Valentine's day is around the corner. This holiday is structured around romance and sugary indulgencies. Between the candy, candlelit dinners, and a wide variety of hard-to-digest sugars and fibers GI repercussions are common. We understand that it can be challenging to make plans with your loved ones when you’re concerned about unexpected GI distress ruining your day. But don't worry, the Visbiome team has compiled some great recipe ideas that can help you and your loved ones celebrate and enjoy the holiday while avoiding GI issues.

We are experts in this area as Visbiome products help to ease common IBS symptoms such as bloating, pain, and flatulence. Many of our customers that experience digestive issues tend to follow a low FODMAP diet, which means they avoid sugars and fibers that are hard for the GI system to break down.

Lucky for you, dark chocolate is a low FODMAP ingredient! It’s the perfect ingredient to incorporate into a Valentine’s Day recipe for those of us that are worried about our diets causing unexpected complications. If you are looking for a great date idea, you could try cooking dinner together and make these delicious low FODMAP dark chocolate cupcakes for dessert.

We want to do everything we can to help you have a memorable Valentine's Day with your loved ones.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes - 6 muffins

·    2/3 cup all purpose flour 

·    1/8 tsp baking soda

·    1 tsp baking powder 

·    1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·    1 1/2 tbsp butter (room temperature)

·    3/4 cups granulated sugar

·    1 egg

·    1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract 

·    1/2 cup milk (Almond milk or the milk you tolerate the most)

Chocolate Ganache Icing (Optional)

·    1/2 bag dark chocolate chips

·    1/4 can coconut milk 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line or grease 6 muffin cups.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and a hint of salt.  Mix and then set it aside.
3. Add the cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl and mix until fluffy. Next mix in the egg and vanilla thoroughly.
4. Next alternate adding the flour mixture and milk (or other milk preference) to the batter, mix gently. 
5. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full and bake for 15-17 minutes – insert a toothpick into the center of a cake to check if it’s baked thoroughly. If it comes out clean, they are ready. 
6. Cool completely before icing.

Chocolate Ganache Icing

1. Heat coconut milk in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
2. Place dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.  Pour warm coconut milk over chocolate chips and stir with a spatula until all chips are melted.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.  Apply to cupcakes using a piping bag or a knife. 

Let us know in the comments below if you tried this recipe or want to share another FODMAP recipe with your fellow Visbiome community!

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Visbiome family!