
Almond flour is a trusted, delicious gluten-free flour to use in baking. It is a type of flour with more moisture in it than wheat flour, leading to a moist and decadent baked dessert. Almond flour can be used in cakes, cookies, pies, brownies, and tarts. Any dessert that you love can be made into an almond flour version.
The best gluten-free cupcakes you will ever bake are these Actually Delicious Chocolate Almond Flour Cupcakes with Almond Butter Frosting. Chocolate and almond butter pair so deliciously together, with almond elements inside both the cake and the frosting. This is a seriously sweet gluten-free cupcake.
The cake batter is a moist, chocolatey concoction that starts with almond flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. For tang and moisture, Greek yogurt is mixed into the cake. Vanilla extract further enhances the chocolate and almond flavors.
The cupcakes are then baked to perfection before cooling and frosting. They are ready when a cake tester comes out with only a few wet crumbs attached. As stated before, almond flour is a high moisture flour. The cupcakes will never fully dry out during baking, so a few wet crumbs on your toothpick are no problem.
The frosting on top is a spectacular addition to these cupcakes. Almond butter in the frosting plays off of the almond flour in the cupcakes. Cream cheese, powdered sugar, and almond milk all make this frosting sweet and nutty. The almond flavor is further enhanced with sliced almonds topping the frosting.
If you have a friend or family member who is gluten-free, this is the perfect recipe to make for their birthday or other special occasions. The little cakes are light, fluffy, and tender. The chocolate flavor melts in your mouth with a little bit of acidity from the Greek yogurt in the batter. All of your friends, gluten-free or not, will obsess over this amazing gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe with almond butter frosting!
For the Almond Butter Frosting:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 12 liners in a cupcake tin and set it aside.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until homogenous. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, folding carefully with a spatula just until all of the flour is hydrated. Do not overmix.
Use an ice cream scoop to portion evenly-sized cupcakes into the liners. Only fill about ⅔ of the way full to account for expansion in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Once the cupcakes are very cool and at room temperature, you can make the Almond Butter Frosting. Using a hand mixer, blend the cream cheese and almond butter until they are thick and homogenous. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar. Add the almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out the frosting to a spreadable consistency. You may not use all of the almond milk. Season with salt and blend once more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Frost the cooled cupcakes using an offset mini spatula or butter knife in a circular motion. Be sure to use plenty of frosting on each cupcake. Smooth out with the non-serrated side of the butter knife. Top each cupcake with a few sliced almonds.
Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.