Cupcake for One (It’s healthy!)


Above, a single lady with Reeses Pieces Chocolate Frosting.

Single Lady Cupcake

(makes a single serving cupcake)

  • 3 tbsp flour (30g) (See directions for flour notes)
  • heaping 1/16th tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp applesauce, oil, pre-melted margarine (such as Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light), or a combination
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp liquid (milk of choice or water)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • Sweetener (I hate giving specific amounts, since tastebuds are so different. For normal tastebuds, 1 to 1 and 1/2 tbsp of sugar, or 1 to 1 1/2 packets of stevia should be about right. If you use liquid sweetener, cut back a tiny bit on the other liquid.)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 330 degrees. Mix the ingredients and pour into an oiled (or sprayed) muffin pan. Smooth top of batter. Cook for 12-15ish minutes. Alternatively, you can cook in the microwave, in a greased mug or ramekin. (Microwave times will vary, depending on the flour you use and the strength of your microwave.

Notes on flour: If you use whole-wheat pastry or spelt flour for cupcakes, you’ll get a denser (more muffin-like) cake. Still delicious! White flour and Bob’s gluten-free also work. I wouldn’t recommend plain whole-wheat flour. (Also, be warned if you’ve never done fat-free baking: subbing all the oil in a recipe for applesauce will give you a gummier result. Once again, still delicious, but much denser than your traditional cupcake with oil.)

Nutrition Info:

  • Calories: 110
  • Fat: 0.5 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • ww points (new system): 3

(Add 100 calories if you use the tbsp of oil as opposed to the applesauce version.)

Above, with cinnamon and my Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting.

So basically, the cupcake became a Cinnamon Roll Cupcake. I have many more ideas for future cupcakes. It’s really fun dealing with one at a time. They’re so quick to make that you can measure ingredients in separate bowls and add different mix-ins to each bowl. One chocolate-chip cupcake, one pumpkin, one carrot cake… you get the idea.

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox, The Huffington Post, and ABC’s 5 O’clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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215 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    Hey Katie, I’m thinking of making this for my daughter for her first birthday (I’m going to make a regular white-flour-white-sugar-big-pile-of-unhealthiness cake for the guests), and I’m just sort of toying in my head with any alterations I want to make. She’s eaten very little solids up to this point since we’re doing baby-led solids, and she hasn’t had any grain yet and probably will have her first in her cake. So I’m wondering, what do you think would be the gentlest flour to use on a little digestive system new to grains that would still hold up to the recipe? And do you have any other thoughts/suggestions?

    1. Chocolate-Covered Katie says:

      Unfortunately, I really don’t know anything about the specific needs of little tummies. Maybe ask a pediatrician for recommendations?

  2. Björg says:

    This never gets old! Soo goooood

  3. Kelly Zdrowak says:

    Hey Katie I love your recipes they’re really inspiring

    If you get the time, check out my blog.

    Keep doing what you do best!

  4. Sarah says:

    As a non-vegetarian/vegan, I would like to tell you that I absolutely love all of your recipes!

    1. Chocolate Covered Katie says:

      Aw thanks!

  5. 2plus1at21 says:

    Delicious! I ended up just eating the batter! Next time I will try baking it 😉

  6. healthychef says:

    I have to say my dream cupcake would be apple cake with a carmel frosting, mmmmmmmmmm!

  7. Mel says:

    Just made this tonight for the first time; used the Banana Split Butter (?) for the icing. OMG I may have to have one every night. Unbelievably filling for 1 cupcake!

  8. Shadae says:

    This tasted so good! Im actually doing this review while im eating it haha, it has a cake texture and is perfect for those certain times of the month when you get cravings(lol). I used almond milk, and vegan butter. Tastes sorta like a sugar cookie cake. 🙂 I would reccomend anyone try this! 🙂

    1. Chocolate Covered Katie says:

      Thank you so much for making it! 🙂

  9. erin says:

    I’m making one now, and the batter tasted great, but my cooking time seems to be off. i’ve put it in at 350 for 18 minutes and it’s still gooey when i poke it 🙁

  10. erin says:

    it came out perfectly after 18 minutes for me. maybe because i used all applesauce, no oil. but this is portioned perfectly for one cupcake and looks great! can’t wait to taste 🙂

  11. Gabriella says:

    Thanks so much for this great recipe, Katie! I can’t tell you how many we’ve made in the past month since I found the recipe… and we call them “KatieCakes” for fun 🙂

    My variation is to double the batter and microwave it in 2 ramekins, then brush/soak each layer with brewed coffee. Frost with a cream cheese-type frosting and sprinkle with cocoa–it’s a tiramisu!

  12. Carrie says:

    I doubled the recipe and made little fairy buns with cinnamon/xylitol and coconut butter icing – they were so lovely! Thanks, Katie! I’m a huge fan of yours <3

  13. James Trenda says:

    That first photo with the black backdrop is just … gorgeous … big wow factor. Clearly, I’m kind of lost for words. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration!

  14. mrsblocko says:

    I made this recipe for a single serving cupcake and wrote about it here. Wow. What a dangerously delicious recipe. Thanks for posting and sharing!

  15. Ja Williams says:

    I love your blog & am looking forward
    to the cookbook. I’ve made several of your
    recipes with great success. Tried the single lady cupcake & topped with biscoff spread for frosting. Btw would welcome a large portion version I think these could be the base for my valentine cupcakes. The cake was flavorful and had a good crumb but it took almost 22 mins in the oven @ 350. I also had a similar experience with banana bread muffin. Will try next time with the applesauce instead of earth balance. As I need to lose weight but won’t make it without the occasional sweet treat.

  16. dani says:

    I used Bobs stone ground 100% whole wheat flour and it came out great! Just took about 5 more minutes to bake.