Keto Pecan Cupcakes (Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing)

I have tried dozens of different keto cupcakes over the years, and most of them just are not good. Keto pecan cupcakes are the ones I finally perfected, moist, tender, and without any weird aftertaste from substitute sugars.

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This recipe makes just six cupcakes on purpose. I am the only one doing keto in my house, and I would rather have variety than a dozen cupcakes sitting around going stale.

This recipe doubles easily too, just double every ingredient and fill 12 muffin cups instead of 6.

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Chef Jenn’s Take on Pecan Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Icing the cupcakes before they are fully cooled ruins the presentation fast, the icing just melts off. Let them cool completely first, no shortcuts here.

Browning the butter properly matters for the icing’s flavor. Cook it until the foaming subsides and the butter solids turn medium brown, then pull it off the heat immediately, it keeps cooking from residual heat and can burn fast if you walk away. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature too, cold cream cheese leaves lumps you cannot beat out.

Do not overmix the cupcake batter, just blend enough to combine and knock out the big lumps. Spray your muffin liners with cooking spray too, coconut flour batter tends to stick to plain paper liners otherwise.

You may notice the cupcake batter has no added sweetener, and that is intentional. Natural sweetness is already at play, and leaving extra sweetener out of the cupcakes balances against the sweeter icing on top.

A reader recently asked about a coconut flour substitute. Coconut flour behaves very differently from other flours, absorbing far more liquid, so this has not been tested with a direct swap.

What You’ll Love About Pecan Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

• Makes just six cupcakes, so you’re not stuck with a dozen going stale.
• Moist and tender, without the weird aftertaste some keto baked goods have.
• The brown butter icing is rich and almost caramel-like, genuinely worth the extra step.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• Almond flour – Superfine ground works best.
• Coconut flour – Note: this behaves very differently from other flours, absorbing much more liquid.
• Xanthan gum – Helps bind the batter.
• Pecans – Chopped.
• Baking powder – Standard pantry staple.
• Butter – Melted, for the batter.
• Eggs – Whisked.
• Vanilla extract – Good quality makes a real difference.

For the icing:

• Salted butter – Browned, for a rich, almost caramel-like flavor.
• Cream cheese – Full fat, at room temperature to avoid lumps.
• Powdered keto sweetener – Your preferred brand.
• Heavy whipping cream – Adjusts the icing to your preferred thickness.

How to Make Pecan Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

In a bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, pecans, and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the melted butter and vanilla, mixing well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, without overmixing.

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and fill 6 cups with equal amounts of batter.

Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until set in the middle and a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cupcakes cool completely, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Brown the butter in a small skillet, cooking until the foaming subsides and the solids turn medium brown, then remove from the heat and let cool.

Add the cooled brown butter to the cream cheese and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the powdered sweetener and heavy cream, beating until light and fluffy.

Top the fully cooled cupcakes with the icing and serve.

Make It A Meal

For more keto desserts, Turtle Cheesecake Bites and Raspberry Frozen Cheesecake Bites are both worth adding to your dessert rotation.

If you’re planning a bigger menu, Sausage Parmigiana makes a good savory main to serve before these.

Storage

These freeze well. Store in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months, or freeze unwrapped on a sheet pan overnight, then wrap each individually and store in a freezer bag. Thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes before eating.

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Pecan Cupcakes

Moist, flavorful, and with an icing that's soo good you'll want to eat it by the spoonful, these keto Pecan Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing are going to become your new favorite!

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword almond flour cupcakes, brown butter cream cheese icing, keto dessert, keto pecan cupcakes, low-carb cupcake recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 342kcal

Author Chef Jenn

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Icing

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup So Nourished powdered sugar substitute
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, pecans, and baking powder.
• In another larger bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined. Add the melted butter and mix well. Finally, add the vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Your batter should be thick but still runny.
• Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and fill 6 muffin cups with equal amounts of batter.

Bake at 350-F for about 15 minutes or until the cupcakes are set in the middle – a toothpick or knife should come out clean when inserted.

To Make The Icing

• Beat the cream cheese with electric beaters until creamy and smooth.
• Add the butter to a small skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until the foaming subsides, and you start to see brown flecks in the bottom of the skillet. Don’t burn the butter – medium to dark brown solids are what you’re looking for. Remove the butter from the heat and let cool.
• When the butter is cool, add it to the cream cheese and beat with the beaters for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar substitute and 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream. Beat until light and fluffy. Add another tbsp or two of heavy whipping cream if your icing is too thick.
  
  To assemble
• Top the cooled cupcakes with the icing and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Card Tips

• Let the cupcakes cool completely before icing. Icing warm cupcakes melts it right off.
• Pull the browned butter off the heat the moment the solids turn medium brown. It keeps cooking from residual heat.
• Use room temperature cream cheese for the icing. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps that won’t beat out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake and 1/6 of the icing | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 917IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg | Net Carbohydrates: 3g

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

For more fabulous recipes like keto casseroles and keto appetizers, check out Italian sausage parmigiana, keto grilled vegetables, keto corned beef hash, keto king ranch chicken, and keto Tex-Mex casseroles. And, don’t forget to check out even more keto desserts recipes!