This keto cupcake recipe makes the most decadent and moist low-carb chocolate cupcakes. These almond flour cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties or any other occasion. This recipe is low-carb, keto, banting, Atkins, gluten-free, diabetic diet-friendly.
The Recipe for Low-Carb Chocolate Cupcakes
This sugar-free cupcake recipe might be the best keto chocolate cupcakes out there! They are so moist and chocolatey that one would never guess that they’re keto-friendly.
While they are perfect for any celebration, these can also be stored in the fridge or freezer as a convenient and easy treat when the chocolate cravings strike.
How to make keto cupcakes
Making keto cupcakes in surprisingly easy! It only requires replacing a few higher-carb ingredients in traditional cupcakes recipes with low-carb alternatives. That being said, I would warn against using a normal higher-carb cupcake recipe and simply replacing the sugar and flour. Many low-carb ingredients such as sweeteners or flours may require different ratios, so it may not create the desired result.
For this recipe, I replaced sugar and wheat flour with a stevia erythritol blend and almond flour. This recipe is specifically catered toward low-carb products to ensure the result is just as decadent and moist as the higher-carb cupcake. You’ll be surprised with just how good keto cupcakes can taste!
How to frost cupcakes
There are many different ways to frost cupcakes depending on what tools you have on hands and your desired result. For a more polished and elegant look, I like to use a piping bag with a ridged frosting tip.
Remember to always let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. The warmth can lead the frosting to melt or warp leaving you with a very sad looking melted cupcake. If you’re in a rush, you can pop the cupcakes in the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process. Trust me, taking the extra time will be worth it!
How to frost cupcakes with a piping bag
If you have a piping bag and frosting tips on hand, this is a great way to quickly make elegant-looking cupcakes.
First, select your frosting tip and then cut a small hole in the tip of the bag if it doesn’t already have an opening. Place the frosting tip inside of the bag so that in securely rests in the opening at the base of the piping bag. If needed, you can cut a larger hole in the base until the frosting tip fits properly.
Next, roll back the top of the piping bag to allow space to fill the bag with frosting. Using a spatula, spoon the frosting into the piping bag. Be careful to not overfill the piping bag so that frosting doesn’t spill out of the top while piping.
Once full, unfold the rim of the piping bag. Then run your fingers down the top of the piping bag to push down the excess frosting and get rid of any air bubbles. Fold the excess top of the piping bag several times until it firmly reaches the line of the frosting.
While frosting, always keep one hand resting on the folded top of the bag. This both prevents frosting from spilling out of the top and grants you more control in the frosting process. To begin frosting, gently squeeze the hand on the top of the bag. Then use the other hand to control the base of the piping bag.
Disclaimer: We partner with Amazon and some of the links on this site are affiliate links which means we make a small commission from any sales to help keep the recipes coming! You do not pay any more. Thank you for your support.
How to frost cupcakes without a piping bag
If you don’t have a piping bag on hand, not to worry! If you still have frosting tips, you can use a large clear Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one corner of the base of the bag. Then you can use it exactly like how you might use a regular piping bag. This technique has been a lifesaver when I’ve run out of piping bags.
How to frost cupcakes with a knife or spoon
If you don’t have a frosting tip, you can use a knife or spoon to frost cupcakes. For this technique, spoon an even amount of frosting onto each cupcake,
I would recommend using the bottom of a spoon or non-serrated butter knife for this process. A serrated knife will leave textured lines on the frosting.
Next, spread the frosting evenly across the top of the cupcakes. Finally, I like to create a little swirl by pressing my spoon or knife lightly into the frosting while rotating it with my hand. As I turn it, I gradually bring the utensil closer to the center. Once it reaches the center, I lightly lift the utensil upward to create a small peak in the center. To finish off the look, you can garnish the cupcakes with chocolate shavings or coconut flakes.
What sugar-free frosting should I use?
So now that you know how to frost cupcakes, what kind of frosting should you use if you want to stay low-carb? I personally love to go for a double chocolate effect and pair these cupcakes with some of our rich chocolate frosting.
Although it’s very challenging to make keto-friendly buttercream frosting, I find that this recipe is pretty darn close. Although there are low-carb confectioners’ sugar alternatives, most of them have a dramatic cooling effect or aftertaste when used in such quantities. Not to mention, they can be pretty expensive!
This chocolate frosting is made with a cream cheese as a base. The result is the perfect decadent and silky chocolate frosting that will make these cupcakes even better. If you’re more of a vanilla frosting fan, you could also try our vanilla frosting recipe. If you’d like a lighter sleek look with less dairy, try this dairy-free keto icing from Primal Edge Health.
Enjoy!
–Harper
Ultimate Keto Chocolate Cupcakes
This keto cupcake recipe makes the most decadent and moist low-carb chocolate cupcakes. These almond flour cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties or any other occasion. This recipe is low-carb, keto, banting, Atkins, gluten-free, diabetic diet-friendly.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup granulated stevia erythritol sweetener
Wet Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 4 eggs large
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk or other milk of choice unsweetened
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners or grease with butter or coconut oil.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and sweetener and whisk until well combined and lump free.
Add melted butter to dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
Next, add the eggs, vanilla extract and almond milk. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, mix until thoroughly combined.
Evenly spoon the batter into each cupcake liner until about ¾ full.
Bake for about 25-28 minutes or when the tops spring back to a light touch or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How would you change this if coconut flour would be used solely instead of almond flour? Thank you
This article provides some guidelines on doing this. I’ve never tried it, though.
-Annissa
I tried this recipe yesterday and while the cupcakes themselves turned out moist and delicious, I and a friend found the frosting less sweet and blander than we wanted it to be. Is there a way to rectify this? Perhaps adding quite a bit more Stevia to the end result?
Hi Birdee,
What sweetener did you use for the frosting? I’m wondering if you used a sweetener that is the same sweetness as sugar. The one that we use is twice as sweet as sugar.
-Annissa
What sweetener do or did you use for the frosting? Would swerve powdered sugar work?
Hi Brenda,
Here is the frosting recipe: The Ultimate Keto Chocolate Frosting Recipe. If substituting powdered Swerve, you would need to use more to account for the difference in sweetness. This might make you alter the ratios of the other ingredients slightly to get the correct texture. Also, I personally find that the high erythritol content in Swerve gives more of a cooling effect.
-Annissa
Oh wow these were simply delicious I will be making these again!!!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them!
-Annissa
The cupcakes were a little dry. Is it possible to add sour cream or mayo to moisten them?
Probably. I haven’t tried this. They will also get dry if you baked them too long. I find that low-carb baked goods dry out more when over baked.
Are the total carbs with or without the frosting please?
Without.
-Annissa
I would like to make my own stevia erythritol blend. Can you tell me what ratio would be appropriate for this recipe
I use a sweetener that is twice a sweet as sugar. I think that using a one cup erythritol and one teaspoon of pure stevia powder would be a good approximation (although a tiny bit different in sweetness). Double check that one teaspoon of your stevia powder is equal to the sweetness of one cup sugar before doing this.
-Annissa
Can I use MonkFruit or Swerve?
You would need a different amount which could change the consistency of the final product.
My dough came out really thick. Not pourable. Like a cookie dough. I used Swerve granular sugar replacement. It is supposed to measure like sugar. Any idea’s what I did wrong.
If you adjusted for sweetness levels, you would have used twice as much Swerve. This alters the consistency.
-Annissa