The best low calorie chocolate cupcakes

Fluffy, moist chocolate cupcakes topped with a velvety, smooth, thick chocolate frosting! These low calorie chocolate cupcakes are just 70 calories a piece but have the satisfaction of a regular cupcake for a fraction of the calories! You only need a handful of ingredients, 1 bowl and a few minutes to whip up your own batch of mouth-watering low calorie chocolate cupcakes.

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Calling all chocolate lovers on a weight loss journey – I have for you the ultimate low calorie indulgent dessert! These low calorie chocolate cupcakes are the perfect way to enjoy a sweet treat in a calorie deficit. They each contain just 70 calories WITH frosting!

This low calorie chocolate cake is the most popular recipe on my blog so naturally I had to make the pocket sized version. These low calorie chocolate cupcakes are super chocolaty, fudgy and decadent. You would have a hard time convincing anyone they contain just 70 calories each! That’s less than half the calories found in regular cupcakes with no compromise in taste, texture or deliciousness!

So to all of you in a calorie deficit, there’s no reason to ditch your favorites to achieve all your weight loss goals. This is a small batch recipe so you can reach for more without going overboard! And if you need anymore convincing (although I doubt you do), this recipe comes together in under 20 minutes with 1 bowl and 7 ingredients!

Low calorie chocolate cupcakes

If you have a major sweet tooth like me and are trying to lose weight, you are in for quite the treat. These ultra chocolaty, moist and fudgy chocolate cupcakes are an absolute dream. They have the perfect soft and fluffy base topped with thick, creamy chocolate frosting.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• These cupcakes bake in just 15 minutes! 
• Easily made in one bowl.
• Small batch recipe so overeating is unlikely.
• Require just 7 ingredients for the cupcakes AND frosting! 
• Super rich, indulgent and moist cupcakes with a thick layer of creamy frosting.
• This recipe can easily be made gluten-free.
• The perfect make-ahead dessert for the entire week!
• The BEST low calorie chocolate cupcake recipe ever!

Ingredients

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make these low calorie chocolate cupcakes you will need:

• Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 large egg. The egg provides the structure for these low calorie chocolate cupcakes.
• Stevia or granulated sweetener – Any granulated sweetener will work for this recipe. Stevia is my personal favorite and is the closest in taste to sugar.
• Plain/all-purpose flour – This recipe calls for plain or all-purpose flour. For a gluten free alternative, you can use gluten free flour or oat flour.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder is the secret to getting that dark, intense chocolate flavor without any added sugars or calories. I always use Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder!
• Baking powder – Baking powder helps the cupcakes rise.
• Full-fat yogurt – This recipe contains very little fat and therefore calls for full-fat yogurt. This adds moisture to the cupcakes giving them that classic soft and fluffy texture. You could use low-fat yogurt in a pinch but the cupcakes may be a little dry.
• 0 calorie icing sugar – 0 calorie icing sugar keeps the frosting sugar-free. If you don’t have any 0 calorie icing sugar to hand, regular icing sugar works too but it adds a few extra calories.

How to make low calorie chocolate cupcakes

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Make the frosting by mixing the yogurt, cocoa powder and 0 calorie icing sugar until smooth. Set aside in the fridge.
3. Using an electric hand whisk, beat together the egg and stevia until light and fluffy. Mix in the yogurt and then fold in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder until well combined.
4. Using a medium ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between 6 lined cupcake molds. Bake for 14-17 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
5. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes before enjoying!

Top tips

These low calorie chocolate cupcakes are about as easy to make as baking gets. They require very little skill and make the perfect quick and easy indulgent dessert for a calorie deficit. That said, there are a few little tricks to getting these cupcakes perfectly moist, fluffy and chocolaty like they came straight from a bakery.

Don’t over mix the batter – When folding in the dry ingredients, do so gently. The thick egg is what gives the cupcakes volume so you don’t want to deflate them! Fold the ingredients in until the batter is well combined but try not to over do it.

Chill the frosting – The frosting is already quite thick but to really give it that thick, creamy ganache feel, chill it in the fridge. I like to make the frosting first and set it in the fridge whilst the cupcakes bake and cool.

Don’t over-bake your cupcakes – It is so easy to accidentally over-bake these cupcakes and no one likes to be left with a dry cupcake! Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with just a few crumbs.

Storage

These cupcakes are best served the day they’re made BUT they can easily be prepped for the entire week. Store these cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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