Keto Cupcakes
These vanilla Keto Cupcakes are made with sour cream so they are light and fluffy. And they have only 2g net carbs each. These low-carb cupcakes are great plain or with your favorite icing or keto frosting.
Birthday season is coming to our house. It begins with my baby turning 2 on December 30th and continues with everyone else within the next 6 months. Most of my husband’s family also has late winter or spring birthdays. Last week I made a batch of Magnolia Bakery’s famous vanilla cupcakes to freeze for our first party. They are my favorite.
But they are not Trim Healthy Mama compatible (not even a smidge). I was strong that morning and didn’t even lick the mixing spoon. I don’t know if I can be that strong at the party once they are covered in buttercream icing. I knew that I needed an alternative for myself so the next day I went to work creating a keto cupcake recipe. Here are my sour cream vanilla cupcakes. I love keto chocolate cupcakes too but there is something about a vanilla cupcake with sweet buttercream frosting that gets me every time.
These gluten free keto cupcakes are perfect. They are very flavorful I’m thrilled to have a batch in the freezer so I don’t have to miss out on all of our celebrations. I also love keto vanilla cupcakes with strawberries and whipped cream. This easy low carb cupcake recipe is also gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
Ingredients in Keto Cupcakes
Butter – I use salted butter in my baking recipes. I think the bit of added salt balances out the sweetness of baked goods. If you only have unsalted butter just add a pinch of salt.
Sweetener – I normally use my blend of xylitol (or allulose), erythritol, and stevia but offer suggestions for alternatives in the recipe card.
Eggs – Regular large eggs are the binder in this and help the cupcakes to rise.
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is the most common extract used in baking. It enhances the other flavors and adds a subtle sweetness.
Sour Cream – Sour cream makes these fluffy keto cupcakes moist and tender. If necessary you can sub in plain yogurt.
Almond Flour – Almond flour has a tender flavor and texture that works well in keto desserts.
Coconut Flour – I prefer to combine coconut and almond flour together. The coconut flour balances the natural oiliness of the almond flour.
Baking Powder – Make sure to check the date on your baking powder to ensure your cupcakes rise properly.
How to make Keto Cupcakes
If you have a hand mixer or food processor it is very very easy to make cupcakes! Simply mix together a couple of ingredients. Add a couple more. Mix more. Add more. Mix. And then just scoop it into cupcake liners. That’s it! The prep for these takes 15 minutes tops. I think I can get them in the oven in 8 minutes if my kids aren’t helping. If the little ones are helping it probably takes 30. No joke.
Step One: Cream together the room temperature butter and sweetener with a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Add the other wet ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients.
Step Two: Divide the cupcake batter between a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners. I normally spray them with nonstick cooking spray to ensure the cupcakes won’t stick.
Step Three: Bake the keto cupcakes until they are golden and firm to the touch. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Variations
Chocolate – You can add chocolate chips to the batter without needing to adjust the other ingredients or baking time. For a chocolate cake batter try my Keto Chocolate Cupcakes with keto chocolate frosting.
Without Coconut – If you want a keto cupcakes recipe without coconut flour try my keto Almond Flour Cupcakes.
Berries – You can fold a few berries into the batter without compromising the low carb cupcakes recipe.
Extracts – The easiest way to change the flavor of keto cakes or cupcakes is to swap out the extract. Orange extract, lemon extract, almond extract, and maple extract are good choices to easily change the flavor profile.
Dairy Free – Try a butter flavored coconut oil in place of the butter and coconut cream in place of the sour cream.
Common Questions
Can I freeze Keto Cupcakes?
Yes! These cupcakes freeze really well. I like having a batch in the freezer of a couple of favorite keto recipes so I’m not tempted by high carb baked goods. A batch of these and a batch of fudge brownies ready to go and I can resist almost anything.
To freeze I recommend wrapping each one tightly in plastic wrap. After I do that I normally just pack them into a gallon-sized storage bag.
Can I double this recipe?
This recipe makes one dozen delicious sour cream vanilla keto cupcakes. If you need more cupcakes then go ahead and double or triple this recipe.
You can also double or triple this to make a sheet cake or layer cake!
Which icing to use for keto cupcakes?
There are dozens and dozens of ways to top these. One of my absolute favorites is with chocolate frosting. You can see the chocolate frosting used for these cupcakes here.
