These past few weeks have brought some of Vermont’s finest autumn weather. The leaves are a kaleidoscope of eye-catching shades of fiery crimsons, bronzes and golds. I am savoring the rich mosaic of warming colors and the cool, crisp mornings while I can, so I mindfully take a few moments on even the busiest of days to step outside, knowing in just a few short weeks we’ll be in the throes of those shortened, bleak, colorless winter days.
These types of autumn days find me craving something sweet and substantial with my morning coffee. The smell of freshly baked goods seems to complement the bitter tones of the coffee and gives me a sense of comfort as the weather cools.
So, I wanted something that would accompany my morning coffee without competing, something that wasn’t too sweet, but with a richness of body and texture that would leave me pleasantly filled, yet not overwhelmed with flavor explosion. That’s when I came up with Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes.
Indulgences are a part of life, especially for anyone who loves to bake. My gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe is rich and chocolate-y, but without being overly-sweet. These exceptionally moist cupcakes use almond flour in place of all purpose flour, making them a gluten free, heart-healthy option to regular cupcakes. I also use maple syrup instead of refined granulated sugar.
How To Make Chocolate Cupcakes
If I am being honest, I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel here so I chose to adapt this recipe from my Almond Flour Chocolate Cake. You can take a look at the comments from that recipe to get an idea of all the love that one got. Hopefully you will find plenty of love in this one as well!
As in all cupcake recipes, in this no flour cupcakes recipe, you first make the muffins and then the frosting.
Flourless chocolate muffins
To make the muffin part, I used the exact same recipe of my Almond Flour Chocolate Cake. The only difference is that instead of baking it in a 9-inch cake pan, I used a 12-cup muffin tin. Baking time was the same as well.
In my opinion, the best part of this recipe is that it doesn’t use any additional oils. Since it is made with almond flour, the high fat content of it is enough to create muffins that are moist and rich at the same time.
Additionally, it is naturally sweetened with less than a cup of maple syrup so it is not overly sweet.
The process of making these flourless chocolate muffins has 3 folds:
First, you mix the dry ingredients; almond flour, unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed), baking soda, and kosher salt.
Then you mix the wet ingredients; eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
Last but not least, you stir in the wet ingredients into the dry ones and divide the batter evenly in a 12-cup muffin tin. Then you bake them in a 325 F degree preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in one of the muffins comes out clean.
Frosting for flourless cupcakes
While you can certainly use a cream cheese and butter based frosting (and it would taste amazing), I went for a simple chocolate frosting. When I say simple, I mean that quite literally.
To frost my flourless chocolate muffins, I melted some unsweetened baking chocolate in a glass bowl placed over boiling water and added a few tablespoons of maple syrup to sweeten it.
I used unsweetened chocolate so that I can adjust the amount of sweetness and use a natural sweetener (maple syrup) to make sure that the (maple) flavor is consistent throughout my gluten free chocolate cupcake recipe.
I topped it off with some fresh strawberries for a pop of color and additional sweetness. However, you can use any other fruit you have on hand or just serve it without the fruit.
Alternatively, if you prefer a more traditional cupcake with frosting here are a few suggestions:
- Maple Whipped Cream and Fruit: Similar to what I did with my Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, you can top if off with maple whipped cream and fruit (pomegranate seeds, strawberries, and raspberries are my favorite fruits for this flourless cupcake)
I know that this is not a traditional frosting per say, but I promise it works. - Cream Cheese Frosting: If you prefer more of a traditional frosting, then you can try my friend Alana’s Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. While it is not naturally sweetened (she uses powdered sugar), it is creamy and tangy without being overly sweet.
Plus in her post, she shares various flavorings using the same cream cheese frosting recipe as the base.
A Few Tips for the Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes
- Best Way To Store: Since these muffins are super moist, I recommend storing the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container up to 2 (max 3) days. You can store them on the kitchen counter too, but I prefer keeping them in the fridge and warming them up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before I am ready to serve. You can top it off with the frosting right before serving.
- Can I freeze these flourless chocolate muffins: Yes, you can. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature and store them in an airtight container. They should be fine for 2-3 weeks in the freezer. You don’t need to thaw them before serving. Simply take them out from the freezer an hour before you plan to serve and top it off with the frosting. Alternatively, you can warm them up in the oven (low-temperature 250 F degree) for 5-10 minutes and frost them afterward.
- Can I substitute maple syrup with honey: Yes, you can. Though I recommend using ½ cup of honey as ¾ cup was way too sweet. Though feel free to adjust it to your liking.
- Can I use homemade DIY almond flour (or almond meal) for this recipe: Absolutely! As a matter of fact, I made the almond flour I used in this recipe in my food processor using almonds I blanched myself. If you want to learn more about making your own, check out my comprehensive guide on How To Make Almond Flour.
I think this covers it all. I hope you will add these easy gluten-free chocolate cupcakes in your desserts without flour collection and give them a try soon.
If You Liked This No Flour Cupcakes Recipe, You Might Also Like
- Easy Banana Nut Muffins
- Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake
- Paleo Pumpkin Muffins
- Low-Carb Double Chocolate Blender Brownies ~ All Day I Dream About Food
- Strawberry Mascarpone Tart {With Almond Flour Crust}
- Vegan Almond Flour Cookies
- Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
Easy Chocolate Desserts - A Reader Favorite: Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, to grease the pan
- 1 ¼ cups (4.22 oz.) almond flour
- ½ cup (1.5 oz.)unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For The Chocolate Frosting:
- 4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, or more to taste
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 F degrees. Spray/brush a 12-cup muffin pan generously with coconut oil and line it with muffin liners. Set aside.
- To make the batter: Mix together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased muffin tin. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes before frosting.
