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Best Cupcake and Frosting Recipe for Kids

Desserts, General, Recipes

I have made a TON of cupcakes for my little ones and tried many many different variations, and this cupcake recipe is by far the best. I love using it because it works really well with the ingredients that I use regularly like freshly ground whole wheat flour, raw milk, and pastured eggs which are all great things for children to eat! The cream cheese buttercream frosting that I use for these cupcakes is low in sugar and full of flavor, which is also great for kids!

Cupcake Recipe

This recipe will make 24 regular sized cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Sticks Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
  • 1 ½ Cups Sugar
  • 2 Eggs (pastured are best)
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 2 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder (look for aluminum free)
  •  ¼ Teaspoon Real Salt
  • 2 ½ Cups Flour (I like mine freshly ground, but sprouted flour is the best for eliminating phytic acid if you can afford it.)
  • 1 ¼ Cups Milk (raw milk is best)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
  2. Beat the butter, sugar, and egg together until smooth.
  3. Add the vanilla, baking powder, salt, four, and milk. Mix until smooth and creamy.
    Julian Adding Flour to the Cupcakes

    Julian Adding Milk to the Cupcakes

    Julian Mixing Ingredients for the Cupcakes

    Julian Mixing Ingredients for the Cupcakes

  4. Pour into individual baking cups (Sometimes I use baking cups and other times I just spray the pan with some olive oil and go without.) until they are about two-thirds full. I usually like making one pan of regular sized cupcakes and one pan of mini cupcakes.

    Cupcake Batter Poured into Muffin Trays

    Cupcake Batter Poured into Muffin Trays

  5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cupcakes Baked and Cooling

Cupcakes Baked and Cooling

Cupcakes and Mini Cupcakes

Cupcakes and Mini Cupcakes

Frosting Recipe

This will make enough to frost 24 regular sized cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes. It’s the perfect consistency when at room temperature, but keep in mind that it will harden quite a bit when refrigerated.

Ingredients

  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
  • 1 8 oz Package Cream Cheese (room temperature)
  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar (You could really even get away with only one cup, just taste it first.)
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • *1-2 Teaspoons Milk (wait until the end)
  • *Cocoa Powder, Red Food Coloring and Strawberry Extract (optional)

Directions

  1. Make sure butter and cream cheese are soft to the touch before you get started.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy.
    Julian Mixing Ingredients for the Cupcakes

    Ophelia Making the Frosting

    Whipped Frosting

    Whipped Frosting

  3. If you want to thin out the frosting a bit, add one teaspoon of milk at a time until it is the desired consistency.
  4. Separate into different bowls to make different flavors. I like to divide mine into thirds and add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to make chocolate, a few drops of red food coloring and strawberry extract to make strawberry frosting, and leave one plain vanilla.

    Ophelia Frosting the Cupcakes

    Ophelia Frosting the Cupcakes

  5. Spread the frosting onto the cupcakes once they have fully cooled. You can get fancy by putting the frosting into a little baggie and cutting the tip off to make a cool design or use some frosting tips too.

    Fancy Frosting

    Fancy Frosting

  6. Lightly cover frosted cupcakes with saran wrap and refrigerate.
Frosted Cupcakes

Frosted Cupcakes

In Conclusion

When my kids get a sweet tooth, I’d much rather make something like this from scratch rather than let them have packaged processed food full of many awful and unhealthy ingredients. Yes, they are getting some pure sugar, but they are also getting some really healthy protein and fats as well. Enjoy!

May 5, 2018/by Stacey Maaser
https://embracing-motherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cupcakes.png 400 810 Stacey Maaser https://embracing-motherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/EM_Logo.png Stacey Maaser2018-05-05 09:55:162020-11-19 21:05:30Best Cupcake and Frosting Recipe for Kids

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Desserts, General, Recipes
How to Make Healthy Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, these oatmeal cookies are healthy! They are healthy because they are made with real all natural ingredients and half the sugar of conventional cookies, yet they still taste absolutely amazing! Butter is not the demon you might think, it is actually a healthy fat and a good source of energy. Pastured eggs are a superfood with the perfect balance of fat and protein. Organic rolled oats are a good source of fiber, protein, and carbohydrates. Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and helps you digest sugar more efficiently. The dark chocolate chips provide beneficial antioxidants, and who can argue with that?

