With spring right around the corner, these coconut flour cupcakes are the treat you need to brighten up your day!
Can we talk for a minute about how my toddler can sprinkle toasted coconut onto cupcakes more artfully than I can?
I’m not even kidding. I was bent over the table, sprinkling little bits of coconut over each cupcake, when she reached across, grabbed a handful, and started helping.
The cupcakes in the picture are her cupcakes.
On another note, I really do try to make healthy treats. No really. I do.
Or at least, I try to make them partially healthy, ya know? Like switching from white sugar to unprocessed cane sugar, and investing in 50lbs of coconut flour so we can cut down on our grain consumption.
Honestly, I feel pretty good about these coconut flour cupcakes. Yes, there is some sugar, but it’s a dessert so… what’s the problem? And maybe I’m just grasping at straws, but I think the eggs offset that a bit (right?).
After all, eggs are a borderline superfood (right?). And speaking of which, I’m super excited that I just found a guy near town who sells free-range duck eggs! Gabriel tested allergic to chicken eggs over a year ago, which has made baking kind of complicated (thank the Lord for flax seed egg replacer!), so trust me – this is exciting! (Update, we raise our own duck eggs now.)
Duck eggs or chicken, it doesn’t matter, these coconut flour cupcakes were a huge hit. Soft, fluffy, and coconutty. Perfect. I can’t believe they’re grain-free!
If you’re looking for an indulgent icing that isn’t too heavy on the sugar to top these with, I highly recommend Italian Buttercream Icing. You’ll feel like a legit chef making that icing, but the mixer does all the heavy lifting for you.
Coconut Flour Cupcakes
Coconut Flour Cupcakes
These coconut flour cupcakes are allergy-friendly and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 2/3 cup sugar (I used evaporated cane sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons water (or milk)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Whisk oil sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, and water.
- Mix coconut flour and baking powder.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well.
- Grease a dozen muffin cups, or line with paper cupcake liners.
- Fill each liner 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes on the center rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from oven. Let them cool for five minutes before removing cupcakes from the pan to finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Cool completely before icing with your choice of icing – My favorite is Italian Meringue Buttercream, or whipped cream. Yum!
- Enjoy!
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Shannon says
YUM!!! I love baking with coconut flour!
Josephine says
Looks super tasty! Love your website!
Valerie Lane says
HI! I am unfamiliar with GF baking, but want to have a cupcake option available for a birthday party this weekend. I just wanted to double check that it is only 1/2 cup of coconut flour? Does this make a dozen regular size or mini cupcakes? These look amazing!
Elise says
Yes, it makes a dozen regular sized cupcakes. A little bit of coconut flour goes a long way. 🙂
Megan says
I was wondering if I could use coconut sugar Instead of regular sugar or the evaporated cane sugar?
Elise says
Yes, that should work well. 🙂
Deborah says
While these are a good idea, I didn’t care for them. It was like eating a corn meal muffin. Too heavy and eggy. I’m wondering if they can be lighted up by using less eggs and maybe whipping the egg whites and folding them in to aim for a lighter result. I’m a very experienced baker but would consider tweaking this recipe a little.
Val says
Just made these. Delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Elise says
Glad you like them! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Shannon says
These were delicious thank you so much!
Abigail Penner says
Could you use honey in these?
Elise says
I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe, but I just finished a paleo chocolate cupcake recipe, and in that I used one cup of honey, and increased the flour to 2/3 cup. Hope that helps! 🙂
Tammy says
I found that they were very greasy. They taste good though so I may make them again with a little less oil.
Trinity says
The first time I made these I didn’t melt the coconut oil and they were very greasy. Then the second time I made them I melted the oil and didn’t use cupcake liners, so they turned out much better.
Jenny says
I jest made them:) one Word: DELICIOUS!!!!! :):) I added blueberies and chocolate. . :):):) thx for recipie:)
Elise says
Glad you liked them. 🙂 Blueberries and chocolate are the best, right?!
Stacey says
I love this recipe. I have made them several times. I am using 3T Xylitol and 1 T Liquid Stevia instead of sugar. Mine aren’t as fluffy and good looking at yours are. I need to bake them til they are golden like you did. Fab photo.
Stacey says
That substitution is for 1/2 the recipe, which is what I make.
Elise says
Thanks for sharing your modification Stacey!
Alak says
Have you made these with flaxseed egg replacer? If so, will I get the same results?
Elise says
I haven’t, and I’m not sure it would work without a lot of changes – primarily replacing the protein found in the eggs with something – maybe pea protein – for structure.
Sorry I’m not helping much.
April Risley says
I made these today and substituted flax “eggs” for the eggs and coconut sugar instead of regular sugar.
They were very dark in color (brown) and the center did not seem to bake correctly either.
Do you have any suggestions to help prevent this? I also live at a higher altitude. Would that be part of the problem?
Elise says
I honestly think it’s probably the flax egg. I’m guessing it lacks the protein needed to for structure, which prevents them from rising and setting up. Sorry it didn’t work out!
ami says
I made those today and they’re really tasty. Super moist and super fluffy. A bit too sweet though, so next time I will reduce the amount of sugar. Thanks for the recipe!
