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Home » Recipes » Cakes

26 February, 2013 By Mary | 75 Comments

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

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flourless chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Gluten-free cupcakes: FINALLY! I've been wanting a recipe for gluten-free cupcakes for a while now, but by gluten-free I really mean flourless (or almond flour), since I don't care to learn the intricacies of gluten-free flour mixing. It seems, well, complicated. One of my favorite gluten-free desserts is this flourless chocolate torte, but I didn't think it would translate well to cupcakes.

flourless chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

After doing some hunting, I found a recipe from Kate From Scratch — it looked like a great place to start! A few tweaks, and here we are with my flourless chocolate cupcakes.

flourless chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

These are dense, chocolatey, and more cake-like than any flourless dessert I've ever made (as opposed to gooey/fudgelike). They were fabulous! Throw on some frosting, and you have a pretty darn delicious dessert. If you're dairy free too, just substitute your butter replacement (I like smart balance) and it should work just fine!

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flourless chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting | thekitchenpaper.com

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

★★★★★ 4.8 from 4 reviews
  • Author: by Mary
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
Print Recipe
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Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (½ cup chocolate chips)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp instant espresso powder
  • cupcake liners
  • 4 ounces regular cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and chocolate and melt in 30 second increments until the butter is completely melted.
  3. Whisk until the chocolate is also melted, and mixture is smooth.
  4. Whisk in the brown sugar and salt, then eggs, until smooth.
  5. Sift the cocoa powder and espresso powder into the mixture, and mix until combined.
  6. Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full.
  7. Bake until the tops are set, about 15 minutes.
  8. Let fully cool before frosting.
  9. For frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter together in a stand mixer. Mix until fully incorporated, light, and fluffy. Add the cocoa powder, then powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, then divide evenly among cupcakes.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen says

    February 28, 2013 at 3:13 pm

    I'm so impressed! The ingredient list is nice and short. Plus delicious! Pinning...

    Reply
  2. Terra says

    March 03, 2013 at 9:16 am

    These look marvelous! Just wondering though- approximately how many cupcakes does this recipe make?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      March 03, 2013 at 10:34 pm

      Not very many - I think I got 8 out of one recipe... and mine weren't as big as they could have been. Luckily, it's easy to double!

      Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 24, 2013 at 3:04 pm

      I doubled this and got 24

      Reply
  3. Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says

    March 10, 2013 at 3:24 pm

    Yum, your cupcakes look so good!

    Reply
  4. Rebecca says

    June 29, 2013 at 9:47 pm

    These were fantastic! I highly recommend them. 😀

    Reply
    • Val says

      February 15, 2014 at 1:07 pm

      I made these for Valentine's day and they were amazing! I followed the directions exactly and they were rich and decadent. Not dry nor crumbly but very intense and rich which is exactly what I was going for.

      For those that had trouble, check your egg sizes! Small eggs won't cut it. And I also made these with milk chocolate and they were really good. Follow directions and they work!

      Reply
  5. Kelly says

    August 02, 2013 at 5:48 pm

    I made a double batch of these but they only made a small bakers dozen. I mixed by hand until smooth, but they still fell. Hopefully they taste good. The frosting is delicious at least.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 02, 2013 at 5:53 pm

      Oh no! Sorry to hear they fell! Were you using an odd sized pan, or change anything? I'm sure they'll still taste good, just not be quite as pretty!

      Reply
      • Nessie says

        August 28, 2015 at 8:02 am

        I try to add a little bit baking soda (about 1/2 tbsp) to prevent them from falling and they turned out perfect. 🙂

        Reply
        • Mary says

          August 28, 2015 at 2:21 pm

          Great! Thanks for the tip, Nessie! xo

          Reply
          • Stephanie says

            August 24, 2016 at 1:24 pm

            Do you think the espresso powder is a must I don't have any on hand?

          • Mary says

            August 24, 2016 at 4:32 pm

            Hi Stephanie — the espresso powder is not essential! It's really just to enhance the chocolate flavor, but the recipe will still be wonderful without it. Enjoy! xo

        • Ella says

          January 26, 2017 at 11:09 am

          Did you do a 1/2 tbsp or 1/2 tsp of baking soda?

          Reply
  6. momof2 says

    December 27, 2013 at 12:17 am

    I followed the directions, but these just didn't work out for me. They were very dry and the flavour was too strong.