Not only are these cookies a staple of my children’s diets, but they love helping me make them too! I think they secretly just like eating the batter. 🙂 (*Note: If you’re cooking with pastured eggs, eating them raw is not a problem.)

Ruby Cracking Eggs

Ruby Cracking Eggs

Ingredients

  • 2 Sticks (1 c.) of Butter, Room Temperature (Grass-fed like Kerrygold is best, but I at least look for organic, or rBST free at the bare minimum.)
  • ½ c. Sugar (You could even use less than this.)
  • ½ c. Brown Sugar  (Sometimes, for extra flavor, I only use brown sugar.)
  • 2 Eggs (Preferably pastured for the highest nutrient content.)
  • 2 t. Vanilla Extract (Get some here.)
  • 2-3 T. Cinnamon (Get some here. *I go REALLY heavy on the cinnamon! We love the flavor, plus it helps stimulate insulin production which helps the body process sugar better.)
  • ¾ t. Baking Powder (Look for the aluminum-free kind. You can also use baking soda, and no, there is never any aluminum in baking soda.)
  • ¾ t. Real Salt (Get some here.)
  • 3 c. Organic Rolled Oats (Get some here.)
  • 1 c. Fresh Ground Whole Wheat Flour (Get a grinder here and some grain here.)
  • 1 c. Chocolate Chips (Ghirardelli are the best!!)
  • Coconut Oil (to grease the pans)
  • *Optional: ½ c. Craisins (Get some here.) or Raisins
  • *Optional: ½ c. Coconut Flakes (Get some here.)

*I included Amazon links to most ingredients, but I’m actually in a co-op where I order most of my ingredients in bulk from Country Life Natural Foods. 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
  2. Mix the butter, eggs, and sugar. First, let the butter sit out until it’s at room temperature. I like to do this the night before (if I can think of it).

    Eggs, Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Butter

    Eggs, Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Butter

  3. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix with beaters until it is nice and creamy. (I actually never measure anything…so basically, I shake a TON of cinnamon, add a few glugs of vanilla, and then a sprinkling of salt and baking powder. 🙂

    Oatmeal Cookies with Vanilla, Cinnamon, Baking Powder, and Salt Added.

    Oatmeal Cookies with Vanilla, Cinnamon, Baking Powder, and Salt Added.

  4. Mix in the flour and oats. If you’re looking for a more sturdy cookie, go with a bit more oats; if you’re looking for a softer cookie, go with a bit less.
  5. Add the chocolate chips and any other extras. My kids LOVE the chocolate chips and would hate it if I skimped, but you could totally just add half a bag.

    Oatmeal Cookie Batter

    Oatmeal Cookie Batter

  6. Cookie sheet time! First, grease the baking sheet liberally with coconut oil. Use a cookie scoop (I love this medium sized one.) to place the dough balls in scattered rows on a baking sheet.

    Oatmeal Cookie Batter Neatly Scooped on a Cookie Tray

    Oatmeal Cookie Batter Neatly Scooped on a Cookie Tray

  7. Press down the balls with a fork. If you cook them in little balls, they will stay in the shape of little balls, but hey, that might be pretty good too!
  8. Bake at 375˚F for 10 minutes. If you like your cookies on the soft side, this is a perfect amount of time, but if you want to avoid the crumbles, you might want to go with 12 minutes.

    Oatmeal Cookies Fresh Out of the Oven

    Oatmeal Cookies Fresh Out of the Oven

  9. *Let cool on a cooling rack. Get one here. This is totally optional, but I find it necessary when I make a double batch because I just don’t have enough counter space. Plus, it makes the bottoms more firm.