Erica says
I am so glad you shared this recipe! It’s going to help our little Elise have a healthy birthday treat! Thank you.
Elise says
You’re very welcome! Happy birthday little one! 🙂
Xina says
Making these right now as we speak. The batch didn’t make a full dozen of cupcakes, I ended up having to turn up my oven to bake longer as 18-20 mins was not long enough. Hopefully they come out tasting good. They seem to be grainy.
Kara says
These turned out so well for me! Super light and fluffy with an awesome flavor. I cooked them for 20 minutes and they were perfectly golden. As someone who is GF and loves (I mean loves) cake I am very happy to have found this recipe. Thank you!!
Elise says
Yay! That’s so good to hear! You totally just made my day. 🙂
Xochitl says
Can I use Stevia instead of sugar, if so how much? I am on a Keto Dieto and I would love to bake these but I can´t with the sugar.
Thank you
Elise says
I’m not very experienced baking with stevia, so I’m not sure. However, sugar acts as a liquid in baking, so you’ll definitely have to adjust for it.
Chrystal says
These taste good! and I happy to have found this recipe simple and straight forward. My only trouble was they dropped in the center once I took them out of the oven ;-I should the egg mixture be fluffy before you add the flour in?
I will try again tomorrow. Praying for more success:)
Elise says
Hmmm. Maybe they just needed more time in the oven? That’s usually the reason for cake dropping as it cools. 🙂
Grace says
Try using aquafaba as an egg replacer. It’s magic, and amazing and makes things so light and fluffy!
Mandy says
My cupcakes ended up cornbready texture as well, which I’m not sure how to fix. I added lemon juice instead of water to mine though. Lemony. Yum!!
★★★★
Angelique says
Do you think it would be possible to substitute the eggs for apple sauce? The little boy I want to make these for can’t have nuts, eggs, or dairy and it’s so difficult to find a recipe for cupcakes that doesn’t contain any of those.
Elise says
I’m not sure that would work, because of the lack of protein and binding substance. Coconut flour doesn’t hold together on it’s own without something like egg. Sorry!
Vilma says
Wacky Cake recipe would work – i have been making it for over 2 years for my little boy! it’s delicious.
Vilma says
This looks really good! So you made these for your son with the flaxseed replacement? My son is allergic to eggs to =( I haven’t tried the duck eggs so i need to do that. Thank you this may be a great hit for his birthday.
Elise says
No, unfortunately, I’ve never made these without eggs. I’m not sure it would work.
Sarah says
Elise, I would love to try and make these. I am looking to make a moist and fluffy cupcake using coconut or almond flour. I have only recently started experimenting. Would I be able to substitute the oil for butter instead?
Elise says
Yes.
Peggy says
Why did my cupcakes fall? Tried the recipe twice but happened both times when I took them out of the oven. Please help.
Peggy says
Never mind I just realized that I used coconut sugar instead of coconut flour. Sorry
Lisa says
Just made these! Delicious!
Another person mentioned a similarity to cornbread… It’s true that it’s a bit like cornbread because of the cornmeal-y consistency … but the coconut brings out the dessert side! For me it was sweet enough without having to add any icing.
Will definitely make again!
And will be trying out the chocolate version as well!
Thanks so much
Michelle says
I am wondering if the coconut flour is responsible for the graininess. ???? I might try leaving out all or most of the sweetener on purpose to see if they could be used like corn muffins with chili. I do Keto and make a mean Keto chili!
Elise says
Yes, if you leave the sugar out they will be drier and more crumbly.
Geraldine Lefebvre says
I put this in an 8 inch square cake pan instead of cupcakes and baked it for 25 minutes. It had great texture and was moist and delicious!
Elise says
Awesome!
Maria says
They are very good but I would like to see the calories, fat ext brake down and some sugar free options. I added stivia.
★★
Shalyn says
Hi, I’m wondering if I can use flax as a good replacement for 6 eggs. Also, can this be made into a small cake instead of cupcakes?
Elise says
Several readers have told me that they’ve successfully made these into a cake, however, I’m not sure whether the flax would have the same structural affect as real eggs.
arina says
it looks yum but the temperture is C or F
Elise says
Fahrenheit.
Sara says
Where is the recipe? I cannot see it?
Elise says
So sorry about that! It’s back now.
Sara says
thanks soo much!
Colleen says
I really wanted to love these but all I could taste was egg and baking soda. They were also very greasy. Followed recipe exactly except I only used egg whites because I can’t have the yolks. Maybe some tweaking would improve texture and taste.
★
Maroula says
Hello there,
Can’t wait to make these, they look delicious.
Do you think I could leave out the sugar and replace it with a banana?
Thanks
Elise says
I don’t think it will be the same, but you could try it.
Joyce says
Were moist and delicious, everyone loved them. Made them as mini-cupcakes and had a can of whipped topping so everyone could add their own, if desired. Had a problem with them sticking to the pan, had greased it with butter. Going to try it with cupcake liners next time. Coconut oil became clumps when added to cold liquid and looked really greasy while cooking – but resulting product was perfect!
