Flourless Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

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OK… so let me start off by saying that I am not a good cook or maybe I should say I just don’t know what I’m doing in the kitchen. I really don’t – which I think makes it more fun and challenging! 😉

So today I am sharing a recipe of which I am very proud. Through trial and error… OK, lots of error, I am finally ready to share a super moist and delicious gluten-free, flourless, and Paleo friendly chocolate cupcake recipe with you. If you love cupcakes like me and are missing out on them due to eating a certain way, give these a try.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake or Cupcakes

Ingredients:


1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup almond butter (you could probably use another nut butter and get similar results)
1/3 to 1/2 cup honey (or use another sweetener like Agave Nectar)
1 teaspoon liquid Stevia (I LOVE the NuNaturals brand!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 ripe banana
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
Throw coconut oil through banana in a Vitamix or blender or use a hand mixer. Blend everything until smooth. After doing so, stick your finger in (this is a requirement! 😉 ) and taste… good stuff. In a bowl, throw in the cacao powder, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Now dump the coconut oil mix in the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is incorporated. Once finished, decide if you want to make an 8×8 cake or 12 cupcakes (make sure to grease your pan well or use cupcake liners or parchment paper)…

(I have baked both cake and cupcakes using this same recipe. The cake rose perfectly but the cupcakes, as you can see from the pic above, do have a tiny bit of a dip in the middle… no biggie in my book since I don’t know what I’m doing in the kitchen and they still tasted great, but thought I’d let you know, as you may have a solution?)

8×8 Cake
Bake at 325 for 30 to 35 minutes

12 Cupcakes
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes

Now for the frosting… you can eat without anything, you can create your own., or you can check out my creations.

Almond Butter Spread with Honey and Banana


(By the way, this stuff is so yummy with sliced bananas and apples. Also, if I have a sweet craving, I put this on a spoon and get transported to a happy place. Love it!)

Ingredients:


Ingredients:
1/2 ripe banana
1/2 cup almond butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid Stevia to taste (optional)

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in Vitamix or blender until smooth. Spread on cupcakes… there should also be some leftover to indulge in whenever you have a sweet craving! 🙂

Simple Chocolate Frosting

(My kiddos opt for this over the almond butter spread)

Ingredients:
Enjoy life chocolate chips (or any other chocolate chips you like)
Coconut oil
Liquid Stevia (optional)

Directions:
Melt chocolate chips in saucepan with a little coconut oil and Stevia. Chill in freezer for a few minutes and then spread on cupcakes. I also sprinkled chocolate chips on top of the cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Join The Discussion

Comments 63

  1. Rachel

    Collin, the cupcakes look so yummy! Thank you for sharing your recipes! I do have a question. I have all of the ingredients on hand except for the liquid Stevia, do you think it would be ok to try it without it? Thanks again!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Ya… definitely! 🙂 If you like things pretty sweet, I would just add in a little more honey or another sweetener.

      • Rachel

        Thank you! 🙂

  2. Christina

    Collin, thanks so much for sharing, I have a gluten free family member and wanted to make a treat versus paying $9 for the store gluten free (you only get 4 cupcakes). I will try this as well. They look yummy, I can smell them through my screen..hahaha 🙂

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      I know what ya mean about buying store bought gluten-free products – like cake mixes. They are so darn expensive, which is just another reason why I am so motivated in the kitchen these days. 🙂

  3. Jenn

    My son is sitting beside me and saw these. He looked at them and said “Yum.” I will definately have to try these.

  4. April

    Can’t wait to try this! I have been following your paleo adventure – I made the pancakes Sunday morning and the chicken, squash, apple hash tonight. Both great!

    I have Barrett’s syndrome, cannot have any starch, and had never heard of paleo until your posts.

    This stuff is great – thank you so much for sharing!!!

  5. Zombiemommie

    I got all excited and then saw eggs. Poo. Trying to make a cupcake without eggs is next to impossible.

    • Karen

      1 1/2 cups flour
      1 cup granulated sugar
      1 teaspoon baking soda
      1 teaspoon salt
      1/3 cup cocoa powder
      1/2 cup oil
      1 cup water
      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      1 tablespoon vinegar

      20-25 minutes at 350 😉

      • Dana

        I make cupcakes and cake using this all the time for my son (and us) because of his allergies. They always turn out perfect! Best part is no raw egg in the batter so you can lick the spoon! 🙂

    • Rebecca

      Not that it’s healthy but you can add a can of pop (any flavor, diet or regular) to any cake mix & it bakes up perfectly. Most moist cake I have ever made. Doesn’t need any oil or eggs or anything else, just the pop. You can also add just a can of pumpkin to cake mix (nothing else needed) and it comes out great. Especially good with chocolate.

