Soft and perfectly sweetened with honey, these paleo tres leches cupcakes are perfect for dessert. They’re made in a blender and don’t require any strange ingredients.
A quick confession. . . or two.
Well, hello there. Before we get into this gorgeously delicious tres leches cupcakes recipe, I have a few quick confessions. First off, the inspiration for this recipe came from not me. One of my dear “can’t eat anything” friends texted me the other day with a request:
Needless to say, I had to get right on that request. ‘Cause how could I wait on something so yummy sounding? And the rest is history.
But confession #2: I’ve never actually had tres leches anything. I know, I know…. You’re probably wondering how on earth I could make paleo tres leches cupcakes and have them actually taste authentic without having ever tasted the real deal?
Answer: Husband.
He’s probably my toughest critic. If something doesn’t taste right, he’ll tell me. When I told him I was going to try tres leches cupcakes, he was not a fan of the idea. Mainly because he’s not a fan of soggy, and to him tres leches = soggy.
But when I gave him a sample cupcake after creation he downed it and asked for another. #winning
Paleo Tres Leches Cupcakes.
These paleo tres leches cupcakes are definitely not soggy. The texture is perfect: soft, but not soggy, firm, but not dense. And unlike a lot of paleo/gluten-free baked goods, they’re not dry and/or crumbly!
The cupcakes are slightly sweet, with a delicious coconutty flavor from being made with coconut flour and soaking in the milk. And topping them off with a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream and a couple coconut flakes, adds a delicious coconut boost!
And as an added bonus, they’re super easy to make. The cupcakes are made in the blender, as is the “leches.” And there’s no weird ingredients, either.
Plus there’s another secret added bonus… any leftover batter that doesn’t fit in the cupcake tin can be fried up on a skillet as pancakes. So. yummy.
More Paleo/GAPS Treats.
Lookin’ for more delicious paleo-friendly desserts? Of course you are. Soooo here are a few more of my favorites that are always hits with friends and family. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them, too.
- Mexican Chocolate Cake
- 3-Ingredient Keto/GAPS Angel Food Cake
- Creamy Lemon Ice Cream
- New York Style Cheesecake (not paleo, but primal!)
- Peppermint Avocado Fudge
- The Perfect Paleo Chocolate Cake
- Pumpkin Sponge Cake with Caramel Glaze
- Sweet & Salty Chocolate Bar with Fruit & Nuts
- No-Bake Matcha Avocado Tart
In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!
Paleo Tres Leches Cupcakes
Free from grain, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup coconut flour (I make my own)
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 5 eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (I also make my own)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use my homemade extract)
For the “leches”:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
For the topping:
- homemade coconut whipped cream
- flaked coconut
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 12-count muffin tin.
Combine everything in a blender and puree until smooth.
Let the batter stand for 5 minutes.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter into greased muffin tin. (It should fill all 12.).
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until golden-browned and lightly springy.
Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
For the “leches”:
Place the walnuts and coconut milk in the blender and soak for about 10-20 minutes (you can do this while the cupcakes are baking).
Add in honey and puree until a smooth, condensed milk is formed.
Put it all together:
Poke the cupcakes all over with a toothpick or a fork.
Pour about 2 tablespoons of the condensed nut milk over the cupcakes. It won’t completely soak in, that’s ok.
Refrigerate the cupcakes until the liquid is absorbed and the cupcakes are chilled.
Top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream (I use the recipe on my site) and a couple coconut flakes.
Notes
Since I had never tasted tres leches before, I had to do a little research. My paleo tres leches cupcakes are a combination of My Heart Beets‘ and Predominantly Paleo‘s paleo tres leches cakes, and my Dark Chocolate Cupcakes.
I love tres leches cake and I can’t believe you made it paleo! They look so perfect and cute and I can’t wait to make them soon.
Thanks so much, Jean! I hope you enjoy them!
They look lovely and such a great texture.
Thanks! I hope you get to enjoy them! 🙂
Tres leches cakes is one of those things I really miss since going paleo but never thought I could have again. These look so great! Thanks!
Yay! I hope you enjoy them, Donny!
ooooooooh, tres leche is my favorite — can’t wait to make this cupcake version, thanks so much for the recipe!
You’re so welcome, Jennifer! I hope you enjoy them!
These hit the spot! They are a perfect dessert for the hot summer days. I don’t have a fancy high powered blender for the “tres leches“ part but I still used what I had. There were small walnut pieces in it but to be honest it was still really good. I kind of liked it that way. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Aw, I’m glad you enjoyed them, even with little walnut chunks. 😉 Thanks for letting me know!