These paleo vanilla cupcakes are so light, fluffy, moist, and sweet that you’d never guess they’re gluten free, dairy free and paleo! The “buttercream” frosting is easy to whip up, and tastes just like the original even though it contains no refined sugar or dairy. Kid approved and perfect for birthdays, special events, or “just because”!
I’ve been holding onto this cupcake recipe for way too long. I got completely distracted with all the Springtime goodies like lemon bars, lemon cake, carrot cake, those homemade creme eggs, and, well, that sort of thing.
It just didn’t seem like the right time to share a “classic” recipe like vanilla cupcakes with all the focus on the new season.
It’s funny – as a regular (sort of regular) person I LOVE welcoming a new season (especially shopping for a new season!) but, as a food blogger new seasons drive me a little batty. Or a lot batty, especially fall with all the intense pumpkin love that time of year.
A new season means the pressure is on! I have to start thinking about grilling in April and Thanksgiving in August. My kids KNOW to expect pumpkin bread, pumpkin pies, and cakes as soon as we come back from our beach vacation.
Yes, it sort of sucks all the fun out of the actual holidays because by the time they roll around, I’m way over the sentiment.
In fact, in some ways the sentiment is taken away, because now, cooking is actual work, which I have to remind myself, is actually really flipping awesome!
So, I would say that’s the one “down” side to food blogging as a full time job. The perks far outweigh the downside – creating delicious healthy recipes and sharing them with all of you is a legit dream come true!
But anyway, back to our current situation – these vanilla cupcakes. No matter what time of year it is, I think we can all agree a classic vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream is a mighty special thing.
I totally associate them with birthdays – both my own from childhood and my kids’ – and that special feeling you get when you bake something homemade to share for a birthday. My kids will ALWAYS choose vanilla/vanilla cakes over chocolate cakes, and to be honest, I do too!
The “buttercream” frosting here has no dairy in it whatsoever and also no refined sugar, however, my son (who hates everything) loved it and said it tastes just like birthday cake.
And, I’ll add that he goes to parties and eats actual non-paleo cupcakes, so his opinion is legit.
I used a combination of palm oil shortening and refined coconut oil to create the base for the frosting. You’ll need to make sure your shortening is room temp and the coconut oil is soft but not at all melted.
Depending on the time of year that might mean actually chilling the coconut oil a bit before using it, since it melts around 75 degrees F.
The frosting is sweetened with honey and thickened with tapioca flour, although you can also use arrowroot for the same result. By the way, I used refined coconut oil only to avoid coconut flavor, but for texture, virgin will work well too.
The frosting comes together really quickly and can even be made the day before – it will harden a lot in the fridge due to the coconut oil – but all you need to do is re-whip it with your hand mixer and it’ll be perfect!
Also due to the coconut oil, it has a tendency to soften/melt above normal room temperature, so you can store it in the fridge until ready to frost, and then just re-whip once you’re ready to frost the cupcakes. For this reason, it’s also best to keep the cupcakes cool after frosting them, especially if it’s warm around you.
The cupcakes themselves are very similar to my strawberry shortcake cupcakes and they’re as good as paleo cupcakes get. Moist without being soggy or greasy, light in texture and perfectly domed, and with just the right amount of sweetness.
I hope you’re ready for for cake and company – these vanilla cupcakes are sure to please a crowd – let’s get started!
Vanilla Cupcakes with “Buttercream” Frosting {Paleo}
Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes with "Buttercream" Frosting
These paleo vanilla cupcakes are so light, fluffy, moist, and sweet that you'd never guess they're gluten free, dairy free and paleo! The "buttercream" frosting is easy to whip up, and tastes just like the original even though it contains no refined sugar or dairy. Kid approved and perfect for birthdays, special events, or "just because"!
Ingredients
Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup palm oil shortening room temp, soft
- 1/2 cup coconut oil softened but solid
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp fine grain sea salt
Cupcakes:
- 4 eggs room temp
- 3 Tbsp coconut milk full fat, blended prior to adding
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled to almost room temp
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup pure maple sugar or coconut sugar*
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin/cupcake pan with parchment liners. In a mixing bowl, combine, the almond flour, tapioca, baking soda and salt, set aside.