★★★★★
Cynthia says
Thank you for this recipe. These turned out perfect for me. To suit me, I swapped the olive oil/coconut oil for avocado oil and sugar for cofectioner swerve.
Cam says
How many Protein, Carbs., Fat, Calories, and Sugars per serving?
Sue says
Can you make a cake with this recipe?
Elise says
Yes, but you’ll want it to be relatively thin to facilitate loft.
Stephani says
I have multiple food allergies and have to adhere to a strict Paleo/nut-free diet. These were sooooo good! Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Elise says
So glad I could help!
Kathryn says
These cupcakes are not bad, but I found them to be too eggy (which I expected from the amount called for in the recipe). They taste pretty good with icing! Thanks for sharing the recipe
★★★
Corrie says
I used your recipe to make donuts today, but made some adjustments to make them Keto. I used erythritol instead of sugar and added sparkling water which gave them a good fluffy, spongy texture. I then coated them in erythritol and cinnamon, and some erythritol and milk icing. They were a hit in my house ????
★★★★★
Ashley says
Hi, could you let me know how much sparkling water you used and the amount of sugar replacement. Thank you!
Jayne says
Do you have a breakdown of nutrition facts for these cupcakes?
Shreya says
Could I use sunflower oil instead !
Elise says
Yes.
Ashley says
Hi, I want to make these today. Did anyone say they had good results with coconut sugar or cane sugar? My one daughter can’t have sugar ????. Thank you
Steph says
Taste like baked eggs…
★
Kate says
Amazing!! Mine came out so light and fluffy!
I just need the nutritional info please?!
★★★★★
Mary says
Hi are These yummy looking cupcake low carb? Thank you!! And Your Little D has done such a super great job of Decorating The cupcakes. Good job!!.
Elise says
Hi Mary, No they’re not because of the sugar. Some have successfully substituted a low carb sweetener (I think it was a xylitol mix) to make them low carb though.
Becky Stephen says
I had my doubts. This was my first coconut flour recipe attempt. I substituted spenda for sugar, since we’re on keto. Oh Yum. This is delicious. And VERY easy. (I’m not much of a cook. If I can do it, anyone can do it.) Thanks so much.
Dee says
This sounds like a recipe I would try because I am grain free. However, I would use a sugar substitute to actually make it healthy. Your body doesn’t know whether you use regular white sugar or cane sugar! Sugar is SUGAR and all is poison. Once you eat it all acts the same in your body
Luejuana Williams says
I heard that monk fruit is a good substitute for sugar.
Angelique says
Hi
Is there a way to replace half of or all of the eggs?
Eg with flax eggs?
Elise says
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t think it would work as flax eggs don’t cook in the same way.
Luejuana Williams says
Yes I thought the same, I will use almond flour next time.
★★★
Kristi says
I am not a cupcake fan, but I really like these. I didn’t even use any icing! Can you tell me the net carb count or provide nutrition info please?
★★★★
Rachel says
I made these and they were delish! The only thing I changed was I used 1/2 cup swerve powdered “sugar” in place of real sugar to make them lower carb. I used melted coconut oil. I also was out of vanilla extract so I thought Hm..I wonder what my water enhancer would taste like in it, so I used blueberry lemonade and it was a lovely flavour! One thing though, it sticks a lot to paper liners so I think next time I will just grease the pan VERY well and try without the paper liner unless anyone has any tricks to keep it from sticking to paper.
★★★★
Mandy says
Spray your paper liners with cooking spray!
Mauri says
I am not sure why I made a recipe that has so much oil in it. It was a mistake. That’s why I usually dont follow pinterest recipes…my husband stuttered at how oily these are. Not our jam at all.
★★
Maureen Sales says
Could you tell me how many carbs in each serving?
Suzanne says
These look so good! I love how versatile they are for being grain free!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Sarah Maderazo says
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
WR says
Can I add in fruit? Like strawberries to make strawberry cupcakes? Or will I have to adjust the recipe?
Christine Reichow says
I love coconut and am gluten/dairy free so these muffins were a dream come true! I would suggest getting the eggs to room temperature before blending with coconut oil to prevent lumping. I used monk fruit for the sweetener and it worked perfectly. This reduces the carbohydrates for those on a keto diet. The muffins were absolutely delicious!.
★★★★★
Luanne says
Awesome. I added cinnamon and used swerve to sweeten. I used 1 cup coconut flour not a half. I increased the coconut oil as well. It made 13 cupcakes
★★★★★
Gunjan says
Can these be made eggless in some way
Pasqualina Arnaldo says
I am thinking of trying these with flaxseed meal to replace the eggs or with aquafaba
a.s. says
I needed to add more coconut flour, since the batter was much too runny with just 1/2 cup. Maybe because my hen’s eggs are bigger than the author’s duck eggs? They turned out great, even though my coconut flour was quite old. Not sure if I’ll even bother frosting them.
★★★★
Vickie LaLonde says
Can you substitute the cane sugar?
Shari Fritz says
I didn’t realize that vanilla ever had gluten in it. Amazing. It’s a good thing they make gluten free vanilla for those who have gluten intolerance.