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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowIt’s hard to believe that these keto cupcakes recipe only has 6 grams net carbs per serving! My low carb keto chocolate cupcakes are full of rich, chocolate flavor, but without all the sugar and flour that normally come along with it. They’re just as amazing as keto chocolate cake or even vanilla keto cake, but in a portion-controlled package. Whenever you find yourself with a chocolate craving, these treats should be at the top of your list.
Why You’ll Love This Keto Cupcake Recipe
- Delicate, moist texture
- Sweet, chocolaty flavor
- Easy to make in one bowl
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Keto-friendly and gluten-free
- 6 grams net carbs per serving (including the frosting!)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for keto chocolate cupcakes, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – Choosing high quality almond flour is a must for moist keto cupcakes. It needs to be blanched and finely ground like the Wholesome Yum brand. Do not use almond meal, which will yield a grainy result.
- Cocoa Powder – Turns plain keto cupcakes into chocolate ones! Make sure to select one that’s unsweetened, and Dutch-processed to avoid bitterness — this one is one of my favorites.
- Baking Powder – Helps the cupcakes rise. Don’t confuse this with baking soda, which is not the same thing.
- Sea Salt – Salt in baked goods helps bring out the sweetness.
- Butter – Adds flavor and richness. Ghee or coconut oil can work for reduced-dairy or dairy-free substitutes, but the texture will be different.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The best sweetener for virtually all keto desserts, because it not only tastes and bakes like sugar, it also makes them very moist. Other sugar alternatives (including erythritol, stevia, and other brands of monk fruit sweetener) will yield more dry results, but if you still want to substitute, check my sweetener conversion chart.
- Eggs – A big part of baked goods, the eggs help to add structure and lift. I have not tested flax eggs to see if they would work in this keto cupcake recipe.
- Almond Milk – You can use store bought almond milk (as long as it’s unsweetened), or homemade almond milk. Other keto milk, such as coconut milk beverage (the liquid kind from a carton, not the thick kind from a can) or watered down heavy cream, would also work.
- Vanilla Extract – Helps to bring out the chocolate and sweetness.
- Chocolate Keto Frosting – The best keto cupcakes need this frosting! You could also substitute keto buttercream frosting if you like.
- Keto Sprinkles – Optional, but they add a beautiful finish.
How To Make Keto Cupcakes
This section shows how to make keto chocolate cupcakes, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Beat butter and Besti. Using an electric hand mixer in a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sweetener together until it’s fluffy and light yellow in color.
- Add dry ingredients. Beat in almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt.
- Add wet ingredients. Beat in eggs, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
- Divide. Line your muffin tin with parchment liners like these first. Spoon the cupcake batter into the lined muffin cups. You want them almost full. (They will not rise as much as traditional cupcakes.)
TIP: Need to cut the carbs and calories more?
Make mini keto cupcakes instead by using a mini muffin tin! You’ll get double the amount of cupcakes.
- Bake. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Frost. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a cooling rack, then frost with keto chocolate frosting.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep chocolate keto cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. (If you want to preserve the frosting shape, you can freeze them on a sheet pan first until solid, then wrap and place back in the freezer.) They will last 2-3 months this way. To thaw, simply leave them at room temperature until they thaw completely.
More Keto Cupcakes
If you love this keto cupcake recipe, you might also like some of these other low carb cupcake recipes:
- Sugar-Free Vanilla Cupcakes – The best gluten free keto cupcakes to make all spring and summer long – especially when the raspberries are perfect!
- Keto Chocolate Mug Cake – When you don’t have time to make this low carb chocolate cupcakes recipe, try my easy mug cake version that’s ready in a few minutes. It’s a faster version to keto cake.
- Piña Colada Cupcakes – This keto cupcake recipe is exclusive to the Wholesome Yum app, available for free on iPhone or Android.
Recommended Tools
- Hand Mixer – These keto cupcakes with almond flour are whipped up in a flash when you use an electric mixer. This is the one I have and I love it.
- Cupcake Liners – Cupcake liners are a must when making this low carb cupcakes recipe. These are the ones I use and love.
- Cupcake Pan – Obviously a must for my keto cupcake recipe. These pans are my favorite and I have each and every one.
Keto Cupcakes (Easy, Moist & Chocolaty)
By
This chocolate keto cupcakes recipe is super moist, rich, and sweet… all with simple ingredients like almond flour, butter and cocoa powder.
Instructions
[ See step photos ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line 10 cups in a muffin tin with paper liners.
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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter and sweetener together, until fluffy.
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Beat in almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt.
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Beat in eggs, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
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Allow muffins to cool completely, then frost with keto chocolate frosting (about 2 tablespoons frosting per cupcake).
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 keto cupcake
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
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Low Carb Keto Cupcakes Recipe
121 Comments
Kim
0OMG! SO DELICIOUS!!! So easy, and amazing chocolate flavor. I used 1/2 cup monk fruit/erythritol blend, and found it was sweet enough, but not overly so. I’m taking them with me when I visit my Mom, and as she doesn’t care for frosting, I didn’t frost them (Had to do a taste test: unfrosted, they were AMAZING!) I may try sprinkling some sugar-free chocolate chips, or powdered sweetener on top of them next time. Thank you for this recipe, Maya. You hit it out of the ballpark with this one!
Rebecca T
0I followed the recipe as given, something I always do the first time I make one, next time I make the cupcakes I’m going to adjust the amount of cocoa powder as my husband and I like something more in the milk chocolate taste. The cupcakes were delicious, just a wee bit over-powering for us.
