Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

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These incredibly rich and chocolatey flourless chocolate cupcakes are fabulous hot out of the oven with some cold ice cream. They are also crowd pleasers at room temperature topped with chocolate whipped cream. Think of them as the the fudgy brownies of the cupcake world!

Flourless chocolate cupcake cut open on a plate with a dripping scoop of ice cream on top

I originally started making this recipe as a decedent treat for Passover, but it’s wonderful any time of the year a great choice if you are serving dessert to someone who is following a gluten-free diet.

Ingredients

Top down labeled ingredient shot for flourless chocolate cupcakes

This recipe doesn’t use any fancy ingredients. But, you will need A LOT of chocolate. Because chocolate is the predominant flavor, make sure you use a chocolate that you love. One of my favorite chocolates to bake with is TCHO.

How It’s Made

Start by dissolving sugar into water with a touch of salt. This takes just a few minutes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Sugar syrup in a saucepan on the stove with a purple spatula

Next, melt your chocolate. While I often suggest melting chocolate in the microwave, I like to use a a metal mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water (a double boiler) when I want this much chocolate melted evenly. Stir continually for a few minutes until it’s all melted.

partially melted chocolate in a mixing bowl over a pot on the stove with a red spatula

Mix room temperature butter into the melted chocolate a little bit at a time.

Hand dropping butter pieces into a stand mixer filled with chocolate with paddle lifted

Then, stir in the sugar water and gently mix in the eggs and egg whites until fully incorporated.

Egg being dropped into stand mixer

Fill cupcake liners almost all the way to the top. These are flourless and have no leavening agent so they may rise a bit during baking (from the eggs). It’s normal for them to settle back down as they cool.

Filling cupcake liner with an ice cream scoop

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes. The tops should be set and crackly and a toothpick should come out with some chocolate on it but not be totally wet.

flourless chocolate cupcake on a plate with no topping and other cupcakes in the background

Expert Tips and FAQs

How to Serve

These cupcakes are very rich – like fudgy chocolate brownies. If you eat one warm, the center may still be a little molten. It’s heavenly!

A giant swirl of frosting is a bit much for these cupcakes. If you want to frost them, consider a small swirl of chocolate cream cheese frosting or a ganache.

My preference is to top them with Chantilly cream once cooled (chocolate whipped cream and strawberry whipped cream are great choices, too) or to scoop a generous amount of my favorite flavor of ice cream on top while they’re still warm.

flourless chocolate cupcake with melty vanilla ice cream cream on top and some cupcakes in the background

FAQs

Can I make this recipe as a cake?

Yes! I suggest using a greased springform pan and chilling the cake before removing the sides.

Can I make these as mini cupcakes?

Sure! They are great as minis – especially if there will be many other desserts on the table. Follow my guidelines for mini cupcakes.

Do I have to use dark chocolate?

No. This can be made with any kind of chocolate. If you use baking chocolate, increase the sugar by 1/4 cup since the chocolate isn’t sweet at all.

My cupcakes sank in the middle – is this normal?

If you remove the cupcakes from your oven before their centers are totally set, they will sink in the middle. Letting the cupcakes sit in the tins for five minutes after baking will help a bit. Remember that sunk cupcakes give you a perfect spot to put your topping!

Are these cupcakes kosher for Passover?

If you take your u0022kosher for Passoveru0022 to more serious levels than I, you will want to use kosher versions of all of these products. If you are of the mindset that chocolate doesn’t rise so it’s kosher for Passover, then just go for the best ingredients you can find. Also, keep in mind that the cupcakes have butter and should not be served with a dairy meal unless you use an alternative butter like Country Crock’s plant butter.

Why are the bottoms of my cupcake liners greasy?

Because this is a very moist and buttery recipe, the bottoms of your liners may get a little greasy if you don’t use grease-proof liners. Wipe them off with a paper towel. Don’t be alarmed – the cupcakes don’t taste at all greasy!

How should I store flourless chocolate cupcakes?

Store these cupcakes at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for several months. Use a microwave to reheat them if you want to serve them warm.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!
Flourless chocolate cupcake cut open on a plate with a dripping scoop of ice cream on top
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4.67 from 6 votes

Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

These incredibly rich and chocolatey flourless chocolate cupcakes are fabulous hot out of the oven with some cold ice cream. They are also crowd pleasers at room temperature topped with chocolate whipped cream. Think of them as the fudgy brownies of the cupcake world!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 16 cupcakes
Calories 344kcal
Author Stefani

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 18 ounces dark chocolate baking discs, chips, or any chocolate chopped into small pieces will work
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large egg whites

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Combine the water, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until completely dissolved, remove from heat, and stir in vanilla extract.
  • In a metal mixing bowl (I like to use the bowl of my stand mixer) over a pot of boiling water, stir the chocolate until it melts.
  • Remove the bowl from the stove and, if using the bowl from a stand mixer, place on the mixer. Beat the butter into the chocolate, one or two pieces at a time.
  • Beat in the hot sugar-water.
  • Beat in the eggs and the egg whites, one at a time.
  • Use a disher to transfer the batter almost all the way to the top of lined cupcake tins.
  • Bake for 40 minutes. The tops will be set and slightly cracked and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake will come out with chocolate on it, but it won't be wet.
  • Do not take the cupcakes out of the tins. Wait until the cupcakes are cool enough to handle with your bare hands (5 – 10 minutes). If you take the cupcakes out of the tins while they are still hot, they they are more likely to sink in the middle.

Video

Notes

I adapted the flourless chocolate cake recipe from Allrecipes into these cupcakes.
These can be made with any kind of chocolate. If you use baking chocolate, increase the sugar by 1/4 cup since the chocolate isn’t sweet at all.
If you remove the cupcakes from your oven before their centers are totally set, they will sink in the middle. Letting the cupcakes sit in the tins for five minutes after baking will help a bit. Remember that sunk cupcakes give you a perfect spot to put your topping!
Because this is a very moist and buttery recipe, the bottoms of your liners may get a little greasy if you don’t use grease-proof liners. Wipe them off with a paper towel. Don’t be alarmed – the cupcakes don’t taste at all greasy!
Store these cupcakes at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for several months. Use a microwave to reheat them if you want to serve them warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 412IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 4mg
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