Easy Vanilla Keto Cupcake Recipe – 3g net carb!
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Make this keto cupcake recipe with coconut flour and low-carb sweetener for a moist, fluffy sweet treat. The simple vanilla buttercream frosting adds a velvety touch to this low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free, and sugar-free dessert!
The best part is that these come together in under 30 minutes with common low-carb ingredients.
Table of Contents (click to view)
Keto Cupcakes with Coconut Flour
I dove into a self-led course on keto baking immediately after our son was born in 2016. Baking on a keto diet was new to me then, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good everything was!
Who needs wheat flour and sugar if keto alternatives are as easy to work with and just as delicious?
After a few months of testing sweet and savory keto baked goods, I established a solid collection of sugar-free, grain-free, and gluten-free recipes. You can find all these recipes in The Ultimate Guide to Low-Carb Baking.
Identifying the best ingredients for keto baking was a huge help. Getting good results is hard if you don’t start with the right ingredients. I list many of these same foods in a printable grocery list for keto pantry staples. This is a handy printable to keep in your kitchen or stuck on the fridge for reference.
I rely on coconut flour and other coconut products for a keto diet and keto baking. These are essential low-carb ingredients that make super tasty treats.
Personally, I prefer coconut flour over almond flour because it’s cheaper and easier to digest. Coconut flour does not have phytic acid or anti-nutrients like nut flours do and is low-oxalate. If you have a history of food allergies or auto-immune conditions, you may also want to favor coconut flour over almond flour.
This brings us to these fluffy keto cupcakes. The problem with a good cupcake is you never stop with just one. Thankfully, with these easy keto cupcakes, you don’t have to.
You can enjoy this delicious, guilt-free dessert that’s perfect for anyone following a keto or low-carb diet. Double the recipe to have a healthy treat available, or make a batch as the craving strikes – they are so simple to make!
How to Make Vanilla Keto Cupcakes
Mix everyday simple ingredients into a fluffy batter and bake your keto coconut flour cupcakes in the oven. They take 10 minutes to prep and will be out of the oven in less than 20 minutes. The whole recipe needs less than 30 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – This keeps the cake moist and flavorful. Room temperature butter creams best with the sweetener.
- Sweetener – The best sweetener for this recipe is a sugar-free granular sweetener. I use Lakanto’s erythritol and monkfruit sweetener. Take a look at these other keto desserts sweetened with Lakanto and see more ways to use it.
- Eggs – Eggs provide structure and stability to the batter, helping the cupcakes rise and hold their shape.
- Coconut milk – We use coconut milk (the kind in the carton, not the can) to thin the batter. Coconut flour absorbs much liquid, so we need something to balance the texture. You can substitute with unsweetened almond milk or other keto milk.
- Sour cream – Not only does this give a delicious tang to our cupcakes, but it also plays into the light and fluffy texture. You can substitute with plain store-bought or homemade raw milk yogurt.
- Vanilla extract – A splash of vanilla extract compliments the sweetness and makes this a satisfying keto dessert.
- Coconut flour – The flour of choice for these gluten-free cupcakes. Coconut flour is keto, low-carb, and generally suitable for many diet types.
- Baking powder – A classic baking ingredient that helps the cupcakes rise while baking in the oven.
- Vanilla Bean Frosting – This luxurious finish is made with butter, powdered keto sweetener, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and bean.
- White chocolate – Optional but adds a lovely touch when shaved and added as a garnish.
Substitutions and Variations
Use this basic keto cupcake recipe to experiment with other flavors and textures.
- Mini cupcakes – Use a small mini muffin tin to make bite-size cupcakes. This is a fantastic option for kids’ birthday parties.
- Chocolate flavor – Add cocoa powder to the batter and frosting to make these keto chocolate cupcakes. Or stick with the vanilla cupcakes and make chocolate frosting for a little variety.
Diet Modifications
As written in the recipe card, this recipe is naturally keto, nut-free, low-oxalate and gluten-free. If you have additional specific dietary needs, consider the following modifications to make this recipe suitable for any wellness diet.
- Dairy-Free – Use coconut oil instead of butter and you can omit the frosting or make a simple chocolate ganache.
- Paleo diet – If you tolerate dairy, you can make the recipe as is, using coconut sugar as the sweetener. However, if you are on strict paleo and must avoid dairy, make appropriate substitutions, as mentioned above.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to make these decadent coconut flour cupcakes.
Step 1: Preheat and prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fill the cupcake pan with paper liners.
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients
Cream the butter and sweetener in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating. Mix in the coconut milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Stir dry ingredients
Stir the coconut flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Then slowly combine them into the creamed butter and egg mixture. Continue to mix until smooth.
