Black bottom cupcakes are a childhood cupcake favorite – our gluten-free and grain-free take on a classic produces super fudgey and chocolatey bottoms, complemented by a creamy, sweet cheesecake filling. (Black) bottoms up!
What are black bottom cupcakes?
Black bottoms are a chocolate cupcake, with a cream cheese filling in the center. The combination of chocolate and cream cheese makes for a delightfully delicious, moist, and gooey dessert that’s loved by many!
Our version of black bottoms is extra fudgy, healthy, and completely free of flour, refined sugar, gluten, and additives. It’s paleo and vegan friendly, and uses superfoods like breadfruit flour to kick up its nutritional punch.
What’s in black bottom cupcakes?
Our cheesecake topping is dairy-free and has a base primarily made of: cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Plus lots of healthy paleo/vegan chocolate chips! You can use homemade or our favorite Evolved Chocolate cashew milk chocolate chips.
Our chocolate base is completely flourless, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Its main base is made from: sweet potatoes, avocados, breadfruit flour (a superfood fruit), and coconut sugar.
How to make black bottoms
What to eat with black bottoms
Enjoy your cupcakes with a cold glass of your favorite dairy-free milk! Our favorites include:
- Winter melon tea
- Cashew milk
- Black sesame milk
- Strawberry milk
You can even eat them with a dollop of healthy vegan chocolate hummus.
FAQ
Can I freeze black bottom cupcakes?
Yes! You can freeze them in a tightly sealed Ziploc bag for a few months. They’ll have a softer consistency when they’ve been defrosted, so we recommend keeping them in the fridge.
What should I do if I have leftover cheesecake filling?
It’s easy to freeze leftover cheesecake, we’ve done this plenty of times. To make it easier for baking, measure it in 1/4 to 1/2 cup portions, then place in plastic wrap and inside a sealed Ziploc bag.
Where can I buy breadfruit flour?
Hawaii is the easiest state to buy breadfruit flour (called ulu flour in Hawaii), from Hawaiian Heritage Farms. It’s similar to coconut flour in its absorbent texture (meaning you’ll need less breadfruit flour and more liquid). It also imparts a slight banana and tropical flavor to baked goods.
What can I substitute with breadfruit flour?
Breadfruit flour is gluten-free and has similar absorbent properties to coconut flour. You can easily substitute breadfruit flour with coconut flour if it’s easier for you to find and purchase.
Adapted from Bakerita (paleo cheesecake filling) and The Real Food Dietitians (chocolate muffins).
Black Bottom Cupcakes {Paleo, Vegan, GF}
Ingredients
Cheesecake Layer
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked and rinsed (soaked for 4 hours or overnight, or in boiling water for 30 mins)
- 1/4 cup coconut cream (put a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight, and use the top solidified parts)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3/4 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 3/4 tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp vanilla powder (or 1/2 vanilla bean)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2-4 tbsp chocolate chips (such as Evolved paleo chocolate chips)
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup sweet potato puree (1 small sweet potato, about 1.5 cups raw chunks)
- 1 cup avocado (1 small avocado)
- 1 + 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup breadfruit flour (or substitute coconut flour)
- 5 + 1/2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp flax meal (make flax egg by combining flax meal with 5 tbsp water)
- 2 tbsp cashew milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Cheesecake Layer
- In a food processor, add all of the cheesecake filling ingredients except chocolate chips and blend for a few minutes until smooth.
- Scrape down the sides a few times.
- Scoop filling into a bowl and mix in 1/4c choc chips.
- Cover and put in the fridge to set while you make the chocolate batter.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a regular or mini muffin tin with liners.
- Prepare sweet potato puree: Peel and dice your sweet potatoes. Add them to a pot of boiling water, then turn down to medium heat for ~15 mins, until fork tender. Drain.
- In the same food processor (no need to wash in between), add your boiled sweet potatoes, and all other ingredients, except for the chocolate chips.
- Blend the ingredients until very smooth (so there's no sweet potato chunks).
- Pour into a bowl and fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Take out cheesecake filling from fridge.
- Fill each cupcake with chocolate batter until almost full (they won't rise too much). Make a well in the middle, and add about 1 tsp of cheesecake filling. Optional: Top with more chocolate chips to make it extra chocolatey.
- Baked at 350°F for 45-48 minutes for regular sized muffins, or 35-37 minutes for mini muffins until you can insert a clean toothpick. Note: They’ll be moist and fudgey inside when cooled.
Notes
- Make these into mini muffins easily - they take less time to bake and produce a delicious 2-bite fudgey muffin that you can gobble up for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack.
- Our favorite paleo and vegan chocolate chips are from Evolved Chocolate, particularly the cashew milk chocolate-chips.
- Black bottoms keep in the fridge for 5-7 days in a sealed container, or in the freezer for a few months.
- To save time, you can boil sweet potatoes the day before and keep them in the fridge.
Did you try this recipe?
Drop a comment or tip below, and share a photo of your goodies on Instagram and tag us #ainayums!
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