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In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat together the eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla, maple syrup and maple sugar until very smooth
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Add the dry ingredients gradually to the wet and mix on low speed for about a minute, until well combined.
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Transfer batter using a ladle or spoon to the prepared cupcake pan, filling 3/4 of the way up to make about 12-14 cupcakes. You can bake in batches if you make more than 12.
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Bake 16-18 mins until tops are domed and toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Once cooled to room temp, frost as desired with buttercream and serve. Cupcakes should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the Frosting:
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Using an electric hand mixer, beat the shortening and coconut oil until smooth and fluffy. Add in the honey and beat on low until combined, then add tapioca, vanilla and sea salt and beat until creamy.
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Frost cupcakes immediately, OR store frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use. Frosting will harden in the fridge, but you can let it sit for 5 minutes at room temp, then re-beat before frosting the cupcakes. Frosting can also be made ahead of time following this method.
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Frost cupcakes using a piping bag or with an offset spatula. Store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator after the first day for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Coconut sugar will work for this recipe, but, the cupcakes will appear significantly darker due to the brown color of coconut sugar.
Nutrition
What I Used To Make My Vanilla Cupcakes:
Want More Paleo Cakes and Cupcake Recipes? Try One of These!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Lemon Crumb Cake with Lemon Curd
Chocolate Chip Cookie Vanilla Cheesecake {Vegan}
Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Donuts {Nut Free}
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting {Nut Free}
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Hi Michele. I love your blog and recipes. I have made several in the past and everything always turns out so yummy!!
I just have a question about the frosting for this recipe. I just made the frosting to go with your carrot cupcakes for Easter. Although the recipe was easy I still ended up with some tiny lumps from the shortening. It just wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks so much for your hard work.
Kristina
Yum! These look amazing! Those frosting swirls…
These ARE amazing! I was craving a cupcake and since Michele’s recipes have NEVER failed me I decided to try them….OMG, they are SO good and I will be making these over and over again! I actually halved the recipe and it worked well! Thanks Michele! 🙂
The coconut oil for this frosting — softened but solid. What do I do to soften it but not melt it? thanks!!
Let it just sit out-dont refrigerate it
ugh…I was sad to see palm oil as an ingredient….don’t want to be that person but using palm oil is just helping the deforestation and decimation of the orangutans, and other wildlife….is there anything else you could use in its place?
Right there with you… I just used all coconut oil and no palm oil. Seems to have worked just fine.
Amazing. How much frosting should i make to cover a 8″ 4 layer cake?
Not sure if making twice as much will be enough to cover it.
Also can I add fruit to it, and make it a strawberry paleo frosting for ex?
Palm shortening isn’t the same as palm oil in this case. Nutiva and Tropical Traditions brands have palm shorterning that does not affect natural habitats of animals.
My frosting turned out runny. Do you have a suggestion on what I may have done wrong? Or could do different? Can’t wait to try these anyway!
OMG! I recently found out that I am allergic to wheat and I was SO sad until I made this recipe!!! I am a baker and they are SO good- even better than wheat in my opinion!!! The texture was perfect and fluffy and flavor delicious. They even worked in high altitude (3,500′). Thank you so much!
These look great! What adjustments would you recommend if I wanted to make these into a cake instead? (Thinking 9-inch round)
I would bake the layers at 350 for probably 15-20 mins? you’d have to check or doneness.
Could this recipe be used to make a regular cake rather than cupcakes?
These are delicious!!!!!!!!!!
What substitute can I use for the palm oil shortening (can’t get it here)? Can I use coconut butter / cold press coconut oil that is solidified? Does the frosting hold up at 92-95F room temp (yes, this is room temp in where i live and very humid, daily)? Thanks
You can use ghee butter out coco butter fo substitute for the palm oil. Still tastes amazing!
I love these but wonder if there is a way to add chocolate to it? I have made your chocolate cupcakes but the coconut flour messes with my tummy a little. If I added chocolate would I have to reduce the almond flour? Thanks!
