The best low calorie vanilla cupcakes

Imagine fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with creamy, thick vanilla frosting… Now imagine those cupcakes but just 70 calories each! These low calorie vanilla cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat for those on a weight loss journey. They’re everything regular cupcakes are – soft, moist and fluffy, BUT they’re also super low in calories! A winning recipe if there ever was one!

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Vanilla cupcakes are a classic well loved dessert, and rightfully so. They’re fluffy, sweet and moist with a heaping dollop of vanilla buttercream – what more could you really want? Well if you’re in a calorie deficit or a weight loss journey, probably one that isn’t 400 calories, right? Look no further because I present to you – the 70 calorie vanilla cupcake! With a super soft, moist and delicious vanilla sponge topped with a silky cream cheese frosting for the perfect low calorie sweet treat!

One of my most requested recipes is always cupcakes. Whether that be chocolate cupcakes or these vanilla cupcakes, people seem to want more cupcakes, and I totally get it! These low calorie vanilla cupcakes require just a few ingredients and no more than 20 minutes to whip up. These cupcakes contain less than half the calories in traditional cupcakes but taste EXACTLY like them!

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. This entire batch of cupcakes contains just 420 calories so there’s no need to stop at just 1!

Low calorie vanilla cupcakes

Finding good low calorie recipes is one of the best ways to make weight loss a little easier. You don’t need to skip out on dessert when these low calorie vanilla cupcakes exist!

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 8 ingredients for the cupcakes AND frosting! 
• Super soft, 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 vanilla cupcake recipe ever!

Ingredients

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

To make these low calorie vanilla cupcakes you will need: 

• Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 large egg. The egg provides the structure for these low calorie vanilla 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.
• 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. 
• Vanilla extract – You can’t have vanilla cupcakes without the vanilla!
• Philadelphia lightest – To get a super silky, thick and creamy frosting with very few calories. You can use low fat cream cheese too, but the calories will be slightly higher.
• 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 vanilla cupcakes

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F). 
2. 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 and baking powder until well combined. 
3. 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. 
4. Make the frosting by whisking together the cream cheese, vanilla and icing sweetener until smooth.
5. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes before enjoying!

Top tips

These low calorie vanilla cupcakes are about as easy to make as baking gets. They require very little skill and make the perfect quick and easy dessert for a calorie deficit. That said, there are a few little tricks to getting these cupcakes perfectly moist, fluffy and soft 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. 

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.

Add sprinkles – Add a little fun by sprinkling on some sprinkles! I like to use these sugar-free sprinkles but you can use any you would like!

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