Niki’s Raw Cacao Cupcakes with Raw Cacao Butter Eyeballs

Mwahahahaha…who fancies some eyeballs for Halloween? No? Okay…how about raw cacao cupcakes with raw cacao butter eyeballs then? Raw cacao powder is just awesome. It can be added to smoothies, baked goods, oatmeal and other cooked grains, frozen treats…and so much more! Pair that with ultra-rich and thick and creamy raw cacao butter and you have a winner of a recipe. Your Halloween will never be the same as soon as you give these cupcakes a go…get the kids involved with this one and make the eyes as gruesome as you wish! The best bit? It’s all edible!

Makes around 10-12 cupcakes
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Total time: 1.5 hours (including some cooling off time)
Storage: Keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days and do not refrigerate

Ingredients

For the raw cacao cupcakes

• 150g almond flour
• 3.5 heaped tablespoons of Elements for Life raw cacao powder
• 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
• 3 chia flax eggs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons Sweet Freedom (or your preference of liquid sweetener)
• 150g gluten free plain flour

For the raw cacao butter eyeballs

• 60g Elements for Life raw cacao butter
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons of natural orange food colouring OR beetroot juice
• A couple of spare raw cacao cupcake crumbs for the pupils

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 3/4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, plain flour, cacao powder, baking soda, bicarbonate of soda and salt, set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the chia flax eggs, oil, and chosen sweetener. Stir to thoroughly combine. Then slowly add in the dry ingredients to form your batter.
3. Pour the batter into a paper-lined cupcake tin. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the centre comes out clean, then set aside and cool in the tin completely before decorating with your eyeballs.
4. For the raw cacao butter eyeballs: melt your raw cacao butter, add your ground turmeric and pour into your silicone mould or flexible ice cube trays
5. Allow to cool before popping in the fridge to set for around 10 minutes.
6. Finally, assemble your eyes, place on top of your cupcakes and finish by dripping over your beetroot juice or orange food colouring and raw cacao cupcake crumbs for the pupils.

Gruesome perfection! Mwahahaha!