Can you use maple syrup in the frosting if you want to make it vegan?
Hi Michele,
So far, I’ve been able to successfully make your pizza dough recipe, and just today my sister-in-law made these cupcakes and they were AMAZING! I don’t even usually like normal cupcakes because they are too sweet and all that awful sugar always overwhelms the “flavor” the cupcakes are supposed to be. But I love this recipe (she had to make a couple substitutions due to not having the maple or coconut sugar and the palm oil(?) But it turned out amazing, it was so quick and simple to make, she said, and not even a question to our new staple in terms of cupcakes. I also loved your pizza dough recipe (you do keto/paleo better than many others we’ve tried) but i’ll leave a separate review on that one. Thank you for sharing your special gift of baking to help us all out. Your recipes are so fast, so easy, so delicious, and best of all, hardly different than something non-paleo or go. Keep blogging, and i’ll keep learning!
These turned out amazing!! Thanks for such a great paleo recipe.
First time making vanilla paleo cupcakes and they did not disappoint! So delicious and easy to make! I added 1/4 cup of pureed strawberries to the frosting because my daughter wants pink frosting for her birthday cupcakes. I’m making a double batch as we speak for the party tomorrow and I’m so excited because a friend that’s coming has a bad gluten allergy and her mom usually brings her daughter her own cake so she can eat something. Thank you for making and sharing this healthier version!
There is two different measurements for maple syrup. Is this correct?
Never mind, I see it says “sugar”
Could the frosting part of this recipe be used for a cake? Or is it just enough for cupcakes?
I have made these twice now. First, I made cupcakes and the second time, I made a double batch for a molded dinosaur cake (baked around 30 minutes at 350). I did not make the frosting but the cake is so good! It’s not too sweet with great texture. Many people asked for the recipe. I followed exactly as stated. This will be my go to recipe for vanilla cake! Thanks!
soo good
These were AMAZING! Your recipe was my gateway back into baking, and what a delicious gateway! I can’t get over how tender they were. I made one small adjustment and used some homemade ghee in place of the coconut oil and it gave both the cake and frosting a slightly nutty, buttery flavor which was perfect. Thanks again! I can’t wait to make these again.
WOW really impressed! My 12 year old son made these and I was concerned about the texture. We are grain free and have had issues in the past with grain free recipes. Both the frosting and cake were great! I think next time I’ll use coconut cream instead of coconut oil in the frosting, and add a bit more vanilla and tapioca flour for the texture/ flavor combo I’m looking for.
I’m on a low fodmap diet. Anyway I can replicate without maple syrup or honey? I’m limited to Stevia for sweeteners
Palm shortening is not a very sustainable ingredient. It contributes to the deforestation of a very sensitive habitat for endangered species. I guess as long as people get cupcakes though, right?
In this case, you’re mistaken. Nutiva, Spectrum and Tropical Traditions all sell palm shortening that does not negatively affect the environment or animal habitats. It’s a common misunderstanding. These products are from Sth America, not Asia.
Hello, your recipe looks great, but I will not make it as given because of the palm oil. Palm oil production is a huge environmental problem and it causes a lot of suffering and destruction, and death. What could I replace the palm oil shortening with? Thank you in advance.
In this case, you’re mistaken. Nutiva, Spectrum and Tropical Traditions all sell palm shortening that does not negatively affect the environment or animal habitats. It’s a common misunderstanding. These products are from Sth America, not Asia.
Sorry for the negative review… I followed the recipe exactly, using coconut sugar and lemon. They were gooey, not fluffy as other paleo cupcakes. And the frosting tasted like the shortening which was not a good flavor. A nice texture but also completely oily which was odd to me
I’m not sure why as I’ve never had these come out gooey. Maybe the almond flour wasn’t fine enough? I honestly have no idea. Sorry they didn’t work out for you.
Holy moly are these good! Another stellar recipe!
Just made these, and they came out great! I would add a tip to the frosting technique though: turn off your mixer before adding in the tapioca flour, and start to fold it in with a spoon until it’s somewhat mixed, or it might just poof up all over your face and your kitchen!
