Raw Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

This cupcake.  Ohh man... this cupcake.  This cupcake is serious business.  This is the kind of cupcake you make when you have not had dessert for a month and you've been dreaming of chocolate for over a week.

This cupcake is rich, dense, and creamy.  You won't believe that a mixture of nuts, agave, dates, cocoa powder, coconut, and avocado came together and formed that.  But, the best part?  Those are the only ingredients!

If you've ever questioned if a raw dessert can be satisfying then this is the one for you.   This cupcake is the cupcake you bring home to meet your mother.  It's that good.

I will be the first one to admit that I am not great with portion control at dessert.  I'm usually not the person who has the recommended serving and then is simply done.  But, this cupcake?  I ate half and had to put the rest in the fridge.  It was that satisfying.

But, don't worry, I came back the next day and finished it off.

For the cupcake base I used a variety of nuts that I happened to have on hand.  I'm pretty sure that you could change up the combination if you desired as long as it came out to 1.5 cups of nuts total.   When I was making these I was also wishing that I had a miniature cupcake tin because these would be super cute as mini cupcakes.  Mini versions might also help with portion control because these are super rich... but super worth it. 

Raw Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting
Makes 4 Cupcakes

1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup walnuts
4 large Medjool dates, pitted
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons raw agave syrup
a tiny pinch of sea salt
2 Tablespoons unsweetened dried coconut flakes, divided

Frosting:
1 avocado, pitted
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons raw agave syrup

Pulse the macadamia nuts, pecans, and walnuts in a food processor until crumbly.  Add the dates, cocoa powder, agave syrup, and salt and process until smooth and batter-like.

Sprinkle one tablespoon of the coconut flakes into four molds of your muffin tin.  This will help to keep your cupcakes from sticking to the bottom.  Divide the batter evenly amongst the molds and press it into the tin to help form it into patties. Turn the tin upside down and the cupcakes should fall right out.  (If you have a stubborn cupcake, use a spatula to loosen the edges and pry it out.  Keep in the fridge until ready to frost.

To make your frosting, add the avocado flesh, cocoa powder, and agave syrup to your food processor and process until smooth and fluffy, scraping the sides with a spatula until the avocado is thoroughly mixed.  Top your cupcakes with the frosting and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of dried coconut.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.