26 | February | 2012 | Live. Learn. Love. Eat.

WARNING: If you are very hungry, scroll down at your own risk. This post may cause a strong urge to go and bake. You have been warned!

Feast your eyes on the craziest cupcakes ever!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting!

Even more crazy is the fact that they are completely refined sugar-free and vegan!

Can you tell that I am excited!? 🙂

I love to tackle crazy baking recipes, so when I came across this recipe yesterday, I was eager to create a sugar-free, vegan variation of my own.

I also knew that this recipe would be so much fun for the kids! 🙂

I decided that peanut butter cupcakes would go lovely with the chocolate chip cookie dough and got straight to work.

First, I made the chocolate chip cookie dough and mini chocolate chip cookies, then I made the peanut butter cupcakes. That took all evening yesterday, so I left the assembly for today and called in my helpers.

It was a long afternoon.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting {Refined Sugar-Free and Vegan!}

A fluffy whole wheat peanut butter cupcake stuffed with sugar-free vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, topped with a thick chocolate icing and a mini chocolate chip cookie! If you could taste heaven, this would be it!

Makes 15 cupcakes

First I prepared the chocolate chip cookie dough and baked the mini chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Makes 15 mini cookies, plus enough cookie dough to stuff 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (grain sweetened if you want these completely sugar-free)*
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

* This brand also sells vegan chocolate chips.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda and sea salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips. Add the maple syrup, sunflower oil and vanilla and mix until combined.

Note: The dough will seem oily at first, but that is how it should be in order for the cookies to spread out. If you let it sit for a few minutes the oil will absorb a bit more.

Drop 15 (1/2 teaspoon sized) portions of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place the rest of the cookie dough into the fridge while you prepare the cupcakes.

Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes, until very lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Then I baked the peanut butter cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Makes 15 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup natural smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used silk)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two muffin pans with 15 baking cups. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, maple syrup, sunflower oil, milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Mix until just combined, careful not to over mix the batter. Spoon the cupcake batter into the baking cups, filling each one 3/4 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes. Cupcakes are ready when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

(These also make lovely peanut butter muffins!)

While the cupcakes baked, I made the chocolate frosting.

Sugar-Free Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegan margarine (see note)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Note: I have found that Earth Balance margarine is not the best to use for this recipe because it is more solid than regular margarine. If using Earth Balance margarine, allow it to soften before using in the recipe and after refrigeration, allow the frosting to soften a bit before spreading.

Directions

Place the margarine in a small mixing bowl along with the maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Add the cocoa powder and flour and whisk again until thick and smooth.

Cupcake Assembly

Using an apple corer, cut out the center of each cupcake.

Stuff each cupcake with 1-2 teaspoons of the chocolate chip cookie dough.

Spread on the chocolate frosting.

And top with a mini chocolate chip cookie!

I will say that these were a lot of work, but it was sooooooo worth it. I can honestly say that this could possibly be the best thing I have ever baked. Ever. And I bake a lot!