This recipe is for my cupcake fans. Wait until you take a bite of these dairy-free gluten free vanilla cupcakes. They have a surprise inside! Pipe this delicious homemade chocolate frosting on top and you have a dessert that is sure to please everyone!
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Cupcakes have been one of our favorite ways to enjoy dessert. I like them because they allow me to control the portion of sweets a little more. Put a big cake in front of me and I will eat way more than a cupcake amount!!
Do you ever feel this way? I seem to have no self-control when desserts are involved. Just take this Gluten Free Lemon Layer Cake recipe or this Gluten Free Carrot Cake recipe. I would want to cut myself a giant slice! And if you want to try something cool and different...give these Gluten Free Black Velvet Cupcakes a try!!
For the best gluten free cupcake recipes, check out my Gluten Free Cupcakes resource guide!!
Why these gluten free vanilla cupcakes are great:
- These cupcakes are made with simple ingredients, most of which you already have in your gluten free pantry.
- They are easy to make and bake up light and fluffy!
- This easy gluten free vanilla cupcakes recipe comes with three recipe variations. Gluten free, dairy-free, and you can even make them refined sugar-free. Note if you use coconut sugar, these cupcakes will be golden if you use gold coconut sugar, or more brownish if you use regular coconut sugar!
I love these cupcakes for birthday parties because you can top them with any flavor of frosting.
If you are a coconut fanatic like me, you may also want to try making this easy Gluten Free Coconut Cupcakes recipe too!
Ingredient notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Almond milk - Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Pure vanilla extract - I do not recommend using imitation vanilla.
Recipe step by step directions:
It is really easy to make cupcake frosting from scratch! The secret is to make sure your butter is softened to room temperature so that your frosting turns out smooth.
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a bowl and whisk them to mix them up.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is "just barely mixed." If you overmix the batter, your cupcakes will turn out dense.
Your batter should have a smooth consistency like in this photo.
Step 4: Line a muffin tin with parchment paper liners and fill each ¾ full with the cake batter.
Step 5: Bake at 350º F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Step 6: Decorate with sprinkles. Check out my guide to all of the safe gluten free sprinkles brands!
Check out my gluten free vanilla cupcake web story too!
If you truly love vanilla, you MUST give this Gluten Free Vanilla Cake a try. It makes a great birthday cake or even a wedding cake! Or, if you also love chocolate, you can also make these delicious Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes and serve both flavors!!
Want to add color or flavor to your frosting? Check out my Gluten Free Frosting Guide for tips!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
The best way to test to see if your cupcakes are baked is to insert a toothpick into the middle of a cupcake. If the toothpick comes back clean, they are finished baking. If you see batter or crumbs, they need to bake a little longer.
When your cupcakes turn out dense, it is because you over-mixed your batter. This can be a huge issue in gluten free baking. Mix your ingredients until they are just barely mixed.
These cupcakes will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
You can easily make these ahead. You can make the batter up to two days before baking the cupcakes, or you can make the cupcakes without frosting and freeze them until you are ready to use them.
The best way to make your cupcakes light and fluffy is to NOT overmix your batter. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until they are just barely mixed.
Often this can happen if you open the oven door while the cupcakes are baking. Another reason is if your oven wasn't the right temperature when you put the cupcakes into the oven.
Variation:
Another fun idea is to fill these cupcakes. The secret is in this little middle scooper. That is probably not the real name of this handy $4 gadget, but what an awesomely fun way to fill your cupcakes!
Grab chocolate, pudding, sprinkles, M&Ms, or your favorite jam! I scooped out the middles of these cupcakes and added a seedless raspberry jam.
Filling ideas:
You can fill these gluten free vanilla cupcakes with jam, frosting, Nutella, whipped cream, or stick a fresh strawberry inside! You can fill these with M&Ms or sprinkles to make a piñata cupcake…which is fun for birthday celebrations.
This gluten free cupcake batter can also make a sheet cake, or layer cake...it is very versatile! All you need are a few simple ingredients!
More gluten free cake recipes:
- The ultimate cake, we made this Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Raspberries for Mr. Fearless Dining's birthday!
- I love the added almond flour in this Gluten Free Orange Almond Cake because it adds a small protein boost.
- One of the best cake recipes, this Gluten Free Lemon Bundt Cake is perfect for a party.
- A popular recipe on my blog, this Gluten Free Creamy Apple Cake is completely fool-proof.
Recipe
Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (or coconut oil)
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cups non-dairy milk * see note
- Optional filling like jam Nutella, etc.
For Frosting
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 12 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons milk You may need to add 1 tablespoon if your frosting is too thick.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a small bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a larger bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. You want the batter to be smooth, but not too runny.
- Add parchment paper cupcake/muffin liners to a muffin tin. Fill each ¾ with the cupcake batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes until done.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and put each cupcake onto a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes.
- Take the middle scooper if you want to fill your cupcakes and remove the middle of each cupcake.
- Fill each cupcake with your preferred topping. (There is a list in the post, but ideas include jam, Nutella, M&Ms, etc).
- In a mixer, add frosting ingredients and whip until thick and creamy.
- Put the filling into a frosting pastry bag. Make sure to put the frosting tip in! Add frosting, including over the hole with the stuffing.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Be very careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing will make your cupcakes turn out heavy and dense.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcakes. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cupcakes need to bake longer.
- These cupcakes will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Christina
These are delicious! It's hard to believe they're gluten free!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much
Aimee Shugarman
These are wonderful cupcakes, and the frosting is SO GOOD.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Aimee 🙂
Katie Pattison
Hello ? this recipe looks great! Can I ask - is it ok to use normal cow's milk rather than non-dairy milk? Thank you!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Katie, I haven't tested this recipe with cow's milk. If you try it, please come back and let everyone know. Thank you!!
Julie Evink
I needed a gluten free dessert for a party and I made these. They were so delicious and no one could tell they were gluten free! Thank you!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad everyone liked them Julie. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Linda
These look like so much fun to make! I love little hidden surprises in cupcakes. I made one with a hershey kiss in it once and I like the idea of M&Ms for my grandson as those are his favorite. I'm always searching for great tasting gluten-free recipes and this one looks like a keeper.
Sandi Gaertner
I love the idea of filling these with M&Ms 🙂