I also love them with keto cream cheese frosting. Or this keto recipe for vanilla frosting (just add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the buttercream recipe).
Want a little color on your cupcakes? Try these Homemade Sugar Free Keto Sprinkles! Or buy some from Etsy. I love the sprinkles from Nicole at TheSprinkleCompany.
More Variations
I use this batter as the base in a few of my other healthy cupcakes. This is a great recipe to start with and then play around with the flavors and top them as desired. These are a good inspiration if you aren’t sure how to top the sour cream vanilla cupcakes:
My Keto Lemon Cupcakes are pretty enough for a baby or bridal shower. They are filled with lemon curd, a fresh raspberry, and then topped with Raspberry Buttercream!
Cranberry Bliss Cupcakes mimic the flavors of the classic Starbucks treat. With a cranberry filling and cream cheese icing, they are the perfect bite.
Or turn them into my Tagalong Cupcakes if peanut butter and chocolate are more your thing. My Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are a fave low carb recipe in my house.
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Video
Sour Cream Vanilla Keto Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time mixing after each.
- Stir in the flours, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined. Divide batter between 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Some ovens will take up to 30. You want the cupcakes to be firm to the touch and golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published December 21, 2015. Revised and Republished February 23, 2023.
What could you use as a substitute for the sour cream? Being dairy free is a trick!
Coconut cream should work!
Will try them tonight and let you know
These were perfectly delicious with my coffee in the morning this week. I know I will be making these often and already can see how they will convert beautifully to a savory type “corn” muffin w/ cheese, jalepeno, etc. Simple and Perfect. Thank You.
2 or 3 net carbs ?
2 net carbs. They have 3 total carbs minus 1 gram of fiber.
Storage? Curious w them having sour cream if they need refrigeration??
I store all my low carb baked goods in the fridge but they should be fine at room temperature for a day or two.
These were great- even though I didn’t double the swerve. They were good as muffins plain or with butter, and great with a ganache frosting. The did remind me of cornbread a bit. I am make a double batch today, one sweetened correctly this time and one with only 1/2 cup swerve. Thank you for posting- best keto treat recipe I’ve tried.
Any way to make these chocolate?.
The cake in these is based on this recipe: https://joyfilledeats.com/chocolate-champagne-cupcakes/
Can these bake in a muffin pan without the liners? I baked them with paper liners and they stuck pretty bad. Delicious, but I hate to lose part of the cupcake to the liner.
Aluminum liners sprayed with cooking spray work really well. But if you want to bake right in the pan just grease it well and dust with almond flour.
Way better than any other low carb baked good I’ve tried lately! Not as light & fluffy as regular cake, more like a very sweet and very moist cornbread. These would definitely help me stay on plan without feeling deprived. I made a frosting with whipped cream, cream cheese, sweetener & vanilla. Delicious! I am going to double the recipe and try 8″ rounds to use as birthday cake with the frosting and berries.
I made a half batch just because I’ve made so many recipes that I didn’t care for and ended up wasting food. That was a mistake, these are delicious. Absolutely the closest thing to a cake I’ve had since going keto. I will definitely make these again. Thank you
I have powdered erythritol and monk fruit granules that have erythritol in it. (I don’t want to use the xylitol because I’ve got dogs and they love to clean the floor!!) Can I make your sweetener without the xylitol? If so, what would the ratio for the 2 sweeteners be?? Also, do both sweetners need to be granules?
You can make my sweetener using all erythritol with stevia. The powdered erythritol should work but I normally just use granular. It is a lot cheaper. The monk fruit blend would work on its own but you may need extra to reach the desired sweetness.
Do I need paper cups with these or can I put them straight in the pan? This recipe is almost identical to keto biscuits that I make and they dont stick to the pan. Thanks
If you grease the pan well it should be fine to bake right in the pan.
Due to a almond allergy is it ok to use all coconut flour
No, sorry. All coconut flour would be much too dry. Sunflower seed flour can be subbed for the almond flour.
Has anyone made this in cake form? I am thinking a 9” round? Will it cook through the middle of made as a cake instead of cupcakes?
Yes, you can make this into a cake. I use this batter as a base in some of my coffee cake recipes. Bake at 350.
Do you have a chocolate version of these?
I do have a chocolate version. You can omit the raspberry champagne filling and for a plain chocolate cupcake: https://joyfilledeats.com/chocolate-champagne-cupcakes/