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It’s time to #BakeaDifference with OXO and Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, and The Bug and I wanted to spread the word and share a cupcake with all of his sweet faves. These are The Bug’s Ultimate {Healthier} Funky Monkey Chocolate Cupcakes!
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by a couple of OXO employees after their son battled cancer to support the fight against childhood cancer through local events like bake sales. OXO has been matching the proceeds of these bake sales, and this year is committing up to $100,000.
So how can you help? There are lots of ideas on the OXO Good Cookies site – host a bake sale, donate the proceeds, and OXO will match your donation. Buy some cookies, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated. Or purchase their specially-marked OXO baking tools, and they will donate 25 cents to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
When OXO gave me the opportunity to help out by sending me this awesome set of #OXOGoodCupcake tools, I jumped at the chance. Yeah, I got the fringe benefit of receiving super-cool cupcake tools, but now I get to tell you about and encourage you to buy these fun gadgets, which are some of those baking tools that, with your purchase, will mean another 25 cents towards pediatric cancer research.
Sure measuring cups and spoons, whatever, right? But these are super easy to hold, especially for little three-year old fingers, and the measuring cups include 2/3 cup and 3/4 cup sizes. Love these! The Cupcake Corer is amazing! I’ve always used a large piping tip or a knife, which usually just make a mess of my cupcakes. Now I can cut out nice, neat, even holes in my cupcakes, and even cut a little piece off the bottom so that I can replace a little cupcake cap. I am so excited to have this tool! And the spreader is perfectly sized for frosting cupcakes… or licking, as The Bug preferred to do.
And, in addition, OXO is also making a $100 donation for every Cookies for Kids’ Cancer blog post written in September! Of course I’ll make (and eat) a batch of cupcakes for that!!
When deciding what to make, I thought of my favorite kid – The Bug (well, Baby Smiles is equally my favorite, but he is too young for cupcakes). His favorite flavors in any sort of sweet treat are banana, chocolate, and peanut butter. But I also wanted to make them a bit healthier, so I started with the flourless secret ingredient chocolate cupcakes I’ve made before, but replaced some of the butter/coconut oil with peanut butter. After using the OXO Cupcake Corer, I filled them with a banana cream cheese mixture (no added sugar). Then they were frosted with a Greek yogurt based peanut butter frosting, inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction (though I went a little heavier on the peanut butter).
These cupcakes may look decadent, and they taste amazing, but they are not over-the-top sugar bombs. Nice and chocolaty, with the super-ripe banana giving a sweet, creamy surprise in the middle. And that frosting? Ohhhh, the frosting! OK, if you are looking for buttercream, you aren’t finding it here, but I could seriously have eaten the entire bowl with a spoon. Between the Greek yogurt and bit of cream cheese, it is nice and tangy, like a good cream cheese frosting, which I tend to prefer when it is not so sweet that it makes your teeth hurt. This also has a rich peanut butter flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness for my taste.
See – protein cupcakes! Eat two!! I did!
What is your favorite thing to make for a bake sale?
The Bug’s Ultimate {Healthier} Funky Monkey Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes:
- 14.5 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- Optional mini chocolate chips sprinkles, etc. for decorating
For the Banana Cream Filling:
- 1 banana very ripe, mashed
- 2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (I used light cream cheese)
- 1-2 tablespoons milk if needed
For the Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Frosting:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt I used nonfat
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ounce cream cheese at room temperature (I used light cream cheese)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes:
- Line muffin tins with cupcake liners, and preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Combine the first six ingredients (through brown sugar) in your blender, and blend until smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda, and blend until combined.
- Divide batter between the muffin cups.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack.
- Cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake (I used the OXO Cupcake Corer), and fill with Banana Cream Filling.
- Frost with the Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Frosting and decorate as desired with mini chips, sprinkles, etc.
For the Banana Cream Filling:
- Using a hand mixer, beat together the mashed banana and cream cheese.
- If needed/desired, add milk, a little at a time, to thin the Banana Cream Filling to the desired consistency.
For the Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Frosting:
- Using a hand mixer, beat together the Greek yogurt and brown sugar until thoroughly combined.
- Blend in the peanut butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.
Notes
Enjoy!
How about some more cupcakes?
Coconut Salted Caramel Chocolate {Flourless} Cupcakes
Peanuts & Cracker Jack Cupcakes
Plus I have an entire Cupcake Obsession Pinterest Board, where you can find recipes from my friends, like these…
- Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes from Just My Crazy Kitchen
- Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes from Will Cook for Smiles
I made these today for a bunch of friends and they were so good! A lot of the time cupcakes are so sweet and sugary that you feel like you are going to pass out. These were rich but not sugary, and I had several people request the recipe. I didn’t announce that they were gluten free or healthy or anything, and when I asked one friend if she could taste the black beans she said she thought they were chocolate chips in the cake!
Thank you so much for this recipe, it will be one I make again! (also eyeing the salted caramel coconut ones too)
Oh I am so glad everyone liked them! I love my sweets, but sometimes I like stuff not TOO sweet. The salted caramel ones were sooo good!
I plan on trying these soon! Is that 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup peanut butter in the frosting?
Yep, that’s right, but you can always add more sugar if you want it sweeter.
These look really good, even with the black beans in them 🙂
What an awesome recipe. Love all those healthy additions. They look fantastic. Personally, I’m a cookie monster and LOVE baking cookies most often. Thanks much for sharing at Weekend Potluck. We’d love it if you’d link back to the party. Please come back soon.
Hi there! I already shared this post with my Facebook followers, but I wanted to let you know that I loved it so much so that I also featured it in my blog’s Weekend Wrap-Up. I’ve included the link to the post in case you’re interested. Thanks again for such a fabulous recipe!
http://www.floptimism.com/2013/09/weekend-wrap-up-highlight-reel.html
Thanks so much for sharing my recipe!! You are so sweet!
Would it be possible to bake cupcakes in a microwave oven?
Honestly, that’s not something I’ve ever tried. Not sure the texture would turn out the same.
These cupcakes look delicious! I love the thought of a healthier cupcake. Thanks for the shout out!
Thanks! Yeah, I like decadent cupcakes, but I also like a healthier treat sometimes!
SO COOL! I love how you healthified these-and they sound DELICIOUS!!!!!! and yay I love OXO!
Peanut butter, chocolate & banana is ALWAYS a good combo! And I love OXO too!!