These Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes are rich, tender, and perfectly fluffy. Topped with a sweet coconut whip frosting, they’re perfect for holidays and parties and are better than any bakery!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete ingredients and instructions!
- Gluten-Free Flour – We use our gluten-free flour blend, but any 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour will work.
Important Note: If using a plain all-purpose gluten-free flour instead of a baking blend, use 175-180 grams of flour along with ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. This ensures your cupcakes rise!
- Baking Powder – Make sure it’s fresh and aluminum-free. Otherwise, your cupcakes might have a slightly metallic taste!
- Cocoa Powder – Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the best taste.
- Salt – Just a pinch helps enhance the sweetness and rich chocolate flavor.
- Avocado Oil – This keeps the cupcakes rich and moist. Feel free to substitute coconut oil or melted butter.
Note: We chose to use oil instead of butter to create a lighter texture instead of a rich, almost fudgy consistency. Butter will create a rich taste but your cupcakes won’t be quite as fluffy!
- Fine Raw Sugar – Feel free to use a sugar substitute if preferred.
- Eggs – We haven’t tested this recipe with egg substitutes but think it would work. Or, you can make our vegan chocolate cupcakes instead!
- Vanilla Extract – Enhances the chocolate taste.
- Non-Dairy Milk – Use any non-dairy milk you like best such as almond milk, hemp milk, or cashew milk.
Pro-Tip: Use room temperature ingredients in gluten-free baking to allow for easy mixing and a soft, fluffy texture.
Frosting Choices
We love to top our cupcakes with our homemade coconut whip frosting. However, you can use any homemade or store-bought frosting you like best. Some of our favorites include:
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Meringue
- Powdered Sugar
- Whipped Cream
- Cream Cheese Frosting
Topping Ideas
- Dye Free Sprinkles
- Chocolate Shavings
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Coconut Flakes
How to Make GF Chocolate Cupcakes
Before you begin, preheat your oven, and line a cupcake or muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Pro-Tip: For the best results, use a food scale to measure your flour in grams. If you don’t have a food scale, the spoon and level method is the next best way to achieve accurate results.
- Cream the Sugar. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whisk the oil and sugar.
Note: Using an electric mixer instead of whisking by hand is best to cream the oil and sugar. It creates little pockets of air, ensuring light and fluffy cupcakes. Just be careful not to overbeat the batter!
- Mix in the wet ingredients. Then, add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed to combine. Scrap the sides in between. Mix in the vanilla.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients and dairy-free milk to the bowl, and beat on medium speed just until smooth.
- Divide the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling each cupcake tin ⅔ of the way full.
Pro-Tip: Be careful not to overfill the cupcake pan, or the batter will overflow!
- Bake. Transfer the cupcakes to the oven, and bake until they’re fluffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly in the pan. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Top. Once completely cool, decorate your dairy-free chocolate cupcakes with frosting of choice and toppings like sprinkles, coconut flakes, or chocolate shavings.
- ENJOY!
How to Store and Freeze
- Transfer frosted cupcakes to an airtight container with a lid. Store them at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to one week.
- Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to three months. To do so, arrange them on a baking sheet, and transfer them to the freezer until solid. Then, store them in a sealable bag.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight, prepare your icing, and enjoy!
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Cakes and Cupcakes
Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
- Total Time: 28 to 32 minutes
- Yield: 10 to 11 cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These gluten-free chocolate cupcakes are moist, fudgy, and simple to whip up. Topped with frosting, you’d never guess they’re gluten and dairy-free!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (175-180 g) gluten-free 1:1 flour
- ½ cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder or dutch cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup avocado oil or melted butter
- ⅔ cup fine raw sugar or sugar substitute
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk, room temperature
Frosting
- 2 (13.6 ounce) cans coconut cream, chilled in the fridge overnight.
- ½ cup to ⅔ cup powdered sugar or powdered sugar substitute (for thicker frosting)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Chocolate Frosting option – 4 Tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch, as needed for desired thickness
Topping Options
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate Shavings
- Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
Day before Prep – Check step 1 of the frosting instructions if you’re making the coconut whip recipe.
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake/muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the oil and sugar.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed to combine. Scrape the sides, if needed, after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, milk, and mix at medium speed for another minute.
- Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners, about ⅔ full. Place in the oven on the center rack and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the center comes clean with a toothpick.
Frosting
- To prepare the frosting, place the canned coconut cream in the fridge for 12-24 hours to harden.
- Remove the canned coconut cream from the fridge, careful not to shake the can. Remove the thickened coconut cream (top portion) and place into a stand mixer bowl or mixing bowl. Discard the coconut water portion.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Place the stand mixer (or handheld mixer) on high, and whip until the cream is light and fluffy.
- If making the Chocolate Frosting option, add the cocoa powder and whip again until combined and fluffy.
- If the frosting isn’t firming up as desired, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of arrowroot starch, and whip to desired thickness.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.
Notes
Substitute Tips – 175-180 grams gluten-free all purpose flour (a blend without xanthan gum or guar gum) can be used in place of 1:1 gluten-free flour blend but you will need to add ½ teaspoon xanthan gum to the dry ingredients.
Storage Tips – Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store unfrosted cupcakes on the countertop for up to 4 days. Freeze frosted or unfrosted for up to two to three months. For the best results, arrange the cupcakes in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. Thaw unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature or frosted cupcakes in the fridge overnight.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 to 22 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake coconut cream based frosting
- Calories: 278
- Sugar: 17.2 g
- Sodium: 99.5 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.4 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 37.2 mg
Why would you ever add 356 ml sweetner ? And recommend to add more for extra sweetness
Its too much
Hi Hylie! This is because we needed that much sugar to react with the other ingredients to give rise since it’s an egg free cupcake. you can most certainly reduce the sugar to 1 cup, the texture will vary but still delicious.
These cupcakes are so rich and dreamy! We loved these so much!
Haha what dreams are made of! 🙂 Chocolate.
These are amazing!! The frosting is the BEST!
So glad! Thanks for feedback Lauren!