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!
Renee says
I make these in a mini-cupcake tin (makes about 24). Once they are cooled, I pop them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Makes a delicious cold treat when you are craving chocolate or a cold dessert. I put the recipe in spark people and one mini cupcake is about 57 calories.
parwin says
These look absolutely delicious and would love to try. Do they have a very strong coconutty flavor?
Tracee says
Yes, they do in fact have a coconut flavor. I like coconut but my kids were thrown off by it. My next batch is going to be tested with grassfed butter instead of coconut oil. I know, I know, they won’t be Paleo any more, but they will be Primal. =)
Lori says
I just wanted to thank you for sharing these recipes! I just made these for the first time and cannot believe how delicious they are. I am looking forward to making them again for our family Thanksgiving dinner!
I do not need to be on a gluten-free diet, but I know several who do. I am diabetic and the paleo treats are just divine! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Casey says
I just wanted to say that I was DYING for a dessert this past Sunday and stumbled upon this recipe. We had all the ingredients (we’re Paleo…most of the time) and they were SO GOOD. Here it is Thursday and we’re already making them again! I also made your chocolate frosting using 60% Ghiardelli bittersweet chips – YUM!
Sara says
Elana, thank you so much for this recipe. With both gluten and corn allergies in my house, I was pleasantly surprised to find a cupcake recipe we could all eat safely. These turned out wonderfully and were so easy to make with simple ingredients. Thank you!
Melissa says
I just saw this recipe and HAD to try it!!!
Some “healthier” modifications I made –
1) No salt.
2) 1/4 cup honey instead of 1/3 !
3) About 1/6 cup coco oil instead of 1/4. I added in a couple of small scoops of organic unsweetened apple sauce for texture.
The batter was AMAZING. It seriously reminded of being a kid and making brownies with my mom and licking the bowl clean!! My whole apartment smelled amazing as well! It made about 7 cupcakes, but I think the cupcake size of my tray is a little big.
The cupcakes cooked and rose REALLY well!
And OH MY GOSH they tasted so freaking good…no one would EVER know they were paleo!!! DELICIOUS!! Thanks so much :)
Heather says
THANK YOU!
These came out perfect in my Madeleine pan! My kids LOVE them.
Mattis says
Hi, these look great! My doughters 1th b-day is coming up this week, i’ll try these for her party! Many thanks from Norway!
Gina says
Does anyone have any recommendations on what to substitute the eggs for in this recipe? I eat a Paleo diet and have a milk and egg allergy (but a giant sweet tooth!) Any suggestions would be HUGELY appreciated!
Elana says
Gina, I haven’t tried that so not sure. Here’s a link to my Egg-Free Recipes page for you:
https://elanaspantry.com/diets/egg-free/
Enjoy!
Elana
zach says
even if i’m just a kid i love your recepe!