- Meanwhile, to make the chocolate frosting, bring a cup of water in a small pot. Place a heat-proof glass bowl over the pot. Place the chocolate and maple syrup in it. Using a wood spatula, mix until chocolate melts completely.* Taste for sweetness and add in if necessary.
- Spoon the frosting over the flourless chocolate muffins and garnish them with strawberries.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave. To do so, place the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl and melt the chocolate in the microwave in two to three 20-second intervals. Be sure to stir in between. Stir the maple syrup at the very end.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I can’t believe a cupcake can be this healthy and delicious at the same time. Brilliant!
YAY! So happy to hear that you liked it Aysegul.Cheers!
Question: why can’t we use Dutch-Processed Cocoa? Thanks!
Hi JP,
Unlike cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa powder is washed in an alkaline solution of potassium carbonate to neutralize its acidity. So it is neutral (no acidity). As a result, it does not react with baking soda. We use baking soda in this recipe to get a nice rise for our muffins so if you use the dutch processed cocoa powder you would end up with flat almond flour chocolate cupcakes. Honestly, since I have never tried this recipe with dutch processed cocoa powder I also am not sure how it would taste.
I hope this helps.
I like to soak nuts before using them. How does the recipe change if I soak almonds overnight before blending them in flour? Well I quess it won’t really be dry flour but more as a wet almond meal?
Himmm… Honestly, I have never made almond flour using wet almonds so it is hard to say. Instead, I would recommend drying the soaked nuts first before turning them into almond flour/meal. I made a detailed video about this in my how to make almond flour post. Feel free to give it a watch.
However, I am almost sure that this recipe would not turn out well if you make it with wet almond flour.
I hope this helps.
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it several times. I can’t eat eggs so I substitute flax eggs and use baking powder instead of baking soda in an attempt to get them to rise a little. They are gooey, but I love them anyway.
Hi Margaret,
It is good to know that it works with flax eggs.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
Cheers!
Hi Aysegul,
I have a question. Regarding the coconut oil, you mean that I should grease the actual liner with the oil (or the pan?)
Also, do you know if I can substitute monk sugar for the maple syrup… if so, by chance do you know the conversion?
Thanks ! Can’t wait to try the recipe!
Hi Martha,
That is a good question. I am sorry that it isn’t clear in the recipe. I just edited it.
You grease the pan. No need to grease the liner.
Sadly, I have no experience with monk sugar. I am embarrassed to say that I have not even tried it. However, next time I am at the store I will see if I can find it.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for coming by.
Monk fruit is a 1:1 ratio replacement for regular or organic cane sugar, not a liquid so I don’t belive base on other comments that it would work as a substitute in this case u less your using liquid monkfruit.
These cupcakes are amazing! Thank you for the time and effort to create something so healthy and gluten-free.
So glad to hear that you liked it Carla. It is a favorite in our house as well. Cheers!
Hi these look amazing,i wanted to try them today however i just wondering would i be able to sub the eggs for flax eggs? Thankyou!
Hi Hannah,
So glad you liked them.
Quite honestly, I have never tried these with flax eggs. However, since the batter is made without oil the high-fat content that is provided (in addition to the almond flour) by egg yolks is an important part of this recipe. I doubt that it would deliver the same results with flax eggs so I wouldn’t recommend it.
I am sorry that I wasn’t able to give you a helpful answer, but I would hate for you to try and end up with not so good chocolate cupcakes.
Ice
A couple of questions…What would be the proper cook time for making mini cupcakes using this recipe and would they produce the same result as 12 regular cupcakes in terms of quality, moistness, etc? You are not using paper cup liners, but coconut oil to grease tin, correct? What grade of maple syrup works best for this recipe? Is vanilla extract GF naturally?
Hi Angela,
Below are the answers to your questions:
What would be the proper cook time for making mini cupcakes using this recipe and would they produce the same result as 12 regular cupcakes in terms of quality, moistness, etc?
It is hard for me to say exactly without actually testing the recipe, but I doubt that it would be much different quality wise. However, the baking time might be slightly less. To ensure that they don’t overbake, I would keep a close eye on it after the 25-27 minute mark.
You are not using paper cup liners, but coconut oil to grease tin, correct?
I use parchment paper liners. Since they are made of parchment paper the muffins don’t stick to the muffin tin. And if you use them there is no need to grease the muffin tin.
If you only have paper liners I recommend greasing the pan (not only the muffin holes but the top section as well) lightly with vegetable oil. My vegetable oil choice when it comes to baking is coconut oil.
What grade of maple syrup works best for this recipe?
Any grade would work. Obviously, darker maple syrup yields more flavorful muffins. However, I usually use Grade A or B.
Is vanilla extract GF naturally?
Yes, it is. This brand is the one I use.
I hope these answers are helpful. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers!
I literally just popped these out of the oven and my 3 boys are in love! I try a good bit of recipes with chocolate because that’s our weakness! We found them to be moist and the perfect sweetness. I actually only had 3 eggs so mine were more consistent with a brownie and they don’t even need frosting! Thank you for this!
So glad to hear that you and your boys liked them. Thanks for leaving a review. Cheers!
these were delicious. easy to make. I didn’t try the frostin.
Hi Julie,
So happy to hear that you liked them. I currently have a batch baking in my oven. 🙂
Thanks for coming by. Cheers!
These look fabulous! How long would you bake them if you used mini cupcake pans?
Hi Annie.. I have never baked cupcakes in a mini muffin pan before. However, I just asked a baker friend of mine and she said that they usually bake quicker, somewhere between 5-8 minutes sooner. So for this recipe, I would recommend keeping a close eye on it after the 20th to 25th minute mark. I know it is a little earlier than that, but I just want to be on the safer side.
Please let me know how it turns out if you end up trying. Thanks for stopping by.