Gluten Free Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cupcakes are not only cups of chocolate cake but chocolate cake filled with bourbon pecan filling and then topped with a coconut maple frosting. Oh, yea and they are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian  and no white sugar added.  Are you drooling yet?
Holiday desserts can be a challenge for the healthy conscious. I mean hello have you seen all those Thanksgiving pies. Â Pumpkin and Pecan,can you say “just let face plant in all that gooey sweetness just for a little while!” Â After all, we are only human.
BUT NO! Â I refuse to put myself in a corn syrup coma.
I took up the challenge and came up with a Thanksgiving dessert we can all eat and not feel deprived of out Pecan pie because these Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cupcakes are the shizzle!
The cupcakes are made with nut flours and sweetened with cocoa and coconut sugar and kept moist with a bit of bourbon and coffee. Â Hello dark and delicious!
You get to scoop out the center of these delectable chocolate cakes {eat every last center yourself, I won’t judge} and then pipe the center full of Pecan pie filling, sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with Bourbon and pecan.
Then a Coconut Maple Frosting tops the whole mac daddy off with its creamy sweet luscious-ness. Â Topped with a few extra slivers of pecans for good measure.
Yep, you want all that for your Thanksgiving dessert and you will totally forget the name of those other holiday desserts!
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?
If you are looking for a healthy alternative to pumpkin pie, check out my Paleo Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies, you won’t be disappointed!
I hope you add these to your Thanksgiving menu and if you do make them please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #ahealthylifeforme.Â
- [br][b]Bourbon Chocolate Cupcakes[/b]
- 1/3 cup bourbon*
- 1/3 cup coffee
- 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons almond flour
- 7 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- [br][b]Pecan Pie Filling[/b]
- 1 1/2 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoon cold water
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 tablespoon bourbon
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- [br][b]Frosting[/b]
- 1 cup organic palm shortening
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoon arrowroot flour {you can use tapioca flour, but I prefer the texture when I use arrowroot}
- 4 teaspoons coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream
- [br][b]Topping[/b]
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans, more to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
- In a large bowl gently stir together cocoa powder, almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the bourbon, coffee, coconut oil, egg and coconut cream until smooth.
- Pour bourbon mix into flour mix and stir until completely combined and smooths out.
- Fill baking cups three-fourths full. Bake for about 18-22 minutes. Allow to cool completely before filling, stick into refrigerator to exhilirate cooling.
- Combine 1/4 cup cold water with 2 tablespoons tapioca flour, whisk until smooth.
- Add the coconut sugar, maple syrup, eggs, salt and tapioca flour mixture to a sauce pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking consistently for about 2-3 minutes. As soon as mixture is thick, remove from heat.
- Add pecans, bourbon and vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool a few minutes and then transfer to the fridge until cool.
- In a bowl add palm shortening, maple syrup, vanilla extract, arrowroot, coconut flour and using an electric mixer or hand mixer whip until smooth.
- Add coconut cream and whip again until blended.
- Add to piping bag place in fridge until ready to use.
- To assemble the cupcakes: Use a small paring knife to cut a cone-shaped piece from the center of each cupcake. Fill the hole with the cooled pecan pie filling.
- Pipe frosting over each cupcake top to hide pecan filling.
- Sprinkle each cupcake with the chopped pecans.
No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Bars
Oatmeal Chocolate Cheesecake M&M Cookies {gluten free + vegetarian}
Superfood Peanut Butter Protein Breakfast Cookies
Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats {gluten free + vegetarian}
It is breakfast time here. I am eating leftover stir-fry. What I would give to have one of these cupcakes right now!!! I seriously need them!!
Dear Amy, These look to die for!!! Yup, death by chocolate. Love all the flavors you’ve got going here, my favorites. Maple syrup, bourbon, chocolate, pecans….what not to LOVE????? And we haven’t even gotten to the frosting…
These are not only GF but are also refined sugar free!!! Wow – I refuse to put myself in a corn syrup coma too – but, I’d willingly put myself in a chocolate-bourbon-pecan-coconut-sugar coma anytime! 🙂
You’ve got some pretty amazing flavors going here, and I love that they are a healthier treat! I wouldn’t feel guilty one bit eating one (or maybe two) of these! They look SO yummy!
These are the perfect cupcake…bourbon, chocolate and pecan! Then you’ve gone and made them gluten free! Yum!
Love a healthy dessert! And that filling! I know I wouldn’t be missing any corn syrup with these around.
That filling alone has me swooning over here – beautiful holiday dessert option!
Thanks Heather. I may have had a spoonfull… or two of the leftover filling. 🙂
I love everything about these cupcakes! Perfect healthy Thanksgiving dessert!! Great photos too!
Pecan filling and frosting make these cupcakes so irresistible!
Oh my GOODNESS! I am drooling over these delicious cupcakes!!!