Keto Cupcakes
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My keto cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and made with coconut flour for a light, airy texture. If you’ve struggled with dry or dense cupcakes in the past, this recipe will surprise you.
I’ve been developing keto recipes since 2015, and these cupcakes were among the first I felt confident sharing on the website. After over five failed batches, I quickly learned that keto baking behaves very differently from conventional baking. Getting truly fluffy cupcakes came down to using the right flour and the right sweetener.
Thankfully, the sixth trial was the winner. The cupcakes came out light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet- without being dense, dry, or gritty- everything a good cupcake should be.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 6 flavors. The base recipe is for keto vanilla cupcakes (my favorite), but I’ve also included several classic flavor variations.
- Easy to make. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced baker, these cupcakes come together with simple pantry staples.
- Ready in 20 minutes. The cupcakes bake quickly and cool down faster than most traditional ones.
- Perfect for birthdays, parties, and celebrations. Even non-keto eaters won’t believe they’re low carb.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into low carb cupcakes, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Butter. Unsalted butter that’s softened to room temperature.
- Granulated sweetener. I tested several kinds and preferred allulose and monk fruit, as both dissolved smoothly without leaving a grainy texture. I don’t recommend erythritol or stevia, as they can make the cupcakes grainy and slightly bitter.
- Salt. Just a pinch to amplify the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any cupcake recipe- it adds a subtle vanilla flavor.
- Eggs. Room-temperature eggs are best because they mix easily into the batter.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any dairy or dairy-free milk will do.
- Coconut flour. My preferred low-carb flour alternative for these cupcakes, giving them a light, fluffy crumb. I assure you, you won’t be able to taste the coconut.
- Baking powder. Gives the cupcakes some rise. Don’t use baking soda, as it won’t have the same effect.
- Vanilla frosting. I used my keto vanilla buttercream frosting.
Flavor variations
While I’m firmly team vanilla, I’ve included five extra flavors so you can change things up.
- Keto chocolate cupcakes. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder to the batter and increase the milk by 2-4 tablespoons, or as needed. Top with a chocolate sugar-free frosting.
- Red velvet cupcakes. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the batter, and top with a keto cream cheese frosting.
- Chocolate chip cupcakes. Fold through 1/2-1 cup of sugar-free chocolate chips to the batter. Reserve a handful to top the cupcakes with.
- Lemon cupcakes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the batter. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the cream cheese frosting.
- Strawberry cupcakes. Fold in ½ cup of fresh or thawed frozen strawberries and top each cupcake with a strawberry slice.
How to make keto cupcakes
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Step 2- Mix the batter. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs. Once combined, add milk and continue mixing. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the batter into 10 muffin liners, filling them roughly ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 4- Cool and frost. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost.
Why are my keto cupcakes dry?
Keto cupcakes usually turn out dry from overbaking or using too much coconut flour. Since coconut flour is highly absorbent, even a small amount of extra flour can affect the texture. The cupcakes are ready once the tops are firm and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t substitute the flour. I tested almond flour just in case, but the cupcakes turned out too dense. Coconut flour is key to achieving a light and fluffy texture.
- Avoid overmixing the batter. Mix only until the batter is smooth, with no lumps remaining. Overmixing can make the cupcakes dense instead of soft and cakey.
- For egg-free cupcakes, use flax eggs. Replace each egg with a flax egg made with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water.
- Adjust the consistency if needed. Over the years, I’ve noticed that some brands of coconut flour can be more absorbent than others, so you may need a little extra milk. The batter should be thick but pourable.
Storage instructions
Proper storage is key to keeping the cupcakes super moist:
To store: Leftover cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. If they are unfrosted, cover them with a paper towel to keep them moist. Store them in the refrigerator for up to one week to keep them fresher for longer.
To freeze: Freeze leftover cupcakes in a freezer bag for up to six months.
Keto Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup allulose * See notes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk ** See notes
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 batch keto vanilla frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and grease 10 of them.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, allulose, salt, vanilla extract, and eggs together. Once that has been done, add the milk and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift the coconut flour and baking powder. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined. The batter should be thick but pourable. If it's too thick, add extra milk, one tablespoon at a time.
- Distribute the batter amongst the 10 muffin pans, filling about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 17-20 minutes, until a skewer comes out mostly clean from the center.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow cooling for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost.
These had a good flavor and were very moist. However, they had a slightly spongey texture which wasn’t my favorite. But, it is worth it as it’s no sugar and very low carb! These are for my nephew’s first birthday. I will serve these with whipped cream and some fruit that he can have.
Thanks Arman for the recipe!
These cupcakes taste incredible! Light and fluffy, without all the carbs and sugar. Love these and would highly recommend.
Hi, I have a question. You mention adding salt, but it is not listed in the ingredients list. How much salt should be added? Thanks.
Tommie
1/2 teaspoon 🙂
This contradicts you’re other comment, thought you should know. 😊
I made these and they seemed very crumbly and grainy. Almost like a cornbread. Is that normal or did something go wrong?
Can this be used for cake too or just cupcakes?
Haven’t tried it as a cake but I don’t see why not!
These keto cupcakes are the best I have made so far. They are so moist and puffy and delicious. Thank you, Arman Liew! Your recipes are awesome!
Thanks so much, Iva- I appreciate your kind words and review 🙂
Love to bake! Fairly new(er) to keto lifestyle. I have lost 108 pounds practicing keto, but recently becoming increasingly disheartened with lack of tempting baked goods. Oh so very excited to dive in and try this recipe! Thank you for sharing!!
Hello,
I’m using a 22 mini cupcake baking dish and wondering how many eggs I should use?
Not sure- I’ve only tried it as written.
This recipe works out in the end, but it is missing some key details!
1. Salt is missing from the ingredient list. As found in the comments, it is 1/4tsp.
2. Beat your sweetener and butter together separately before adding in the eggs and vanilla. Otherwise, the batter looks like a curdled mess. I made two batches of this and it resulted in less curdling of the batter and a much fluffier cupcake. If I were to make a third batter, I would try beating the sugar/butter a little longer to see how it turned out. This also resulted in an even dozen cupcakes, versus 10.
Sooooo helpful to know, Jessica! Thanks for all the great information, as I get ready to try out this recipe.
Hello!
Could I make these with Splenda instead?
Thanks!
I don’t see why not!
Can I use monk fruit drops? All the granulated monk fruits are erythritol blends, can I use the drops instead?
I don’t recommend drops, Stella, especially for baking. In my experience, they tend to lose sweetness as they bake, so you’ll be left with quite an unpleasant tasting cupcake. I like drops for drinks or smoothies, or even sometimes ice cream (when used the right way).
Can these be turned into different flavors by adding extracts or maybe lemon juice?
I don’t see why not, I’d be careful with lemon juice though- Might be better to do a drop of lemon extract then add lemon juice to the frosting 🙂
One more suggestion: Use silicone cupcake liners. With paper and Pam, mine still stuck to the paper. With the silicon, they poped right out and looked great.
Thank you for the recipe! The loft and texture are great! I can’t believe they don’t taste egg-y at all. I a slightly modified version (see below) for a birthday, and they were a hit with Rx vanilla almond butter as frosting.
OMG! These are amazing! So light, fluffy and tasty. Can’t even tell these are low carb. Will definitely be making these again!