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These wholesome, fragrant cupcakes feature strawberry puree in both the batter and the frosting, infusing every bite with fruity goodness. You can use frozen strawberries if fresh berries aren’t available, but the fresh berries will give these treats a fabulous taste and texture. Check out our guide to strawberries for tips and additional recipes to try. 

To make these cupcakes gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free sorghum and oat flours, as cross-contamination can be an issue with these grain products.

By Darshana Thacker Wendel,

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. strawberries, hulled
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
  • Sea salt
  • ½ cup almond flour (from blanched almonds)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, or rice
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1¼ cups oat flour
  • ¾ cup sorghum flour
  • 2 teaspoons regular or sodium-free baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 2½-inch muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside six nice strawberries for garnish.
  • In a blender puree the remaining strawberries. Strain puree through a fine-mesh sieve; discard seeds.
  • For frosting, place 1 cup of the strawberry puree in a small saucepan. Add ¼ cup of the maple syrup, the lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Cook over low 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced by a third, stirring occasionally. Transfer sauce to a bowl; whisk in almond flour. Let stand 30 minutes. Place in a blender; cover and blend until creamy. Return to bowl; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, for cupcakes, in a large bowl stir together milk, flaxseed meal, and vinegar. Let stand 10 minutes. In a second bowl whisk together the next four ingredients (through baking soda) and a pinch of salt. Add almond butter, vanilla, the remaining ¾ cup maple syrup, and the remaining strawberry puree to the milk mixture; mix well. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture. Stir gently until well combined.
  • Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack; cool completely.
  • Spread frosting onto cupcakes. Slice reserved strawberries. Top cupcakes with strawberry slices. Refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve.

Comments (8)

(5 from 2 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Darleen

I've made these delicious cupcakes several times now. Here's what I've learned: 1. Do not bother straining the strawberry pulp. Skip that time consuming step and just use the pureed berries, seeds and all. 2. Double the frosting recipe! Trust me on this one. 3. Forget Sorghum flour. Just add extra oat flour. 4. Unless you're planning to eat all the cupcakes right away, top with a whole blueberry instead of sliced strawberries. The strawberries tend to get watery if they sit for too long. Enjoy!

Chana Smolanoff

would love to give these a try. what are the calories for one muffin?

Rae

Good recipe I am impressed and didn’t know the power of strawberries before trying this recipe. If you live in higher altitude like me (New Mexico) and can’t find sorghum flour I recommend using almond or cassava (1 cup). Adding more oatmeal just makes it soft and not “cupcakey”. The frosting tastes delicious, and I suggest adding a little bit more almond to make it more stiff and leaving it overnight in the fridge before frosting the cupcakes.

Kim

These sound delish! Could I use honey instead of maple syrup, and would it be the same amount?

Melinda L Sanz

If I cannot find sorghum flour can I substitute oat flour for the sorghum flour? So I'd add 1 1/4 cup of oat flour and 3/4 cups of sorghum flour.

Amy

Google says oat flour is the closest substitute. You can also buy sorghum flour on Amazon.

Janet Dickhout

is there a substitute for sorghum flour?

Hayley

Can this be made as one cake instead of cupcakes?

About the Author

Headshot of Darshana Thacker

About the Author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.
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