Moist Low Carb cupcakes are easy to make and so flavorful! These light and fluffy Keto cupcakes are topped with a luscious creamy coconut frosting with a burst of lime flavor.
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Coconut and lime is one of my favorite flavor combinations! Those two flavors are front and center in these gluten free cupcakes! Lime juice and zest pack just the right amount of punch and coconut cream and shredded coconut make these the perfect healthy cupcake recipe!
These almond flour cupcakes have a wonderful texture too, with the addition of oat fiber, which I bake with often. It gives that traditional cake-like texture to anything I use it in. And because it's pure insoluble fiber, it's Keto friendly and Low Carb!
You can garnish the tops with more shredded coconut and fresh lime zest to give them even more flavor. The sugar-free frosting is so smooth and creamy, with a great coconut taste. Give these tropical tasting cupcakes a try and I'm betting you'll love them as much as I do!
What's in Low Carb Coconut Lime Cupcakes
- Super fine almond flour
- Oat Fiber (see notes)
- Swerve Confectioners
- Cream cheese
- Whole eggs
- Butter
- Coconut milk (see notes)
- Heavy cream
- Unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut extract
- Lime juice and zest
- Pinch of salt
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make the Best Keto Coconut Cupcakes
How to Make Moist Keto Cupcakes
You'll want to refrigerate a can of full fat unsweetened coconut milk over night, so that the cream separates from the water and solidifies at the top of the can. It should be thick and creamy.
Then measure out 1 cup of the cream and save the rest to use in something else, maybe a smoothie or protein shake. Half of the coconut cream will go in the cupcake batter and the other half into the frosting.
Take the shredded or flaked coconut and grind it in a food processor or mini chopper. You want a fine shred, but don't grind it so much that it becomes flour.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Add all the dry ingredients and the ground coconut to a bowl and whisk to combine them.
In a separate bowl, add in the eggs, heavy cream, lime juice and zest, Swerve, coconut cream, coconut and vanilla extracts, then mix until they're combined. I use my hand mixer, because it makes it so much easier!
Add the dry ingredients into the wet, then mix, just until combined.
Scoop into 10 silicone cupcake liners or a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray, then bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool before you frost them or the frosting will just melt right off!
How to Make the Best Low Carb Coconut Frosting
Add the cream cheese, coconut cream and butter into a mixing bowl and mix. Then add in the remaining ingredients and continue mixing until smooth and creamy.
When you first mix the frosting, it will be a little loose, and you'll probably wonder how will you be able to frost the cupcakes with it. Refrigerate the frosting while the cupcakes continue baking and have cooled completely. The frosting will set up perfectly during this time!
When you're ready to frost, transfer to a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic food storage bag. If you don’t have a decorating tip, you can cut a hole at the tip of the bag and swirl the frosting over the top.
Optional: Garnish the top with more lime zest and shredded coconut. If you don't like a strong lime flavor, you can skip the zest over the top.
Store leftover cupcakes in the fridge for several days or freeze.
Tips on How to Make the Best Keto Cupcakes
Making a Moist Gluten-Free Cupcake
Texture is key in making any Keto or Low Carb cake recipe. Too many come out dry or with a “diet food texture.” But not these, we have a special ingredient that makes ALL the difference!
Using a mixture of Almond Flour and Oat Fiber will give you that authentic cake texture that you're looking for. Super fine almond flour works best in any kind of Low Carb or Gluten-Free desserts that don't use all purpose flour in.
If you don't have a super fine almond flour, you can certainly use what you have, just be sure to whisk the dry ingredients to break up any lumps.
What is Oat Fiber? Is Oat Fiber Keto Friendly?
Oat Fiber is not the same as Oat Flour, which is made from grinding oats. Oat Fiber is made from grinding the outer husks of oats and is pure insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is not broken down in the digestive tract, so it’s Low Carb and Keto friendly.
The Oat Fiber is really important in this recipe! I use it in so many Keto dessert recipes, because of the amazing texture it gives whatever I am baking! It is hands down, the best ingredient I’ve baked with.
I use Lifesource Foods Oat Fiber 500, because they grind it to a very fine powder and has a mild flavor. The bag lasts a while, because you don’t need to use very much in your recipes.
What Keto Desserts Can You Make with Oat Fiber?
These are just a handful of the recipes that you can use oat fiber in:
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Lemon Muffins
- Lemon Cupcakes with Creamy Lemon Frosting
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Rosemary and Kalamata Olive Focaccia
- Lemon Poppy Mini Bundt Cakes
- Tiramisu Pancakes
- Pumpkin Donuts
What's the Best Coconut Milk to Use in Keto Baking?
Coconut milk brands don't matter as much as the type of coconut milk that you buy. You always want to use a full fat unsweetened coconut milk that comes in the can (not the carton), when you bake Low Carb and Keto desserts.
The reason being is that Keto is a high fat diet, so a large percentage of our calories come from fat. Contrary to what we're always been told, fat IS good!
