Indulging in a warm, fluffy cupcake can really turn a day around, especially when upcoming midterms have you stressed to the max and desperate for some sort of escape. Next time school has you feeling weighed down, take a break and bake! College Lifestyles brings you these two easy, delicious, and healthy chocolate cupcake recipes, sure to leave you – and your friends – begging for more.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients for Skinnybaker’s Healthy Chocolate Cupcake recipe scare you away! These divine, low-calorie cakes are not only light and fluffy but packed with chocolaty flavor. What’s not to love?

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup margarine (softened)

1-cup splenda

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 egg whites

1/2 cup skim milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. coffee of your choice

1-cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin baking tin with cupcake wrappers.

2. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Mix together and set aside.

3. Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Once melted, add coffee and bring to a light boil. Then set aside to cool. (Don’t have a double boiler? Simply place a heat resistant bowl on top of a boiling pot of water.)

4. Mix together the butter, applesauce, splenda, sugar, brown sugar and egg whites. Add melted chocolate chip/coffee mixture, combining well.

5. Add in flour mixture and vanilla extract. Add in milk slowly, making sure to blend well.

6. Pour completed cupcake batter into individual cupcake wrappers, baking for 25-35 minutes.

7. Once cooled, add a frosting of your choice on top. To save more calories, skip the frosting and serve cupcakes with fat free Cool Whip. Enjoy!

Are you a vegan? There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to treat yourself to a fantastically delicious chocolate cupcake! Check out Chow.com’s calorie saving, heavenly-tasting version of a traditional sweet staple, complete with an even sweeter recipe for vegan buttercream frosting.

Cupcake Ingredients:

1-cup soy milk

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. chocolate extract OR additional vanilla extract

1-cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed OR regular

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup soy milk OR soy creamer

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin-baking pan with cupcake wrappers.

2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar. Set aside for three minutes to allow curdling.

3. Add sugar, oil, vanilla extract and chocolate extract (or additional vanilla) to the soy milk mixture. Beat until foamy.

4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

5. Combine wet and dry mixtures, beating until no lumps remain. (A few tiny clumps of batter are normal.)

6. Pour cupcake batter into cupcake wrappers. Bake 18 to 20 minutes.

7. Let cool and then add vegan buttercream frosting.

Frosting Directions:

1. Mix the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy.

2. Add sugar and continued mixing for three minutes.

3. Add vanilla extract and soy milk. Mix for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.

4. Apply to the tops of your cooled cupcakes!

There you have it classy co-eds! Baking sweet treats doesn’t have to be left to the pros at a local bakery. You can get creative in the kitchen and whip up a healthy chocolate cupcake recipe in no time at all. Say goodbye to the endless hours of midterm preparation and hello to a much deserved study break – baking style!