Cherry Delight Cupcake Recipe

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I decided to make a Thanksgiving themed cupcake.

Along with the typical holiday meal items - turkey, stuffing, corn, pumpkin pie, cranberries - my family has another food tradition: Cherry Delight.  

Cherry Delight is our name for a type of no-bake cheesecake that has a graham cracker crust, a filling made with Cool Whip and cream cheese, and a topping of cherry pie filling.  It is absolutely delicious, and it is always the first dessert that everyone pounces upon after dinner.

This is my Cherry Delight inspired cupcake.

Ingredients

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 10 squares)

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cup pureed cherry pie filling (save 12 whole cherries for inside the cupcakes)

1/3 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid

1/2 cup demerara or raw sugar

1/4 cup rice milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 paper baking cups.

Place graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir until well combined.

Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner (I used a shot glass).

Cream the sugar and oil together. Incorporate the rice milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Add the pureed cherry pie filling

Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Add the flours, taking care not to overmix.

Portion out the batter into the pre-lined muffin pan, filling each cup only half full.

Place a cherry into the center of each cupcake and fill the cups with the remaining batter.

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out relatively clean (there may be a bit of cherry on the skewer).

I topped the cupcakes with this cream cheese frosting recipe.