Because we love churros in our house, I decided it was time to make something fun with the extra churros I had. These gluten-free churros cupcakes are a dessert that will please a crowd and make your stomach happy!
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My son made it through AP Spanish, and we wanted a delicious way to help celebrate one of the toughest classes he has ever taken. We decided to create a Gluten Free Churros recipe. This is one of our favorite Mexican desserts and one that inspired this gluten free cupcake recipe.
I know that, technically, you aren’t supposed to eat cupcakes for breakfast, but these cinnamon roll cupcakes taste so good you can’t help but want to! If you’re going to have a cinnamon cupcake from scratch for breakfast, I promise I won’t tell anyone! 🙂
Recipe At A Glance:
Why these gluten-free churro cupcakes are great:
- Bite into one of these gluten free cinnamon cupcakes and fall in love with the fluffy cinnamon buttercream frosting.
- The real winner is the crispy churro, which is a delicious garnish!
- These cinnamon cupcakes are elegant enough to serve at a fancy dinner party or wedding but also make wonderful treats for a birthday party or office gathering.
These are incredible! I got all my dessert craving covered in one place!
Renee, blog comment
If you love cupcakes as much as we do, be sure to check out my delicious gluten-free cupcake recipes!
Allergen Information:
The cupcakes are gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. Use dairy-free butter, and the frosting is also dairy-free. There are instructions to make these nut-free. See the Recipe FAQ for nut-free measurements.
Flour Blends Tested:
- King Arthur Measure for Measure—This blend works really well in my recipes. I don’t have to let the flour blend rest in the batter.
- Almond Flour —I love Anthony’s brand because they spot-test their products to ensure they are gluten free and not cross-contaminated with gluten.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon. If you use a different blend, you may need to tweak the liquid or dry ingredient ratio. This is why flour blends vary so much.
- Almond Flour – I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your cupcakes grainy. See the recipe FAQ below to see how to make these cupcakes nut-free.
- Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Butter – If you are dairy-free, you can use non-dairy butter.
- Non-Dairy Milk – I used almond milk, but other dairy-free milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract and not imitation.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large
Spoon Method: You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour. Leveling Method: Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to blend.
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Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently. Do not overmix the cupcake batter; your cupcakes can turn out dense. I do not recommend using a standing mixer for this recipe if you want light and fluffy cupcakes.
This is what your cupcake batter should look like.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 4: Line your cupcake pan with parchment paper liners. Pour your batter into the lined muffin cups, filling each 3/4-deep with batter.
Step 4: Bake the cupcakes at 350º F for 22 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
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.
Step 5: Mix the frosting and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes. Don’t forget to make a batch of gluten-free churros for a cupcake topper!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, you can make these cupcakes nut-free. Omit the almond flour and add 1/4 cup of additional gluten free flour blend.
Yes, absolutely, you can freeze gluten free cupcakes! Bake as directed, and then you can either frost them or leave them without frosting. Then, wrap them in plastic and place them in an airtight container.
This will keep them fresh and ready to eat when you are ready. If you choose not to frost them ahead of time, you can add the icing when they have been defrosted.
To thaw the cupcakes (or whatever kind of cupcakes you baked), place them on the counter. They will defrost quickly. You can also put them in the fridge overnight.
Reader Adaptations:
Gigi said she “used cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream, and they turned out yummy.”
More Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes:
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Crazy Good Gluten Free Churros Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup almond flour * see note
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (or another oil)
- 1 cup non-dairy milk or regular milk
For the Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for dusting
- 2 teaspoon cane sugar for dusting
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend, 1/2 cup almond flour, 3/4 cup cane sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or another oil), 1 cup non-dairy milk or regular milk and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour the cupcake batter into a parchment paper liner layered muffin tin. The batter should go up 3/4 of each muffin cup.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the middle of a cupcake. If the cupcake is finished baking, the toothpick will come out clean. If you see crumbs or batter, the cupcakes need to bake longer.
- Remove the cupcakes and let them sit in the pan for 5 minutes. This helps the cupcakes set. Move them out of the pan to a cooling rack. Do not frost the cupcakes until they are fully cooled.
Frosting
- In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature), and 2 tablespoons water. Whip until creamy.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe the frosting onto each cupcake.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Top each cupcake with a gluten free churro. (See the notes for the churro recipe!)
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with Cup4Cup 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.
- I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk
- To keep these gluten free cupcakes light and fluffy, do not overmix your batter.
- 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 gluten free churros cupcakes will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
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.
This post was updated from an older May 2019 post with more information and recipe details.
Do you know what to add or take away for high altitude????
Hi Anna, I do not have any experience baking at high altitude, so I am not sure how to advise.
These cupcakes look so good! I have two questions:
Can I make this as a cake instead of cupcakes?
Do they need to be refrigerated or can they be stored on the counter?
Thank you!!
Hi Kendall, I typically store things in the refrigerator because gluten free tends to spoil more quickly. I think it has less preservatives? Anyway, you can make a cake with this cupcake batter…I haven’t done that yet so I am unable to tell you how long to bake it. I assume it will depend on the size and depth of your cake pans.
Can I use regular milk? Can I use vegetable oil as a substitute for the coconut oil (allergies)?
Hi Karen, regular milk would be fine. I assume the vegetable oil will too but different oils will impart a different flavor so use the lightest oil possible.