Avocado cupcakes (Vegan, dairy, and gluten free)

AimeeZingLife

Here is an article written by a friend and nutrition expert in gluten free diets.

From weight loss to cancer fighter, the avocado is a must in your family's diet
July 1, 12:03 by Chicago Family Health Examiner Jasmine Jafferali

Honestly, I didn't like anything green growing up and that included the avocado. During the low fat craze in the 90's, everyone feared eating it because it was "fattening." It wasn't until I decided to try some guacamole one day. That is when I fell in love with this power fruit. Yes, you read that correctly, the avocado is considered a fruit, technically it is a large berry because of the pit.

So how can this power fruit benefit your entire family's health? Let's take a look:

About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat (35g to be exact, 5g is saturated). Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins as well as vitamin E and K. They have the highest fiber content of any fruit (almost 7g!) including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber

Because they are so rich in vitamin E, researchers credit the fruits unique other nutrient combo of folate and vitamin C to kill or stop the growth of precancerous cells that lead to oral cancer and may have similar effect on other cancers.

Avocados can protect your vision as they are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants found in the retina that keep eyes healthy. They also may prevent age-related problems like cataracts and macular degeneration.

Historically avocados had a long-standing stigma as a sexual stimulant and is known by the Aztecs as the "fertility fruit." Due to their high monounsaturated fat content and vitamin B6, both are needed to keep energy and libido up.

Research clearly indicates diets high in monounsaturated fat are more beneficial for weight control because monounsaturated fat exerts beneficial effects on how your body uses blood sugar. Avocados have always received a bad rap when it comes to weight loss and blood sugar metabolism. Avocado contains a unique weight loss friendly carbohydrate called mannoheptulose a rare sugar found mostly in avocados. This rare sugar can help diabetics to lower insulin secretion, thus which can help aid in weight loss.

High avocado intake has been shown to have an effect on blood serum cholesterol levels. This study found after a seven day diet rich in avocados, hypercholesterolemia patients showed a 17% decrease in total serum cholesterol levels. These subjects also showed a 22% decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels and 11% increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

A study done from The Ohio State University found people absorbed 4.5 more times lycopene, which has been linked to protection against prostate cancer, and 2.5 times more beta-carotene, which, along with alpha-carotene, helps protect against cancer and heart disease. Can we say hello guacamole?

Be careful not to feed this food to your family's favorite four-legged friend, horse or bird. The skin, pit or leaves is highly toxic according to the ASPCA.

This food is also an excellent first foods for infants. In fact, it was my daughter's first food when we began to feed her and is now one of her favorite snacks as I make her own special guacamole mixing it with the Trader Joe's Pineapple Salsa. The fat content is excellent for their brain growth and development. I will spread an avocado on my gluten-free toast with some turkey bacon in the morning for a perfect and well-balanced quick breakfast. Save yourself the salmonella or e-coli scare and spread the avocado on your sandwiches in the summer instead of mayo.

A popular food among vegetarians, it is often used to replace eggs in many baking recipes. I decided to try a recipe and was surprisingly please with the outcome.

Chocolate-Avocado Cupcake

1 1/2 half cups of flour (I used a gluten-free flour mix and added 1 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum as well)

3/4 cups of organic powdered cocoa

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of baking soda

Mix the above ingredients in a separate bowl.

1 avocado

1 cup of real maple syrup

3/4 cup of milk (other options include rice, hemp, almond or coconut milk)

1/3 cup of coconut oil

2 tsp of vanilla

Puree the above ingredients together until smooth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the puree with the dry ingredients and mix until firm. Place into muffin cups, bake 25-minutes or until done.

People were surprised when I told them what was in the cupcake. It gave it a moist texture that made it divine. I did mix some mini-chocolate chips and made a peanut butter glaze that made it delicious.

Source: Summer June 2009 Issue of Delicious Living Magazine (found at Whole Foods Market)

Yes, you can have your cupcake and eat it too!


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Penfoldsplace

I love avocados but I never would have thought to put them in a cupcake. Sounds interesting