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Chocolate Cupcakes {almond flour}

February 21, 2016 by Erica 41 Comments

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

I’ve been wanting to whip up a reliable chocolate cupcake recipe using almond flour.

I have a version using coconut flour, and thought it would be really nice to have the lightness of that recipe using almond flour. Almond flour baked goods tend to be a bit heavier, but there are techniques to lighten them.

Let me know what you think. I’ve tested this a few times and I think the ratio of sweetener and dry ingredients works well, and the olive oil lends a lightness to give it a great cake texture along with a rich chocolate flavor.

This is the first recipe I’ve posted using baking powder instead of baking soda. I usually use baking soda but wanted a slightly different flavor and airiness to the cake.

Here are some brands of gluten-free baking powder:

  • Rumford Baking Powder
  • Clabber Girl Baking Powder
  • Davis Baking Powder
  • Hain Pure Foods Featherweight Baking Powder
  • Bakewell Cream Baking Powder

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes low res (4 of 4)

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Chocolate Cupcakes {almond flour}

You can make these a bit richer in flavor by using milk instead of water; hazelnut, almond, coconut, or other milk.
I've used both cocoa and cacao (raw cocoa) with the recipe with equally good results. As for oil, you can also use the same amount of another oil, butter, or ghee.
To make them a bit sweeter, add 1 more tablespoon of maple syrup. Honey works also.
Substitute for baking powder: 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
If you'd like to make your own baking powder,  1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda equals 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Servings: 8 cupcakes
Calories: 250kcal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup oil olive or other oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325ºF (160ºC, or gas mark 3). Prepare a cupcake baking pan with cupcake liners (about 8).
  • Whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl or mixing bowl.
  • Add the maple syrup, olive oil, water, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk or mix until well blended.
  • Fill the cupcake liners until 3/4 full with batter.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  • Cool and serve. Store sealed at room temperature for several days, or sealed in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Lactose Free, Paleo, Snacks, Vegetarian Tagged With: almond flour, chocolate, cocoa, cocoa powder

Previous Post: « Roasted Chile Cauliflower Bites
Next Post: Basil Walnut Pesto {dairy free} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarKellie

    April 12, 2020 at 7:44 am

    My daughter is strict scd, so cocoa powder is not scd legal. Is there a substitution?

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      April 12, 2020 at 8:54 am

      Yes, cocoa and cacao are not SCD legal. I don’t know of a substitute for this recipe but there are recipes that are like having a chocolate treat, such as almond toffee brownies using coffee for flavoring. If you search for Marilyn’s SCD “chocolate” cake you will find a recipe that mimics chocolate. It uses black pepper and dates to simulate the flavor and taste of chocolate.

      Reply
  2. AvatarSusan Silvey

    January 26, 2019 at 11:27 am

    These are absolutely delicious. I have also found a healthy frosting, honey, coconut oil, chocolate, that takes them over the top! Our go to special treat. Five stars!

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      January 26, 2019 at 3:38 pm

      Fantastic! thanks 🙂

      Reply
  3. AvatarLin

    September 10, 2018 at 3:32 pm

    Followed recipe to a T. These are unbelievably moist and light. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe.

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      September 10, 2018 at 3:52 pm

      You’re welcome! So good to hear 🙂

      Reply
  4. AvatarJoanne

    August 4, 2018 at 4:26 pm

    I made them for the first time. I used coconut oil and added a handful of dark chocolate melted for a richer chocolate taste. They were so moist and amazing. Thanks!,

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      August 4, 2018 at 4:32 pm

      Great to hear!

      Reply
  5. AvatarAWebb

    December 29, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    I just made these with chia eggs and ghee. I upped the fat a bit, decreased the water. They’re amazing. Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      December 30, 2017 at 10:06 am

      Great to hear! Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  6. AvatarAWebb

    December 29, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    I just made these with chia eggs and ghee. I upped the fat a bit, decreased the water. They’re amazing. Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      December 30, 2017 at 10:06 am

      Great to hear! Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  7. AvatarGlory

    November 6, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    Can I use honey instead of maple syrup

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      November 6, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      Yes, absolutely. Just added it to the recipe. Thanks for asking!

      Reply
  8. AvatarJill Johnson

    July 4, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    Has anyone tried these with flax eggs?

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      July 9, 2017 at 12:50 am

      I haven’t yet with this recipe, but it should work ok. Beyond 2 flax eggs, I haven’t had much success.

      Reply
  9. AvatarM

    June 18, 2017 at 7:32 am

    I made these last night and they are SO good! Added a small handful of chocolate chips to the batter at the end and they are decadent.

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      June 18, 2017 at 11:17 am

      Good to hear! Adding chips is always a delicious addition 🙂

      Reply
  10. Avatarlittle_miss_baker

    April 1, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    My mom and I don’t eat syrup or large amounts of sugar, so I used a little less than a tbls of honey instead. I hope this helps c.wagner !