Step 4: Bake the cupcakes
Divide the cupcake batter evenly by scooping into each cupcake liner in the muffin tin. Each cupcake is a generous ¼ cup of batter.
Bake for 16-18 minutes until a cake tester (toothpick or knife) comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them onto a cooling rack.
Step 5: Make the frosting
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the vanilla frosting. Beat butter in a medium mixing bowl until creamy. Add powdered sweetener half of a cup at a time. Continue mixing until smooth. Add heavy cream and mix well to combine.
If the frosting looks too stiff, add cream one tablespoon at a time until you see the desired texture.
Finally, split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and mix them into the frosting. Or stir in vanilla extract.
Arrange them on a wire rack or cake stand and frost the cupcakes with a piping bag or ziplock bag with one corner snipped off. Add chocolate shavings to the top of the cupcakes for a decadent touch.
Nutritional Info for Keto Vanilla Cupcakes
One full recipe yields 12 cupcakes. Once frosted, each one will have the following nutrition profile:
Each serving with frosting, contains:
- 248 calories
- 3 g protein
- 24 g fat
- 6 g total carbs
- 3 g fiber
- 3 g net carbs
Please note that the nutritional value will change if you substitute ingredients. Use a nutrition app to recalculate and reflect your changes.
Low-Carb Coconut Flour Cupcake Recipe FAQ
If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, you certainly can. First, bake the cupcakes and store them unfrosted in an airtight container in the fridge. Since the fresh frosting has the best texture, I suggest making it the same day you plan to serve cupcakes. For ease, spread the frosting with a knife over the cupcakes just before serving for the best results.
These cupcakes are freezer-friendly, but it’s best to freeze them without the frosting. Feel free to make a double batch and store them in an airtight container for up to three months in the freezer. When you’re ready, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
I don’t recommend substituting almond flour with coconut flour as they have different absorption rates. Coconut flour absorbs much more liquid than almond flour, requiring less flour and more liquid. It’s best to use a recipe specifically for almond flour, like keto cake, if that’s what you have.
More Keto Coconut Flour Recipes
Baking low-carb doesn’t have to be complicated; with these easy recipes, we have you covered! Start the day with these coconut flour pancakes. And while you’re at it, be sure to give these savory muffins a try or the coconut flour bread for all your bread needs.
To satisfy the sweet tooth without the excess carbs, indulge in gooey butter cake or chocolate cake made with coconut flour.
Vanilla Keto Cupcakes with Coconut Flour
Equipment
- 1 cupcake pan
- 12 cupcake liners
- 1 electric hand mixer
Ingredients
For Sour Cream Cupcakes
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup Keto sugar substitute
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- White chocolate bar optional garnish
For Vanilla Bean Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered Monkfruit Sweetener
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175°C). Fill cupcake pan with liners.
- Cream the butter and sweetener together in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating. Mix in the coconut milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- Stir the dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl, then slowly combine them into the egg liquid. Continue mixing until smooth.
- Divide evenly by pouring the batter into each cupcake well. Each cupcake is a generous ¼ cup of batter. Bake for 16-18 minutes until a cake tester (toothpick or knife) comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan before removing them.
- Make the frosting while the cupcakes cool. Beat butter in a medium mixing bowl until creamy. Add powdered sweetener ½ cup at a time. Continue mixing until smooth. Add cream and mix well to combine. If the frosting looks too stiff, add additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you see the desired texture. Finally, split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and mix them into the frosting.
- Arrange on a wire rack or cake stand and frost or pipe with an icing bag.
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
First published August 25, 2019. Later updated on Sept 26, 2022 with new images and tips.
Hi, I don’t know if you’ll read this or not but I wanted to tell you, your cupcake recipe is my daughter’s favourite treat. I haven’t tried many coconut flour treats because she’d rather have the cupcakes. One thing I wanted to share is the benefit of stoneware bakeware. I got a vintage Hartstone stoneware muffin pan on online just because I wanted to try it out. I was so impressed with it. Why? The glaze is non toxic, muffin liners aren’t needed and the result is lovely. All I did was grease the wells and the cupcakes just popped out after cooling in the pan for about 10 minutes. I did reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and increased the baking time a little because it’s ceramic but I don’t know if that’s necessary or not. I really liked the idea of not having to buy liners for my stainless steel muffin pan. I got another one that’s a different brand called, Always Azul. If I lived in the USA, I’d like to go to their pottery shop. Their glazes are also non toxic and their muffin pan works well too. The shape is a different than the vintage one so they don’t nest together but that’s OK. I’m sure any stoneware baking dish is nice.
