These paleo and keto almond flour chocolate cupcakes are gorgeous and perfect for any special occasion! They have a soft and tender crumb, a light texture, and an intense chocolate flavor.

If you have any kind of special occasion coming up, these paleo & keto almond flour chocolate cupcakes are perfect! They have a soft and tender crumb, are incredibly moist, and have an intensely rich chocolate flavor.
🍫 Natural, unsweetened cocoa powder vs. dutch processed cocoa powder
Natural cocoa powder is acidic and reacts with baking soda, while dutch processed cocoa powder is neutral and will not react with baking soda. Dutch-processed cocoa is usually called for when only using baking powder.
For this recipe, I use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder with baking soda for proper leavening. The homemade buttermilk is acidic too so it also reacts with the baking soda to give added moisture and rise.
Why use both baking soda and baking powder
Since I'm using baking soda, buttermilk, and natural cocoa to leaven the cake you may wonder why I also use baking powder.
This is because baking powder gives added leavening and helps keep the cake from falling after an initial rise in the oven.
Butter or oil
For this recipe, I prefer to use grass-fed butter, even though the chocolate taste will easily overpower the butter flavor.
I prefer grass-fed butter because it not only produces a better texture, but it has many health benefits such as vitamin K-2 (which is good for your arteries!), healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory properties.
While I love avocado oil and it can be used in place of the butter, avocado oil will cause the cupcakes to be a bit heavier and denser so they might not rise as well.
The sweetener
*Update- I now recommend using xylitol or a monk fruit/allulose blend! They both have zero aftertastes and make the crumb extra soft! However, you can use an erythritol-based sweetener if you prefer.
For the sweetener, I recommend an erythritol-based keto sweetener.
I like to use a Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend because it has less of an aftertaste than pure erythritol and can easily be masked by the chocolate flavor.
To see a full guide on how to pick the perfect sweetener, see my Ultimate Keto Sweetener Guide!
For Paleo, use coconut palm sugar.
*Note-As a special gift to my readers, I've teamed up with Besti Sweeteners to give you guys 10% off! Simply use the code "CRAVEABLE" at checkout.
🔪 Easy instructions
Start by setting out some milk or non-dairy milk on the counter with 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. This is basically a homemade buttermilk mixture.
Buttermilk helps achieve a moist crumb. It also reacts with baking soda to help them rise, so it's quite important!
Then, in a large mixing bowl whisk together some blanched almond flour, ground flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder.
If there are any clumps, use your fingers to break them up. Set aside.
Next, add the butter and the sweetener to a medium-sized pot and heat over low heat until butter is melted and most of the sweetener has dissolved.
Then, add the homemade buttermilk mixture, 2 Tbsp. of brewed coffee, and pure vanilla.
The brewed coffee will not make the cupcakes taste like coffee! It just enhances the chocolate flavor.
If you would rather, though, you can replace the coffee with additional non-dairy milk.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry then add the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
🧁 To bake
Evenly distribute the batter between 12 muffin cups. The batter should barely fill the baking cups over halfway.
Do not over bake or the crumb will be dry - and no one wants dry cupcakes! They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center barely comes out clean.
Keto frosting
Cool completely and frost with Keto Chocolate Frosting, Vanilla Keto Buttercream Frosting or Keto Cream Cheese Frosting.
Or if you prefer cake, be sure to check out my layered sugar-free keto chocolate cake recipe!
Storage instructions
These keto chocolate cupcakes can be stored, tightly covered, at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
They can also be frozen! To freeze, wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap then place them in a freezer-safe baggie in the freezer for 2 - 3 months.
When ready to eat, remove the wrapping and thaw at room temperature. Takes approximately 3 hours.
💭 Top tips
- Do not over bake, if you do, they will turn out dry! They are perfect when a toothpick inserted into the middle barely comes out clean.
- The recipe below is for 12 keto chocolate cupcakes. It can easily be doubled, though, to make 24 cupcakes.
- While oil can be used, I recommend using grass-fed butter. Grass-fed butter has many health benefits and produces the best texture. Oil is a bit heavier than butter so it will cause the cupcakes to sink.
- This recipe calls for natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch processed cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will not produce the same results.
- All ingredients must be room temperature. Cold ingredients prevent the flours from mixing properly and can interfere with how the cupcakes rise.
