Super rich, fudgy, chocolatey, and not at all eggy paleo cupcakes with a secret ingredient. No one would know these divine cupcakes are secretly paleo!
I first made this recipe as a cake with zucchini for my sister’s birthday, but we all agreed later that the zucchini flavor was a bit too strong and didn’t pair well with the peanut butter. In the end we switched in carrots instead of zucchini. None of us could taste them at all and no one would guess that these paleo cupcakes contain carrots!
The carrots keep the cake/cupcakes super moist and prevent it from joining the ranks of the Paleo Eggy Spongy Cakes. Instead, this is just a good, tender, and moist chocolate cake recipe. One I foresee making again and again as either paleo cupcakes or cake.
Top these cupcakes with delicious Paleo Chocolate Frosting!
Recipe adapted from this recipe.
Frosting I used: This Paleo Chocolate Frosting!
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot, tightly packed (about 2 large carrots)
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup honey
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup cocoa (preferably Dutch cocoa but either way works)
- ½ cup peanut butter or almond butter (I used peanut butter).
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon gelatin
- Grease a 6-9 inch springform cake pan with olive oil OR line 12 muffin holes with muffin liners (you can also just grease the muffin holes and skip the liners, as I did). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Peel and grate the carrots. You can use either a food processor or a hand grater.
- Measure the grated carrot. It should measure one cup, tightly packed.
- Put the honey and coconut oil into a small saucepan and melt on medium low.
- While the honey is melting, in a medium sized bowl beat the eggs on high until frothy and light colored (about a minute).
- Add the grated carrot, cocoa, nut butter, coconut flour, vanilla extract, baking powder, and gelatin.
- Beat until fully combined.
- While beating slowly, pour in the melted honey and coconut oil and beat until incorporated.
- Pour into the cake pan or spoon into the cupcake holes.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes for a cake and 20-25 minutes for cupcakes. A good way to gauge doneness is to watch the top. When the top is set and you can’t see any raw batter in the center, the cake is done. Feel the tops. If they feel set yet still bouncy and soft, the cake is done. If you still aren’t sure, insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the cake. If the knife/toothpick comes out with streaks on it, the cake isn’t done. If there’s nothing on the knife or just a few crumbs and small streaks, the cake/cupcakes are done.
- Remember that underdone can still be saved by a little more cooking but you can’t fix an overdone cake, so it’s better to have an underdone cake than an overdone one. Keep in mind the fact that the cake will continue cooking for a little while after you remove it from the oven. I made up a little rhyme for my sister when I left her to watch it: When in doubt, take it out.
I hope you enjoyed these chocolate paleo cupcakes!
For more paleo desserts, how about trying my Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes or some Paleo Carrot Cake?
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looks tasty!
Holy crap. These are probably THE BEST grain-free cupcakes I have ever had. 10 stars.
So great to hear that you liked them! I just made them again yesterday for a party and everyone enjoyed. 🙂 I WILL be publishing that frosting recipe soon enough! My friend is still experimenting and perfecting it. Last time she tried adding a bit of orange with delicious results. 🙂
Please, I am still desperately awaiting the frosting recipe!! 🙂 Can you email it, even if you don’t feel it’s ready for publication?
Sorry I haven’t posted it yet, Karen! I was planning on doing it within a few days of posting the cupcake recipe but clearly that didn’t work out. I’ll ask my friend if she could give me the unfinished version and I will either send it to you by email or publish it with a note that we’re still working on it. I think it’s just perfect as is but I also know that every time my friend makes it, it becomes even more perfect. 🙂
This looks sooo yummy!! Im looking for a recipe to make at Christmas and I think I just found it!
Hope you enjoy, Britt! Have a great Christmas!