These almond flour cupcakes are soft, fluffy and perfectly moist. They come together quickly and are a great gluten-free dessert option for any celebration!

In honor of my birthday (it’s today!!), I wanted to share a healthier cupcake recipe! It’s surprisingly the first cupcake recipe here on EBF, but certainly not the last.

If you know me, you’ll know that my favorite store-bought cake mix is Simple Mills Vanilla Cake & Cupcake Mix, so naturally I took it upon myself to make a homemade version.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s almost as easy as making cupcakes from a box… almost!
• These cupcakes are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and free of refined sugars, but still absolutely delicious!
• They can easily be made in advance for an upcoming celebration.
• It’s a great base recipe that can be customized with mix-ins and frostings based on your preference.

Benefits of Almond Flour for Baking

I love using almond flour for healthy baking because it’s a simple, one-ingredient flour made from ground almonds. The almonds are blanched to remove the skins before grinding and sifting. This creates a soft and fluffy flour that’s perfect for baking.

There are some awesome health benefits of using almond flour over white flour. For one, it’s gluten-free, grain-free and lower in carbs than traditional flour. In addition, it’s loaded with nutrients including vitamin E and magnesium.

Ingredients Needed

• almond flour – I recommend using blanched almond flour because the skins have been removed so you’re left with a fine texture, light-colored flour that works perfectly for baked goods.
• coconut flour – just a little to help soak up some of the liquid! The combo of almond + coconut flour results in super fluffy and light cupcakes!
• arrowroot powder – adds structure to the cupcakes and helps contribute to the light and airy texture. If needed you can use cornstarch in place of the arrowroot powder.
• baking powder – to help the cupcakes rise.
• eggs – make sure your eggs are at room temperature before baking these cupcakes, otherwise the coconut oil will harden up when combined. I haven’t tested this recipe with a vegan substitute like flax eggs, so I’m not sure how the cupcakes will turn out. If you decide to try a vegan version let me know in the comments below!
• coconut sugar – I prefer using coconut sugar instead of white sugar, but white sugar also works if that’s what you have on hand
• salt – brings all of the flavors together.
• unsweetened almond milk – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any type of milk will work, including cow’s milk. You can also use water in place of the milk.
• coconut oil – instead of butter, we’re using coconut oil. You want the oil to be in a liquid state so warm it a bit if necessary. Melted butter, ghee or another neutral oil like avocado oil will work as well.
• vanilla extract – no cake is complete without a little vanilla extract, in my opinion.
• sprinkles – optional, but they definitely make these cupcakes more festive! I love supernatural rainbow sprinkles. They’re free of artificial dyes and are gluten-free and vegan.

How to Make Almond Flour Cupcakes

Combine dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder and salt until well combined.

Combine wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the coconut sugar, almond milk, eggs, vanilla and melted coconut oil.

Mix: Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in your sprinkles.

Bake: Pour batter into your lined muffin pan. Bake at 325ºF for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Serve: Once cupcakes have completely cooled, frost, top with sprinkles and serve!

Best Frosting to Use

These cupcakes would be delicious topped with my cream cheese frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting, peanut butter greek yogurt frosting, strawberry buttercream frosting, or healthy chocolate frosting.

That said, you can’t go wrong with a classic buttermilk vanilla frosting. If going the store-bought route, my favorite healthier store-bought frosting is Simple Mills vanilla frosting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Make These Cupcakes Ahead of Time?

Yes! These cupcakes can be made 1-3 days in advance. To make ahead of time, let the cupcakes cool completely and store them in the fridge, covered until you’re ready to frost and serve. Alternatively, you can frost and decorate the cupcakes and store them covered in the fridge until ready to serve!

How to Store

Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can store these cupcakes in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you’re storing these in the freezer I would recommend storing them unfrosted. The day before you’re ready to serve, let them thaw in the fridge then frost and decorate as desired!

More Healthy Desserts to Try

• Healthy Birthday Cake
• Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Birthday Cake Cookies
• Easy Strawberry Cake

More Almond Flour Recipes to Try

• Lemon Almond Flour Cookies
• Almond Flour Pancakes
• Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Cake

Be sure to check out all of the popular almond flour recipes as well as the dessert recipes here on EBF!