Almond Flour Cupcakes
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My almond flour cupcakes are so moist, fluffy, and tender that you won’t believe that they have no grains in them. I love that they’re made in just one bowl.
Why I love this recipe
I’ve made a lot of almond flour recipes over the years, and cupcakes are one of the trickiest to get right. They’re often dense, dry, or crumbly, so I set out to make a version that’s just as light, fluffy, and moist as a classic chocolate cupcake.
My almond flour cupcakes have a tender crumb and a rich chocolate flavor, and they come together with simple pantry staples. Here’s why I make them on repeat:
- Naturally gluten-free. And lower carb, grain-free, and refined sugar-free.
- Soft, fluffy texture. They’re moist with a tender crumb, and honestly taste like they’re made with wheat flour.
- Ready in under 30 minutes. These are the kind of cupcakes I’d make when I need a wholesome chocolate fix FAST.
Let’s make a batch of them together now!
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Almond flour: Blanched or superfine. Avoid using almond meal, as it tends to yield a denser cupcake.
- Cocoa powder: You can use unsweetened or dark cocoa powder. I prefer the latter, as it has a richer flavor and a beautiful, almost black color.
- Granulated sweetener of choice: I like using allulose to keep the sugar down, but white sugar and brown sugar also work. If you want to use liquid sweeteners, you can experiment with honey or maple syrup.
- Baking soda: Gives the cupcakes some rise and fluffiness.
- Salt: Brings out the sweetness of all the ingredients.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs. Avoid subbing this out with a substitute, as I haven’t tested any egg substitutes.
- Sour cream OR yogurt: Keeps the muffins moist in the middle. I prefer using sour cream, but Greek or plain yogurt can also be used.
- Vanilla extract: A must for any good muffin or cake recipe!
- Chocolate frosting: Every good cupcake needs a good frosting to top it with. I have a few options, including my 2 ingredient dairy free frosting and a healthy frosting.
How to make almond flour cupcakes
Step 1- Make the batter. Start by mixing together your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Next, add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until just combined and mostly smooth.
Step 2- Prep. Now, transfer the cupcake batter into a greased (with coconut oil or butter) 12-count muffin pan or into lined cupcake liners.
Step 3- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before spreading chocolate frosting on each one.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. I mix until the wet and dry are just combined, with no streaks of flour. Overmixing can cause the cupcakes to sink as they cool.
- Do not overbake the cupcakes. I remove the cupcakes when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than completely clean. They’ll continue cooking in the hot muffin tin as they cool, which helps keep them soft and moist.
- Don’t judge the tops. Almond flour chocolate cupcakes don’t always bake with perfectly smooth domes, but once they’re frosted, no one will notice.
More almond flour desserts
Almond Flour Cupcakes
Video
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sweetener of choice allulose or sugar *
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream can use Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Lightly grease and line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well, until combined. Add in your wet ingredients and mix well, until just combined and mostly smooth.
- Distribute your cupcake batter evenly amongst the muffin tin. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cool, pipe the chocolate frosting on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published December 2020
Your recipe look so delicious
Hello!!
I am wondering if this recipe could be made in a 9×13 pan instead of cupcakes.. and, if so, what would have to be done differently.
Tgank you so much!!
I haven’t tried but you are welcome to experiment and see. I’d suggest doing the toothpick test around the 18-20 minute mark 🙂
When I convert cups to grams, I’m getting different answers. Can you tell me what cup – gram conversion you would be using please?
Thank you
Hi Leanne- yes, I’ll be updating the post with metric measurements in the coming week- just re-testing the recipe to get accurate numbers 🙂
can regular sugar be used for this recipe, if so how much?
Yes! the same amount 🙂
My family adore these cookies!
I am definitely going to make these! But first, I wanted to let you know that I love your recipes! However, there are so many ads popping up and moving all over the page that the recipe would not sit still! It is doing the same thing as I type this. I finally had to take a picture of the recipe just so I could make it. There are a couple of sites on Pinterest that I have had this problem with. Just thought you should know.
Hi Marlene- I’m so sorry to hear that, let me speak to my tech team about this 🙂
Any diabetics try these? Are these diabetic friendly?
These turned out great – even though I used baking powder instead of baking soda and didn’t realize until after the fact. But still got a nice rise. I did find that they took a little longer than 20 minutes. I kept checking with the toothpick and you have to keep a close eye on it – it goes from wet to dry in a matter of minutes. Haven’t tried with frosting yet – that’s next on my list. Thanks for a great recipe!
Soft and chewy. Nobody can tell that they are gluten free they are so good
These are amazing!!! How can I use this recipe to make them Vanilla instead of chocolate please?
Thank you for teaching ❤️
Great cupcake recipe! I used full fat Greek yogurt as you mentioned as an alternate to sour cream.I used half cup erythritol and half cup honey for the sweetener Cupcakes were soft and delicious! Thanks Arman!
I followed directions but to add more protein I added some chocolate protein powder substituting some (not all) of the cocoa powder. Also added Lilly dark chocolate chips and Lilly’s Carmel chips and sprinkled with a little salt when they came out of the oven. Turned out really good. Ty
I have never had a cupcake that was so moist and delicious. This is a recipe that I have saved to make again. My husband even likes them and he does not like healthy desserts.
Just pulled these out of the oven and they are FANTASTIC! I made 1/3 of a recipe using 3/4 c almond flour + 1 1/2 T tapioca starch. And used demerara sugar instead of the alternative sweetener. The only comment I have – 1/3 recipe made enough batter for 5 cupcakes, which means the whole recipe would make 15, not 12. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is absolutely an awesome recipe! Thank you so much for sharing 🤗