Learn how to make the best Gluten Free Cupcakes recipe! Made with simple ingredients and a natural sugar substitute, these gluten free vanilla cupcakes turn out sweet, moist, and tender with ease. Top them with a homemade dairy free frosting and your favorite toppings for a dessert worthy of birthdays, holidays, or whenever a craving strikes!
Sponsored by our friends at Lakanto, this gluten free cupcakes recipe is made with simple, gluten-free ingredients and less sugar than standard recipes, for a better-for-you treat that’s full of the sweet flavor you love. Thank you for supporting the brands that help us create delicious, gluten-free recipes like this one for you! Full disclosure and privacy terms here.
The Best Gluten Free Cupcake Recipe
Who doesn’t love a good cupcake recipe? They’re a staple for pretty much every celebration!
However, store-bought gluten-free options aren’t always easy to find or super tasty when you do. Luckily, they’re easy to make at home and come together in less time than it takes to run to the store.
This gluten-free vanilla cupcake recipe in particular comes together with minimal prep time, uses just a handful of simple ingredients, and even offers a sugar substitute to satisfy your sweet tooth with zero guilt! Top them with homemade frosting and your favorite decorations, and you can’t go wrong.
Do Gluten Free Cupcakes Taste Different?
Some recipes tend to have a strange aftertaste or gritty mouthfeel, but not this version! Sweet, moist, and made with the perfect hint of vanilla, it tastes exactly like the real deal.
What Are Gluten Free Cupcakes Made Of?
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions for this vanilla gluten free cupcakes recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details, nutrition information, and more tips and tricks!
- Gluten-Free Flour – We use our 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, but you could also use a store bought 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Gluten-Free Baking Staples – Baking powder, kosher salt, and pure vanilla extract help enhance the flavor of the cupcakes and create a light texture.
- Avocado Oil – Coconut oil or melted butter will also work.
- Lakanto Sugar Substitute – Fine raw sugar can also be used to sweeten the cupcake batter.
- Eggs – These help provide structure to the batter, allowing the cupcakes to keep their shape.
- Non-Dairy Milk – Use any dairy-free milk you like best such as almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or hemp milk.
A Note On Lakanto’s Classic Sugar Substitute
We love the sweet flavor of vanilla cupcakes, but we try to avoid using copious amounts of refined sugar in our recipes. That’s why we love using Lakanto Classic Monk fruit sweetener!
Unlike other sugar substitutes that leave an aftertaste or impact the flavor of your recipe, Lakanto’s sweetener bonds erythritol and monk fruit to replicate the flavor profile of sugar. As a result, you can use it as a 1:1 substitute with granulated sugar!
In addition to being tasty and easy to use, Lakanto’s sweetener is made through the fermentation of glucose and yeast. Then, the bonding process with monk fruit occurs after fermentation. The result is a safe to use sweetener that tastes just like the real deal. Keep reading to learn more about erythritol.
How to Make Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Prepare. Before you begin, preheat your oven, and line a cupcake or muffin pan with paper liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the oil and sugar together. Add the eggs, and beat on medium speed with the stand mixer or an electric mixer until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl along with the milk and vanilla. Beat again just until smooth.
- Portion. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each cup about â…” of the way full.
- Bake. Transfer the cupcakes to the preheated oven, and bake until they rise and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
- Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan slightly. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Options
Of course, you can use any store-bought or homemade frosting such as chocolate buttercream, vanilla buttercream frosting, vegan maple cream cheese frosting or Greek yogurt frosting.
However, we prefer to use a homemade dairy-free coconut cream frosting for these cupcakes!
Here’s what you need:
Ingredients
- Coconut Cream
- Powdered Sugar or Powdered Sugar substitute
- Vanilla Extract
- Arrowroot Starch
Instructions
- Chill the coconut cream in the fridge for at least 12 hours or up to 24.
- Remove the thickened coconut cream from the can. Transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Whip on high until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Note: If the frosting isn’t firming up as desired, add a bit of arrowroot starch or cornstarch, and whip again.
How to Store
Store frosted cupcakes in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Or, make your cupcakes ahead of time, and store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four 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. When you’re ready to eat, thaw unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature or frosted cupcakes in the fridge overnight.
Common Questions About This Gluten Free Cupcakes Recipe
If your cupcakes sink it’s likely because the batter was overmixed or your baking powder wasn’t fresh.Â
You’ll know your cupcakes are done when they have risen in the center and look set. You should be able to insert a toothpick in the center and remove it with nothing but a few moist crumbs.Â
This recipe is naturally dairy-free as long as you use oil instead of butter!Â
We recommend using our 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or store bought 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Otherwise, gluten-free all-purpose flour without xanthan gum will work. This way you can add extra xanthan gum and have better control over the rise and texture of the dessert.Â
We haven’t made a large cake with this recipe, just cupcakes and mini loaf cakes, but it should work! Just combine the ingredients as usual. Then, pour the liquid cake batter into a greased cake tin instead of a cupcake tin. Then, adjust the baking time as needed as cake will likely require more time to cook. Â
More of Our Favorite
More Gluten-Free Cupcake and Cake Recipes
Easy Gluten Free Cupcakes Recipe
- Total Time: 30 to 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 to 11 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Make this easy gluten free cupcakes recipe with simple, dairy-free ingredients and a lower sugar option for perfect gluten free vanilla cupcakes!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) gluten free 1:1 flour (see notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- â…“ cup avocado or coconut oil or melted butter
- â…” cup (130 g) lakanto sugar substitute or fine raw sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- â…” 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
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch, as needed for desired thickness
Topping Options
- Sprinkles
- Cinnamon sugar
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake/muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the oil and sugar.
- Add the eggs and beat with a stand mixer or electric mixer at medium speed until combined and smooth, about one minute. Add the dry ingredients, dairy-free milk, and vanilla extract and mix/beat at medium speed for another minute.
- Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners, about â…” full. Place in the oven on the center rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the center comes clean with a toothpick and cupcakes are very lightly browned. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer cupcakes onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.
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 the frosting isn’t firming up as desired, add 1 -2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch, and whip to desired thickness.
Notes
Substitute Tips – 210 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: 20 to 25 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake with dairy free frosting (cupcake is sweetened monk fruit. Frosting uses regular powdered sugar)
- Calories: 268
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 108.1 mg
- Fat: 8.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 37.2 mg
Rate & Comment