If you’ve tried these Keto Almond Flour Chocolate Cupcakes, please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Chocolate Cupcakes {Keto & Paleo}
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Unsweetened, Non-Dairy Milk
- 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar or Distilled White Vinegar
- 3 Large Eggs - room temperature
- 1 ½ Cup Blanched Almond Flour - finely ground
- ¼ Cup Ground Flax Seed
- ½ Cup Natural, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - not dutch processed
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder*
- ¼ tsp. Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Keto Granulated Sweetener - see notes below, or coconut palm sugar for Paleo (can use ¾ cup if you prefer them less sweet)
- 4 Tbsp. Grass-Fed Butter (can use non-dairy)
- 2 tablespoon Brewed Coffee - or additional milk
- 2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla
- Keto Chocolate Frosting - for frosting cake or cupcakes (see more frosting options above in post)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 12 baking cups and set aside.
- Place the eggs in a bowl of warm water and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar. Set that aside also.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, flax seeds, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- In a medium-sized pot, add the butter and sweetener. Heat over low heat until the butter is melted and the sweetener is mostly dissolved. Then, stir in the milk mixture, brewed coffee, and vanilla.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one until completely incorporated. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared tin.
- Bake 16-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center barely comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Add Your Own Notes
Video
Notes
- See how easy this recipe is to make on my YouTube channel! Watch the full video here: Chocolate Cupcakes YouTube Video!
- To make grain-free baking powder, combine 1 part baking soda with 2 parts cream of tartar and 2 parts tapioca, arrowroot, or potato starch.
- For Paleo, simply sub out the sweetener for coconut palm sugar.
- Do not overbake, if you do, they will turn out dry! They are perfect when a toothpick inserted into the middle barely comes out clean.
- While oil can be used, I recommend using grass-fed butter. Grass-fed butter has many health benefits and produces the best texture. Oil is a bit heavier than butter so it will cause the cupcakes to sink.
- This recipe calls for natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch processed cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will not produce the same results.
- All ingredients must be room temperature. Cold ingredients prevent the flours from mixing properly and can interfere with how the cupcakes rise.
- For the sweetener, I've always recommended any granulated erythritol-based sweetener, such as Besti Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend. However, I now recommend xylitol or a monk fruit/allulose blend! They both make the crumb extra soft and have no aftertaste!
- For Paleo, use coconut palm sugar for the sweetener and non-dairy butter.
- Even if you consume dairy, I recommend unsweetened, non-dairy milk. This is because traditional cow's milk has quite a few carbs.
- As a special gift to my readers, I've teamed up with Besti Sweeteners to give you guys 10% off! Simply use the code "CRAVEABLE" at checkout.
- Or if you prefer cake, be sure to check out my layered sugar-free keto chocolate cake recipe!
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
Dee says
This was awesome. I used a reduced amount of sweetener like suggested for a less sweet cake, and since I did not have flax seeds I added a tablespoon of coconut flour. My husband cannot believe how much this is like "real" cake! Thank you for sharing!
Cassidy Stauffer says
Oh YAY, thank you!!! I'm so happy you and your husband liked it and he thought it tasted like "real" cake, that's always my goal 😍
XO,
Cassidy
Maria says
Just made this cake today, turned out fantastic!!! I did leave out the flax meal, and used 1/2 cup coconut flour, and 3/4 cup almond flour. My husband gets German Chocolate Cake every year for his birthday, and this recipe was so easy, well written, and no clumpy egg yolks in the coconut/ pecan mixture!! So excited for thos delicious recipe!! Thank you!
Cassidy Stauffer says
Hi Maria!
Sorry, I wasn't quick enough with my response to your question about the flax until you had already made the cake, but it sounds like it turned out great! I'm SO happy you liked the recipe, thanks for letting me know!!
...I'll have to try it using the coconut flour/almond flour combo you used, sounds delish!
-Cassidy
Maria says
Keith? Delicious, and I plan on making this! What does the flax do? Can I use something eles?
Maria says
Ignore the keith....lol
r.mcnatt says
These were delicious!!
Cindy Gordon says
WHOA, these look awesome! YUM Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂
I hope to see you again this week!
Stop by this week to see if you were the winner of the Sugar and Spice Prize pack! We had a super great variety of recipes and entries this week!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
sew sweet vintage says
These look awesome! Been gf since 2004, but now grains like rice are trouble for me too. Can't wait to try your recipe. Pinned the recipe:) I posted http://www.sewsweetvintage.com/2012/12/impossibly-sweet-ikea-and-trujoy-gluten.html to the gf monday party:)