Sweet low carb caramel cupcakes topped with creamy sugar-free milk chocolate frosting. You will never believe healthy can taste THIS good!
The other day, a blogger friend and I were discussing just how easy it is to accidentally “copy” another blogger’s idea. Or more to the point, to seem like you are copying someone else’s idea when you post a similar recipe a short time after they do. The reality is, however, that you never saw their recipe and you both quite independently struck upon the same idea and executed it around the same time. This is far more common than you’d think and much of it has to do with the cyclical nature of food blogging. We’re all cranking out the seasonally appropriate recipes, seeing wonderful fresh produce at our farmer’s markets and dreaming up delicious meals for our families and yours. But how is it that we can sometimes hit upon the exact same idea, when there are so many ideas to be had? I blame Pinterest.
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Pinterest is like one great big mood board for food bloggers. It’s so visually stimulating and there is so much to be seen, a great deal of which is food. You would think that the inspiration is virtually limitless. And yet, and yet…chances are many of us are seeing the same things as other food bloggers and drawing on the same sources of inspiration. We food bloggers are a supportive lot and we pin each other’s work and share each other’s content all over the place. And since we all follow each other on social media, we are seeing the pins of our friends, some of which they might be using as inspiration too. So it’s hardly any wonder that once in a while, we come up with seemingly identical ideas. A fellow low carb food blogger and I might be looking at almost the exact same pin at the exact same time, thinking to ourselves “I bet I could make a low carb version of that!”.
Now, if we are any good at what we do, our ingredients and methods should differ quite a bit. We should be drawing on our own knowledge base of baking and cooking techniques, so that the actual outcome is quite different, even if the idea is the same. Especially in low carb or grain-free baking, because most of us have developed our own unique methods for achieving results that rival conventional recipes. I’ve developed so many of my own ways of doing things, it’s really very obvious to me when someone has copied my recipe directly, with maybe just a few minor adjustments. But more often than not, I see a recipe I think was MY original idea and think it’s a copy, only to discover that the ingredients and instructions are very different. We just happened to have the same original idea!
However, this recipe? If you see it anywhere else, chances are high that someone really did copy me. When this idea occurred to me, I searched high and low for similar ones. I searched Pinterest and I searched Google. I saw plenty of caramel cakes, which were vanilla cake layers with caramel frosting. I saw plenty of chocolate cakes with caramel frosting and a few chocolate cakes with milk chocolate frosting. But I could not find one example of a caramel flavoured cake with milk chocolate frosting. So I was out on my own, in pure experimentation land.
And oh, what a delicious experiment it turned out to be. I used a batch of my sugar-free caramel sauce in the cupcakes themselves and Lily’s Creamy Milk Chocolate in the frosting. I wanted to swim in that frosting, it was so good. And together with the caramel cupcakes, it was pure low carb heaven.
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup unflavored whey protein powder or powdered egg whites
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 recipe sugar-free caramel sauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp caramel or vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk or cashew milk
- 3 ounces 1 bar Lily's Creamy Milk Chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 4 to 6 tbsp heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 325F and line a 12 cavity muffin tin with paper liners (I recommend parchment for easy release).
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In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, whey protein, baking powder, and salt.
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Add caramel sauce, eggs, caramel or vanilla extract and nut milk until well combined.
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Divide batter among prepared muffin tin and bake 28 to 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Remove and let cool completely in pan.
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In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate until smooth.
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In a large bowl, beat butter with sweetener until combined (mixture will resemble crumbs). Add chocolate and beat until combined.
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Add 4 tbsp whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. If frosting is too thick, add additional whipping cream until a spreadable consistency is achieved.
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Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Serves 12. Each serving has 9.62 g of carbs and 4.16 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 5.46 g.
Food energy: 331kcal
Saturated fatty acids: 13.33g
Total fat: 28.80g
Calories from fat: 259
Cholesterol: 83mg
Carbohydrate: 9.62g
Total dietary fiber: 4.16g
Protein: 7.27g
Sodium: 314mg
Niki says
this looks absolutely delicious! I’m wondering what the powdered egg whites do to the recipe? I don’t have any and was wondering if I could omit them. Thanks! I really enjoy your recipes!
