These paleo chocolate cupcakes are moist but not eggy and have a rich, dark chocolaty taste! Topped off with chocolate fudge frosting. Grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Scroll down for a how-to recipe video.
So here’s the promised cupcake recipe that I used as a carrier for the paleo vegan chocolate frosting that I posted last week.
Before anyone gets their knickers* in a twist, I know sprinkles aren’t paleo. They’re, like, the very opposite of paleo. But just look how they brightened these cupcakes up! They look much happier with the sprinkles.
Here’s how you can make your own paleo coconut sprinkles. The recipe uses plant-based natural coloring and coconut and while they’re not nearly as bright as nasty store-bought sprinkles, you don’t have to worry about what you’re eating!
Raspberries, strawberries and mini chocolate chips would also make for pretty and delicious paleo alternatives to sprinkles.
* I don’t think I’m British – I just loathe the p-word.
This paleo chocolate cupcakes recipe is pretty much the same recipe I used in my spiderweb cupcakes. I adapted it a little to make the cupcakes bigger and to make the measurements a bit easier for people who use measuring cups instead of grams.
I also added a little more sweetener! The original paleo cupcake recipe was sweetened with just honey but when I tried the recipe as written, and ate a cupcake without the frosting, I wanted more sugar. So I added two tablespoons of coconut sugar.
These gluten-free dairy-free cupcakes have a really interesting texture and I don’t mean that in a bad way! It’s hard to describe, but they’re kind of mousse-like. They’re not like regular, fluffy airy cupcakes, but they’re moist and… mousse-like. I’m sure that won’t convince you to make them so here’s a review from the original recipe:
“A girl who has been eating GF for 3 years said they were the best GF cupcakes she has ever had! They were all asking after the recipe!” I think they’re pretty darned delicious but I don’t know about best gluten-free cupcakes ever. I think I’ll reserve that title for cupcakes that have the same exact texture as regular cupcakes. Ones where you have no idea that they’re gluten-free (like my best gluten-free brownies recipe!)
These paleo chocolate cupcakes don’t have that typical weird, eggy and spongy thing that a lot of grain-free cupcake recipes I’ve tried have had, though so that’s a huge plus. All in all, I’d say that these cupcakes are a victory. :) Check out the reviews in the comments in you need convincing!
For more of my most popular paleo recipes, try my chocolate chip paleo cookies or these paleo blueberry muffins! I can pretty much guarantee you that neither will disappoint. :)
I definitely need to up my paleo cupcakes game (when it comes to variety!). These chocolate cupcakes are pretty much all I have. What kind should I make next?!
Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 14 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (104 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (80 grams) almond flour or almond meal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (use paleo baking powder, if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (126 grams) coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup (213 grams) honey
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (160 grams) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- for frosting: 1 or 1 1/2 batch paleo chocolate fudge frosting1
- paleo decoration ideas: raspberries, strawberries, mini chocolate chips, homemade coconut sprinkles
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a muffin pan (or two) with 14 liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, almond flour, baking powder, espresso powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, honey, applesauce, coconut sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the muffin liners, about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 24-28 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs or a little stickiness is okay, just not raw batter. These are super moist so if it comes out totally clean, they're probably overdone.
- Let cool for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. These do not taste very good straight out of the oven. I recommend letting them sit for 2 hours and then frosting. When you refrigerate them, they become denser, the way brownies get when you refrigerate them. Can be kept at room temperature, unfrosted, for up to 3 days or can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Notes
- 1 batch of frosting will yield just enough for slightly more than 1 tablespoon of frosting per cupcake, which isn't very much for frosting lovers. You may want to do 1 1/2 batches or even a double batch if you want to frost the cupcakes more generously. I used about 1 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 batches) of frosting on mine.
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224 comments on “Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free)” — Add one!
8 comments are awaiting moderation!
I’m not offended by the sprinkles, of course I don’t eat paleo either. LOL
Erin, these are the most chocolaty looking cupcakes I think I’ve ever seen. They’re so dark they’re almost black (in a good way), so I understand the reason for the pop of color. If I could, I’d grab one (or two) through the computer screen and lick off all that frosting before noshing on the cake!
They are almost black! And very dark chocolaty. And good that you’re not offended by my topping choice! Whew. ;)
Nom! Girl, you have outdone yourself with these scrumptious Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes. I love that you used the combination of honey, applesauce and coconut sugar for sweetening and texture. I cannot wait to bake these. :) Bravo!
I hope you’ll enjoy them! Thanks so much for your comment. :)
A mousse-like texture sold me! These look so rich!
They are indeed! :)
Wow, these look great — so moist and fluffy. And I much prefer the word ‘knickers’ too.
Haha. So much better than the p-word. ;)
The cupcakes look so enticing! I know that the sprinkles are paleo, but boy do they make the cupcakes look fun.
I agree! It’s not a part of the recipe so I don’t even have to feel all that guilty about them. :D
looks delicious…. what would you substitute for coconut oil?
I haven’t tried it but I’m assuming any neutral flavored oil would work fine! Or even olive oil
These look delicious.
Thanks, Charlotte! :)
They sound great and I would like to try them. However, I am allergic to coconut, which is a serious problem with most of the paleo recipes. Is there a practical alternative to the coconut oil, flour and sugar?
Another type of neutral olive or even olive oil would work for the coconut oil, raw sugar or another granulated sugar for the coconut sugar, but there’s no sub for coconut flour. It absorbs so much more liquid than any other type of flour and so there’s no direct sub for it. Sorry about that! But wait – there’s no coconut flour in this recipe. So it looks like it should still work for you. :)
The cupcakes do look happier with the sprinkles, but they look just as delicious without them!
Thank you, Roxana!
These are the most perfect looking cupcakes EVER! And yes, cupcakes are simply there to hold all of that delicious frosting!!
Aww, thanks! :D
Oh my… these look so decadent, so fudgy… I’d never believe that they’re paleo!
The sprinkles will food everyone! :)
I love chocolate cake! and that frosting looks amazing.
Thank you!
You’d never know by just looking at these beautiful cupcakes. They sound amazing and I love the sprinkles on top! Perfectly festive for a birthday.
Agreed! I should totally bring these to the next birthday party I’m invited to. :)
These look so perfectly chocolatey and moist. Sprinkles or not :)
Thank you!
I laughed at your line about the cupcake being a carrier for frosting. I feel exactly that way about cupcakes!
Right?! At least, that’s how it is when you have really good frosting. :)
Saying that cupcakes are mousse-like would absolutely convince me to try them. I love mousse!
Haha. Good! I just thought it sounded weird. ;)
First off, these look delicious! Secondly, I love how simple the decorating is here. I always think cupcakes need big swirls and jazz, but everything works perfectly here.
Not with me! I hate piping. ;)
Love that these are paleo, and your GIF is so cute!
Thanks so much! :)
Look how moist (sorry) these are!! SO obsessed with this recipe, and I will absolutely give them a try!
I actually love the word moist and use it in almost every cake, muffin and cupcake post. It’s just the p-word! :D
Yum! Don’t worry about the paleo police, they’ll have their undies (our word for knickers!) twisted over something else in no time!
Haha. So true! And oh. Undies is actually my word of choice, too. I have no idea why I didn’t think to use that. Haha.