That’s right, these chocolate cupcakes are not only gluten-free, but grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. You’ll just need some unicorn tears.
No but seriously; I have always written off the possibility of egg-free + nut-free paleo baked goods, because good lawd, the things have got to have something in them.
And while these Chocolate Cupcakes don’t have most of the ingredients you’d normally find in a cupcake, they are chocolatey and cakey and kid-approved!
And since a cupcake without frosting is just a muffin, there’s a recipe for the simplest-ever dairy-free chocolate ganache frosting, too.
Tempted to ask about ingredient subs? I’ll save you the effort: The answer is No.
I know that sounds harsh and for that, I’m sorry. But I tested these at least 9 times until I got them right, and they are free from nuts, eggs, grains, dairy, and soy, and they are made with only one flour – Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour, which is easier to find then ever, and is available on Amazon, too.
After I test a recipe like this over and over again until getting it right, and compliant for as many people as possible, and then get a comment that has a 🙁 in it, I want to scream and cry. Please don’t make me scream and cry.
The two (potential) exceptions:
- I am pretty sure they will work with 1 cup of dairy-free milk in place of the coconut milk and water listed in the recipe.
- Almost always, honey and maple syrup can be used interchangeably in this type of recipe.
But I’m guessing, so proceed at your own risk and start with a 1/2 recipe so you don’t waste more ingredients than necessary. I composted a lot of cupcakes testing this one, even with only making 6 at a time. It was sad.
Once I finally got it though, I was very, very happy! I hope you are too.
Looking for more sweets? I’ve got a bunch!
paleo + vegan + nut-free chocolate cupcakes
cupcakes for just about everyone.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup full fat (canned) coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (93 grams) Otto’s Naturals cassava flour
- 1 cup (145 grams) coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
For the Ganache Frosting:
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) full fat (canned) coconut milk
- 3/4 pound (340 grams) dark chocolate chips (about 2 scant cups)
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 12 cup muffin tin with parchment liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the coconut milk, water, apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Sift the dry ingredients (cassava flour, coconut sugar, psyllium husk powder, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until combined and smooth.
- Fill the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make the Ganache Frosting:
- Place the chocolate chips in a large heat-proof bowl. Heat the coconut milk in a small sauce pan until steaming.
- Pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate and set a timer for 5 minutes. Do not stir it until the time is up.
- Once the time is up, add the salt and stir the mixture until smooth. Place in the fridge to cool, stirring occasionally. (If you’re in a rush, you can place the bowl into another bowl filled with ice water and stir until it’s cool.)
- When the ganache is the consistency of softened ice cream, beat until it’s fluffy and smooth.
- Frost the cupcakes either with a piping bag* or just plop it on with a spoon.
Notes
* Cautionary tale: When I used a piping bag and a round tip, the frosting looked pretty much exactly like the poop emoji.
links to preferred ingredients:
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Joselyn says
Question. Why the psyllium husk? Not that I care. I have it. But just wondering why it is necessary. And thank you for no eggs! I can actually make this one. Doing the happy dance in this one.
Victor says
Yes, psyllium husk is something I avoid as it damages the guy lining. Otherwise, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Allison says
Psyllium husk does not damage the gut lining. It actually stimulates butyrate which is a beneficial short chain fatty acid. Psyllium husk is also an alternative to xanthan gum, which DOES cause people GI distress.
zenbelly says
the psyllium husk acts as the sort of magic ingredient that makes up for the fact that there’s no gluten. Without it, you’ll still have cupcakes, but they’ll be very gummy and chewy.
Karra says
These look amazing! I’m curious about the avocado oil. I see that being used a lot lately. Does it act differently than extra light olive oil? Just trying to learn, not complaining! I fully intend to make these as directed
zenbelly says
light olive should work about the same! I like avocado since it’s neutral in taste, but light olive is too 🙂
Kelley says
These look great! I can’t wait to try them. The recipe calls for coconut milk- does that mean coconut milk in a can or a carton of coconut milk that you find in the refrigerated/dairy aisle? Thank you!
zenbelly says
Canned! I’ll elaborate in the recipe, thanks for pointing that out.