Carolyn says
You can use either whey protein or powdered egg whites, and they are to replace the protein in gluten to help the cupcakes rise and hold their shape. You can skip it but your cupcakes will sink a bit more.
Jenny says
Wow!! These look incredible! Is there anything I can substitute for the Lily’s milk chocolate bar? I have everything else and would really like to make these. I have dark chocolate bars and sugar free chocolate chips.
Carolyn says
The dark chocolate would be fine…it just won’t be milk chocolate frosting! 😉
nicole thomas says
Lilly’s really does seem like the primo first choice, excellent quality! having said that, however, I have used Chocorite candy bars sweetened with stevia and erythritol in recent baking recipes to good results…. they are easily found ( at least in my area, TN…) in the pharmacy section (!!!!) of Walgreens. It does incude an ingrediant called inulin that im not familiar with… a fiber i belive. the bars come five to a box for about six dollars. I used them for my recent sugar free birthday cheesecake, was yummy and beautiful!!!
Carolyn says
Good to know, thanks! And inulin is a sweet-tasting fiber so it’s a good addition in those bars.
Barbara Golley says
Trader Joe’s sells a chocolate called Simply Lite that is sweetened with Maltilol. Around here,(Rochester, MN ) a 3.5 oz bar sells for $1.99
Isa says
I had bought the same and was excited by the price. My understanding is that maltilol is not Keto friendly. Not sure If you are Keto. Not sure I’d that info is correct but worth looking into. I have not yet.
Carolyn says
Maltitol is definitely not keto friendly as it spikes most people’s blood sugar.
nicole thomas says
oh, forgot to add… Carolyn… your recipe sounds original and delicious!! thank you for creating such beautiful healthier desserts… they very much appeal to the artist pastry chef in me!!!! again, thanks so much:)
Teresia says
Gasp! Sigh! Thank you! Tears are welling up in my eyes at the joy of seeing milk chocolate and thinking of how good it will be to have that again!
Holly Phillips says
The Carmel Sauce you reference if I don’t make that and substitute a SF carmel sauce what amount does the homemade carmel sauce recipe measure out to? Thank you for a great recipe to try!!
Carolyn says
It makes about a cup.
Daytona says
Lilly’s tastes great but to my eternal frustration the inulin causes me *extreme* gastric upset… If you ever find a sugar free chocolate that is just stevia/erythritol without the inulin gut bomb, I would be so happy.
The cupcakes look insanely yummy, can’t wait to try it!
Carolyn says
Sorry to hear that. I have no issues with things like inulin so that must be awful. The only other good brand I know of is Coco Polo and it has inulin too. But you could make these with dark chocolate like Lindt 90% and even though it’s not milk chocolate, it would be pretty darn good!
Daytona says
No worries, whenever you use Lily’s I just make my own chocolate using your low-carb chocolate chip recipe as a base. Works great!
Helena Angelina says
Oh, even as a newbie food blogger – I catch you, 100%! Indeed I’m so wary of ever being perceived as a copy-cat recipe writer, that I’ve stopped reading the recipes of others that happen to be similarly brewing in my brain. But pinterest – that beautiful, visual, bountiful bugger, I think you may be right, Caroline.
And by the way, these look gorgeous, as ever.
Helena
Deborah says
Oh my goodness these look incredible. Every year my husband and I go away for a couple of days without the kids… that time is coming again and I think *this* is the treat I will make to take with!
One question – if I don’t have, and can’t get hold of, the swerve powdered sweetener but i have the regular stuff, what do I do about the frosting? Can I use it as is or do I have to somehow grind it down?
Carolyn says
Some people have tried grinding it in a coffee maker. I just don’t think you can get it quite powdery enough and you will experience some grit in your frosting.
Jane says
Hi Carolyn! I want to start off by saying that your blog has made it a lot easier to deal with my diabetes diagnosis. Thank you so much for all of your amazing recipes and tips — you’ve completely changed the way I approach baking for the better.
