These chocolate keto cupcakes are going to blow your mind. You won’t believe that anything made with coconut flour can be this tender and delicious. Perfect with your favorite sugar-free frosting!
It’s crazy to think that these keto cupcakes were one of the first low carb recipes I ever made. I originally published them in October of 2010, when my youngest child was having her first birthday. Now she’s a teenager! Oh how time flies.
But amazingly, this recipe has stood the test of time and is one of my favorite keto cake recipes. While my baking skills have improved and my methods and ingredients have changed, these chocolate keto cupcakes remain virtually unchanged.
It’s such a solid recipe that I have used it for multiple other cakes, including Keto Chocolate Orange Cake and Samoa Bundt Cake. Even my Keto Chocolate Donuts are based on this batter!
I made them again recently so I could get some new photos. And one bite reminded me just how much I love them!
Why this recipe is so awesome
Many people think that coconut flour can’t possibly make good baked goods. But I heartily disagree. Although baking with coconut flour takes some getting used to, it can result in cakes that rival those from a bakery.
And these keto cupcakes are proof. Light and fluffy, but still moist and flavorful, they defy the odds. It all comes down to a few tricks, like using enough eggs and oil. And a little protein powder helps them rise delightfully.
It’s a very versatile recipe, as you can pair it with your favorite sugar free frosting. And you can use it to make larger cakes as well. They also freeze really nicely.
Best of all, each cupcake has only 2.4g net carbs!
Reader reviews
“Oh my goodness! These cupcakes are great! Perfect crumb, rose nicely, and the taste – excellent!!!!” — Penny
“Made these tonight for Easter. Ate without frosting of any kind. My very first attempt at keto baking and the first time making cupcakes from scratch. So delicious!! They came out perfectly!” — Amanda
“Oh my word! These are insanely good and my teenage daughter who is not low carb asks for another batch as she’s eating the last one! Everyone loves these and I love the fact that me and OH can indulge in a sweet treat and still lose/maintain weight and feel great! Thanks so much for all your recipes. — Shona
Ingredients you need
- Coconut flour: You cannot substitute any other flour for coconut flour, as it’s very unique and bakes very differently. However, I have other cupcake recipes that use nut flours instead. You can also use my Keto Devil’s Food Cake recipe and make cupcakes with it.
- Sweetener: Most granular sweeteners work in this recipe but keep in mind that allulose may make the cupcakes brown faster.
- Cocoa powder: For a deeper, richer chocolate flavor, use dark cocoa or Dutch process cocoa.
- Protein powder: This is optional but it really does help the cupcakes rise better and be fluffier. You can use whey protein, egg white protein, or plant-based protein. Collagen peptides will not work here. You can also use chocolate or vanilla protein powder, if you don’t have unflavored.
- Eggs: Coconut flour requires a lot of eggs for structure, so don’t try to skimp!
- Cold coffee or water: I like coffee because it enhances the chocolate flavor, but water works too.
- Pantry staples: Butter or oil, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
3. Add liquid slowly: Stir in the coffee about 1/4 cup at a time until your batter is thick but scoopable.
4. Bake the cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups lined with parchment or silicone liners. Bake at 350ºF for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are just firm to the touch.
5. Let cool: Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool completely in the pan.
6. Frost and decorate as desired!
Expert tips
The hardest thing about working with coconut flour is that it varies brand to brand. Some are super absorbent and others are less so, so you need to adjust the liquid accordingly. This is why I recommend adding just a little at a time. The description of the batter should guide you to know when it’s ready.
Do not over-bake these keto cupcakes. Whenever someone says they turned out dry, I know they let them bake too long. Always set the timer for the lower end of the suggested baking time, and then check very frequently. Once the tops are just firm to the touch, remove them from the oven.
How to frost and decorate
You have many delicious options for frosting these keto cupcakes. I have provided a delicious sugar-free espresso frosting in the recipe, but you certainly aren’t limited to that! A few other ideas:
- Keto Chocolate Frosting
- Keto Strawberry Frosting
- Cookies and Cream Frosting
- Peppermint Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
You could also eat them plain or top with a little keto vanilla ice cream!
Frequently Asked Questions
These keto chocolate cupcakes have 5.6g carbs and 3.2g fiber unfrosted, so they have 2.4g net carbs per cupcake. With the frosting listed in the recipe, they have 6.2g of carbs and 3.2g of fiber.
Coconut flour is an excellent ingredient for keto recipes because it is low in carbs and high in fiber. It is also completely gluten-free and nut-free. It is highly unusual in the way it absorbs eggs and liquid, so you have to learn how to use it properly. For more information, read my article on Baking with Coconut Flour.
Cupcakes like these are fine on the counter for up to three days. You can also store them in an airtight container the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for several months.
Keto Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2/3 cup (80 g) coconut flour
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) Swerve Sweetener, or other granular sweetener
- 6 tbsp (30.43 g) cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (27 g) whey protein powder, chocolate, vanilla, or unflavored
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) leftover coffee or water, more if needed
Espresso Buttercream:
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder, or instant coffee
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 6 tbsp (85.21 g) butter, softened
- 4 oz (113.4 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) Swerve Confectioners, or other powdered sweetener
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with parchment or silicone liners
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Stir in the coffee about 1/4 cup at a time until the batter is thick but easily scoopable.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are just firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.
