Low-Carb Black Heart Halloween Cupcakes
Naomi Sherman- Ready in 1h 30m
- 4.9 g net carbs
- 358 kcal
- Serves 12
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How cool are these?! Perfectly dark and spooky treats for your Halloween table, and they taste incredible!
These are made using black cocoa, which can be tricky to get hold of. Try online stores if you can’t find it locally. Alternatively, you could use Dutch process cacao and black food colouring, but you will need to check on the macros if you deviate from this recipe.
Black cupcakes, topped with a luscious pile of creamy black frosting... all hiding the oozing red centred surprise. This recipe makes 12 muffin sized cakes or 24 mini-muffin sized. I can’t decide which is best, sinking my teeth into a big gooey muffin or popping an entire mini muffin in my mouth.
More research required, I think! Enjoy!
Step-by-step
Pre-heat the oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F (fan assisted), or 195 °C/ 380 °F (conventional).
Cream the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy using a stand mixer or hand beaters. Add the yoghurt and mix to combine. Add the eggs and beat well until combined.
Add the almond and coconut flours, the black cocoa, salt and baking powder and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl occasionally.
Place liners into 12 muffin liners into your muffin tray and use a 1/4 cup measure to disperse the batter into each liner. Bake for 30 minutes and then leave to cool.
Meanwhile, soften butter and cream cheese slightly and whisk with your mixer until combined and fluffy. Add the black cocoa, sweetener and vanilla and whisk to combine. Spoon into a piping bag with your chosen nozzle and set aside.
When the muffins are cool, use a sharp knife to hollow a section out of the top. I find it easiest to do this as a cone, with the point in the centre.
Spoon a heaped teaspoon of chia jam into the well of each muffin.
Cut a thin slice off the top of each removed section of muffin and place it over the top of the jam as a lid. You will have a small amount of leftover muffin dough which you can just eat as it is.
Pipe your frosting on top of each muffin.
Store in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 5 days. The centre of each muffin way get soft with time due to the moisture content if the jam.
Remove muffins from the fridge and return to room temperature before serving.
Recipe
Low-Carb Black Heart Halloween Cupcakes
★★★★★4.8These spooky Halloween black cupcakes make the perfect show stopping party treat! A healthy dessert that is ...
- Hands on
- 30m
- Overall
- 1h 30m
- Servings
- 12
- 4.9 g
- Net carbs
- 9 g
- Protein
- 34.7 g
- Fat
- 358
- kcal
Ingredients makes 12 muffins or 24 mini-muffins
- Cupcakes
- Frosting
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F (fan assisted), or 195 °C/ 380 °F (conventional).
Cream the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy using a stand mixer or hand beaters. Add the yoghurt and mix to combine. Add the eggs and beat well until combined.
Add the almond and coconut flours, the black cocoa, salt and baking powder and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl occasionally.
Place liners into 12 muffin liners into your muffin tray and use a 1/4 cup measure to disperse the batter into each liner. Bake for 30 minutes and then leave to cool.
Meanwhile, soften butter and cream cheese slightly and whisk with your mixer until combined and fluffy. Add the black cocoa, sweetener and vanilla and whisk to combine. Spoon into a piping bag with your chosen nozzle and set aside.
When the muffins are cool, use a sharp knife to hollow a section out of the top. I find it easiest to do this as a cone, with the point in the centre.
Spoon a heaped teaspoon of chia jam into the well of each muffin.
Cut a thin slice off the top of each removed section of muffin and place it over the top of the jam as a lid. You will have a small amount of leftover muffin dough which you can just eat as it is.
Pipe your frosting on top of each muffin.
Store in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 5 days. The centre of each muffin way get soft with time due to the moisture content if the jam.
