside for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously grease a 12-cup standard muffin pan with cooking spray (or line with baking cups) and set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in medium bowl and mix well, then stir in the yogurt and almond extract.
- Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter until just blended. Gently fold in the cherries and divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until tops are puffy and edges are set – the centers will still be slightly “moist” when you remove them from the oven, but they will firm up while cooling.
- If you plan on having the “muffin” version serve as is (once cooled). For the cupcake version, frost with fat free icing or whipped topping and garnish with a cherry (or any other decorative topping you would like).
Video
Notes
To make these cupcake-muffins even more indulgent, top them with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings. It adds an extra touch of elegance and creaminess to each bite. Don't forget to share your delightful creations and subscribe to my blog for more culinary inspiration.