Last Updated on April 21, 2026 by Deliciously Organic
Chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting provide a wonderfully fun indulgence during strawberry season.
Many of you have requested a nut-free version of my reader-favorite Grain-Free Chocolate Cake, so I’m excited to give you a new nut-free and grain-free chocolate cake recipe you can use for cupcakes or as a layer cake!
Today I’m joining with friends across the blogosphere to honor my friend Catherine from Weelicious and celebrate her new bundle of joy. Catherine creates some of the cutest colorful meals for her kids, so we put together a colorful celebration for her. I think you’re going to love all the fantastic recipes we’ve lined up!
Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies from Fifteen Spatulas
Roasted Blueberry and Lemony Yogurt Popsicles from Tasty Yummies
Frozen Lemonade with Rose Water from The Lemon Bowl
Grilled Carrots with Mint Almond Pesto from Heather Christo
Persian Saffron Pudding from Tori Avey
S’more Brownies from What’s Gaby Cooking
Jicama Pops from ¡Hola! Jalapeño
Farmer’s Market Vietnamese Steak Salad from Alex T Cooks
Peachy Pineapple Green Smoothie from 100 Days of Real Food
Rainbow Smoothie from Sweet + Savory
Chocolate Beet Cake from I Am Baker
Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting (Grain-Free, Nut-Free)
You can double this recipe to make a 2-layer chocolate cake. I made this for my daughter’s 13th birthday party and the kids loved it (and they had no idea it was grain-free)!
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life), melted
- 6 tablespoons butter (or 5 tablespoons coconut oil for dairy-free), melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup plain whole yogurt (use coconut milk yogurt for dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup palm shortening
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon unflavored, grass-fed gelatin
- 1/4 cup pureed strawberries (about 3 large strawberries)
- 12 whole strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust the rack to the middle position. Place muffin liners in a muffin pan. Place the coconut flour, sea salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl and whisk until incorporated. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the melted chocolate, butter, maple syrup, eggs, yogurt and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. Divide the batter evenly amount the muffin tin and fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cake tester inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Whisk together all of the frosting ingredients for about 2 minutes with a mixer until soft peaks form. Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (this helps the gelatin set a bit more and give the frosting more structure).
- To frost: Spoon a few tablespoons of frosting on a cupcake (I like to use a cookie scoop so that I have an even amount of frosting on each cupcake) and then even out with an off-set spatula. Top with a whole strawberry. If you need to make these ahead of time, it’s best if they are stored in the fridge and then set out for 20 minutes before serving.
- Note: I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
Your recipe and photography are amazing, as always. You sure do make the world a better place!
These cupcakes are going to need to happen in my house ASAP! Beautiful. Pinned 🙂
Hi, this recipe looks good but I wanted to ask about the frosting. Ive been trying several recipes with palm shortening and it always seems to curdle when I add liquids. Has this happened to you? Is there something I can do to stop this? Thanks very much 🙂
I’ve never had palm shortening curdle, so I”m not sure what’s happening. I always use it at room temperature and whip it at a high speed to prevent any clumping.
Nev, I have also had the “curdling” experience with some palm shortening based frostings. Sometimes adding more palm shortening fixes the liquid imbalance. I add in 1 tblsp at a time while mixing and just keep an eye on it.
Sweet Carrie! What a divine recipe from such a beautiful woman. I have to make these asap with all the gorgeous strawberries in season. So great for families with food allergies (and my growing belly 🙂 xo Catherine
This look amazing & I can not wait to try hem.
I am wondering if they can be frozen?
Yes, the cupcakes can be frozen and then thawed before you’d like to serve. I haven’t tried freezing the frosting, so I’m not sure about that one!
These are amazing!! I can’t get over that frosting…yum!
Does the frosing hold up well in warm weather? I noticed that the Nutiva palm shortening is not hydrogenated, so I’m wondering what the difference is between using that, and just using regular palm and coconut oils.
Freeze dried strawberries are really helpful in making a less sweet buttercream style frosting….just pulverize and oh my how yum…cannot wait to try this….
Hubby and I made these cupcakes tonight. Delicious! Could fool anyone into thinking they’re made with wheat flour even those not accustomed to eating grain free. Didn’t try the frosting though as I’m not familiar with palm shortening or have any in hand. Another day perhaps!