Wonderfully fluffy vanilla keto cupcakes are delicious on their own and downright sinful with the decadent, luscious chocolate frosting.
"I think you should make vanilla cupcakes," announced the husband. He loves my chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and I do make them often for him.
But variety is the spice of life, and he wanted some variety. And since I love trying new recipes, I immediately set out to develop this recipe for vanilla keto cupcakes (isn't he lucky!). 😉
What frosting to use
I decided on a rich chocolate frosting because I like the contrast in colors and flavors. Purists will probably prefer a vanilla frosting, in which case I highly recommend using the frosting that I use when making this keto carrot cake. The amount of frosting I use in that cake should be enough to frost six cupcakes.
The ingredients you'll need
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make these tasty keto cupcakes (exact measurements are included in the recipe card below):
Eggs: I use large eggs in almost all my recipes.
A neutral oil: Avocado oil has a neutral taste so it works well here. Sometimes I use macadamia nut oil.
Vanilla extract: Try to use pure vanilla extract, not the artificial stuff.
Sweetener: I use stevia, but you could probably replace it with a granulated sweetener.
Almond flour: An excellent flour substitute that baked very well. You should definitely use blanched finely ground flour. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal in this recipe. There's a difference.
Salt: Just a pinch to highlight the other flavors.
Baking powder: Make sure it's fresh. And if you need it to be gluten-free, double-check to ensure it is.
For the frosting: Unsalted butter, heavy cream, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a sweetener. I use stevia. If you opt for a granulated sweetener, please use a powdered sweetener for the best consistency.
How to make keto cupcakes
The recipe card below will give you detailed instructions. The basics are simple and easy:
Quickly mix the cupcake batter by hand, in a single bowl. No extra dishes to wash! Yay!
Divide the mixture between six cupcake liners and bake for about 15 minutes at 350°F.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the chocolate frosting. Then, when the cupcakes are cool, frost them.
Use foil liners
I highly suggest using greased foil liners when baking with almond flour or coconut flour. It's been my experience that keto baked goods do much better in terms of sticking when I use foil liners.
If you'd rather not use foil, you can use paper liners, but make sure to grease them well. There could still be a bit of sticking, but it might be worth it to you. Your call!
Why I use oil in the batter
I like to use oil in this recipe because I feel that it keeps the cupcakes extra moist. I use macadamia oil, but any neutral-tasting oil (such as avocado oil) will work.
I believe that unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, would work too, although I haven't tried that.
A tip for making the cupcakes cool faster
If you don't want to wait an hour for the cupcakes to completely cool, you can place them, still on the cooling rack, in the fridge. They will cool in about 20 minutes.
What to do if your keto cupcakes have an uneven dome
As you can see in the video below, my cupcakes had an uneven dome when I pulled them out of the oven. This is not an issue at all - simply shave it off prior to frosting them, as I show in the video.
Why I use Dutch-processed cocoa in the frosting
Dutch-processed cocoa is not as acidic as natural cocoa butter. It's smoother, milder, and darker. So it will work best in this recipe.
However, if you only have natural cocoa powder, that should work too. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will usually be marked as "processed with alkali."
How to store keto cupcakes
Once completely cool, store them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Remove them from the fridge an hour before enjoying them. The frosting won't be good when cold.
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Vanilla Keto Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (equals ½ cup sugar)
- 1 cup blanched finely ground almond flour blanched, finely ground (4 oz)
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free if needed)
Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (4 oz)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (20g; it's best to use Dutch processed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (equals ½ cup powdered sugar)*
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 6 muffin pan cavities with foil liners and lightly grease the liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla and stevia.
- Add the almond flour and whisk it in thoroughly until batter is very smooth.
- Whisk in the salt and baking powder.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake liners. The batter will be fairly thin.
- Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-17 minutes.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcake from the liners and place them directly on the cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour, or place in the fridge to cool quickly (should take about 20 minutes in the fridge).
- If your cupcakes have an uneven dome, gently shave it off before frosting, as shown in the video below.
- To make the frosting, place the softened unsalted butter, heavy cream, cocoa powder, vanilla, and stevia in a medium bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat on low to incorporate, then beat on medium about 1 minute, until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Spoon the frosting on top of the cupcakes and gently spread it. Or use a piping bag to pipe it onto the cupcakes.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
More Recipes to Try:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.