Jack Daniels Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes – Hilton Head Health
The Chef and Culinary Team at Hilton Head Health have created a low-calorie, healthy gourmet cuisine with an emphasis on local and natural ingredients to ensure a well-balanced weight loss diet. One of the popular features of the program is when H3 teaches participants how to prepare meals, snacks and beverages, and nice celebratory treat now and then — like these Jack Daniels Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes. This is H3’s take on a Black Bottom Cupcake!
Hilton Head Health is a destination health resort in an elegant facility on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, surrounded by all the natural beauty of a Lowcountry island getaway. The program guides you to achieving your weight loss, wellness and longevity goals with programs focusing on fitness, nutrition and SELF (Stress management, Empowerment, Longevity, and Fulfillment). Guests benefit from a community of supportive dieticians, psychologists, wellness educators, fitness trainers, chefs and spa therapists, and graduates continue their lifestyle change with the H3@Home program and receive continued support and structure at home.
Equipment
- Mini Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1 - 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Instant espresso granules
- 2/3 cup Cocoa powder - unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
- 2/3 cup Applesauce - unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons White vinegar
- 4 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 16 oz Cream cheese - non-fat
- 1 cup Powdered sugar - sifted
- 2 whole Eggs
Optional Toppings
- 1-2 tablespoons Pecans (chopped) or Mini Chocolate Chip Morsels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all dry ingredients.
- Combine water, applesauce, vinegar, whiskey and vanilla.
- Add this wet mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until well blended.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and eggs to the cream cheese and beat again until combined. Set aside this "stuffing mixture."
- Grease mini muffin tins with cooking spray or mini muffin liners
- Using a small scoop fill the muffin tins.
- Spoon 2 Tablespoons of cream cheese stuffing mixture on top of the chocolate batter.
- Optional: Evenly sprinkle each cupcake with chocolate chips or pecans.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Video
Spa Index Kitchen Notes
Nutrition
Karla Williams is the Executive Chef for Hilton Head Health in South Carolina. A graduate from The Chef’s Academy in Indianapolis, Karla’s past experience includes Culinary Intern and Sous Chef at H3, as well as Sous Chef at Kona Grill in Carmel, Indiana. Chef Karla has been featured live on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family Show. In addition to her love for nutrition and healthy cooking, Karla enjoys teaching part-time fitness classes. Her passion for living a well-balanced healthy lifestyle is apparent in her cooking demonstrations at Hilton Head Health.
I want to try this recipe but it has no flour to stabilize all the wet ingredients, has the flour been left out by error.
That’s an astute observation. It appears to be a flourless chocolate dessert and not one we’ve personally made in our kitchen, yet. So, we’ll reach out to the chef and ask to be sure, and we’ll share the comments on this recipe and let you know by email.
We’ve been told this is flourless, as there is sufficient binding agent from the cocoa powder and baking powder, and it’s a fudgy dessert, not a “layer cake” style dessert!