I am all for a good dessert mashup. Brownie bottom cheesecake? Give me three slices. Chocolate chip brookies? I’m in. Basically, if there is a way to turn two desserts into one, I absolutely have to have it. So when I felt like having an apple pie the other day but also kinda wanted cake, I thought, why not both? I didn’t want my diet to get too dicey with this mashup, so I brought in my secret baking weapon: Empowrd Foods gluten free protein pancake mix. Because apple pie pancakes are also something that would be 100% golden delish, I’m sure I’ll be trying that soon, too. Until then, a fluffy, vanilla-flavored cupcake with cinnamon whipped frosting and baked diced apples will just have to do…
Gluten free apple pie protein cupcakes
Soft, fluffy cupcakes with whipped frosting and apple topping
You can use any just add water pancake mix for this recipe. You can use oil in place of the yogurt and regular powdered sugar in place of monkfruit, but this will greatly alter the macros, though.
Ingredients
CUPCAKES*180 grams (3.4 cups) Empowerd gluten free protein pancake mix
*90 grams (3/4 cup) Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein powder (or other whey-casein blend)
*1/2 tsp apple pie spice (or blend of cinnamon and nutmeg)
*168 grams (3/4 cup) fat free plain Greek yogurt
*1/2 cup + 2 TBS fat free or skim milk
*21 grams (1.5 TBS) reduced fat butter or spread, melted and cooled
*80 g (1/3 cup) unsweetened applesauce
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1 egg
FROSTING
*35 grams (1 large box) of sugar free vanilla instant Jell-o pudding mix
*226 grams (8 ounces) Cool Whip Free
*30 grams (1/4 cup) Lakanto powdered monkfruit
*3/4 cup cold fat free or skim milk
*1/2 tsp apple pie spice
APPLE FILLING
*1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used a honeycrisp)
*1 TBS lemon juice
*2 TBS water
*1/2 tsp cinnamon
*1/2 tsp Lakanto golden monkfruit or regular brown sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tins with 12 wrappers (I recommend silicone if you have them since this mix is pretty sticky).
- Mix the pancake mix, protein powder, and apple pie spice in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a larger bowl, whisk milk, yogurt, egg, applesauce, butter, and vanilla together until smooth.
- Dump dry mix into wet, and fold gently just until everything comes together.
- Pour batter evenly into liners and bake on the bottom rack (the pancake mix gets browned very easily) of the oven for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out cleanly from the center.
- Allow cupcakes to cool fully before frosting.
- To make frosting, use a whisk and mix the powdered monkfruit and milk together on low for 30 seconds before adding in the pudding mix and whisking on low for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Let this rest for 3 minutes, then switch to a paddle attachment and dump in Cool Whip and apple pie spice, mixing on low until everything comes together.
- Keep this in the fridge to firm up while you make the apples.
- Add all apple ingredients to a medium saucepan, cooking ad stirring on medium-high heat for 10 minutes until all liquid is evaporated and apples are coated and sticky; set in the fridge to cool.
- Use a 1M tip and piping bag loaded with frosting to pipe a blob of frosting in the middle of a cooled cupcake before piping two overlapping circles around the edge of the cupcake (see video below).
- Fill the center of each cupcake with the cooled appled.
- Repeat on all cupcakes, then devour! You will most likely have quite a bit of leftover frosting; this can be kept in airtight containers and put in the freezer for future use.
- Keep leftovers covered and in the fridge. Cupcakes are best served at room temp, so remove from the fridge 30-45 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Macros12 servings
145 cal/17.1 c/2.7 f/13.1 p per cupcake
Kate Bakes Cakes 