Espresso Buttercream
- In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and espresso until coffee dissolves. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sweetener together until creamy. Add the coffee mixture and beat until combined. With a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream carefully until well combined.
- Spread the frosting on cooled cupcakes with a knife or offset spatula, or pipe on with a decorating bag.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow what a fantastic and delightful recipe I made this recipe for a bridal shop, the bride on keto diet and she told me she doesn’t want to break her diet but at the same time she wants ant the guettons have something good
So I made this recipe and it was only her and me knew it’s keto, all the girls love it and some of them are following you page now
Thank you for your fabulous recipes all the time
These are my go to chocolate cupcakes!! I made them with a vanilla cream cheese buttercream. Fantastic!!!
This recipe makes really good cupcakes. I, many times have issues with the texture as well as the cooling sensation. Not the case with this recipe. I don’t have to work to convince myself that I like it!! Thanks Carolyn!
I recently made these for my community group….they couldn’t believe they were gluten free! The only disappointment, was I didn’t have enough for 2nd for everyone!
I am going to try this recipe for V-Day.
I want to point out that the pic of ingredients says “Red Pepper” as an ingredient right by the eggs! Wow!
I recently made these over last weekend and they were phenomenal! Perfect amount of chocolate- and I loooove chocolate. The frosting ties the moiste cupcakes together perfectly! I make plenty to store for myself to pull out of the freezer when I need something sweet. Will be making some fresh for Super Bowl Sunday! My husband and kids who aren’t keto, say they’re some of the best chocolate cupcakes they’ve had!
When baking I will substitute all or a portion of the butter with applesauce. Can you do that with this recipe?
I have no idea, you will need to experiment!
Quick question… this recipe links to a whey protein concentrate while others link to an isolate. Is one better than the other for baking?
I didn’t realize they had two different items! Here’s the isolate I use: https://amzn.to/3RZkol5
Thank you so much! I’ve only been Keto for a few months and I am living off of your blog! I know you’ve been down about you’re facebook analytics, but just know you are making a huge difference in the lives of people like me!
Thank you so much, Misty!
Hi Carolyn!
I absolutely adore your recipes and find them to be the best I have found! I was wondering if cupcakes can be baked as a whole cake, and if there is any adjustments to be made other than baking time. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and helping all of those who need great recipes for the keto lifestyle!
Hi Laurette, make sure you’re reading the blog post because I do talk about that already and link to several cakes made with it.
I am so sorry, I must have missed that! Thanks- I will go and look! Thank you for your time! Thanks again for sharing with us! Have a happy day!
Absolutely ace! :)) I was making this for non-coffee lovers (shocking, I know) so I used water in the batter and added about 1/4 cup of runny keto caramel to the frosting instead of the water + espresso powder, and it was so gorgeous! I used the entire 1/2 cup of water in the batter and baked for 25 minutes – perfect. Beautiful texture and crumb, perfect level of moistness and an excellent frosting-to-cupcake ratio. A winner on all fronts! I will definitely make the original coffee version for us next time, and I’m sure it will be just as glorious. Thank you so much, as always! 🙂
So glad you like them!
These are in the oven right now! Also just made a pumpkin pie with a pecan crust. I’m really crossing my fingers these are good, I cannot seem to find a sweetner that I like in baked goods and I think I’ve tried them all. For these, I’m trying Lankanto Monk & Allulose blend. Thanks Carolyn!
Hope they turn out! Keep your eye on them as allulose can make them overly brown on the outside.
Wow. This is the best coconut flour recipe I have ever made! Thank you! really nice cupcakes . and easy!
Oh my goodness! These cupcakes are great! Perfect crumb, rose nicely, and the taste – excellent!!!!
sorry, I meant what baking time and temperature should I set the oven to if I use a 9×9 cake pan instead of cupcake pan?
Hi, I would like to make this chocolate coconut flour recipe as a birthday cake. Can I use a 9×9 cake pan instead of cupcake pan? if so, what temp & time should I use to bake in a square pan?
Has anyone made this into a cake? I’m wondering if there was a time and temp for a 9×9 square, 9×13 rectangular, or any size of a circular pan?
I’ve used it many times for cake: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-chocolate-orange-cake/
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-cookies-and-cream-cake/
can you use 2% milk instead of almond milk?
Yes, that works… it just adds a bit of carbs.
I loved these and feel they taste better the next day. I used coconut cream mixed with cocoa and swerve for a delicious icing.
Excellent!
These cupcakes and frosting are the best!
The flavor was really nice and the size of the muffin was really nice. I baked for 20 minutes and a toothpick came out clean but when they were taken out of the oven to cool they sunk a bit. I found the texture to be quite dry (I don’t do icing); which can happen with coconut flour. I’ll keep looking.
I just made these cupcakes and they lived up to most of your promises. The cupcakes are very fluffy and full of chocolate flavor.
The instructions are clearly written and detailed so you should have wonderful results. I only had coconut flour available for baking at my mom’s home, where I am visiting. I am not a fan coconut baked goods but needs must.
I used Swerve confectioners sweetener. However I think it could have used more sweetness because I didn’t make the frosting. It was so nice to have a chocolatey treat while I am away from my normal baking ingredients
Thanks Carolyn