One of the amazing things about following the keto diet is that contrary to what you might think you will have plenty of options for delicious, low carb desserts, such as these keto chocolate cupcakes. They are the perfect way to treat yourself when you feel like indulging in something sweet.
No only that but they are pretty simple to make using almond flour, erythritol, and other low carb ingredients. The cupcakes were made even more delicious by the luscious icing that consists of instant coffee, mascarpone cheese, and heavy cream.
These keto chocolate cupcakes by The Hungry Elephant might look sinful, but you’d be surprised to know that each cupcake contains only 4.1 grams of net carbs.
Cocoa Powder
Please note that this recipe calls for cocoa powder and not cacao powder. They are similar but not the same as they are processed differently. Cocoa is been processed at a much higher heat which destroys much of the nutritional benefits of the seed.
Although you might think that you could substitute one for the other in recipes there is a drawback to doing this. Cocoa powder is not as absorbant as cacao powder so you can’t rely on the recipe working if you use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. You may have to to use less liquid if you use cacao powder.
Toxic metals in cocoa powder
Then there is the problem of arsenic and lead in cocoa powder. Consumer Lab tests found that all the cocoa powders they tested contained arsenic and/or lead at levels higher than the limit set by the World Health Organization.
What’s wrong with lead? It is bad for us because it interferes with numerous enzymes inside the cells of our organs interferring with their function. It can accumulate in our bodies so it’s wise to take care.
Although researchers say that arsenic does not build up in your body long term exposure to is associated with skin, bladder and lung cancers, as well as heart disease.
Arsenic is also found in grains, especially rice, fruits and vegetables so you may be getting more of it than you realize if you eat a lot of cocoa powder as well.
As well as arsenic and lead there has been concern over the presence of cadmium, nickel and chromium in cocoa powder.
So what to do? Valrhona brand is one of the cocoa powders with the lowest amount of cadmium and is also is sugar-free. If you prefer to buy organic then NuNaturals Premium Organic Cocoa Powder is a good one.
Detox heavy metals
If you think that you eat a lot of cocoa powder and other foods with heavy metals you could take some liquid zeolite to help detox them. Find out more in this article.
Recipe Notes
As I usually do with the recipes I post on this blog I have slightly tweaked the recipe to include organic produce where possible. This is because I assume that you are following a low carb or keto diet because you want to improve your health in some way.
The best way to do this is to eat the healthiest food possible and organic food with give you more nutrients than produce produced with pesticides and artificial fertilizers. I know it’s more expensive but do what you can.
Researchers have confirmed that health can be imroved by eating organically produced food.
More low carb chocolate recipes
Another delicious cupcake recipe I’ve written about that you might like is one for Keto Cupcakes : Cinnamon Frappuccino Recipe.
If it’s something chocolately you want then try this Low Carb Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe or these Keto Chocolate Brownies with Coconut
If it’s cacao you prefer then try this delectable Cacao Keto Smoothie With Chia Seeds & Avocado.
Keto Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Makes 6 wide cupcakes or 8 regular sized cupcakes.
Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (58 grams) organic sour cream
- 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60 ml) filtered water or heavy cream if you prefer
- 1 tbsp regular organic cocoa powder
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar substitute (Erythritol)
- 1¼ cup (55 grams ) melted grass-fed butter
- 1 organic/pastured egg
Icing
- ½ cup (118 ml) organic heavy cream
- 1 tub (250 grams) organic mascarpone cheese
- ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar substitute
- 1 tbsp instant organic coffee
Directions
- Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F /176°C .
- Add all the cupcake ingredients one by one, in the order listed, to a large mixing bowl, mixing with a spoon or fork with each addition. When fully combined divide the mixture evenly between the cup cake cases.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile start preparing the icing. Beat the heavy cream, erythritol, and instant coffee together with a hand mixer until it forms stiff peaks.
- Fold in the mascarpone cheese carefully until the icing is thoroughly mixed. Place the icing in the fridge.
- Once the cupcakes are cooked leave them to cool down.
- When the keto chocolate cupcakes are cool place the icing into a piping bag with wide nozzle and pipe it onto the tops of the cupcakes in a whirl pattern.
Here’s a video demo of how to prepare these delicious keto chocolate cupcakes.