Remove muffins from the fridge and return to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition per cupcake
Carbs 5%Protein 10%Fat 85% of calories
- Net carbs
- 4.9 g
- Total carbs
- 19.5 g
- Fiber
- 3.5 g
- Sugars
- 3.4 g
- Protein
- 9 g
- Fat
- 34.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 18.8 g
- Calories
- 358 kcal
- Sodium
- 328 mg · 14.3% RDA
- Magnesium
- 56 mg · 14% RDA
- Potassium
- 261 mg · 13% EMR
Nutrition by ingredient
| Per cupcake | Net carbs | Protein | Fat | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal) | 0.7 g | 1.8 g | 4.4 g | 49 |
| Coconut flour, organic | 0.3 g | 0.4 g | 0.4 g | 9 |
| Cocoa powder, black, unsweetened | 0.5 g | 0.4 g | 0.3 g | 5 |
| Butter, unsalted, grass-fed | 0 g | 0 g | 3.8 g | 34 |
| Swerve, natural sweetener (Erythritol and chicory inulin based) | 0.4 g | 0 g | 0 g | 2 |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) | 0.1 g | 2.1 g | 1.6 g | 24 |
| Yogurt, plain (full-fat, Greek style, 5% fat) | 0.8 g | 1.9 g | 1 g | 20 |
| Baking powder, gluten-free | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Salt, sea salt | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Raspberry Balsamic Chia Jam (KetoDiet blog) | 0.7 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g | 7 |
| Cream cheese, soft (full-fat) | 0.7 g | 1.5 g | 5.8 g | 51 |
| Butter, unsalted, grass-fed | 0 g | 0.2 g | 16.9 g | 149 |
| Swerve, natural sweetener (Erythritol and chicory inulin based) | 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Cocoa powder, black, unsweetened | 0.5 g | 0.4 g | 0.3 g | 5 |
| Vanilla extract, sugar-free, alcohol-based | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 2 |
| Total | 4.9 g | 9 g | 34.7 g | 358 |
Serving size cupcake
- Gluten free
- Nightshade free
- Pork free
- Avocado free
- Fish free
- Shellfish free
- Beef free
- Pescatarian
- Vegetarian
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Comments & ratings (14)
I'd love to make these to take to a Halloween party, but I'm always hesitant about serving items with alternative sweeteners to unsuspecting guests. I bake with erythritol, monkfruit, allulose, stevia, etc, and have no problem with them, but I've heard that they can cause stomach problems in people who are not used to them.
What do other people do? Should I bring them but put a sign on them that they are gluten free and made with Swerve (erythritol)? I don't want to say "May cause stomach upset," or no one will eat them. But if people are unaware and eat them, they may not know what caused the problem.
Hi Barbara, I'm sorry for the delayed reply, I know it's too late for Halloween. I can still reply to the comment about sweeteners though! Erythritol and allulose have the lowest risk of GI issues (liquid stevia practically non-existent). It's other sweeteners like xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol that are usually causing these issues (and they are more prevalent in store-bought "sugar-free" treats!). There's a post about sweeteners here: Top 6 Keto Sweeteners and Low-Carb Sweetener Conversion Chart
I totally get that you want to be careful - you just never know how people react to new foods. These side effects (if they happen) are typically very mild.
Will these turn my teeth, tongue and/or lips black?
Temporarily when you eat them yes 😊 I've baked loads more these last few days and used black cocoa in other recipes too. It's always just temporary (as you eat them), the black colour never stays on your teeth and lips.
Thank you!
I love these and will be trying them very soon!!
I have to say I was disappointed. I used Jet Black Cocoa powder but there is nothing black about my cupcakes or frosting. They both look like dirt. How did I think the small amount of cocoa powder would turn all those white ingredients black? The taste is good. I hope the kids to whom I promised black cupcakes for Halloween are also disappointed.
I'm sorry to hear that Annette. I haven't tried these cupcakes but I used black cocoa in cookies (relatively small amount considering it was a large batch) and the cookies were perfect: The Best Low-Carb Oreo Cookies
I'll ask Naomi to double check it but I assume this can be the case of the cocoa powder not being dark enough. Was it the muffin part or the frosting that was not dark enough? Would 1 more tablespoon in either help?
I found about 6 products on Amazon, all claiming to be "black" and the colour varied from Dutch process brown to completely black. The top review in the product I recommended includes a photo that compares several different cocoa powders. The one that is marked as "jet black" is actually rather dark brown: amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1V1AAY2YVY5TV/ref…
Hi Annette
That must have been so disappointing for you!
I agree with Martina, the black cocoa powder that I used is an Australian brand that I bought from a commercial baking supplier so it may be that the Jet Black one isn't quite as dark? Although I googled it and it seems very dark.
You could try using activated charcoal, although it will affect the texture slightly, especially in the frosting.
Thanks, Naomi
Loved this recipe! I was out of raspberries so made it with black currant chia jam (a little more carbs though), also made half the frosting but I am weird that way)) anyway the flavors are beautiful! Thank you so much!
Thank you! Blackcurrants are still low in sugar - I think it's a great alternative 😊
yes, you can use activated charcoal powder i reagulary bake with it
They are amazing!!
Instead of black cocoa can I use charcoal powder?
I was thinking that too before I found the black cacao powder 😊 I'd go with 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of Dutch process cocoa powder and 1 to 2 teaspoons of activated charcoal in the muffins and also in the frosting. I hope this helps!