The best low calorie lemon cupcakes

It is officially spring and that can only mean one thing – it’s citrus season! There is nothing better than a light and sweet lemon flavored dessert. These low calorie lemon cupcakes are the perfect way to indulge this spring. The cupcakes are soft, fluffy and ultra moist with a delicate and smooth cream cheese frosting. Perfect for sweet tooth’s on a weight loss journey!

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Weight loss is one of the toughest challenges you can embark on (I know from experience). There are a few ways to make it *that* little bit easier to navigate and one of those ways is enjoying delicious low calorie lemon cupcakes every now and again! These cupcakes are seriously what dreams are made of – filled with lemon flavor, super moist and topped off with a creamy, smooth frosting!

These low calorie lemon cupcakes are a fun take on my 58 calorie lemon cake. I love LOVE this cake so much so I had to make the cupcake version. They are just as tasty and easy to make but come in the perfect one serving portions making them great for meal prep. You can make a batch and enjoy them throughout the week.

One of weight loss’s biggest misconceptions is that you can’t eat dessert after dinner. As a chronic ‘I want a sweet treat after dinner’ girly, I knew that if I wanted to lose weight and maintain my new lifestyle, I had to include my after dinner sweet treats in my deficit. It is nearly impossible to do that without sacrificing meals – unless you find a way to squash 400 calorie desserts into 73 calorie desserts! These cupcakes are just as delicious as regular lemon cupcakes but for a fraction of the calories and with no added sugar or oil!

Low calorie lemon cupcakes

Lemon desserts are one of life’s many pleasures. From this light and fluffy low calorie lemon cake, to this sweet and zesty blueberry lemon loaf, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy lemons this spring. These low calorie lemon cupcakes should be added to your spring must bakes this year – they’re simple, sweet and zesty! Everything a dessert should be and more.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Simple recipe that comes together in just one bowl.
• You can have these cupcakes from kitchen counter to belly in under 30 minutes!
• These cupcakes are moist, soft and fluffy.
• Filled with delicious lemon flavor throughout. 
• Requires just 8 ingredients for the cupcakes and the frosting!
• This recipe is sugar-free and can easily be made gluten-free and dairy-free.
• Each cupcake has just 73 calories!
• The BEST low calorie lemon cupcakes ever!

Ingredients

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

To make these low calorie lemon cupcakes you will need:

Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 large egg. Ensure your egg is at room temperature and not cold. You can set the egg on your kitchen counter for 30 minutes to get it to room temperature if it’s been in the fridge.

Stevia – I always recommend stevia when it comes to low calorie baking. It adds sweetness without adding any calories. You can use any sweetener of your choice here but keep the conversion in mind. The stevia I use is a 1:2 ratio of stevia to sugar. So feel free to adjust according to the sweetener you use.

0% fat yogurt – This recipe calls for thick, creamy greek yogurt. I used 0% fat fage total yogurt. If you’d like to make this recipe dairy-free, opt for dairy-free yogurt. You can also use low-fat yogurt or even full-fat here with just a few extra calories.

Lemon – This recipe calls for 1 lemon. You will need both the zest and the juice of the lemon for this recipe. You can opt for lemon extract here but I find a lemon adds better flavor.

Plain or all-purpose flour – This recipe calls for good ol’ plain/all-purpose flour. You can use gluten-free flour here to make these cupcakes gluten-free.

Baking powder – To help the cupcakes rise.

Philadelphia lightest – To get a super smooth and creamy low calorie frosting, Philadelphia lightest is your best bet. It is super low in calories but has the perfect creamy texture for frosting. If you can’t get your hands on some Philadelphia lightest, you can use low-fat cream cheese here with only a small increase to the overall calories.

0 calorie icing sugar – To make the low calorie frosting. You can make your own by blitzing some granulated 0 calorie sweetener. Or you can opt for regular icing sugar but it will increase the calories a little so keep that in mind.

How to make low calorie lemon cupcakes

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F). Prepare a 6-count muffin tray with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. Beat the egg until it begins to foam. Add in the stevia and whisk again until light and fluffy. Mix in the yogurt and lemon juice until well combined. Fold in the dry ingredients and lemon zest, mix until well combined. 
3. Divide the batter equally between the 6 cupcake cases filling them about 3/4 of the way and bake for 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Make the frosting by whisking together the cream cheese, 0 calorie icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth and well combined.
5. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and frost the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lemon zest and lemon slices.
6. Serve and enjoy!

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