These Keto Chocolate Cupcakes are tender, chocolatey and packed with healthy fats and protein.
They're super rich, delicious and less expensive to make than buying a keto cupcake mix from the store. Plus sugar free, dairy-free and grain free.
Top these keto cupcakes with your favorite keto chocolate frosting, or keto whipped cream.
Why you'll love this recipe
Perfect for birthdays, holidays, parties, or just because you want a smaller version of delicious keto chocolate cake.
This recipe makes 12 chocolate cupcakes. You can easily double the recipe for 24 cupcakes.
Super simple to make. They use almond flour as the base and only eight other ingredients that most people have on hand.
I make these often for family and friends and they are always surprised that it's sugar-free. It tastes just as good as any chocolate cupcake out there, and if I didn't tell you, you probably wouldn't even know you were eating something healthy.
Serve these cupcakes with our keto vanilla ice cream at your next gathering.
Recipe ingredients
Almond Flour - Use a superfine ground almond flour for baking to get a tender crumb.
Cocoa Powder - Use the best quality cocoa powder that you can. The better the cocoa powder, the richer the chocolatey flavor.
Salt - Salt adds balance to the flavors here.
Baking Soda - Gives rise to your batter and creates lovely pockets of air.
Oil - To help with the texture and to help pull everything together.
Maple Flavored Sugar-Free Syrup - For flavor and sweetness.
Eggs - Use large eggs for baking, and let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes or more to come to room temperature before mixing them in.
Vanilla Extract - Most delicious baked things include some vanilla. Use a high quality pure vanilla extract for best results.
Hot Coffee - Add flavor and depth, and enhances the cocoa.
If you have any questions about the ingredients, please leave a question in the comments section below.
How to make keto chocolate cupcakes
- Add flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix until combined and no lumps remain.
- Add in the oil, maple flavored syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
- Mix until batter is combine. The batter won't be completely smooth because of the almond flour. Mix in the hot coffee.
- Spoon batter evenly into your paper liners.
- Bake as directed. Frost with your favorite frosting.
These photos and steps are for illustration purposes. Please see the printable recipe card below.
Top tip
Working with almond flour isn't difficult, but there are a few things you should know about baking with it, since it's different than regular flour.
- If you store your almond flour in the fridge or freezer, allow it to come to room temperature before mixing your batter. Cold almond flour will not absorb the wet ingredients the way we want it to here.
- When measuring almond flour, use a spoon to fill your measuring cup rather than scooping down into the container. This will ensure that you are getting a proper measurement and not compressing the almond flour too much.
- I always suggest using a superfine ground almond flour for baking. You'll get much lighter and fluffier baked goods this way.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section below and I will get back to you.
Substitutions
Sweetener - You can use your sweetener of choice in this recipe. We’ve used granulated Swerve and Lakanto.
Just note that the flavor will be slightly different with each sweetener. Maple flavored syrup tends to be mild in flavor while still adding a touch of sweetness, which is why we like it in this recipe.
Oil - you can use melted and cooled butter in place of the oil. The butter creates a more fudge-like cupcake texture that many people love.
If you use oil, stick with neutral flavored oils like avocado oil or refined coconut oil.
Eggs - I haven’t tried using an egg replacer because of the amount of eggs that it calls for.
I have had others comment on similar recipes that chia egg and flax egg worked well, but they didn’t rise as much. They turned out to be more of a rich, fudgy brownie-like cupcake.
Storage and make ahead instructions
You can store at room temperature for up to three days. I don't recommend storing them in the refrigerator because the cold air sucks the moisture form them and they start to stiffen.
Freeze. You'll want to let them cool to room temperature and then store them in a sealed container. When you are ready to serve them, bring them to room temperature, then frost them.
Make ahead. You can make these cupcakes one day in advance. Any more than that and you risk them drying out before you can enjoy them.
Related recipes
More keto desserts
When I first started eating low carb, I knew that I was going to need some dessert recipes to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Try these tried and tested desserts:
Keto Cheesecake is just simply amazing. Just like these chocolate cupcakes, I can bring keto cheesecake to any party and nobody will know the difference between the low carb version and a standard dessert.
Keto Lemon Cake is one of my favorite cakes. It's super tender and flavorful and I just love that it's bursting with lemon.
Keto Chocolate Fudge is a creamy and decadent treat that I almost always have in the fridge.
Keto Red Velvet Cupcakes are super simple to make and perfect for anyone who loves red velvet.
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📖 Recipe
Keto Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 2 cups fine ground almond flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup oil of choice or melted and cooled butter
- ¼ cup sugar-free maple flavored syrup we use Lakanto, see notes for other options
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons hot coffee or hot water
For the frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup swerve confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners; set aside.
- For the cupcakes: In a large mixing bowl, whisk almond flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.
- Add in the oil, maple flavored syrup, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combine.
- Stir in the hot coffee.
- Spoon batter evenly into your paper liners.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the center is set.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.
- For the frosting: Beat butter in a medium size mixing bowl until fluffy. Add in powdered sweetener, vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Beat until well combined and fluffy. If needed, add in an additional tablespoon of heavy cream for desired consistency.
Store keto cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. OR you can make keto chocolate frosting (pictured).
Video
Notes
- Spoon almond flour and cocoa into the measuring cups, and then level. Never scoop your measuring cup into almond flour, or cocoa.
- You can use your oil of choice in this recipe or you can use butter for a fudgier cupcake.
- You can use your sweetener of choice in these cupcakes.
- The coffee helps enhance the cocoa but you can use hot water in place of the hot coffee if needed.
- You can store at room temperature for up to three days. I don't recommend storing them in the refrigerator because the cold air sucks the moisture form them and they start to stiffen.
- Freeze. You'll want to let them cool to room temperature and then store them in a sealed container. When you are ready to serve them, bring them to room temperature, then frost them.
- Make ahead. You can make these cupcakes one day in advance. Any more than that and you risk them drying out before you can enjoy them.
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