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!
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!
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.
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.
Here is another fun floral frosting pattern she made.
You just need a little bit of practice and the proper equipment and you will be decorating like a pro! I will also love it if you make this gluten free caramel cupcakes recipe if you would tag me so I can see how they turned out!
If you love these cupcakes with caramel frosting, you should check out all my other delicious gluten free cupcakes recipes! There are so many tasty treats that the hardest part will be deciding which one to bake first!
Variations:
- Salt - You don’t have to put the 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. 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.
If you haven't baked gluten free cupcakes, or if you need some modifications due to food allergies, I am happy to help!
Are you ready to make these delicious cupcakes for yourself?
Recipe step by step directions:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350º F. Next, add the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to 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.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a separate bowl and whisk to blend.
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 heavier.
This is what your cupcake batter will look like.
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.
Your cupcakes often stick to regular paper liners, which drives me nuts. The parchment paper liners make everything no-stick!
Step 5: Bake at 350 degrees 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 bake a little longer.
Allow cooling while you mix up the frosting (recipe below). Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
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!!
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.
You can definitely make this recipe dairy free using nondairy milk. As for the frosting, it may be a little tricky. You can use non-hydrogenated palm shortening instead of butter.
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!
Store the cupcakes in an air-tight container in your refrigerator. They will keep up to 4 days.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup milk feel free to use non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons light oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup caramel you may need to heat it to soften it enough to mix in
- 1-2 tablespoons water as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is "just mixed."
- Add paper liners to a muffin tin. Fill each ¾ with cupcake batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes until done.
- remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Add the frosting ingredients to a mixer and whip the frosting.
- Scoop frosting into a frosting bag and decorate each cupcake.
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.
- To keep these cupcakes light and fluffy, do not overmix the batter.
- To make these cupcakes dairy-free, substitute vegan butter for the regular butter.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. 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
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Melissa Barden
What GF brand caramel sauce did you use? I have given up on making/cooking caramel frosting I’ve tried many many years. It’s not pretty & at times an epic fail! Looking forward to giving this recipe a try. For my husband’s sake hoping it’s a success!
Thanks
Melissa
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Melissa, I used Trader Joe's caramel sauce. I would think most caramel is safe, this article talks about it then links to another article about caramel color also typically being okay. https://www.beyondceliac.org/gluten-free-diet/is-it-gluten-free/caramel/
celeste
These look amazing I love how pretty you made the frosting on the cupcakes! And thanks for the tip on freezing them. They will make a great snack when I need a quick treat.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Celest 🙂
Jules Shepard
I have to say that both you and your daughter did a FANTASTIC job. The cupcakes look beautiful and who doesn't adore caramel right? Looking forward to making these for the family!
Sandi Gaertner
I will tell her you said this Jules, coming from you it is a huge compliment :-).
Jenn
So fluffy and delicate - these were absolutely dreamy! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked these Jenn!!!
Jessica Formicola
I loved this recipe! Mine definitely didn't turn out as gorgeous as yours, but they sure tasted good!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked this recipe Jessica. Thank you for letting me know!