• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Portfolio
  • Subscribe

Bright-Eyed Baker

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Portfolio
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Portfolio
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cakes and Cupcakes

    Published: Jul 26, 2017 · Modified: Feb 17, 2022 by alexandra · This post may contain affiliate links

    Hazelnut Financier Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache {dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free}

    Jump to Recipe

    I'm baaaack! (With some pretty killer cupcakes, might I add.)

    Last week I went MIA after spending a super full weekend at my first-ever food photography workshop; I was hoping I could do all the things AND put together a new blog post but sometimes you just can't do it all. :/ Butttt the weekend was an incredible experience - a big fun blur of learning from some hugely talented people in the food blogging world, eating one amazing meal after another, and getting to meet lots of kindred food-loving souls. ♡ I'm hoping to share a bit more about that in the next few weeks, but until then, you can also follow along on Instagram for some pics!

    Hazelnut Financier Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache - Light & nutty french teacakes topped with a silky coconut milk ganache and fresh berries. A show-stopper dessert that won't destroy your clean eating! {gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free} this recipe

    In the meantime, I did get back to baking this past weekend! There may have been one burned batch of financiers, a broken dish, and a mess that exceeds my typical level of crazy, but in the end things turned out pretty well because... cupcakes! And they're not just any cupcakes; they're gluten-free, dairy-free, annnd refined sugar-free ← pretty stoked about this. I'm not one to try to healthify desserts just for the sake of it, but I'm all for making them a little better for you without compromising taste (not to mention making them adaptable for more people) and I there's totally no compromising with these. In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone would have thought they were normal cupcakes if I hadn't announced otherwise right off the bat - but I did and I wouldn't take it back because I was JUST TOO EXCITED.

    Hazelnut Financier Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache - Light & nutty french teacakes topped with a silky coconut milk ganache and fresh berries. A show-stopper dessert that won't destroy your clean eating! {gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free}

    If you haven't made (or eaten) financiers before, they're super light, tender french teacakes that are typically made with almond meal and brown butter, only here I swapped those for hazelnut meal and coconut oil, and it was genius. The hazelnut meal adds soooo much sweet, nutty flavor with means you really don't miss the butter, and coconut oil comes in clutch as a non-dairy swap. You can even toast your hazelnut flour (like I did with this Nutella tart) to amplify its flavor even more.  The cupcakes are honestly incredible without any sort of topping, but I love the idea of turning financiers into mini cakes so I added a silky whipped chocolate ganache - much like the frosting on my favorite chocolate espresso cupcakes. The only difference is, this one is secretly made with coconut milk! It's a great option for making vegan chocolate ganache, and one I've used for recipes like these chocolate-glazed banana bread muffins and this stunning raspberry chocolate tart. And the cake is made with coconut sugar, so there's that too (because why not remove the refined sugar if you can?!) You definitely can't taste ANY of the coconut in the recipe, but you get a cupcake that's a little less break-the-bank on your healthy eating without sacrificing flavor. Alwayyys a good thing, ya dig?

    Hazelnut Financier Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache - Light & nutty french teacakes topped with a silky coconut milk ganache and fresh berries. A show-stopper dessert that won't destroy your clean eating! {gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free}

    Print

    Recipe Card

    Hazelnut Financier Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache {dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free}

    Hazelnut Financier Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache - Light & nutty french teacakes topped with a silky coconut milk ganache and fresh berries. A show-stopper dessert that won't destroy your clean eating! {gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free}
    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    Light & nutty french teacakes topped with a silky coconut milk ganache and fresh berries. A show-stopper dessert that won't destroy your clean eating!

    • Prep Time: 45 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Total Time: 65 minutes
    • Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
    • Category: cupcakes
    • Method: baking
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Ingredients

    Scale

    Hazelnut Financiers

    • 6 ounces (1 ½ cups) hazelnut meal*
    • 2 ⅛ ounces (½ cup) buckwheat flour
    • 5 ⅛ ounces (1 cup) coconut sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 4 ounces (½ cup) coconut oil, melted and briefly cooled
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 6 egg whites

    Whipped Chocolate Ganache & Garnish

    • 12 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped (or dairy-free chocolate chips/wafers)**
    • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
    • berries, for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with coconut oil.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together the hazelnut meal, buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, vanilla bean powder, and salt.
    3. Stir together the melted coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add to the dry ingredients and fold in until fully incorporated.
    4. Beat egg whites until foamy (but still liquid). Add to dry mixture and fold in just until all ingredients are fully combined.
    5. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, and then reduce heat to 375ºF and bake for about 10 more minutes, until financiers are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
    6. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Make ganache while financiers cool to room temperature.

