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!
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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.
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 cupcakes recipes! There are so many tasty treats that the hardest part will be deciding which one to bake first!
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.
- Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Non-dairy milk - I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but 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?
How to make gluten free caramel cupcakes:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350º F. Next, add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to blend.
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 denser. For this reason I do not recommend a standing mixer.
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. (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 bake a little longer.
Allow cooling while you mix up the frosting (recipe below). Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!
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.
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 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.
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.
More gluten free cupcake recipes:
- Easy Gluten Free Strawberry Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Rich Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Birthday Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes
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
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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Lisa
I made these today and they are pretty tasty morsels. FYI…I used the Cup4Cup gf flour for this recipe.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved this cupcake recipe, Lisa. I appreciate your letting everyone know!!
Xenia
I just pulled a batch out of the oven, let them cool and tried one...holy heavenly cupcake...they're amazing! I used melted unsalted butter instead of the oil for a bit more flavor, added a little extra salt and vanilla. This is a keeper recipe for sure!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you love the recipe! I bet that butter was incredible :-).