PEEPS Dairy-Free Easter Cupcakes

PEEPS must be one popular item at Easter, because I don't remember when I've ever gotten SOO many hits on my site for people looking for PEEPS ingredient lists.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one disappointed that NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEIR BUNNIES IS DAIRY-FREE!!

Smart Allergy~Friendly Education Dairy-Free Easter Cupcakes

However, never one to held back from a little road block along our allergy journey, I made the best of the fact that PEEPS chicks WERE DAIRY-FREE!  Add in egg-free, nut-free AND gluten-free, and many others are happy too!

Firstly, I made our favorite Zebra cupcakes, recipe below.  Iced them with our favorite store bought icing, Pillsbury Icing.  Dyed some sweet coconut.  Bought some PEEPS yellow chicks.  Dipped them in melted Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.  Et VOILA!!  Fantastique!



ZEBRA CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

2 C sugar

2 C whole flour

1 C whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/8 C of unsweetened, dry powdered cocao 

2 T vinegar, cider

2 tsp vanilla extract

¾ C oil (canola, vegetable, or corn)

2 C water

DIRECTIONS
1. Mix all dry ingredients, except cocoa.
2. Combine wet ingredients and mix together well.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients (not cocoa); mix together for 2 minutes.
4. 3 options here:
    *ALL vanilla: add an extra 3/8 C of flour to mixture and mix (replaces unused cocoa), mix
     *ALL chocolate:  add 3/8 C of cocoa, mix 
     *Swirled: Divide mixture, putting 2/3 in a separate bowl - 1/3 will be used for chocolate AND follow #5 directions

5. Swirled option:   Add 1 to 2 T cocoa to smaller portion depending on chocolate preference.  Add 1 to 2 T of flour to larger portion so it binds a bit better.  Cupcakes will be a bit softer if you don't. 
    *Fill cupcake pans halfway with vanilla.
    *Add 1 to 1 1/2 T of chocolate mixture to each cupcake.
    *With a toothpick, lightly swirl vanilla and chocolate together.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 -20 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center of cooked cupcakes clean.

The Easter Cupcakes were a wonderful addition to our weekend celebration!