Erin says
Sometimes my canned coconut milk is more fluid and sometimes it’s super thick (I use both Native Forest and Whole Foods 365 full fat). Which texture is the kind you used?
zenbelly says
I find that Native Forest can be a bit grainy, even though it’s probably higher quality. I use either 365 or Taste of Thai, and those are both on the creamier side. I think any will work for this recipe though!
Brittany says
Love this recipe! This is the first time I’m really checking out your website and reading recipes (after following you on Instagram for a while). I love that this method is only 6 steps, and each step is only one line! Most recipes I find online have me readying for ages! This is straight forward and right to the point! As an experienced baker who is trying to experiment with non-traditional ingredients, I *REALLY* appreciate this type of recipe sharing/method.
Thanks for all you do!
zenbelly says
Thanks so much for that, Brittany! I’m glad to hear the recipe is written in an easy to follow way. It’s always my goal! 🙂
Kristin says
These are delicious and totally satisfied my chocolate craving! Thank you!!
angela says
I love your other chocolate cake recipe. I have not made this recipe yet so wondering how it compares to your chocolate cake recipe? I absolutely love that recipe!
zenbelly says
I love the texture of the chocolate cake best, it’s kind of my ideal chocolate cake! These are lighter and spongier, but very chocolatey. I really like these, but if you can have nuts and eggs I would stick with the original 🙂
Andrea says
Your chocolate cake, the one in your cookbook, is the absolute bomb. it fools gluten and dairy eaters in my house every time. Thanks for this new one too, nut free is super hard!
zenbelly says
Thank you! That one’s my favorite, but I love this option for those who have more food sensitivities!
Patricia R. says
Could you tell me which was the original recipe? I can tolerate other things and since you recommend it, I would love to try it. I just get so confused with all the different recipes.
zenbelly says
My other chocolate cake recipe is my No Joke Chocolate Cake
Janeen says
This looks delicious.. is there an alternative to the psyllium husk as I can’t tolerate it. Would the boxed egg replacer work? Thank you
zenbelly says
There is no alternative that I know of, I really can’t say without testing it myself. (which I don’t plan on doing after making testing this one as much as I did!) You can always try the egg replacer and see if it works!
Celeste says
I’m guessing psyllium would be similar to ground flax? I might try it, which is what a lot of people use as egg replacement anyhow.
zenbelly says
it’s similar but I can’t guarantee it will work the same.
Alison @foodbymars says
The texture is amazing – on point, love how the husk acted in this. I used unrefined avocado oil though and I think next time I’ll try refined or perhaps coconut or olive oil because I feel like I can taste it. Awesome recipe though and a lifesaver for my birthday who has allergies to all the things! She’s getting these today 🙂
zenbelly says
yay I’m so glad to hear that, Alison! I hope the birthday girl is happy 🙂
Sara says
This looks amazing and I’d love to try it! But I have a question: is the texture gummy or chewy? I just made Otto’s Cassava Flour recipe for chocolate cake and it turned out very chewy, almost like mochi cake. I have my heart set on chocolate cake that’s at least similar to the texture of regular chocolate cake. Thank you!
zenbelly says
Cassava baked goods can be a little gummy. I find with this one as long as you get a good rise out of it (fresh baking soda) it’s a good texture. Definitely don’t try it until it’s completely cooled though-it dries out quite a bit (in a good way) a couple hours after being baked.
Liesl says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe! I’ve brought these cupcakes to social gatherings multiple times, so that my kids don’t feel left out during dessert, and I receive many compliments without anyone knowing about the “alternative” ingredients. So many of your recipes are staples in my household, this one is no exception!
Donica says
Hello,
This was my first time trying Cassava flour, and I’m really impressed! It’s more spongey than I expected. But good! These are for my daughters first birthday party. 🙂
I have to say, I’m so grateful for your diligence in testing this recipe extensively before sharing it.
I just tried another food bloggers recipe for cassava flour ravioli and it was an epic disaster. I was so upset. I followed the recipe exactly and it did not even work a little bit. I hate wasting ingredients. They’re not cheap.
So thank you! and keep up the good work!
zenbelly says
Hi Donica! I’m so glad to hear these worked for you! Cassava is definitely gummier / spongier than regular flour, it can take some getting used to. I’m sorry to hear you had a fail on another recipe, wasting ingredients is a total bummer! Grain-free flours can be tricky. I’m not sure exactly what the issue was with the ravioli, but if you ever find the dough seems dry, you can always add more water. That flour tends to settle a lot and it’s easy to use too much if you’re not weighing. Or give it a good whisk to fluff it up before scooping. Thanks for the nice note!
Virginia Sissom says
Thanks SO MUCH for your hard work in developing and then sharing this egg-free as well as free of the other allergens cupcake recipe. I can’t wait to try it! I am not vegan, but have learned to hunt for gluten-free, nut-free, vegan recipes in order to accomodate my egg sensitivities.
BTW: I considered purchasing your Everything Dough recipe from your website, but am afraid most of the recipes for using it call for eggs. Am I right?
zenbelly says
Hi Virginia, I’m so glad to hear this recipe will work for you! I hope you love it.
You are correct re Everything Dough, it has eggs and I haven’t yet figured out a way to make it egg-free.
Kelly says
I’m sorry if you answered this already; for the canned coconut milk, since the top is solid, should I pour all into pan, heat and stir (and cool) before using?
zenbelly says
If it’s too thick to be shakeable, you can do that, or you can toss it in a blender to get it an even consistency. How thick it is can vary a lot from brand to brand!
Danielle says
Just made these for the 2nd time after it being requested by the husband. Love these! Used less ganache this time, freezing the extra… we’ll see how that holds up.
zenbelly says
so glad to hear it! Please let me know how the ganache holds up in the freezer.
Jeanne Sheffield says
Wow! These were so, so good. I have been eating AIP for 5 years and have just been able to reintroduce chocolate and (with this recipe) psyllium husks. This is seriously the best thing I have had in 5 years. I have not been able to make anything that tasted like cake, and this definitely can be called cake. Thank you! Although my icing turned out delicious, it was not pretty like yours. It didn’t have a sheen and didn’t spread well; it was crumbly. When I spread it on the cupcakes it looked like they were topped with dirt. I will keep that in mind in case I need to make dirt looking icing for my kid’s birthday, but I wondered if you know what I did wrong? Also, have you attempted to bake this as a cake? Most eggless “cakes” I have attempted baked much more cake-like as cupcake and turned out just too gummy and flat as a big cake. Thanks!
zenbelly says
Hi Jeanne! I’m glad you loved the cupcakes! For the frosting, is it possible that a little bit of water got into it? It sounds like it seized up, which is something that can happen when water gets into the mix. Either that or the ganache chilled too much and that’s why it got crumbly.
I haven’t tried this particular recipe as a cake, but think it should work just fine! I’d try it in a sheet pan or smaller layer pans.
Elizabeth says
Does the ganache take canned coconut milk as well?
zenbelly says
Yes! Sorry I should have specified that. I will edit!
Susan says
Do you have a test-proof vanilla version of this recipe? I tried two alternatives by leaving out the cocoa completely and another time replacing the amount of cocoa with cassava flour. Both results turned out gummy and chewy. However when I made the as-directed chocolate version, they turned out beautifully! Can you please make a vanilla cupcake version of this lovely recipe? Thank you so much!
zenbelly says
I can certainly work on it! I believe Otto’s Naturals has a recipe on their site, in the meantime 🙂
Susan says
Thank you. Unfortunately, Otto’s white cake recipe contains egg whites. I was looking for a gluten-free, vegan, nut-free recipe comparable to your chocolate recipe, but in a vanilla version. If you figure out the ratio of ingredients that works, please let me know. Thanks so much!
Vanessa says
Hi I just wanted to let people know that I modified this to AIP and they came out great. I substituted Tapioca powder for Psyllium Husk as I’ve used this as a binder before and it worked great. I also substituted Carob Powder for Cocoa, reduced the amount of Coconut Sugar and left out the Baking Powder all together. With all of that they still came out amazing. Thank you!
Jaclyn says
Holy cow, these were so good! I had basically given up hope of ever eating a delicious cupcake again after being diagnosed with so many foods intolerances, but these are magic.
zenbelly says
yay! So glad you loved them and are able to enjoy cupcakes again!