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image of sugar free cupcakes made with sugar free frosting
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4.92 from 59 ratings

Sugar Free Cupcakes

These sugar free cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and delicious! They're made with a natural, sugar free sweetener and are frosted with a silky smooth, sugar free frosting!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Additional Time15 minutes
Total Time53 minutes
Course: Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 391kcal

Ingredients

Sugar Free Cupcakes

Sugar Free Frosting

Instructions

Sugar Free Cupcakes

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, sift together 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup of sugar-free sweetener like Allulose or Swerve. Mix on a medium-high speed with a hand mixer or whisk attachment for about 2 minutes, to incorporate air into the butter.
  • Add in 2 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp of almond extract. Mix on medium-high speed until the ingredients are fully combined. The mixture should look fluffy.
  • Mix in 1/2 cup of sour cream on a medium speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed until the flour is just incorporated.
  • Scoop the cupcake batter into the prepared muffin tin, evenly dividing the batter between the 12 cupcake liners.
  • Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. These won't brown the same way regular cupcakes do, so don't rely on visual cues for doneness!
  • Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Sugar Free Frosting

  • In a medium-sized pot, add about 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
  • Before making the frosting, be sure to thoroughly clean your mixing bowl by wiping it down with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. If there’s any grease, it can make it difficult to make the meringue.
  • Add 4 egg whites and 1 cup of sugar-free sweetener like Swerve or Allulose into a heat-proof mixing bowl.
  • Place the bowl on top of the pot filled with simmering water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. The bowl should create a seal over the pot.
  • Whisk the mixture constantly for 3-5 minutes, until it reaches 160°F/71°C. At this point, the mixture should feel smooth and hot to the touch with your finger.
  • Lift your bowl away from the pot and dry the bottom with a towel. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high using a whisk attachment. Mix for 5-8 minutes, or until you have stiff and glossy peaks. You can also use a hand mixer, but it will take a bit longer.
  • At this point in time, the mixing bowl should be room temperature. If it’s warm, it will melt your butter!!
  • Mix on a medium speed and add in 3/4 cup of room temperature unsalted butter in small chunks.
  • Then add in 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract, and 1 tsp almond extract. If you want to color this frosting, add in gel food coloring at this point and mix on a low speed until fully incorporated.
  • When all butter is mixed in, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and continue mixing on a low speed for about 3 minutes.
  • The frosting should have a thick whipped consistency at this point. If it looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks smooth and thick.
  • Place the frosting into a large piping bag fitted with your favorite frosting tip and pipe on each cooled cupcake. I used a Wilton 1M to decorate these cupcakes.

Video

Notes

This recipe can be used to make 12 regular-sized cupcakes or about 36 mini cupcakes. To make mini cupcakes, bake at 350°F/175°C for 8-10 minutes.
 

Tips For Making the Best Sugar-Free Cupcakes

  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Ingredients at room temperature mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Mix the cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated, once you've added the flour. This will help the cupcakes have a more tender crumb.
  • Heat the egg white / Allulose mixture to 160°F/71°C to make the egg whites safe to eat. I like to use a digital thermometer to track the temperature.
  • If the frosting breaks/curdles, just keep mixing!! It should come back together with the help of your stand mixer. For more troubleshooting tips, check out this post.
  • Use vanilla bean paste and a bit of almond extract to really amp up the flavor of this frosting!
  • To make chocolate sugar-free cupcakes, swap out 1/3 cup of flour for baking cocoa.
  • Turn this sugar-free frosting recipe into chocolate sugar-free frosting by mixing in 1 cup of melted and cooled milk or dark chocolate once the frosting is made.

 

Making These Sugar Free Cupcakes in Advance and Storage Tips

These cupcakes can be made in advance! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for:
  • 2 days at room temperature
  • Up to a week in the fridge
  • Up to 3 months in the freezer
If you have extra buttercream you don't use, it can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or piping bag for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 222mg | Sugar: 34g