Fairly healthy cupcakes with a fruity twist

In less than two days time I'll turn 37. What? Yes, I'm still a tad bit in denial, but on Tuesday I'll be 37. ACK! ;-)
But a birthday also means treating your colleagues, so I baked two fruity cupcakes for them. A bit of a risk, as i had never made them before, and had to adapt it as the original recipe was a 'gluten recipe'  but... they turned out quite awesome (if i say so myself), so I feel comfortable to share them here. 

Firstly: Blueberry cupcakes with oatmeal (this recipe makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (400 degrees fahrenheit)110 grams (about 4 oz) of oat flour
• 75 grams (2.75 oz) of rice flour
• 1,5 teaspoon of baking powder
• 0,5 teaspoon of baking soda
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of oatmeal
• 75 grams (2.75 oz) of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons of clear honey
• 170 ml (3/4 of a cup) of buttermilk
• 55 ml (about 1/4 of a cup) of sunflower oil or olive oil. I used olive oil. 
• 1 tl vanilla aroma or a pod of vanilla
• 125 grams (4.5 oz) of blueberries

Instructions:

1. Put the paper cups in the muffin or cupcake tray.
2. Put the oat flour, the rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl, mix  and add the oatmeal and sugar. 
3. Beat the eggs and honey in another bowl, add the buttermilk and vanilla aroma or vanilla seeds form the pod and whisk well.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat it until everything is mixed, the batter can be a bit lumpy. Fold the blueberries into the mixture. 
5. Spoon the batter into the molds. bake them 20 minutes until golden brown. let them cool for about 5 minutes, take them out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. 

Secondly: Banana-dates cupcakes (yes, I want people to have a choice and it's a great excuse to bake more things LOL) This recipe makes 15 tiny cupcakes or 12 big ones. 

Ingredients:

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 175 grams (6 oz) of dates, without kernels and chopped or blitzed to tiny pieces. 
• 2 eggs beaten 
• 125 ml (half a cup) of olive oil
• 175 grams (6 oz) of fine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla aroma or a vanilla pod 
• 175 grams (6 oz) of rice flour
• 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (350 degrees fahrenheit). 
2. Put the paper cups in the muffin or cupcake tray.
3. Mash up or blitz the bananas. Put them in a big bowl, add the eggs and oil. Mix well. 
4. Add the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla aroma, rice flour and xanthan gum. Mix well till the mixture is completely blended. Fold in the chopped dates untiol evenly spread. 
5. Spoon the batter into the paper cups. If you have left over dates, slice them in half and put a half on every cupcake. 
6. Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and let them fully cool on a wire rack. Before serving, dust them with powdered sugar. 

Happy birthday to me! Eeerm... enjoy! :-D