Also, because I didn’t want to buy palm shortening, I used all coconut oil for the frosting. It came out just fine, though next time I might add in some creamed coconut and/or some cocoa butter for a slightly different texture and more varied flavor. Just for fun, too, I added in a couple teaspoons of beet powder, to give it a nice purple color. Thanks for the great recipe!
Did you mean baking powder instead of baking soda? They taste a bit like baking soda. Does the frosting really need the tapioca? It made it a bit chalky. Tapioca only thickens with heat? Overall the taste was nice and will make again. I might try baking powder instead of baking soda as gf baked goods can usually benefit from baking powder. Thank You!! I do love all your recipes. You are awesome.
Michelle, I want you to adopt me and cook for me. All of your recipes look amazing! I decided yesterday to whip up some frosting for some Simple Mills pumpkin muffins I had made. I remembered the icing from this recipe and I had all the ingredients. Well first off, yummy! I get to have icing on Paleo! My only regret is using a strong honey, it’s overwhelming the flavor- but aside from that the texture is spot on and it’s just like buttercream. I’ll learn from my mistake and next time try and find a more neutral honey or even use a little less. Thanks for all the delicious recipes!
Can I use normal granulated sugar instead of maple sugar?
These didn’t work at all.. they never formed into cupcakes.. seems like not enough liquid or something?
These are by far one of the best paleo desserts I’ve made! They were DELICIOUS! I think better than “real” cupcakes ? Thank you so much.
Using the cupcake recipe and baking it in a 7×10 in cake pan, I made this as a cake for Easter and cut out a bunny design to decorate. (I did not use the frosting recipe but instead used a regular buttercream recipe) The cake was delicious! Even after 3 days in the fridge the little bunny ear that was left (lol!) still tasted moist and delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe and I’m looking forward to making the frosting next time!
Runny frosting and used a mixer to beat. Help!
I’m a huge fan of your website and have been really enjoying your recipes during quarantine! I was wondering if you have ever experimented with using coconut butter instead of shortening or grass fed butter in a frosting recipe like this? Thank you!
Tasted like paint thinner and batter looked like wet dog food when I tried to mix the dry with wet ingredients. I don’t recommend spending your money on this horrible recipe and they did not bake like the fake cupcakes in the images. The frosting just tastes like shortening and I had to add powdered sugar.
Michele, I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! You see, my family has a tradition that the bride always bakes her own wedding cake/cupcakes, a tradition from my great grandmother’s time. But most of my husband’s family was gluten intolerant, so I decided to make gluten free/paleo cupcakes. Most of the people at the wedding, including the kids, (and my picky nephews) didn’t even notice that they were not “normal” cupcakes! My husband’s family were really touched, and all my sisters in law begged me for the recipe. Thank you for this recipe! It helped make my day so special.
I can’t wait to make these! Will baking in a cake pan instead of making cupcakes work just as well?
Do you know if “flax eggs” could be substituted for these eggs? My daughter has to be egg free and it’s for her 8th birthday. Would love your help!
Instead of almond flour, could I use cassava flour?
If we wanted to make this truly AIP friendly, could we use beef gelatin instead of eggs?
I made the recipe exactly but it is so dry it isn’t even like a batter. . . It looks like cookie dough. ???
Can this recipe be made with an egg replacement? Flax egg or applesauce? What measurements please?
AMAZING!! Instead of shortening I used a vegan butter and instead of tapioca flour, I used arrowroot. I also made a cake instead of cupcakes and it all still came out amazing! My teeange son was so excited to finally have a birthday cake that didn’t taste like crap. Thank you!
Can I sub coconut flour for almond?
I made these n they were so good! 1 small problem, the cupcake liner “ate” 1/3 of my cupcake, so much of the cake got stuck on the liner, why? Yours look so clean in the photo, pls help!!!
Does the tapioca flour add anything significant or could you just use all almond flour? I have everything I need in hand besides that. Thanks!
Do you have to use tapioca flour or can I just use all almond flour? Just trying to use what I have on hand. Thanks!!
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