These grain-free Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes are absolutely perfect for birthday celebrations. Because so many of you have nut allergies, I decided this had to be a nut-free cupcake recipe! Be sure to check out my Nut-Free Recipes page if you are on a nut-free diet, or if your children go to a school with a nut-free food policy.
Made with coconut oil, these cupcakes are also a fabulous dairy-free dessert. While I’ve been on a strict grain-free diet since 2001, my recipes continue to evolve within the grain-free genre, as I learn more about various healthy foods. Coconut oil has been a favorite ingredient of mine for some time, but for the past year or so my focus has been on eating as much coconut oil as I can. Sometimes that means eating it straight out of the jar, other times I add it to everything I cook. Most days I do both.
A good deal of anecdotal evidence points to coconut oil as a fabulous brain food. Here’s a video that discusses the health benefits of coconut oil.
Did you ever notice that the rise of various brain disorders (ADD, Autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, etc.) happened to take place in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s when the fat-free diet was all the rage? I think many people’s brains may have been malnourished by the pervasive lack of fat in the Standard American Diet during this period.
My Paleo Chocolate Cupcake recipe is full of good fat! I hope your family enjoys these gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free chocolate cupcakes as much as we do!
Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ⅓ cup honey
Instructions
- Pulse together dry ingredients in a food processor
- Pulse in wet ingredients
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners and scoop ¼ cup batter into each
- Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes
- Cool and serve
Frost these Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with my amazing Paleo Chocolate Frosting. Here are some of my other easy paleo cupcake recipes!
alexandra says
Elana,
You are a gd send! And your timing is perfect! I cannot handle sugar or agave, I just don’t digest them and many problems result, but I have been craving yummy sweets and been unable to make them. Thank you for adding cupcakes to your paleo recipes! :) you made my day and tummy!
Yay for a sweet I’ve been craving that won’t make me sick!
Megan @ The Detoxinista says
My mother-in-law was JUST telling me about this video on coconut oil! I think you’re absolutely correct in the correlation between the fat-free craze and the increase of brain disorders, and I hope that we can gradually raise awareness that healthy fats, like coconut oil, should be embraced!
I can’t wait to try these cupcakes. Your recipes never disappoint!
rachel says
how about a good gluten free/paleo baked goods recipe for all the zucchini from the garden! thanks to anyone who can help.
Elana says
Rachel, here’s a link to my Paleo Zucchini Recipes page for you:
https://elanaspantry.com/zucchini-roundup/
Enjoy!
Elana
MamaCassi says
i love how you grow and change and share your new insights with delicious food. thank you! i’ll certainly be looking for the frosting!!!! that’s one recipe we just can’t seem to nail outside of the traditional buttercream version, which 3-4x a year isn’t too bad, but this mama wouldn’t mind offering more treats w/ frosting!
Molly says
Thank you for posting this recipe! I can’t believe those are grain-free; they look amazing. I would love to get your cupcake cookbook if anyone can direct me to where it is sold?
jen says
Scroll up and look on the very right side of the page :)
Debt Free Teen says
This look amazing-love your recipes because they have so few ingredients!
Chase
Betty says
You are amazing Elana and I soo appreciate how you share your recipes with us. This is my go-to website whenever I need to bake or cook. I also appreciate it when you share what you are learning about your health and what is working for you. Those of us with auto-immune diseases often have to learn on our own because there are so few doctors who think diet has anything to do with it. Anything you share that is working for you is so helpful. Can’t wait to make these!
Kythka says
WOOHOO! My son’s birthday is coming up and I can’t wait to serve these! Excellent timing :)
Erin says
Elana,
These look delicious! I use your recipes all the time and always get rave reviews and people are shocked when they find out they are paleo :) thanks so much!
Erin
Dawn @cuter than gluten says
Elana, thank you. I already have your cupcake cookbook, and I think it is so much fun that you still dream in cupcakes (at least occasionally).