These lemon cupcakes are like summer in your mouth! Bursting with fresh and tangy lemon flavor, these eye-catching treats are topped with elegant swirls of sweet raspberry cream cheese frosting. The fitting combination makes for a heavenly summer dessert fit for any occasion. These tantalizing cupcakes are so light and flavorful that no one will guess that they’re ketogenic!
Raspberries are the perfect way to add sweetness with a little extra tang. While fruit can be a bit higher in carbs, a little fruit can go a long way. In this recipe, a few raspberries make a big impact. For the frosting, I recommend using frozen raspberries opposed to fresh raspberries. As frozen raspberries defrost, they soften and bleed which allows the raspberries’ flavor to be easily incorporated into the frosting.
While these cupcakes are great for dessert, they also make a satisfying breakfast. (Nobody needs to know that you had dessert for breakfast!) Since these cupcakes are made with almond flour, they’re much more filling than a traditional cupcake. They will keep you feeling full all morning long!
If needed, these cupcakes can easily be prepared ahead of time. To keep them fresh, they should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. I’ll often make a batch of these in the beginning of the week so that I’ll have a quick and filling snack to grab if I’m in a rush.
While these cupcakes are ketogenic, they definitely don’t taste like it! Kids happily gobble up these scrumptious treats without a second thought. Whether you’re making these for a family dinner, fancy party, or just as a snack, these lemon cupcakes will fit the bill!
Yields 12 servings of Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting
The Preparation
For the lemon cupcakes:
- 2 1/3 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¾ cup granulated stevia/erythritol blend
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
For the raspberry frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated stevia/erythritol blend
- ¾ cup unsweetened frozen raspberries
- 3 tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*The stevia erythritol blend we use in this recipe is twice as sweet as sugar—one teaspoon of the blend is as sweet as two teaspoons of sugar. If using a different sugar-free sweetener, adjust amount accordingly.
The Execution
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with papers.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, sweetener, and zest until combined.
3. Whisk melted butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should form into coarse crumbs.
4. Add eggs and stir until incorporated. The batter will begin to stick together.
5. Add almond milk, vanilla, and lemon extract and whisk until the batter is smooth.
6. Carefully fill the prepared cupcake papers until they are about ¾ full—about 2 heaping tablespoons for each cupcake.
7. Place cupcakes in preheated oven and bake for 29-32 minutes or until the cupcake bounces back when pressed.
8. Let cupcakes cool on a rack until they reach room temperature before frosting.
9. In a large bowl, whip together cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer.
10. Blend in sweetener and frozen raspberries until combined.
11. Add whipping cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and blend until smooth.
12. Using a piping bag, frost cupcakes as desired.
This makes a total of 12 servings of Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting. Each serving comes out to be 336.67 Calories, 30.51g Fat, 5.76g Net Carbs, 8.91g Protein
| Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting | Calories | Fats(g) | Carbs(g) | Fiber(g) | Net Carbs(g) | Protein(g) |
| 2 1/3 cups almond flour | 1490 | 130.48 | 55.92 | 27.9 | 28.02 | 55.92 |
| 1 teaspoon baking powder | 2 | 0 | 1.27 | 0 | 1.27 | 0 |
| ½ teaspoon xanthan gum | 3 | 0 | 0.78 | 0.78 | 0 | 0 |
| 1.08 cup erythritol blend | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 tablespoons lemon zest | 6 | 0.04 | 1.92 | 1.3 | 1.62 | 0.18 |
| 4 tablespoons butter | 407 | 46.07 | 0.03 | 0 | 0.03 | 0.48 |
| 3 large eggs | 214 | 14.27 | 1.08 | 0 | 1.08 | 18.84 |
| ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk | 29 | 2.16 | 1.14 | 0 | 1.14 | 1.16 |
| 2 tablespoon vanilla extract | 75 | 0.02 | 3.29 | 0 | 3.29 | 0.02 |
| 2 teaspoons lemon extract | 24 | 0.01 | 1.06 | 0 | 1.06 | 0.01 |
| 16 ounces cream cheese | 1588 | 156.22 | 25.04 | 0 | 25.04 | 27.9 |
| ¾ cup unsweetened frozen raspberries | 48 | 0.6 | 11.01 | 6 | 5.01 | 1.11 |
| 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream | 153 | 16.24 | 1.23 | 0 | 1.23 | 1.28 |
| 1 teaspoon lemon juice | 1 | 0.01 | 0.34 | 0 | 0.34 | 0.02 |
| Totals | 4040 | 366.12 | 104.11 | 35.98 | 69.13 | 106.92 |
| Per Serving(/12) | 336.67 | 30.51 | 8.68 | 2.92 | 5.76 | 8.91 |
Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cupcakes
- 2 ⅓ cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¾ cup granulated Swerve
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
For the Raspberry Frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- ⅓ cup Swerve
- ¾ cup unsweetened frozen raspberries
- 3 tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with papers.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, sweetener, and zest until combined.
- Whisk melted butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should form into coarse crumbs.
- Add eggs and stir until incorporated. The batter will begin to stick together.
- Add almond milk, vanilla, and lemon extract and whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Carefully fill the prepared cupcake papers until they are about ¾ full—about 2 heaping tablespoons for each cupcake.
- Place cupcakes in preheated oven and bake for 29-32 minutes or until the cupcake bounces back when pressed.
- Let cupcakes cool on a rack until they reach room temperature before frosting.
- In a large bowl, whip together cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer.
- Blend in sweetener and frozen raspberries until combined.
- Add whipping cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and blend until smooth.
- Using a piping bag, frost cupcakes as desired.
