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!
Wendy says
I just made these cupcakes for my son’s birthday and they were a huge hit! All his “normal” friends scarfed them down without hesitation. And anyone who has made gluten free, dairy free, low sugar stuff knows that look kids give when they think something tastes gross and the heartbreak that comes with throwing away expensive ingredient cupcakes with only one bite out of them…
I made them exactly as the recipe called over the weekend. Then for his birthday party, I subbed half of a large banana for one of the eggs, and added Enjoy Life chocolate chips, then topped them with the paleo chocolate frosting. They were superb. Very moist, great crumb, and just delicious.
Thank you Elana for making my celiac, dairy allergic son feel normal.
Melanie Humphries-Connolly says
Ok so I went and purchased coconut flour in a packet and guess what? It worked!!! i guess my homemade wasn’t quite the right texture. I had a problem with the sticking onto paper, any suggestions?
Melanie says
Can anyone help with why I get an egg texture at bottom of cupcake, like there is a separation when baking? I am using my own homemade coconut flour and wondering if its not ground enough?
Elana says
Hi Melanie, you will have success with these if you use one of the recommended brands of coconut flour listed in this post:
https://elanaspantry.com/ingredients/coconut-flour/
Unfortunately, homemade coconut flour does not work in this recipe. Have a wonderful day!
Elana
Elana says
Hi Melanie, you will have success with these if you use one of the recommended brands of coconut flour listed in this post:
https://elanaspantry.com/ingredients/coconut-flour/
Unfortunately, homemade coconut flour does not work in this recipe. Have a wonderful day!
Elana
Aomi says
I just had total success with these. Thank you!!! I used coconut oil in place of shortening with fabulous results. I topped the cupcakes with a date sweetened chocolate frosting as another reader suggested. Absolutely delicious. Elana, you are brilliant.
Melanie Humphries-Connolly says
Hi did you melt the oil first? we too used coconut oil melted it first but interested to know what others did?
melanie says
Help, I have made these twice and both times get a separation of ingredients when baking resulting in a half egg and half baked cupcake, what am I doing wrong? I am using coconut pulp from leftover coconut milk (homemade) and the coconut flour is still quite coarse could this be the problem?
Wendy says
I think you have to use actual coconut flour. It needs to have time to absorb the liquid. Definitely don’t use leftover pulp. It’s not absorbent enough. You could also replace one of the eggs with half of a very ripe banana. Make sure you do it in the food processor. Hope that helps. I’ve made every baking mistake possible!
dgavs says
Isn’t coconut a tree nut?
Rasika says
from where can I buy coconut flour
Elana says
Rasika, click the green text in the ingredients portion of the recipe for that info :-)
Jessica Keller says
Can you not use the Egg Replacer (Powder)?
Piper says
I substituted flax eggs and they came out really nice! I little crumbly but with no egg binder I have no complaints. The frosting is amazing
Sam says
What can I use instead of shortening? I don’t have access to the one you use and as I’m in the UK not sure of the equivalent.