On to the technical: I’d really love to make these cupcakes for my dad, who’s a complete caramel-o-holic, but doesn’t love chocolate. Do you think it would be easiest to just add caramel flavor to the frosting and sub out the chocolate for that, or should I make a separate caramel sauce and mix that in?
Carolyn says
So you want caramel cupcakes with caramel frosting? No problem…use this recipe for the caramel frosting: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/07/low-carb-salted-caramel-brownie-cupcakes.html
Shannon says
I made these cupcakes today, as directed. Except, I made a vanilla icing for the top. I get so tired of chocolate, and I was lazy..haha. The caramel sauce is THE BOMB! We (in our past sugar life) would purchase a homemade from scratch caramel 3 layer cake from “The Bulloch House” in Warm Springs Ga. It Makes my mouth water just mentioning it… your sauce was soooo close to the icing they use on top, and we enjoyed these with all the flavor and texture, without the sugar crash and guilt from our past. Thank you for posting this and for all the time you spend in your efforts. It is much appreciated. My hubby, kiddos and I were very happy today, I’ll be watching for more yummy recipes. Have a blessed weekend!
Pam says
These baked up beautifully. Since we are traveling to Fort Stevens OR with our Teardrop camper I can package them easier with the tops sprinkled with Cinnamon and Sweetener. I didn’t think the frosting would travel well, this way they can be eaten as a breakfast treat as well as sitting by the campfire with a cup of coffee. Thanks again for such a wonderful recipe.
Amanda says
These look so rich and delicious! YUM!!!
Wenda says
I made these today ..they are so moist and delicious..thanks for the great recipes!!
Faith Bostic says
I am new to your blog and excited to try your recipies! I used to eat and bake low carb, then found out I had Celiac so now I bake gluten free-which, as you know tends to be higher carb. So, in high anticipation of trying some LC and GF baking, I am purchasing some of the alternative flours. I wondered if the almond flour you used above was also called Almond meal (like Bob’s Red Mill brand) or if you find that to be too heavily ground and I need to find another brand of finer grind almond flour?
Carolyn says
Hi Faith. I love Bob’s but yes, their almond flour/meal is not quite fine enough for cakes, I find. I keep it around for many things like muffins or breading chicken and fish. But I find Honeyville to be more finely ground for cakes. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS01I1A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00HS01I1A&linkCode=as2&tag=aldaidrabfo05-20&linkId=ZNGCHY3HF3GJEKE7
Isis says
When you made the caramel sauce for these cupcakes, did you add the extra salt to make it “salted” caramel sauce? Thanks!
Carolyn says
No, just the regular 1/4 tsp amount.
Jaime says
These look fabulous! I was wondering if there is any way to decrease or eliminate the cool sensation that sometimes comes from using Swerve. It might not even be a big deal in this particular recipe, but I recently made some peanut butter cookies with Swerve and the cool taste was extremely noticeable and I’ve since been hesitant to bake with it, even though I love using it in other things.
Carolyn says
See, Swerve is the one erythritol sweetener where I don’t get the cooling sensation. I think if you do taste it, you may find it present in the milk chocolate frosting. The only way you might offset that is to do a cream cheese frosting instead, with less sweetener and maybe a little stevia. Like this one: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2010/07/coconut-flour-cupcakes-with-chocolate-buttercream-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html
anne l says
Carolyn,
I just love your recipes! You are by far my favorite food blogger. Every recipe I’ve made turns out beautifully and taste great unlike other GF / SF recipes.
Please keep doing what you do!!
Carolyn says
Thank you, Anne!
laquetta says
I totally agree, only been low carb for a month or so and down 8 pounds and I love your site this one and IBIH is the only ones I use, you are the baking mad scientist of low carb, thanks for what you do and I supported by purchasing one of your ebooks, keep doing what you do! You are amazing
Anna Jados says
Ok Carolyn I need your help! This recipe looks AMAZING but right now I’m on an elimination diet (slowly starting to reintroduce foods back) and can’t eat dairy/butter, chocolate (UGH!) or erythitol still for a short time period. I’d like to use this cupcake recipe as a base for my son’s birthday party coming up but I’m not sure if it would work if I eliminated the caramel sauce (which I know I know is the key ingredient but since I can’t eat some of the ingredients for a bit I can’t include!) or replaced it with something else? I’m being selfish because I LOVE tasting the batter when I bake and if I use the recipe as is, that means I can’t taste test the batter before cooking! 🙁 Anyway do you have any suggestions on replacing the caramel sauce or how I can get by without it? Or maybe you have another suggestion of a cake or cupcake base I could use that fits into these requirements? I am able to enjoy stevia, eggs and almonds again so that helps things somewhat! I’m stumped and was hoping you’d have some advice/guidance for me!