The unsweetened version has no added sugar, which is exactly what you want. Be sure to use the coconut milk that comes in the can. Set it in the fridge overnight and the fats will solidly at the top of the can and separate from the water.
When you scoop it out, you end up with the most creamy and delicious coconut cream! And did you know that you can use this cream as a whip cream? Yep! All you have to do is whip it the same way that you do heavy cream, add a little sweetener (I use Stevia drops) and you have the most dreamy coconut whip cream ever!
How Many Carbs in Coconut Milk?
You'll be happy to know that there is only 1 carb in ⅓ cup of full fat unsweetened coconut milk and 13 grams of healthy fat. This is absolutely perfect for a Keto diet. Coconut milk also makes a great dairy free substitute for heavy cream, so you can use it in so many different desserts.
You can also use this same coconut milk in savory dishes too, like Thai Coconut Curry Soup or Thai Red Curry Coconut Pork. Both have amazing bold flavor, with a little kick of heat from the curry.
You can also use unsweetened coconut milk in your bulletproof coffee as a creamer! It's a great way to adding healthy fats and flavor to your coffee. Add a little sweetener and you're good to go.
What Sweetener is Best for Keto Baking?
Swerve Confectioners has the best balance for Low Carb dessert recipes.
If you can't get Swerve confectioners where you are, you can certainly substitute with another brand that you do have access to. If you can't get confectioners, no worries, you can grind the granular to a fine powder using a coffee grinder and voila, there you have it! It really is the best sweetener to use in sugar free cake recipes.
More Keto and Low Carb Desserts
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Creme Brûlée
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Mascarpone Tart
- Coconut Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cupcakes
If you'd like to know more about baking on Keto, this article, Keto Baking Made Easy, is loaded with tips and info that you'll find helpful. You might also check out my Keto Sweet Treats eBook that has 50 amazing Keto dessert recipes, all with color pics, macros and more! I'm offering it at 50% off when you subscribe to my free weekly emails here.
Shop my favorite products on Amazon and check out my Keto Pantry List!
Keto Coconut Lime Cupcakes (Gluten-Free)
Recipe Video
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 1 ½ cups super fine almond flour
- ¼ cup Oat Fiber, see notes
- ½ cup Swerve Confectioners
- 3 whole eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk, see notes
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure coconut extract
- zest and juice of 2 limes
- Pinch of salt
FOR THE FROSTING
- ½ cup cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk, see notes
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup Swerve, confectioners
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure coconut extract
- zest and juice of 1 lime
INSTRUCTIONS
To Make the Cupcakes
- Refrigerate a can of full fat unsweetened coconut milk over night so that the cream separates from the water and solidifies. The cream at the top is what you want, should be thick and creamy. Once the cream has separated, measure out 1 cup and save the water to use in something else, maybe a smoothie or protein shake.
- Half of the coconut cream will go in the cupcake batter and the other half into the frosting.
- Take the shredded or flaked coconut and grind it in a food processor or mini chopper. You want a fine shred, but don’t grind it so much that it becomes flour.
- In a separate bowl, add in the eggs, coconut cream, heavy cream, lime juice and zest, Swerve, coconut and vanilla extracts, then mix to combine.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix, just until combined. Scoop into 10 silicone cupcake liners or a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray, then bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
To Make the Frosting
- Add in the cream cheese, coconut cream and butter to a mixing bowl and mix. Then add in the remaining ingredients and continue mixing until smooth and creamy. When you first mix the frosting, it will be a little loose, and you’ll probably wonder how will you be able to frost the cupcakes with it. Refrigerate while the cupcakes continue baking and have cooled completely. The frosting will set up perfectly during this time!
- When you’re ready to frost, transfer to a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic food storage bag. If you don’t have a decorating tip, you can cut a hole at the tip of the bag and swirl the frosting over the top. Store leftover cupcakes in the fridge for several days or freeze.
- Optional: Garnish the top with more lime zest and shredded coconut. If you don't like a strong lime flavor, you can skip the zest over the top.
RECIPE NOTES
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Can I use Psyllium Husks instead of oat fiber?
I haven't tried subbing with psyllium husk powder, so I can't say how they'd turn out. If you try it, I'd definitely use the powder.
These cupcakes were truly outrageous; however even though the frosting did not firm up in the fridge it was very flavorful and delicious. I will be making these cupcakes again very soon. Next time will try reducing the coconut cream to see if I can achieve a better constancy for the frosting. Keep up your great work and thank you for all your contributions.
Hi Mabel,
That's great that you enjoyed them! I would try whipping the frosting a bit longer next time and that should help them firm up 🙂
A quick question in ingredient list for coconut lime cupcakes it does not list sour cream but in directions it does! Am I supposed to or not? Thanks I want to make these!❤️❤️❤️
Sorry for the confusion, it should have said coconut cream. I've corrected it to reflect this.