Gluten Free Caramel Cupcakes With Caramel Buttercream

Name: Gluten Free Caramel Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend (* see note); 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 2 eggs; 2/3 cup milk (feel free to use non-dairy milk); 3 tablespoons light oil; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup butter (softened); 2 cups powdered sugar; 1/3 cup caramel (you may need to heat it to soften it enough to mix in); 1-2 tablespoons water as needed

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Life will never be the same after you sink your teeth into these gluten free caramel cupcakes! The flavor is so irresistible that you will find yourself going back for more. Friends and family will never know these easy caramel cupcakes are gluten free!

A caramel cupcake with frosting piped like flower petals on a plate.

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Ingredient Notes:
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Variations:
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
More Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes:
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💬 Comments

My daughter has been at it again with decorating these gluten free caramel cupcakes. Each decorated cupcake is beautifully elegant with a rose petal design. I seriously don’t think they could have turned out more gorgeous...I am definitely not a biased mom!

If you are interested in decorating this easy caramel cupcakes recipe the way she did, you just need the Wilton cupcake decorating frosting tips. I promise you don’t have to be a professional to get this result! My daughter watched this Video by Wilton and had fun.

The creamy caramel flavor of this moist cupcake paired with the caramel buttercream frosting is a combination made in food heaven. Rich, decadent, and drool-worthy yummy!

If you love frosting flowers, you will want to make these Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. Their floral frosting design is so cute!! Here is a video to show you how to pipe flowers for cupcakes.

The top view of gluten free caramel cupcakes decorated like roses.

Made them today. Tasty lil buggers lol. FYI…I used Cup4Cup GF Flour."
Lisa M.

If you love these cupcakes with caramel frosting, you should check out all my other delicious gluten free cupcake recipes! There are so many tasty treats that the hardest part will be deciding which one to bake first!

A gluten free caramel cupcake on a plate with the paper liner peeled.

Ingredient Notes:

If you haven't baked gluten free cupcakes, or if you need some modifications due to food allergies, I am happy to help!

Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend, Pillsbury 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. You can read here for more about my favorite gluten free flour blends for making cakes.
Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon. If you are gum free, use my DIY Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend to make these cupcakes. (*Note try to use the psyllium husk powder I did, or another that won't turn the baked goods slightly purple.)
Non-dairy milk - I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work I do not recommend canned coconut milk. You can also use regular milk.
Caramel - It is important to check the ingredients to make sure there is no gluten in the caramel color. I used Trader Joe's caramel sauce, which is gluten free.

Are you ready to make these delicious cupcakes for yourself? If you are newer to gluten free baking, here are some of my best Gluten Free Baking Tips to help you get started.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

A bowl with the caramel cupcakes dry ingredients.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350º F. Next, add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to blend.

Wet ingredients in a bowl ready to whisk.

Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a separate bowl and whisk to blend.

The wet ingredients were poured over the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until just barely mixed.

You never want to overmix your cupcake batter. If you do you will break up the little air bubbles and your cupcakes will turn out a lot denser. For this reason I do not recommend a standing mixer.

This is what your cupcake batter will look like.

Cupcake batter in a lined muffin tin ready to bake.

Step 4: Add the cupcake batter to a lined muffin tin. Use a cookie scoop so that you use the same amount of batter in each section. This will help ensure your cupcakes turn out all the same size! I like to use Parchment Paper liners when I bake. (I recommend filling each no more than ¾ full.)

Your cupcakes often stick to regular paper liners, which drives me nuts. The parchment paper liners make everything no-stick!

Step 5: Bake at 350º F for 20 minutes.

To test to see if your cupcakes are done baking, insert a toothpick into a cupcake. If the toothpick comes back clean, your cupcakes are finished baking. If you see crumbs or batter, they will need to be baked a little longer.

Allow cooling while you mix up the frosting (recipe below). Frost your cupcakes and enjoy! This video will walk you through how to decorate cupcakes as flowers.

Variations:

Salt - You don’t have to put salt on the caramel cupcakes. However, they taste amazing with it. But if you have someone who can’t have a lot of salt, feel free to omit it. Who doesn't love salted caramel??
Mini Chocolate Chips - Add in some mini chocolate chips to the frosting for an over-the-top delicious experience.
Chocolate Shavings - Add a few chocolate shavings to the top of the cupcake for added flavor, and it enhances the look too.
Toasted Coconut - Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the gluten free cupcakes. Toast coconut in a pan without any oil while stirring continuously. It is ready when the edges have turned light brown.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Can you use a standing mixer?

You can use an electric mixer to whip up your cupcake batter. Use the paddle attachment. Tip: Add the wet ingredients first. I can't recommend enough to add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix at a very low speed. Otherwise, your flour can fly right out of the bowl!!

Can I make these gluten free caramel cupcakes egg-free?

Eggs are a vital ingredient in many gluten free baked goods. There are a few reasons why eggs are typically necessary when baking with gluten free ingredients. They help with the texture of the cupcakes, help bind the ingredients together and also act as a leavening agent which will help the cake or cupcakes rise.

While eggs are essential to many recipes, you can substitute them. There is a product called Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. It is the best replacement I have found so far.

Flaxseed meal is another option but does NOT work well in cupcakes because they won’t rise as much as they need to when baking them. It works best in muffins or pancakes.

Can I make this caramel cupcakes recipe dairy-free?

You can definitely make this recipe dairy-free using non-dairy milk. You would also need to find dairy-free caramel. As for the frosting, it may be a little tricky. You can use non-hydrogenated palm shortening instead of butter.

Can I freeze these cupcakes?

Yes, you can freeze easy caramel cupcakes. They are best if you DON'T frost them ahead of time and just freeze the cupcake. If you want to freeze the frosting also, put it separately in freezer bags. The most important part is making sure that they are stored in an airtight container.

When ready to serve, you can thaw them on the countertop until they have defrosted. Decorate and devour!

How do you store these cupcakes?

Store the cupcakes in an air-tight container in your refrigerator. They will keep up to 4 days.