They are so easy to make and they last for several days in the fridge, so I often double the recipe and make twelve of them. These cupcakes are wonderfully fluffy and sweet. The frosting is superb. Even my teenage kids love them. And this is the best compliment a keto baker can hope for! His favorite candy used to be Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. These days, he loves my keto peanut butter bars. But for his birthday, I wanted a cake or cupcakes. I experimented quite a bit until I reached perfection, and I’m glad that I didn’t give up.
Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make these keto chocolate cupcakes. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below: Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included. Unsalted butter: I love using European butter. It’s so flavorful. Whole milk: You can use heavy cream if you’re opposed to using milk in keto recipes. Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite. You can probably replace it with a granulated sweetener. Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff. Coconut flour: It’s extremely absorbent, so try to measure it by weight and not by volume. Cocoa powder: It’s best to use natural cocoa powder in this recipe - not Dutch-processed. Kosher salt: If using fine salt, you should use half the amount listed. baking soda: If you’d like to try using gluten-free baking powder (though I haven’t tested it in this recipe), remember that ¼ teaspoon of baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder. For the frosting: I use cream cheese, powdered peanut butter, and a sweetener.
Instructions
Making these keto chocolate cupcakes is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: You start by mixing the cupcake ingredients by hand, using a hand whisk, in the order listed. I usually start with the liquid ingredients, then gradually add the dry ingredients. The baking soda is added last, to ensure it doesn’t lose its potency. Next, divide the mixture between six greased foil liners. For some reason, the batter sticks to paper liners but not to foil liners. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes in a 350°F oven. Cool them completely on a cooling rack before frosting. To make the frosting, simply whisk the ingredients by hand until fluffy, adding a bit of water.
Expert tip
Since this recipe relies on baking soda as a leavening agent, you should use natural cocoa powder, and not Dutch-processed cocoa powder. The Dutched cocoa powder is not acidic so it won’t react with the baking soda, and the cupcakes will be flat rather than fluffy. If you only have Dutch-processed cocoa powder, you should substitute the 2 teaspoons of baking powder for ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
The peanut butter frosting is creamy and decadent, and you get quite a bit of it on each cupcake! Another good frosting is this Greek yogurt frosting, and this basic vanilla keto cream cheese frosting is excellent. Sometimes I use this keto chocolate mousse as frosting. But I really like the peanut butter frosting with these cupcakes.
Storing leftovers
Once completely cool, the leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Do take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan on enjoying them.
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