Better-for-you Red Velvet Cupcakes

I found this recipe on Hungry Girl, and I haven’t made it yet, but I love cupcakes, so I’m sure I’ll make it soon!

These cupcakes are so moist, so delicious, so RED, and so completely guilt-free, that writing extra words to introduce this recipe would be a complete and total waste of everyone’s time. So here ya go… HG’s Red Velvet Insanity Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

For Frosting
6 tbsp. Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
6 tbsp. Cool Whip Free, thawed
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

For Cupcakes
1 cup Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Devil’s Food**
1 cup Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Classic Yellow**
Two 25-calorie diet hot cocoa mix packets
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 oz. red food coloring
1 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Place half of your chocolate chips (2 tbsp.) and the contents of both cocoa packets in a tall glass. Add 12 ounces of boiling water, and stir until chips and cocoa mix have dissolved. Place glass in the freezer until mixture is cold (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together marshmallow creme, cream cheese, and 1 tbsp. Splenda until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Place bowl in the fridge to chill until cupcakes are ready to be frosted. Once the cocoa in the freezer has chilled, give it a stir, and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add the cake mixes, egg substitute, remaining chocolate chips, red food coloring, 1 tsp. Splenda, and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix batter for about 2 minutes (until smooth and blended). Batter will be thin, but don’t worry, your cupcakes will puff up once baked! Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups, and spray lightly with nonstick spray (or simply spray the pan with nonstick spray). Evenly spoon batter into the pan. Place pan in the oven, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Cupcakes will look shiny when done. Once cupcakes have cooled completely, evenly spread the frosting over them. Enjoy! MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 frosted cupcake
Calories: 134
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 266mg
Carbs: 25g
Fiber: 0.75g
Sugars: 11g
Protein: 3g

POINTS® value 3*

7 comments to Better-for-you Red Velvet Cupcakes

  • Those sound delicious! I need to make a shopping list, I didn’t know there was a way to make reduced sugar cake mixes taste good!

  • Liz

    I love love LOVE red velvet cake! I will have to try this recipe – I even have some sugar substitute in the cupboard soon. I wonder if the amounts will be the same.

  • Sounds great, probably tastes even better!

    I will add your blog to the WeFollow feed.

  • Lynne-It’s been so long since I made cake, I didn’t even know there were reduced sugar cake mixes! And the recipe only calls for a cup of each cake mix, then what do you do with the rest, beside just make more cupcakes? I’ll have to do some searching.

  • Liz-I have never had red velvet cake! It’s not popular here in Michigan or at least not where I live. So I’m curious to see what it tastes like. I do think that Splenda substitutes for sugar one to one, but it doesn’t add moistness the way sugar does, so I’ve also seen suggestions to only replace half the sugar in a recipe with Splenda.

  • oh, I’m going to be trying this one out too! My daughter loves red velvet cake!

  • This sounds wonderful! ymmmy!