Carolyn says
I don’t see how you could make this particular recipe without the caramel sauce. But I have plenty of cupcake recipes: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/?s=cupcakes
Chainy says
These look incredibly delicious! I’m allergic to raw cream but oddly can tolerate it if it’s been cooked. Would this recipe work if I boiled the cream and then cooked it before making the frosting? Also, I don’t have whey powder or egg white replacement, would a couple of extra beaten egg whites have the same effect?
Carolyn says
Yes, you could cook it. But let it cool before adding it to the frosting. The extra egg whites would be a huge problem because they’d add to much liquid to the mix. Just skip it, although your cupcakes may not rise as well.
Kate says
These look absolutely amazing. Have to give them a try!
maggie says
If i wanted to make this into a cake, can you tell me what size pan I would use and baking directions?
Carolyn says
You could do an 8×8 pan. I don’t know the baking time but start with 25 minutes and keep checking every 5 or so minutes after that.
Angelina says
Hi there….I made these and they were delicious but the cupcakes sank after I took them out of the oven. Any suggestions?
Carolyn says
It might be your brand of almond flour. What did you use?
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
This sounds really delicious. About 20 years ago I made the best banana bread by adding caramel sauce to the recipe. It was my mothers favorite! I can only imagine how wonderful these original caramel flavored cupcakes are especially with that milk chocolate frosting. Super great flavor combo! Thank you!
Carolyn says
What are the ingredients in Swerve? I have powdered erythritol but don’t know the equivalent to Swerve.
And is the cream being used as “milk” would be to thin the icing? I would like to use almond milk instead, but would that work?
Do you think egg white protein powder would work as the whey powder would? We are dairy free except for butter, so I’m trying to see how I can tweak out the dairy items.
What almond flour do you find to work best?
My daughter turns sweet 16 this week and asked for caramel and chocolate cake. I had no recipe, and then yours came across my feed! So excited to try this!
Carolyn says
Swerve contains erythritol and oligosaccharides, a sweet tasting prebiotic fiber. You should be able to just use your powdered erythritol. I think almond milk would work but you will probably need less of it. Egg white protein is fine!
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Carolyn says
I love Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine almond flour. Make sure you get that one, and not the “almond meal/flour” http://amzn.to/2efRRHq
annette says
Is there any substitute for whey protein in your recipes? Thanks!
Carolyn says
egg white protein powder is the next best thing.
Sherri says
I have searched and searched and baked and baked trying to find a cupcake and frosting that I was totally satisfied with since going keto. I don’t like any of the “buttercream” frostings. I purchased Pillsbury’s sugar free frosting but couldn’t handle the malititol. Your recipe has ended my search and left me VERY SATISFIED! Thanks a million!! I purchase most all my products from Amazon and will always come back and use your affiliate links as my way to say thanks.
Carolyn says
That makes me so happy to hear!
Sherri says
I was thinking that I could use your caramel sauce to make a “Milky Way” candy bar. Have you done that by chance?
Carolyn says
No but I’ve made Twix! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/06/homemade-sugar-free-twix-bars-low-carb.html
Sherri says
I’m going to make the twix tomorrow. If you do make a milky way, I’ll be watching 🙂
Thanks again!
Brenda Cash says
This is one of my favorite recipes. I like to make a double batch and freeze them for my morning break at work (I just finished one). I initially was intimidated by making the caramel sauce, but I finally overcame that and I’m soo glad I did. I will confess that I’ve never made the frosting, I make a half bath of ganache and use that. YUM YUM
If you’re looking for “something like the real thing cupcake” give this one a try!