    Reply
  7. Fiddle Fingers says

    February 22, 2014 at 12:56 pm

    I ate one without the frosting, just because I can, I'm the cook. I think it would be better with the frosting as the cake is very very chocolatey. It needs the balance of the sweet of the frosting and the cake. Don't get me wrong, the cake was delicious and moist but it needed a balance of sweetness or less cocoa. YUM

    Reply
  8. Fiddle Fingers says

    February 22, 2014 at 3:01 pm

    OK, that's what it needed...the frosting. I used Earth Balance LF margarine and Tofutti cream cream alternative. I am lactose and gluten intolerant. If the cake is dry, underbake the cupcakes a little or cook a a slightly lower temperature. I need this chocolate fix! Thanks for tweaking the recipe so I can enjoy chocolate again!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      February 26, 2014 at 6:18 pm

      I'm glad you liked it! I don't think I ever tried one without frosting (whoops!), so I'm glad to have that feedback! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        May 12, 2014 at 8:34 am

        With the cream cheese frosting, do you keep the cupcakes refrigerated? Or are they ok sitting at room temperature? Thanks!

        Reply
        • Mary says

          May 12, 2014 at 8:48 am

          Hmm I am terrible with this kind if thing, and would probably keep them at room temp, but suppose you SHOULD keep them in the fridge!

          Reply
          • Samantha says

            May 12, 2014 at 8:53 am

            Ok.....thanks! 🙂

          • Samantha says

            May 13, 2014 at 11:22 am

            These are just INCREDIBLE tasting!!! Thank you so much!

          • Mary says

            May 13, 2014 at 5:45 pm

            Thanks, Samantha! I'm glad you liked them!

  9. Sandra says

    April 23, 2014 at 9:17 am

    Any idea what the calorie count is for the flourless chocolate cupcakes?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      April 23, 2014 at 9:27 am

      Hi Sandra - I haven't calculated the nutrition for this recipe. I'm sure you can easily find a site to plug in the recipe and get the info!

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        May 09, 2014 at 10:04 am

        Hi!
        How important do you think the espresso powder is in this recipie-is it something I can forgo if I have everything else? Trying to avoid a trip to the store...Thanks!

        Reply
        • Mary says

          May 09, 2014 at 9:59 pm

          You can definitely skip it! It's really just for enhancing the chocolate flavor!

          Reply
          • Tricia says

            June 03, 2015 at 1:41 pm

            Hi Mary- these look great- just wondering, what kind of brown sugar did you use? sugar in the raw? light brown sugar? dark brown sugar?

            thanks!
            Tricia

          • Mary says

            June 03, 2015 at 4:02 pm

            Hi Tricia! I used light brown sugar! Enjoy! Xo

  10. Bonnie Baier says

    February 23, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    THESE SOUND WONDERFUL AS I AM GLUTEN AND DAIRY INTOLERANT SO I AM EXCITED TO TRY. HOPE YOU HAVE MORE THINGS TO TRY. BONNIE

    Reply
    • Mary says

      February 23, 2015 at 5:27 pm

      Thanks, Bonnie! I hope you enjoy them! Check out my gluten free category... I have tons of recipe for you!

      Reply
  11. Niki says

    March 02, 2015 at 11:26 pm

    I've made twice with a vanilla bean buttercream! So delicious, although they are very, very crumbly. I already use extra large eggs. Do you have any ideas for what I could do so they aren't falling apart? Maybe add an extra egg? Otherwise the taste is absolutely delicious.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      March 03, 2015 at 12:40 am

      Mine are quite crumbly too, and I've never given much thought to the solution! Perhaps I should! An extra egg sounds like a great idea... Let me know if you try, and how it works out! Next time I have an oven I'll give it a go, too!

      Reply
  12. Hope says

    March 14, 2015 at 4:59 pm

    Thank you for sharing this cupcake recipe! I tried it today and it was good. 😀 It was very rich and chocolatey--a lot more like a brownie than a cupcake, I think. 😀

    Reply
    • Mary says

      March 14, 2015 at 6:57 pm

      Thanks, Hope! I'm glad you liked it!

      Reply
  13. Tricia says

    June 03, 2015 at 1:46 pm

    Hi Mary- these look great- just wondering, what kind of brown sugar did you use? sugar in the raw? light brown sugar? dark brown sugar?

    thanks!
    Tricia

    Reply
  14. Rosalyn says

    September 29, 2015 at 8:51 am

    This made 17 cupcakes, which was plenty for just me! I used dark chocolate and they tastes gorgeous, more like brownies than cupcakes but lovely non the less!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      September 29, 2015 at 9:35 am

      Thanks for the info, Rosalyn! Enjoy! Xo

      Reply
  15. Sue says

    November 09, 2015 at 4:15 am

    These looked fantastic when I checked them at 15 min. Nice and high. I turned oven off and left them to cool for 10 min and when I opened oven they had sunk 🙁
    As lovely as they tasted, brownie like which is to be expected, they were flat 🙁 any ideas what I could do? Add baking powder?? Thanks as making them for a friends birthday tomorrow.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      November 09, 2015 at 9:36 am

      Sorry to hear they went flat on you, Sue! I follow the recipe to a T every time and never have an issue, so I'm not sure how to advise you! I don't keep them in the oven for 10 minutes after the first 15, but I don't think that would make them fall (if anything it'd make them dry). Sorry I don't have a solution for you! Good luck!