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for your kind words. It’s wonderful to hear that the vanilla keto cupcakes are your daughter’s favorite treat! We really appreciate you sharing your experience with stoneware bakeware; while it’s not specifically mentioned in the recipe, your insights about using vintage and modern ceramic pans, adjusting the temperature, and skipping liners are super helpful. It’s always great to hear how others make recipes work for their kitchens. Thanks again for taking the time to write!
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for this cupcake recipe. I did make a couple substitutions. 1.) I reduced the sweetener to 1/2 cup. I did this because I tried another coconut cupcake recipe for making 6 cupcakes and the 1/4 cup sweetener was too sweet for me and my child. 2.) I replaced 1/8 cup of the coconut flour with non flavoured grass fed whey concentrate powder. I did this because the previous recipe also only used coconut flour and it was really light weight. They were actually sort of puffy. However, maybe that was because I didn’t have baking powder on hand and tried a substitution I read online which was whipped egg whites. Anyway, I read a bit of whey can stabilize non glutenous flours. So, I did it just in case. The crumb texture was nice. I’ll try it without the protein powder next time because lots of people seem to like like that too. Sorry for the long comment. What did you use to mix the dry ingredients with the wet? I used a spatula and that wasn’t firm enough to do a good job. There was a little bit of unmixed dry mixture at the end that I ignored. Would a wooden spoon be OK or would the batter stick to it easily? By the way, I really like the extra fat/creaminess of this recipe. Unlike the other one I tried, this one doesn’t stick to the liners. The first recipe I tried probably didn’t have enough fat. Your recipes are great because they are truly keto and carnivore.
Hello, Jessica. I’m so happy to hear from you again. I love your comments, you’re welcome to leave them as frequently and as long as you like! I use an electic mixer to mix the dry and wet ingredients together. I’m really glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I like that you’re enjoying adding your own twist on them too!
The hand mixer is a helpful suggestion. I managed to make a batch with a manual mixer and it was fine. However, my child isn’t strong enough to mix coconut flour. So, I got an electric mixer for her. I made your recipe for my mom yesterday and she really really likes it. She wants them for her birthday or whenever she want to make a treat. She seems to like the coconut flour a lot.
That sounds amazing, Jessica! I’m so glad it helped.
Hi, Thank you very much for posting this recipe. My neighbor recommended I should let my child take a cupcake to the birthday party. This is a good low oxalate and low carb option. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
I hope it turns out well, Jessica! Thank you for visiting the post.
I’ve always been using almond flour for keto baking and it’s my first time to try coconut flour. I noticed a difference in texture but either way, it tasted so good. This was very easy to make with your easy-to-follow instructions and apart from the vanilla, I also made the chocolate and lemon frosting just for variety. I brought this to our office Thanksgiving party and everyone in my team loved it!
Great that it was a hit at your office party. Thank you for your comments, Tonia.
I’m keeping this recipe and adding it to my favorites. Came in handy when I was craving for something sweet but was back on Keto. Simple and delicious. Though I didn’t get the perfect texture, it was good enough for me =)
You’ll get the hang of it, Mel. Thanks so much for leaving a review.
I love this Vanilla keto cupcake recipe of yours, so easy to make but most importantly a healthy one and it satisfies my cupcake cravings :), sweet, moist, fluffy, buttery flavors and all, sooooo delish! Already on my list of my ‘fav cupcake recipes’ Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for the comments, Kimberly – thrilled to hear we made the favorites list!
These keto cupcakes hit the spot. Quick to make and that vanilla bean frosting is so delish.
I made these for my mom’s birthday and she loved them! She didn’t know they were keto until I told her, which is awesome. I’ll make these again, for sure.
Thanks for the great review, Ashely (and mom).
WOW!! I have been baking gluten free for over 15 years and low carb keto for 3. This is HANDS DOWN the BEST cupcake recipe EVER! It is so fluffy and moist! No one would EVER know they are low carb and or gluten free. I cannot say enough good things about this recipe. Super easy too! The only modification I made was to use macadamia milk in lieu of the coconut milk (I was out of coconut milk). I also added a splash of McCormick’s cake batter flavouring to the batter. I opted to ice my cupcakes with a cream cheese buttercream frosting. Kudos to the creator of this recipe. If I could give it 10 stars, I would!
Thank you so much for the review, Colette! Your substitutions sound great, perfect for a birthday party!
Could heavy whipping cream, half-n-half, or whole milk be used in place of the coconut milk? Thank you!
Yes, absolutely. Half-n-half would be my first choice, but they will all work.