For those following a ketogenic diet, satisfying a sweet tooth can be a challenge. However, with this keto strawberry cupcakes recipe, you can enjoy a delicious and guilt-free treat. These cupcakes are tender, fluffy, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, making them perfect for parties, snacks, or simply a delightful dessert.
Why Keto Strawberry Cupcakes?
Traditional cupcakes are often loaded with sugar and wheat flour, making them unsuitable for a keto lifestyle. This recipe replaces these ingredients with keto-friendly alternatives, allowing you to indulge without derailing your diet.
- Low Carb: These cupcakes are designed to be low in carbohydrates, fitting seamlessly into a ketogenic meal plan.
- Sugar-Free: Instead of traditional sugar, this recipe uses keto-friendly sweeteners like erythritol or xylitol.
- Gluten-Free: Almond flour and coconut flour are used in place of wheat flour, making these cupcakes suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.
- Delicious Flavor: Despite the ingredient substitutions, these cupcakes maintain a delicious strawberry flavor and a satisfyingly sweet taste.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- Almond Flour: A great alternative to wheat flour, providing a slightly nutty flavor and a tender crumb.
- Coconut Flour: Often used in combination with almond flour to improve texture. Note that coconut flour is more absorbent, so adjust liquid accordingly.
- Sweetener: Use a keto-friendly sweetener such as Swerve, erythritol, or xylitol. Powdered versions work best for frosting.
- Eggs: Help to bind the ingredients and add moisture.
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: Adds moisture and tenderness to the cupcakes. Coconut cream can be used for a dairy-free option.
- Strawberries: Fresh or freeze-dried, these provide the signature strawberry flavor. If using fresh, chop finely. Freeze-dried strawberries can be ground into a powder for more intense flavor and color.
- Oat Fiber: This pure insoluble fiber adds a more traditional cupcake texture. Psyllium husk powder and coconut flour can be used as substitutes.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cupcakes rise.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Oil: Adds moisture to the cupcakes.
- Flax Seed Meal: Combined with baking powder, it helps to bind the ingredients.
For the Frosting
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for the frosting, and then add just a pinch of salt to help bring out flavor.
- Cream Cheese or Mascarpone: Provides a creamy base for the frosting. Ensure it's cold for best results.
- Heavy Cream or Coconut Milk: Adds richness and helps to create a smooth frosting.
- Sweetener: Powdered erythritol or xylitol are ideal for a smooth, sugar-free frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the frosting. Strawberry extract can also be added.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Ground into a powder, they add intense strawberry flavor and color.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the Strawberries
If using fresh strawberries, chop them finely. For a more intense flavor, consider roasting sliced strawberries in the oven at 350°F for 10-20 minutes. Reserve any juices. Alternatively, use freeze-dried strawberries ground into a powder. To make a strawberry puree, blend the strawberries in a blender until smooth. Place in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring very frequently, until reduced by about half. Let cool completely.
2. Make the Cupcake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sweetener until smooth. Gradually add eggs, vanilla, cream and strawberry puree. Whisk after each addition, until smooth.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, egg whites, and vanilla extract. Add the sweetener and whisk until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Gently fold through the chopped strawberries. (note: The strawberries need to be really finely chopped so they don’t get stuck in the piping nozzle.
Carefully fold in the chopped strawberries.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
3. Bake the Cupcakes
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffins cups, filling each liner about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
4. Prepare the Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until pale in color.
- Add in the vanilla extract, powdered strawberries and ½ of the powdered sweetener and beat with the mixer on low speed until the sweetener is incorporared.
- Add the rest of the sweetener and beat on low speed until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, beat the whipped cream with the vanilla extract until it holds stiff peaks.
- Fold the whipped cream into the frosting until no streaks remain.
5. Frost the Cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the frosting on top.
- Garnish with fresh strawberry slices or a sprinkle of freeze-dried strawberry powder.
Tips and Tricks
- Use the Right Liners: Silicone or parchment liners are recommended to prevent the cupcakes from sticking.
- Finely Chop Strawberries: Ensure the strawberries are finely chopped to ensure even distribution and prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
- Don't Overbake: Overbaking can result in dry cupcakes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
- Cool Completely: Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Especially for the frosting, keep the ingredients cold to maintain the frosting's structure.
- Customize Flavors: Experiment with different extracts, such as lemon or almond, to customize the flavor.
Variations
- Dairy-Free: Substitute coconut oil for butter and coconut milk for cream in both the cupcakes and frosting.
- Strawberry Lemonade: Add lemon zest and juice to the cupcake batter and frosting for a refreshing twist.
- Mini Cupcakes: Bake the batter in mini muffin tins for smaller, bite-sized treats.
- Other Berries: Replace strawberries with raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries for different flavor profiles.
Storage Instructions
- Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days.
- Allow the cupcakes to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
- Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutritional Information
- Net Carbs: Approximately 4.6g per cupcake with frosting. (calculated by subtracting fiber from total carbs)
- Fiber: 2.6g per cupcake with frosting.
- The nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
Common Questions
- How many strawberries can I have on keto? It’s best to consume strawberries in moderation on a keto diet. A cup of strawberry halves have 11.7g of carbs and 3g of fiber. I recommend sticking with half a cup or less.
- What sweetener is best to Keto Cupcakes? For anytime type of sweet treat on Keto, you’ll want a sugar substitute that bakes nicely. I used Swerve Confectioners in this recipe because it taste so much like sugar. There are other sugar substitutes that will work but be sure and check the ingredients and sugar ratio conversion chart for the amount you should use.
- What’s the Best Flour to Us for Gluten Free Cupcakes? Using traditional flour has way too many carbs for those following Keto. Thankfully almond flour works really well in its place. Though it is a great product, I found that mixing in a little oat fiber really helps the texture seem more like traditional cupcakes.
- How to Keep my Almond Flour Cupcakes From Crumbling: Just a little patience will ensure your Keto cupcakes stay together. You’ll have to allow them to cool completely before moving them around too much.
- Do Keto Cupcakes Have to be Refrigerated? Because the frosting on these cupcakes are made with dairy, you will need to keep these cupcakes in the fridge to keep them fresh.
- Are Strawberries Keto? All fruit have carbs, so there are some carbs in strawberries. However, there are a lot less carbs in strawberries than some other fruit. There are many health benefits associated with eating strawberries. They’re a wonderful source of antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese, folate and potassium!
- What is Oat Fiber? Oat Fiber is made from grinding the outer husks of oats. How healthy is oat fiber? It’s pure insoluble fiber, which doesn’t dissolve in water and isn’t broken down in the digestive tract, so it has zero net carbs and is perfect for a Keto Diet. It helps give a more traditional texture and that’s why I use it so often. To get the best results, it’s best to use oat fiber if you can. If you’re unable to find it, try a combination of psyllium husk powder and coconut flour.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
tags: #keto #strawberry #cupcakes #recipe