    Whipped Chocolate Ganache & Garnish

    1. Place chocolate in a large bowl.
    2. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the coconut milk just until it begins to boil.
    3. Pour coconut milk over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, stir until smooth.
    4. Transfer ganache to the refrigerator to cool until thickened enough to hold its shape, stirring occasionally to promote even cooling.
    5. Once thickened, transfer ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment (or use a hand-held eletric mixer) and beat on medium speed until lighter in color and texture, similar to that of frosting.
    6. Use an offset spatula to dollop ganache onto cupcakes, or pipe on with a pastry bag. If ganache starts to get too soft during this process, return to refrigerator and chill until thickened again. Top finished cupcakes with berries.
    7. Serve cupcakes immediately, storing any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    *Almond meal will also work here, but I really like the added flavor hazelnut meal contributes, so I highly recommend that if you can find it! It's available on Amazon ;)

    **To keep this recipe refined sugar-free make sure you're paying attention to the sugar used in your dark chocolate

    Total time does not include chilling time for ganache.

    Keywords: gluten-free cupcakes, dairy-free cupcakes, financiers, hazelnut cupcakes, summer dessert, cupcakes

    Have you made this recipe?

    Tag @brighteyedbaker on Instagram and hashtag it #brighteyedbaker

    For more recipes and other food-related tidbits, stick around and subscribe to receive new blog updates by e-mail or RSS. You can also find recipes by category in the recipe index.

    Stay In Touch: Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker on Social Media

    Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2017-2020

    More Cake and Cupcake Recipes

    • Irish coffee cake with a slice removed.
      Irish Coffee Cake
    • Three cupcakes with orange frosting topped with chocolate webs.
      Halloween Spider Web Cupcakes (gluten-free option)
    • Bundt cake topped with frosting, with a slice removed, on a wooden board.
      Simple and Moist Carrot Bundt Cake (gluten-free option)
    • Dark chocolate cupcake topped with whipped chocolate ganache and a chocolate espresso bean.
      Moist Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Easy Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting {gluten-free/df options}

    Reader Interactions

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    about-me

    Hey There! Thanks for stopping by! Here's what you can expect to find on Bright-Eyed Baker: lots of baked goods and other sweets made from scratch (many of which are gluten-free), plus the occasional savory recipe or mixed drink. My goal is to show you that from-scratch baking - gluten-free or not! - doesn't have to be intimidating. Learn more about me.

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Front view of a hand holding a jar of caramel sauce against a light pink background.
      DIY: Caramel sauce with milk (no butter, no cream)
    • Carmel being stirred into an iced coffee against a grey backdrop.
      Easy caramel iced coffee
    • Cake tin lined with a parchment circle.
      How to Cut Parchment Paper Rounds for Cake
    • Overhead view of strips of candied orange peel on a safety grater, surrounded by more oranges and peel cuttings.
      DIY: Candied Orange Peel
    • Overhead view of brown sugar candied walnuts in a jar, with more walnuts scattered on a sheet of parchment paper below.
      DIY: Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts {gluten-free}
    • Homemade buttermilk in a mason jar, alongside lemon wedges and white vinegar in a teaspoon.
      How to make buttermilk
    • Hand spooning espresso powder out of a ramekin, surrounded by cookies.
      Espresso powder and how to make it
    • Two cake pans greased, floured, and lined with parchment
      How to grease and line a cake tin
    seasonal favorites icon
    WARM WEATHER RECIPES
    • Berry cheesecake ice cream in waffle cones with an ice cream scoop.
      Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream (gluten-free option)
    • Two orange mojitos served in highball glasses, garnished with fresh mint sprigs.
      The Mimosa Mojito
    • Kiwi pie being sliced in a pie dish.
      Easy Kiwi Lime Pie (with Gluten-Free Option)
    • Close up of ice cream cake on a cake stand against a pink backdrop.
      Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Cake {gluten-free}
    • A mojito in a mason jar garnished with lime and mint, surrounded by recipe ingredients.
      Easy Strawberry Mint Mojito
    • Two margaritas in lowball glasses, one garnished with lime wedges.
      Simple 321 Margarita (with spicy option)
    • Front view of two gin fizz cocktails with lemon wedges, basil leaves, cucumber soda, and elderflower liqueur in the background.
      Cucumber Gin Fizz with Basil & Mint
    • Mint Oreo ice cream being scooped from a metal container.
      Easy Mint Oreo Ice Cream

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme