Chocolate Almond Flour Cupcakes

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If you are looking for a sweet treat but you are avoiding refined sugar, these Chocolate Almond Flour Cupcakes are for you.  They are super-rich, dense, and chocolatey and mildly sweet from the coconut sugar.  {gluten free, grain-free, paleo, refined sugar free}

Whether you are following the paleo diet or not, sometimes you just want to make some baked goods with less refined sugar.  These Chocolate Almond Flour Cupcakes have a few ingredients that make them healthy-ish.  There is no white sugar used - only coconut sugar, also known as coconut palm sugar. Also, the only "grain" used is almond flour.  Almond flour is way better for you than white flour so you can pat yourself on the back about that one.  

I like to call these "adult cupcakes" because they have a deep rich chocolate flavor and they aren't very sweet.  Coconut sugar adds a caramel flavor and the almond flour makes them a bit nutty so these are more like a rich chocolate brownie, with frosting.  

Instructions for Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners.
2. In a medium bowl whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Be sure to get any lumps out of the almond flour.
3. In another bowl or a stand mixer if using, add the eggs, coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla and mix well.
4. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time, mixing after each addition. Continue to mix until well combined.
5. Pour evenly into the muffin cups.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely for at least an hour before frosting.

Let's talk about this chocolate frosting... I mean just look at that gorgeous fluffiness! I got the idea of making powdered coconut sugar from the kitchn. They have instructions for making powdered sugar out of white sugar so I figured it would work the same for coconut sugar and it does!

All you have to do to make powdered coconut sugar is blitz it in a high powered blender. I have had success with both my Ninja and Vitamix. Some people like to add arrowroot flour or cornstarch but it works fine without adding anything.

You can even try making your own Chocolate extract which would add a nice depth of flavor to these cupcakes.

Instructions for Frosting

1. Make your powdered coconut sugar by putting the coconut sugar into a high powered blender (a Ninja or a Vitamix work well) and blending for about a minute or so until it resembles a powder.
2. In a stand mixer place your room temperature butter and whip with the paddle attachment for a minute or so.
3. Add the sugar, vanilla, milk, and a pinch of salt and mix until combined. Once it is combined turn to high power and whip for at least a minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula often. If your frosting is too thick add a little more almond milk one tablespoon at a time until you get desired consistency.
4. Frost your cupcakes with a star tip once the cupcakes are completely cool.
5. Since these are made with only almond flour, I would store them in the fridge for only a few days. They taste best on day one.

Why should we bake with almond flour? First off, we know almond flour is more nutritious than other flours, am I right? I love adding almond flour to baked goods just to give them a nutritional punch. Here's the nutritional lowdown...

almond flour - Almond flour is made from blanched almonds that have been ground into a fine meal.  Almond flour is lower in carbs and higher in fat than all-purpose flour.  It's better for your blood sugar because it doesn't cause a spike like white flour can.  Almond flour also contains micronutrients like Vitamin E, magnesium, and calcium. A ¼  cup serving of oat flour contains 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of sugar.  (from USDA Nutritional Database)

Substitutions and Tips

• If you are not on the paleo or low sugar diet, you can use white sugar in the cupcakes and powdered sugar in the frosting.
• Can you replace the coconut sugar in the cake with maple syrup or honey?  I'm not sure since I haven't tried it but let me know if it works.
• Can I replace the coconut oil with the same amount of dairy or vegan butter?  Yes, that would work great.  
• Why do these not taste sweet?  They are refined sugar free and only use coconut sugar.  Coconut sugar is made from the sap of flowers of the coconut palm tree and is said to have a lower glycemic index than white granulated sugar.
• Looking for a fruity cupcake? Try these Ultimate Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. 

More Gluten Free Baked Goods

• Protein Powder Cupcakes
• Gluten Free Blueberry Coffee Cake
• Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Gluten Free Banana Bread
• Gluten Free Banana Snack Cake
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Gluten Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam.