Healthy Cupcakes

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5 from 212 votes
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This healthy cupcake recipe makes the perfect moist, fluffy, chocolatey cupcakes. With a ridiculously creamy frosting, you’d never guess there’s no eggs or dairy. 

Looking for more healthy desserts? Try my healthy brownies, healthy Snickers, and healthy donuts next. 

healthy cupcakes

As someone who loves dessert, having healthier recipes in my cooking arsenal is essential. These healthy cupcakes are precisely that. They’re made with wholesome, good-for-you ingredients, yet you’d never know by how good they taste!

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make healthy cupcakes
  4. Arman’s recipe tips and variations
  5. Storage instructions
  6. More healthy dessert recipes to try
  7. Healthy Cupcakes (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • Simple ingredients. No niche ingredients, no complicated steps, nada. All you need are typical baking staples. 
  • Diet-friendly. There’s no dairy or eggs, and you can skip the sugar and gluten with a few basic substitutions. Oh, and they’re only 150 calories per cupcake!
  • Made with one bowl. So prep time and clean-up are kept to a minimum. 
  • Just like classic cupcakes. Trust me, it’ll be hard to stop with one!

Ingredients needed

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these cupcakes. Please do not substitute any of the ingredients unless specified. 

healthy cupcakes ingredients
  • Flour– I used white whole wheat flour, which is a healthier alternative to all-purpose flour. Wholewheat flour and white flour can also be used. 
  • Cocoa powder– Unsweetened and sugar-free cocoa powder. Use dark cocoa powder for an even richer chocolate flavor. 
  • Granulated sweetener of choice– Any zero-calorie baking sweetener can be used. Monk fruit sweetener, allulose, and baking stevia all work. 
  • Baking soda– Gives some rise to the cake and works with the vinegar to replicate what eggs would traditionally do. 
  • Salt– Brings out the sweetness of the cupcakes. 
  • Vinegar– White vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Avoid using red wine vinegar as the flavor can be overpowering. 
  • Vanilla extract– A must for any good cupcake! 
  • Unsweetened applesauce– A fabulous replacement for butter and oil.
  • Water– To mix everything together and form a smooth batter. 
  • Frosting– What is a cupcake without frosting? I used a healthy frosting

How to make healthy cupcakes

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners. 

Step 2- Make the batter. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms.

Step 3- Bake. Pour the cupcake batter into the 12 muffin liners and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.

Step 4- Cool and frost. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferri

healthy chocolate cupcakes

Arman’s recipe tips and variations

  • Use room temperature ingredients. Not only will it make mixing the batter easier, but it’ll help guarantee soft, fluffy cupcakes. 
  • Make richer cupcakes. For extra moist, rich cupcakes, replace half the applesauce with vegetable oil. It will add some fat, but it’ll transform the texture. 
  • Enhance the chocolate flavor. Add a pinch of espresso powder, or swap the water with strongly brewed coffee. Trust me, you won’t be able to taste the coffee, but it’ll intensify the chocolate flavor. 
  • Don’t overbake. The cupcakes will keep cooking briefly as they cool down, so remove them from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
  • Make healthy vanilla cupcakes. Swap the cocoa powder for flour, and voila! 

Storage instructions

To store: Cupcakes will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Store them in the refrigerator if you’d like them to keep longer. 

To freeze: Place leftover cupcakes in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

sugar free cupcakes

More healthy dessert recipes to try

healthy cupcakes

Healthy Cupcakes

5 from 212 votes
These are the world's healthiest cupcakes and they are made in just one bowl! No eggs, no sugar, and no oil is needed, but you'd never tell!
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter remains.
  • Distribute the cupcake batter amongst the 12 muffin liners and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
  • Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, pipe the frosting on top of each one.

Notes

* Any zero calorie baking sugar can be used. 
** Substitute half the applesauce with oil for an even better texture. 
TO STORE: Cupcakes will keep at room temperature in a sealed container, for up to 1 week. Store them in the refrigerator if you’d like them to keep longer. 
TO FREEZE: Place leftover cupcakes in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 8gFat: 2gSodium: 190mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 2gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 25g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Came to this recipe as I wanted low calorie sweets.
    Didn’t have wholemeal flour, so used plain flour
    Didn’t have applesauce so substituted with greek yoghurt (same quantity)
    Halved the sugar content (used monk fruit)
    Added a drizzle of oil
    Added in choc chips
    Did not need the icing

    Tasting pretty good!

    1. 5 stars
      Sososo good! Used all purpose flour because that’s what I had, and paired with the icing, it’s going to be my go to now! My picky 5 year old loved them too (but not the icing lol)!

  2. 5 stars
    I try a lot of healthy dessert recipes with my 4 year old. A lot are not really appetizing to her as a sweet treat. She loves these! So do I. These are very delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
    Thank you for sharing!

  3. Want to make this recipe as a mini muffin. ? Calorie count per cupcake woyld be? ? cooking time change?
    Thanks
    Anndrea

  4. Can you substitute the whole wheat flour with almond flour? I would think that lowers the carb content but might not taste right.

  5. Will be making this soon for my birthday on 19 Septemeber will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya