Chestnut flour is my new favorite baking ingredient. It has more starch than most things I currently eat but it makes for a light and fluffy grain free cupcake.

I’ve made the cupcake recipe as written and also by replacing the grapeseed oil with homemade plum sauce (like apple sauce only made with plums). It’s good both ways but the nutrition is increased with the fruit and the calories are decreased.

It took me years to work up a good dairy free and sugar free frosting recipe. The tricks turned out to be coconut butter and erythritol powdered in a coffee/spice grinder. Melting the erythritol or powdering it in a food processor didn’t work.

The amount of oil in the coconut butter changes the need for coconut milk. The first batch I made from the top of the jar of coconut butter only needed 5 tablespoons of coconut milk. The second batch I made needed more since it was from the middle of the jar and contained less oil. Use your own judgement.

Chocolate Chestnut Cupcakes

1 cup chestnut flour
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup erythritol
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp stevia extract (powder or liquid)

Preheat oven at 350*F. Prepare cupcake tin with 10 cupcake papers or oil a nonstick tin with coconut oil. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, almond milk, stevia, vanilla and erythritol and mix either by hand or with an electric mixer. In a small bowl, add chestnut flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Stir until well combined. Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time until thoroughly combined. Fill cupcake papers about half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The tops will crack but that’s normal with chestnut flour. Allow to cool before frosting.

Chocolate Coconut Frosting

1/2 cup coconut butter
1/4 cup erythritol, powdered
5 Tbs cocoa powder
5 to 7 Tbs coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp stevia extract

Powder erythritol in a coffee/spice grinder for 30-60 seconds. Let the powder settle before opening the grinder. Warm coconut butter in a bowl of hot water or the microwave for a minute before measuring for best results. In a small mixing bowl, cream coconut butter, erythritol and stevia together with an electric mixer. Add cocoa powder and coconut milk one tablespoon at a time, blending well in between each addition. Add coconut milk until the frosting has the right consistency. Use immediately or save for later. If refrigerated, allow to warm up to room temperature before using.