    Reply
  11. AvatarAisling

    March 27, 2017 at 9:34 am

    This recipe is fantastic! Thank you!

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      March 27, 2017 at 11:12 pm

      Always good to hear! thanks 🙂

      Reply
  12. AvatarLoh

    November 15, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    Thanks for the liquid measurement in ml. It’s a success this time round. Love the cupcakes! 🙂

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      November 19, 2016 at 8:19 am

      Great!

      Reply
  13. AvatarLoh

    November 2, 2016 at 3:57 pm

    Hi I tried but it was on the dry side though it ttaste very good. I think my liquid measurement is not correct.

    may i know how much is 2 ounce of oil in ml?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      November 2, 2016 at 9:18 pm

      I haven’t heard of dryness with this recipe but you can always add more oil or water or both. I added the measurements in ml. 🙂

      Reply
    • AvatarNora McFadden

      July 27, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      2 oz of oil is appproximately 58 ml.

      Reply
      • EricaErica

        July 29, 2018 at 11:12 pm

        It’s 59 ml but I rounded up. Either will work.

        Reply
  14. AvatarCharlotte Moore

    October 13, 2016 at 4:14 pm

    These looks so moist. I need to try these for a GF DF person. She loves chocolate.

    Reply
  15. AvatarSLH

    August 23, 2016 at 6:14 am

    Hi. Thanks for your recipe! I had some old stale almonds that had been sitting in my cupboard and I needed to do something with them so I made almond milk (delicious!) and then dehydrated the leftover pulp in the oven to make almond flour. I just made your recipe as a cake. It certainly looks and smells delicious; I’ll be tasting it tonight. I used regular whole milk for the water, canola oil for olive oil (for a more neutral flavor), and I made a tiny addition of a dollop of mayonnaise in order to ensure that the cake was moist.

    Reply
  16. AvatarGaile

    July 31, 2016 at 9:57 am

    Could I use sugar instead of maple syrup?

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      August 7, 2016 at 10:47 am

      Sorry, I don’t have the ratio for subbing sugar and it wouldn’t work with a 1:1 sub.

      Reply
  17. AvatarAnnazel Steuart

    April 12, 2016 at 5:22 am

    I have made these three times and find them to be an excellent snack and candy replacement. They are moist, tasty and I don’t even miss icing. I use ‘Dark Amber’ organic maple syrup per recipe that has replace ‘grade B’ maple syrup. Thank you so much

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      April 12, 2016 at 10:13 pm

      You’re welcome. thanks for the kind words! Dark syrup does have a great flavor.

      Reply
  18. EricaErica

    March 12, 2016 at 9:13 am

    Thanks, Claude. I guess this how you modified the recipe using coconut oil. Cool!

    Reply
  19. AvatarClaude Chasey

    March 11, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, honey, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

    Reply
  20. AvatarRita R

    March 11, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    I did not have Maple Syrup so I substitute that with Agave Blue nectar and almond milk instead of water. I got 9 muffin from the batter and tasted really good and smell really good chocolaty. Thanks Erica for coming up with this recipe.

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      March 12, 2016 at 9:12 am

      Thanks, Rita!

      Reply
  21. AvatarEmily Journy

    February 29, 2016 at 11:47 am

    Erica, have you ever used cacao powder instead of cocoa powder in your recipes? I want to make these for my mom, but she can’t use baking powder or cocoa powder. Also, I thought about making your chocolate cake from your coconut flour cookbook. Thank you so much! I’m making your tortillas again for my mom tonight but wanted to make a sweet dessert for her!

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      February 29, 2016 at 5:40 pm

      Yes, actually I’ve used both with this recipe and both work well. Same amount of each.Thanks for buying my cookbook! Cheers.

      Reply
  22. Avatarc. wagner

    February 22, 2016 at 8:32 am

    Can you sub stevia or pyure for the maple syrup in this recipe? Thank you!

    Reply
    • EricaErica

      February 22, 2016 at 5:54 pm

      I don’t know. Sorry.

      Reply

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Cookbooks

Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Erica Kerwien - Comfy Belly
Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
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Coconut Flour Cookbook by Erica Kerwien - Comfy Belly
The Healthy Coconut Flour Cookbook
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Everyday Keto Baking by Erica Kerwien - Comfy Belly
Everyday Keto Baking
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Measurement equivalents

1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons
1/4 cup 4 tablespoons
1 cup 8 ounces
1 teaspoon 5 ml
1 tablespoon 15 ml

Temperature conversions

Gas Mark Fahrenheit Celsius
  1/4  225  110
  1/2  250  130
    1  275  140
    2  300  150
    3  325  170
    4  350  180
    5  375  190
    6  400  200
    7  425  220
    8  450  230
    9  475  240

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EricaI create recipes using simple, nutrient-dense ingredients, staying as close to the earth as possible.

One of my boys was diagnosed with Crohn’s, which inspired me to start Comfy Belly, and create recipes to share my love of good, healthy food. Read More →

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