      • Leslie

        I second this. A box of cake mix and a can of soda (we use diet) makes an awesome cake. You can mix the flavors (vanilla cake mix with cherry soda…etc.) and make some funky flavors! It’s EASY and makes the cake a wee bit healthier if you use diet!

        • niki

          Diet soda healthier? Thats a stretch….The fake sugar they put in diet soda has been proven to cause cancer.

          • Jamie

            What DOESN’T cause cancer these days? Even going outside a lot will give you cancer eventually.

    • c

      you can use a relatively tasteless cooking oil and it will turn out okay.
      i have a child w/ allergies and eggs are always substituted this way.
      nobody even notices!

    • jiya

      you can replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup applesauce or mix 1 tablespoon flax seed powder with 3 tablespoons water until the mixture is thick and creamy. I am veg. & always bake like that.

  6. Drena

    YAY! These look amazing! I will have to make a batch for the hubby who is less than happy our family is going Paleo 😀 His least favorite thing is trying to do without the sweet/sugar. Crossing my fingers this “helps” his pain!!! muah-haha-haha!

  7. Karen

    For the sinking cupcake phenomenon, try to allow the batter to sit for 10 minutes or so before popping in the oven It will allow the leavening reaction to take effect before it gets hot – or else it gets hot, rises, creates air space, traps steam, and then psshhh deflates.

  8. Leslie

    Are you using the whole eggs or just the whites, you don’t mention them in the preparation.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Hi Leslie,

      Sorry for the confusion. In the first part of the directions I state “Throw coconut oil through banana” … so in the step is when you throw in 2 whole eggs. Hope that makes sense! 🙂

  9. Destinee

    My friend’s son is on the SCD diet and its very strict, thanks for making all these posts he has been able to atleast try new things, but this should be a great treat for him.

  10. Jacki

    Thanks for this delicious post! Can I ask where the best place is to buy the coconut oil, cacao powder, stevia, and almond butter? Thank you!

  11. heather

    Collin, you should add a recipe tab where you keep all of your delicious recipes. I look forward to your recipes! I love them and they look sooo DELICIOUS!! You are a cook and I admire your willingness to try new recipes. Thank you for sharing. Side note: I may be just oblivious but if you have a tab I don’t know where it is. Thank you!! 🙂

    • DeAnna

      If you click on the tab up right that says “click to view all categories, it’s under that. HTH!

      • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

        Yep… it is under the “View All Categories” orange tab. And the recipe category is called “Cooking with Collin”. I am also in the process of creating an actually blog just for recipes, so stay tuned… 🙂

      • heather

        Thank you!

  12. Heather

    I agree you should have a Recipe tab! I also appreciate a picture of the ingredients you’re using, It helps knowing what to buy at the health food store. Thank you!

  13. Belinda

    When is the cooking blog starting?????

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Soon! 🙂

  14. Anu

    Nice one colin. What a coincidence i too have posted blueberry muffin at my blog.

  15. Sarah

    Your recipe looks awesome!! I wish I could try making it, but unfortunately I am DEATHLY allergic to bananas 🙁

    • Karen

      Try using applesauce as a substitute.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Or you could try substituting a little canned pumpkin.

  16. Rose

    I’ll have to try this. Recently i tried making a chocolate cake with black beans and was not too impressed. Hopefully this will be better!

  17. Brittany

    Oh too bad it has eggs, I am vegan!! It is almost impossible to make a vegan cake! Maybe you could work on that one next Collin, since you have become a genius in the kitchen! 😉

    • Rebecca

      See post 5 for some ideas.

  18. Jenny

    Just made them.using peanut butter and just used vegetable oil since its what I had. Turned out pretty good. I am gluten free so nice to find something easy to make.

  19. Felicia

    Collin, I think you may like this blog
    healthyindulgences.net – a lot of her recipes can probably be tailored to your needs. also coconut flour (if it is paleo friendly, i am not sure) is great for these types of recipes

  20. Amanda Rhoades

    WOW…I’ve been considering a Paleo diet for a few months now and was holding off because I THOUGHT I would have to give up all-things cake & chocolate for forever….Oh-my-hello-Paleo-diet….yum! Can’t wait to attempt this whole new way of eating. Thanks Collin!

  21. Sydney

    Any recipes for a cake that are gluten, dairy, nut and egg free? My baby’s turning one, and I would like him to have a cake he can eat

    • t

      Unless he has allergies, or is on a special diet, a one-year-old can have regular cake with all of the ingredients you listed.

    • MommySpendsLess

      If your child has allergies, Cherrybrook Kitchens makes a boxed mix for chocolate cupcakes/cake that is gluten, dairy, egg, peanut and nut free that’s actually really yummy. It used to be available at Super Target (and MAY still be) and I had good luck finding it at health food stores like Chamberlain’s and Whole Foods or it’s available online.

      https://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/products/gf_choccake.php

      You can make a simple icing/frosting with powdered sugar, coconut oil and gluten free rice milk, although it’s VERY sweet.