    Oatmeal Cookies on a Cooling Rack

    Oatmeal Cookies on a Cooling Rack

  10. Serve with a tall glass of raw milk, sit back, and enjoy.

    Freshly Baked Oatmeal Cookies with a Glass of Raw Milk

    Freshly Baked Oatmeal Cookies with a Glass of Raw Milk

In Conclusion

I make a double batch of these cookies about every other week. My kids love them as a snack, packed in their school lunches, when we’re on the go, and even as a meal replacement. I like to store them in large ziploc bags and keep them in the fridge. If you’re looking for another great recipe with oats, check out my healthy granola cereal recipe, and if you’re looking for another great cookie recipe, you’ve got to try my Great Grama Gene’s famous gingersnap recipe.

April 20, 2015/by Stacey Maaser
https://embracing-motherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/embracing-motherhood.com-82.png 400 810 Stacey Maaser https://embracing-motherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/EM_Logo.png Stacey Maaser2015-04-20 14:31:272020-11-20 18:20:39Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Grandma’s Gingersnap Cookies

Desserts, General

As much as I try to avoid sugar (especially when I’m pregnant), sometimes I just can’t help it, and I need something sweet! These are my favorite “healthy” cookies because they are high in iron (thanks to the blackstrap molasses) and made with good ingredients like farm fresh eggs, real butter, and fresh ground flour.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Butter – 2 Sticks (Pastured butter like Kerrygold is the best, organic butter is the next best, and butter without rBST growth hormones works too.)
  • ½  cup Sugar (a little less even)
  • ½  cup Brown Sugar (a little less even)
  • 2 Eggs (Pastured are best.)
  • ½ cup Molasses (Blackstrap has the most iron.)
  • 3½ cups Fresh Ground Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Real Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Cloves
  • 1 Tablespoon Ginger (I like to use fresh ginger juice made in our juicer.)

Double Recipe:

  • 2 cups Butter – 4 Sticks (Pastured butter like Kerrygold is the best, organic butter is the next best, and butter without rBST growth hormones works too.)
  • ¾  cup Sugar
  • ¾  cup Brown Sugar
  • 4+ Eggs (Pastured are best…also, I love throwing an extra egg in my double batch.)
  • 1 cup Molasses (Blackstrap has the most iron.)
  • 7 cups Fresh Ground Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Real Salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons Cloves
  • 2 Tablespoons Ginger (I like to use fresh ginger juice made in our juicer.)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  2. Mix butter and sugar in a standing mixer for 2-3 minutes on high speed until creamy.
  3. Add the molasses and eggs and mix at low to medium speed until smooth and creamy.
  4. Use a spatula and transfer to a larger bowl then add the dry ingredients.
  5. Roll into balls and roll in sugar.
  6. Lay out on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes at 350˚F. (It should make 3 full sheets with a little left over.)
  7. For a nice flat bottom, lay out on parchment paper to cool. (It absorbs the moisture and helps the cookie to be firm, yet still soft.) *The trick with these cookies is to not overcook them. When you take them out of the oven, you’ll think, “These are too soft, they can’t be done yet,” and yet that’s how you know that they are actually just perfect.

This recipe was passed on to me from my Mom who got it from my Grandma, and my Grandma has always made THE BEST gingersnap cookies. On Christmas, she sends these cookies to her children who live across the country and they wait for them with baited breath. My Grandma came over once and I had her walk me through the process step by step because no matter how closely I followed the recipe, I could never get them to turn out just right. Turns out, the trick was to cook them for 8 minutes instead of the 10 that I had been doing.

October 16, 2014/by Stacey Maaser
https://embracing-motherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/embracing-motherhood.com-27.png 400 810 Stacey Maaser https://embracing-motherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/EM_Logo.png Stacey Maaser2014-10-16 08:16:282025-01-24 11:07:56Grandma’s Gingersnap Cookies

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Stacey Maaser

Stacey Maaser author of Embracing Motherhood

Author of Embracing Motherhood

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Hi, I’m Stacey Maaser,

author of Embracing Motherhood! I am a stay at home mother of 5 with 7 years of teaching experience and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I am passionate about teaching my children, feeding them healthy food, learning the truth about things (not just what is popular opinion or counter culture), and sharing what I’ve learned and experienced with others. Thanks for stopping by!

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