P.S. I am having a difficult time navigating your Facebook page, I’ve not been able to successfully post contest pictures and am getting somewhat frustrated.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rebecca, I’m so happy you enjoyed the cupcakes! You can find details on how to enter the giveaway here.
April Leger
0I made these cupcakes for my diabetic husband for Valentine’s Day and they were amazing! I used Erythritol for the sweetner and they came out perfect. They were very moist and had such great chocolate flavor, my husband absolutely loved them. I am so glad to have a delicious dessert recipe to make now that won’t send his blood sugar through the roof! Thank you!
Nina
0Cupcakes are good but I would use powdered sugar for the frosting. Frosting Tasted grainy otherwise. I prefer the cupcakes with no frosting or one made with cream cheese would be better
Lynette
0We made these cupcakes (finally)! OMG!! These were amazing. Ours dried out a little bit, but I do think they were over baked (as I was not the one watching the baking time, LOL). I used up some Swerve I had on hand and it was just sweet enough. Thank you for another awesome recipe!
Linda Horte
0I love this recipe, however I found these to be dry. Is there anything extra I can to moisten them without bringing up the carb count to much? Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Linda, You can split the liquid to add more fat. Try 1/4 cup almond milk and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Also, be sure to check for doneness, it can be difficult to visually see doneness in chocolate baked goods.
Julie P,
0AMAZING! Best Keto chocolate cupcakes.
Darts
0Can I substitute Xylitol for the Best Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi, Yes, but xylitol will have a cooling sensation to it.
Linda Horte
0I used sucrolose, could this be the reason they were very dry?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Linda, Sucralose shouldn’t be drying. Is it possible they were overbaked?
Sue Kucharski
0These are wonderful!!!!! I have an air fryer, which is fabulous for low carb flours!!! Have you ever tried making these in an air fryer? I have a silicone cup cake pan for air fryers and I’d like your thoughts before I try it!
Last time I made these I added a touch more cocoa power and put white whipped cream frosting on it them. Had a little birthday party for my niece and all the “littles” wanted my cupcakes!!!!! Thanks for all of your fabulous recipes!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sue, If you have an air fryer oven then I think this recipe would work fine in it.
Lynette
0These actually sound amazing! However, I cannot afford to have yet another sweetener added to my pantry until some of the other ones disappear. Can I substitute anything at all for your Besti Blend?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lynette, You can use any monk fruit blend sweetener you have on hand.
Lynette
0Thanks for responding, Maya. What if I don’t have monk fruit sweetener? I’ve chosen to not add more just yet until I get others used up.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lynette, Erythritol is fine too for this recipe. What have you been using so far in your low carb baking?
Lynette
0I have not done a whole lot of baking at all. The few things I tried, I didn’t like because of texture and whatnot. My boyfriend has started following along with me now, and he still has it in his head about the dessert thing. As long as I have him supporting me now, I thought I would try to make it a little easier for him and oblige his sweet tooth while he still has it. Anything to help him to help me kinda thing
Mary Frances Sears
0I wish the video could be removed so you can read what you need to Just trying to get some recipes to get started. I have ordered your cook books but haven’t arrived yet.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, Absolutely, feel free to tap the X on the video to close it.
Denise F
0I’ve made these twice and both times they fell in the middle. What am I doing wrong? Did I not bake them long enough?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Denise, Keto baked goods do not behave the same way that conventional baked goods do, so they will lose some of their height after baking. If the cupcakes truly fell and collapsed into them selves, then they were probably underdone. I would suggest using a toothpick to check for doneness before pulling from the oven.
Gina
0My son is allergic to almond, coconut (all kind of tree nut) plus oat , can you use rice flour or white flour in your recipes for those who have allergies?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gina, I’m sorry I do not know how these would turn out with rice or white flour.
NYMom
0I’d like to make this for someone’s birthday in a few days. She is following the keto diet. Will this recipe work for a 9-inch cake? How long should I bake it for? Also, can I substitute heavy cream for the almond milk? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi NYMom, Yes, I believe this can be baked in a 9″ round. Bake time will increase, but I haven’t tested this, so I’m not sure by how much. You will need to keep and eye on the oven and be prepared to pull it when the center is set. The substitution is fine, but it will change the texture slightly and the macro counts.
Kristin Gottschalk
0I just made the Keto Chocolate Cupcakes. I didn’t have enough stuff for the frosting, but wanted to try out the cake part and it was yummy. So happy that I can have my cake and eat it too!! LOL Thank you!!!
Cho
0Can I use coconut oil to substitute the butter?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cho! Yes, feel free to sub with coconut oil.
Sabina Coyle
0These cupcakes taste great. I had some challenges where some of the tops of the cupcakes separated from their body 🙂 I did use silicone muffin liners. Any ideas why this would happen?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sabina, I’m glad you like the taste! How are you trying to remove the cupcakes from their liners, you just pulling them out by chance? If you gently peel back the silicone liners then the tops should stay intact.
Kelly Pease
0These were great! i made these with strawberry frosting modified from your other raspberry recipe!!! Yum!!
Anita
0Chocolate cupcakes are always a big hit is a party, and this keto version is a great option for people who are doing the keto diet. 🙂
Deanne
0I’m excited to try this keto cupcake recipe – you make it sound easy and I love that it’s ready in under 30 minutes!