      I tried making a two layer cake and I had a lot of trouble with the top layer breaking but I wasn’t much of a baker at the time and I don’t think I was leveling the bottom layer enough. It makes great and really easy cupcakes though so you could do a pull-apart cake.

  22. katie

    I love the paleo diet recipes! Would you mind posting the nutritional info on it? If you have it please?

  23. irene

    What a coincidence — I just found a recipe for black bean brownies that are gluten free and possibly paleo. Reviewers swear they can’t taste the beans!

    • jenny

      No beans or legumes on paleo. 🙁

  24. stephanie

    In regards to your “tiny bit of a dip in the middle”. YOu may try adding 1 more Tablespoon of cocoa or cacao powder. It might be a moisture issue. I also recommend what another reader said: let the batter sit for a bit (15-20 minutes). I am an avid baker & having to go GF really threw me for a bit. However, I have found in my baking with GF flour substitutes the batter or mixture always does better if allowed to sit for a bit. Since the GF alternatives do not have the same properties as regular flour, they most likely need a bit of extra time to absorb the liquid. HOpe that helps! Happy baking!!!

  25. Jenny

    Try reducing the amount of baking soda. Maybe a true teaspoon instead of a heaping one.

  26. emilytwinmom

    I have to eat completely gluten free, but I just use my gram’s old recipes for cakes and muffins (from scratch), and substitute the GF Pantry’s all purpose flour for regular all purpose flour – and they come out just like my gram’s did! I can’t stand messing with all the millions of flours that don’t rise…. you have my respect for dealing with it Collin! I tried using various flours, and they were not only expensive but exasperating to try to work out for me!!! And I’m awful I know, I use store bought frosting – most of it is gluten free and it’s what I grew up on 😉 Probably not very paleo friendly tho!

  27. Joan

    Hi Collin. I’m a super fan of your site and love all your posts. I might have missed this because maybe you explained it before: Why are you on a Paleo diet? I’m just curious and I don’t mean anything negative by asking.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Hi Joan,

      Eating this way has been more of a lifestyle change. And for me, this “diet” has nothing at all to do with being thin or losing weight. I am actually doing this for lots of other reasons. Eating this way has helped me tremendously with my digestive issues. I also feel so much better when I’m not eating gluten.

      • Joan

        Ok, thanks!! That makes sense 🙂

  28. Amy Greenberg

    Hi Colin,
    Thank you! I am very excited to make this recipe. Can you continue to share main course/dinner recipes that you like as well? PS- I also love your site!
    Thank you,
    Amy

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Yep… I sure will! And stay tuned, as I’m in the process of creating a recipe blog. 🙂

  29. realfoodrealdeals

    I love that you’re not using the excuse, “I’m not a good cook,” to keep you out of the kitchen. It’s fun to experiment with new recipes and not take it too seriously. I’m gluten sensitive as well, and I feel so much better when I make my own food and pay attention to the ingredients in what I eat. I can’t wait to see your new recipe site!

  30. Michelle

    Thanks so much, Collin! My little sis has Celiac Disease and it can be expensive to bake! I can’t wait to share the recipe with her.

  31. Renee

    Hi Collin, I Love baking and I enjoy seeing your recipes! I just wanted to suggest that you could try reducing the amount of leavening (Baking Soda) in your cupcakes. Too much leavening will cause cakes (and cupcakes) to rise too quickly while they are baking, then sink in the middle as they cool. I also find that a little frosting will cover any imperfections perfectly 😉 Plus there are tons of recipes for “Paleo Friendly” frosting you can try!

  32. Heather

    I have not made these yet. I am going to go ahead and say you just made my Gluten Free 2 yr. old Daughters whole week!!!! Thank you! I am really struggling to find good things she actually wants to eat.

  33. Christie

    Can you make me one??? LOL 😉

  34. missy

    I found some gluten free multi purpose flour at my Food City.
    I was so excited to find a multi purpose gluten free flour but it
    was around 5.00 for a small box. But at least it is multi purpose.

  35. Lasairiona

    I’ve just baked two gluten free and dairy free cakes, and they sank like a stone! I’m clueless as to what I’m doing wrong! It’s so frustrating! Please share if someone has any ‘solutions’ for the sinking!! 🙂

  36. KW

    wonder what is the eggs for? i dont see it in the direction unless i missed something.

  37. Amanda

    We make a similar spread with nut butter, mashed banana and cocoa powder. A chocolate fix that’s paleo legal. And my kids love it…they think it is like eating brownie batter. Not that we’ve done that.

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