These Mocha Dalgona Cupcakes do NOT taste like health food, but they’re whole grain, sugar-free, soy-free, nut-free, and low-calorie! You’ll feel like a fancy baker, but the batch comes together in a snap;) Time to EAT your breakfast beverage! Fluffy chocolate cappuccino, anyone?

Despite being only 27 calories per mini cupcake, these little sweeties provide ENERGY from coffee and cocoa. The latter two ingredients were made for each other! What a scrumptious and alliterative combo! What differentiates a cupcake from a muffin? Frosting, of course. Scroll down to the end of the recipe for an easy coffee icing.

We’re going to combine Dalgona coffee, a Korean coffee preparation technique, with a rich chocolate cake batter. Bake ’em up and what do you get?

These⇓

Mocha Dalgona Cupcakes

Makes 16 mini cupcakes or 6 regular-sized cupcakes (easily doubled)

WHAT YOU’RE GONNA NEED:

• 2 tbsp instant coffee granules, decaf or regular
• 2 tbsp (24g) granulated sweetener (I love monk fruit)
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp (26g) plain vegan yogurt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp (30mL) non-dairy milk
• 3/4 cup (60g) oat flour, homemade is best!
• 1 scoop (20-25g) plant-based protein powder, preferably chocolate-flavored
• 1 tbsp (5g) cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp baking POWDER
• 3/4 tsp baking SODA
• 1/2 tsp liquid stevia
• 1/4 cup (60mL) black coffee
• 15g (1/4 of an ounce) dark chocolate, a mocha/espresso one is great if you can find it!
• Optional coffee frosting, recipe below

WHAT YOU’RE GONNA DO:

1. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the granular coffee, sweetener, and water until soft peaks form. This should take about 3 minutes. It’s like a coffee meringue!
2. Now, all that hard work? Deflate it by adding vegan yogurt, nondairy milk, and apple cider vinegar. Set the liquid ingredients aside for 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together oat flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, and leavening agents. While waiting for your “buttermilk” to buttermilk-ify itself, chop the dark chocolate. Or turn the oven to 350F and line some muffin tins.
4. Dump the dry stuff into the foaming, caffeinated pool. Stir quickly with a spatula to combine. Pour in 1/4 cup coffee + liquid stevia, and stir until the dough feels like brownie batter.
5. Spoon portions into mini cupcake cups and top with chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool briefly in the pan just so you don’t burn your mouth.
7. OPTIONAL ICING: 1/4 cup Swerve confectioner’s sweetener or powdered monk fruit, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp cold brew or regular coffee. The frosting hardens in the fridge but doesn’t lose any deliciousness.

No chocolate protein powder? Try vanilla, but keep it plant-based. Whey would likely dry out the dough.

No protein powder at all? Okay, shoot for soya flour or sugar-free pudding mix.

INFO DE NUTRITION per 1 mini cupcake: 27 calories | 3.5g carbs (1.2g fiber) | 1.3g protein | 0.75g fat

Per 5 mini cupcakes (a more realistic serving size): 135 calories | 18g carbs (4g fiber) | 7.4g protein | 6g fat (1g sat.)

Take a handful of these mini cupcakes to work with you! Seriously, they’re healthy enough for breakfast and tasty enough for dessert. Best of all, they’re kid-approved and crowd-friendly! Must enjoy with a cup of joe. 

Best Dishes,

The Hippie Happy Foodist™

Burning question? Fire away down below! I’ll try to respond to all substitution requests and reviews:)