My Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes are an all-time fan favorite. That’s because they taste incredible and they’re super easy to make! This easy paleo dessert recipe is made with only 7 ingredients. To throw these together all you need is coconut flour, eggs, palm shortening, honey, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Given that the entire batch of cupcakes contains only 2 tablespoons of honey, they’re also a fantastic low-carb cupcake recipe. If you’ve been wondering how to make vanilla cupcakes, then this easy gluten-free cupcake recipe is your answer!
Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes are perfect for your birthday celebrations. They’re gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and best of all since they’re made with coconut flour, they’re a nut-free paleo cupcake. Yes, for all of you nut-free folks, this is the perfect nut-free dessert. If you are looking for more nut-free recipes, don’t miss out on my Nut-Free Recipes page.
Frost these incredible Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes with my easy Paleo Chocolate Frosting recipe for your paleo birthday celebrations. I hope you enjoy these Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes as much as we do. They’re quite a treat.
Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ⅛ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup palm shortening
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine coconut flour, salt, and baking soda
- Pulse in eggs, shortening, honey, and vanilla
- Divide batter between 6 cups in a paper lined muffin pan
- Bake at 350°F for 20-24 minutes
- Cool for 1 hour
- Frost with Paleo Chocolate Frosting
- Serve
Equipment
I haven’t tried making this recipe without eggs, so not sure if that will work. If you are on an egg-free diet, check out my Egg-Free Recipes page.
In terms of other substitution questions regarding this recipe, I wish I had a crystal ball and could predict which substitutions would work and which wouldn’t. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found such a thing! If I did it would save me the 10 rounds or so I do of testing every recipe on this website. The only way I get an answer to a substitution question is to test it. So go for it guys. Test out your substitutions, and after you do, leave a comment so that others can learn from you in this incredible Elana’s Pantry community.
Here are some of my other nut-free paleo dessert recipes for you!
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Charne says
I have been following with keen interest in your recipes and have loved your creations but to find you are using and advocating palm oil products has left me wondering if you are ethically minded ??
You can’t seriously talk of organic, healthy eating whilst knowing what devastation palm oil production creates. Please don’t go down this path advising bakers to use it.
With thanks
Elana says
Charne, I provide this option for my readers with dairy allergies; feel free to experiment with butter and other ingredients!
Lisa says
Red palm oil is organic and ethically obtained. Its not traditional palm oil
Sheryl C says
Are these regular sized or minis?
Elana says
Sheryl, if you click the link that says “muffin pan” in the instructions portion of the recipe you will be given that info :-)
Andrea Romero says
Can I replace palm shortening with something else? Maybe coconut oil?
Elana says
Andrea, I haven’t tried that so not sure, if you do experiment I hope you’ll let me know what works :-)
Katya says
Yes, I replaced palm oil with coconut oil in several of Elana’s recipe with success.
Judy Miller says
I want to make this recipe into a birthday cake. Can I double or triple the recipe with the same results. Thanks
Elana says
Judy, here’s my Paleo Birthday Cake recipe for you:
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-vanilla-birthday-cake/
Enjoy!
Elana
Kari says
I was recently medically advised to go gluten-free/dairy-free. My coconut flour just arrived today. I have no honey, but used maple syrup instead. And coconut oil instead of palm shortening. Hard to get to the store and get the right things these days…. regardless, this came out great and I’m so happy to get to eat yummy things again.
Elana says
Kari, thanks for letting me know this came out great!
Abigail Gripshover says
Thank you for this recipe, Elana! I wanted to make a couple little “smash cupcakes” for an early party we were having for my daughter’s first birthday during a visit to the In-laws. It was a small casual thing so I didn’t want to make her whole cake. These were perfect and she gobbled them up! Thank you for providing recipes that allow me to make occasions like this special without being worried about the ingredients.
Elana says
Abigail, happy birthday to your daughter –what a big birthday you just celebrated, congrats! And thanks for letting me know these cupcakes were perfect :-)
Angie says
Hi Elana, these look amazing. Can I make them the night before serving? Should I keep out at room temperature or in fridge? Thank you!
Elana says
Angie, I let these cool then store in a sealed container the fridge :-)
Julie says
Have you tried making these with butter instead of palm shortening? Every time I try to use the palm shortening, my batter is clumpy not creamy. Thoughts?
Elana says
Julie, I haven’t tried that so not sure, but I know my batter for these is perfect every time :-)
Melanie says
Is the shortening a legal SCD food? I don’t see it on the list from the original book and my son is following it strictly. Thanks!
Elana says
Melanie, thanks for your comment! Elaine Gottschall, creator of the SCD, writes about allowed oils on page 57 of her book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, but she does not mention palm oil as either allowed or not. Many people do consider it SCD legal :-)
Laura says
My concern is that the way shortening is processed makes it very difficult to digest. It is one of my trigger foods for both ulcerative colitis and chronic gastritis. It took me years to finally figure it out. I just don’t think palm oil and palm shortening can be considered the same product.
ker says
Would these work with flax eggs? Or is there another substitute for eggs? we have an egg allergy here too
Elana says
ker, I haven’t tried that so not sure. I have an amazing egg-free cupcake recipe in this book that you might like:
https://amzn.to/1XWy2n7
Enjoy!
Elana