Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Chia Jam Filling

Lemon is hands down THE flavor that best represents the summertime. It embodies sunshine and everything happy. I made these cupcakes the first day after I finished final exams and they were the perfect start to my summer break .

Experimenting with some different baking ingredients, I am proud to call this creation a success.This is probably one of my favorite recipes of mine because not only did they taste absolutely amazing, but they are only 150 calories a cupcake with about 9g of protein each. I don't think I have ever come across a cupcake that tastes so incredible and has nutrition facts like this before.

It was also my first time filling cupcakes and it was much easier than I thought it out to be. When I first giving my dad a cupcake, he was completely surprised by the jam inside and kept asking me how I did it? Well...it simply requires a knife and an ability to draw a circle with that knife through the top of the cupcake. Really very easy...

The frosting was by far my favorite part of the whole cupcake. I used greek yogurt instead of the standard cream cheese or butter that is used in frosting. This helped me cutback on calories and get that extra protein it. Mixing it with instant pudding mix, the frosting tasted equally as creamy and delicate.

Definitely try out this combination and let me know what you think!

P.S. This recipe will require you to most likely pay a visit to the grocery store because some of these items aren't pantry staples. I guarantee it will be worth it though!

P.P.S. I used Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener as a 0 calorie option, but feel free to use regular sugar or maple syrup/agave. Just keep in mind that the calorie count may not be accurate to what I have written below then.

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dEATS:

(12 cupcakes, 150 calories each)

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (300g)

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 5 tbsp lemon zest (25g)

• 1 tbsp coconut oil (14g)

• 3 egg whites

• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

• 6 tbsp Sweetener (I used Monkfruit Sweetener)

• 1/2 cup plain nonfat plain Greek yogurt (120g)

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (180mL)

• 1/2 cup almond milk (120mL)

FROSTING

• 2 cups plain nonfat greek yogurt (480g)

• 2 servings sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding mix (16g)

• 2 tsp lemon extract

• 6 tbsp Sweetener (I used Monkfruit Sweetener)

BLUEBERRY FILLING

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries

• 1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp Sweetener (I used Monkfruit Sweetener)

THE MAGIC

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.

3. In an another bowl, whisk together the egg whites, coconut oil, vanilla extract and sweetener. Add in the Greek yogurt and lemon juice. Stir well.

4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and and the almond milk to the yogurt mixture in parts, stirring in between. (Add in some flour mixture then stir. Then add in some milk and stir. Repeat till well mixed).

5. Pour the mixture into 12 muffin cups, lined with paper cups, and greased with cooking spray.

6. Bake for about 22-25 minutes, until done. Check to see if it they are done by poking a toothpick into the center, and checking to see if it comes out clean.

7. While these are baking, you can prepare your jam and frosting!

8. For the jam, add the frozen blueberries to a saucepan on medium heat and let them thaw.

9. After 4-5 minutes, once they begin to get a little mushy, use a fork to mash the blueberries completely and let it sit on the gas for another 1-2 minutes.

10. Take the pan off of the gas, and add in the chia seeds and sweetener. Stir well and let sit out to thicken.

11. To prepare the frosting, combine the Greek yogurt, pudding mix, lemon extract and sweetener in a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until everything is combined well.

12. Cover and let the frosting sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours to thicken. Let the cupcakes sit out to dry. Let the chia jam also sit out to thicken. (Giving everything the time to do its own thing really does the trick here.)

13. When ready to prepare the cupcakes, use a pairing knife to carve a circle into the top of the cupcakes. Do not go all the way to the bottom. Use a teeny spoon to scoop out the cupcake from this area.

14. Spoon in some of the blueberry jam into the holes you have created.

15. Fill a piping bag with frosting and top your cupcakes with your lemon frosting by going in a circular motion with the piping tip. Alternatively, use a spatula to simply spread the frosting along the top.

16. Garnish with lemon, blueberries, and a mint leaf!

17. Take a seat, and enjoy a cupcake! (The sitting is necessary because I assume you have been standing for a while completing all the steps above :) )