      Reply
      • Elanor Rosen says

        October 24, 2016 at 2:50 pm

        I made these cupcakes and they were delicious but the frosting was more like a glaze.

        Reply
  16. Charlotte Berman says

    October 23, 2016 at 10:18 am

    can you use only unsalted butter instead of normal butter and unsalted butter thanks:)

    Reply
    • Mary says

      October 23, 2016 at 12:31 pm

      Hi Charlotte,

      Thanks for pointing that out — they should both be unsalted! I've changed the recipe to reflect that. Enjoy! xo

      Mary

      Reply
      • Charlotte Berman says

        October 23, 2016 at 2:51 pm

        thanks so much there delicious

        Reply
        • Chelsie Rose says

          October 24, 2016 at 4:58 pm

          I used 1/4 of a cup of cocoa powder for the frosting and it turned out great

          Reply
          • Mary says

            October 29, 2016 at 7:49 pm

            Thanks for the tip, Chelsie!

  17. Amy says

    February 08, 2017 at 7:56 am

    These were amazing!! I made them for my daughter's birthday, and I have been asked for the recipe by a few people as a result! I left out the espresso powder, and they were still very rich and tasty! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      February 08, 2017 at 10:09 am

      Oh yay! I'm so glad these were a hit, Amy! Thanks for sharing! xoxo

      Reply
  18. Char F says

    March 17, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    These were great! They had a bit of a cake texture. I maybe didn't bake mine long enough, as they were still gooey. But that's the way I like them. Definitely a keeper.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      March 21, 2017 at 3:51 pm

      Glad you liked them, Char! xo

      Reply
  19. Anat says

    April 15, 2018 at 4:26 pm

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe. They came out delicious, but flat in shape. Any reason why?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mary says

      April 24, 2018 at 8:31 pm

      Hi Anat! They are quite dense — did you fill up the cupcake liners enough? Other than that, I'm not sure what could have gone wrong!

      Reply
  20. Yvonne says

    February 13, 2019 at 11:20 am

    I made these cupcakes last week and they have become one of my husband's favorite desserts. I made a second batch to bring to work and all of the cupcakes were gone in one day. I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with 12 smaller cupcakes. They have a deliciously dense and rich chocolate flavor and I try to watch them so that they don't bake too long and dry out

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mary says

      February 17, 2019 at 8:56 am

      Glad you enjoyed these, Yvonne! Thanks for sharing! xo

      Reply
  21. lori says

    June 01, 2019 at 1:45 pm

    Hello. I'm about to make these...Do you use the mini cupcake tins or the regular size?

    thanks
    Lori

    Reply
    • Mary says

      July 02, 2019 at 3:18 pm

      I used regular, but you can use mini (just decrease baking time!).

      Reply
  22. Ezzie says

    October 25, 2019 at 7:39 pm

    So, do I have to use unsalted butter orrrrrrrr? Like, I'm just trynna save a trip to the store, ya know?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      November 03, 2019 at 11:14 am

      You don't *have* to ... but it's recommended. Unsalted butter is generally higher quality than salted, but it will work just fine. Just adjust the salt (decrease it) in the recipe!

      Reply
  23. Katie says

    April 12, 2020 at 10:42 pm

    These were incredible! I made them for a friends birthday tonight and everyone went for seconds. Thank you for this delicious recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  24. Delco says

    August 30, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    I get it that the frosting is for cupcakes but the amount is so small that ALL the ingredients wrapped around the beaters. Made a huge mess when adding powdered ingredients. Never had this issue when making frosting for a cake probably due to larger volume. However it tasted great.

    Reply
  25. Vineca Gray says

    October 29, 2020 at 2:20 pm

    Superb with a few small tweeks - swapped in 'dark' for chocolate chips and Swerve sweetener (keto) for brown sugar. Added 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract to the batter, which is a bit bold, since it is already in the icing recipe, but I love vanilla.

    Texture is excellent, baked but still delicate. !

    ★★★★

    Reply

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