These homemade gluten-free mocha cupcakes with mocha buttercream frosting are decadent, rich, and moist. Your heart will skip a beat as soon as you taste these coffee cupcakes because they are that good! They will surely please a crowd, and you will never have a crumb leftover!
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This mocha cupcake recipe combines sweetness, chocolate, and coffee flavors perfectly in each bite. You will also find a subtle hint of cinnamon that adds to the depth of flavor in these cupcakes.
The show’s star is the mocha buttercream frosting because it’s creamy and delicious! For all of my best gluten free cupcakes on the blog, check out my Gluten Free Cupcakes resource page!! This recipe was inspired by a visit and baking adventure with my friend April and her delicious Mocha Cake.
These cupcakes were absolutely amazing! Definitely a favourite in my house.”
marsha, blog comment
Allergen Information:
These cupcakes are gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free, and a dairy-free option uses plant-based butter in place of butter.
Let me say the gluten free mocha cake version turned out incredible!
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. You need 2-3 TBSP additional liquid if you use Bob’s 1:1. Other flour blends should work, but you may need to add more liquid depending on how starchy your blend is.
- Cocoa Powder – Sift your cocoa powder to eliminate the lumps. I like Anthony’s brand of cocoa powder and you can buy regular or Dutch process for this recipe.
- Cane Sugar
- Xanthan Gum – If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, add 1 teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum.
- Baking Powder – Use aluminum-free.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. Swap dairy-free butter if you are making these cupcakes dairy-free!
- Eggs – Use size large eggs. Note: I have not tested this recipe with an egg replacer.
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Instant Coffee – I used Via, but other instant coffee brands will work well. Use decaf if you avoid caffeine.
Know which types of recipes different gluten-free flour blends are best in with this guide to gluten-free flour blends.
Tips For Perfect Cupcakes:
If you LOVE light and fluffy cupcakes, here are a few tips to help you make sure that your cupcakes come out perfectly every time.
- #1 Most important, don’t overmix the batter. People often think they need to keep mixing it, which adds air to the mix. From my baking experience, this isn’t the case for gluten free baking. This creates a denser, heavy-tasting cupcake.
- Room temperature ingredients – I used to think this was silly, but now I let everything sit out, even the eggs. If the ingredients are too cold, it can affect how they bake. Allow butter and other cold ingredients to sit at room temperature before mixing.
- I like to use a large
cookie scoop to put the batter in the cupcake tin. Then you will have perfect uniform cupcakes. - Don’t overbake or bake at too high of a temperature. Double-check your oven temperature and check the cupcakes often to ensure you don’t overbake. Otherwise, they will turn out dry and not as flavorful.
Learn more tips in this Gluten Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide.
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Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add your wet ingredients and mix well.
*I want to talk to you about the powdered coffee I used for this mocha cupcake recipe. You can use any instant coffee, but I prefer using Starbucks Via. I love the extra deep coffee flavor it adds to the coffee cupcakes. (Make sure to look at the ingredient list to ensure the brand you use is gluten free!)
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix them until they are barely mixed.
Step 4: Add parchment paper liners to your cupcake tin. I prefer using these because the cupcakes don’t stick to the cupcake liners. Fill each section about 3/4 full with the mocha cake batter. Bake at 350º F for 20-22 minutes until the cupcakes have finished baking.
🔑 Sandi says: To make cupcakes the same size, use a large
Step 5: To make the mocha frosting, add powdered sugar, instant coffee, softened butter, water, and vanilla to a standing mixer. Use a whisk attachment to whip the frosting ingredients until the frosting is nice and fluffy.
Step 6: Put frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto each baked cupcake. You can use any style of frosting tip you like. I used a medium star tip.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I like to use Starbucks Via coffee. You can also use Anthony’s (available via Amazon), Maxwell House, and Walmart’s Great Value Brand.
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 fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.
I recommend freezing the cupcakes without the frosting. Thaw them on the counter for an hour.
More Yummy Gluten Free Cupcakes:
- These Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting are perfect for a birthday party.
- If you love chocolate, these Super Chocolatey Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes are delicious with chocolate frosting,
- Mr. Fearless Dining loves this Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. I hope you do, too!
- These Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes With Lemonade Icing are perfect and are bursting with lemon flavor.
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!
Gluten Free Mocha Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C).
- Add parchment paper cupcake paper liners to a muffin tin.
- Cream the ½ cup softened unsalted butter and 1 1/4 cups cane sugar together in a standing mixer or bowl.
- Add 3 large eggs and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and mix together well.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 2¼ cups gluten free flour blend, ½ cup cocoa powder, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon instant coffee (dissolved in the 1/3 cup boiling water then cooled!) and whisk to blend.
- Add to a small bowl the cooled coffee and 1 cup non-dairy milk.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter alternately with the coffee/buttermilk mixture, beating after each addition. (Use two additions of the flour mixture and two of the liquid mixture.)
- Pour the mixture into the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly. Do a toothpick test by inserting a toothpick in a cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are finished baking. If you see batter or crumbs, they need to be baked longer.
- Cool the cupcakes on a cooling rack.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons instant coffee, 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1/2 cup unsalted room temperature butter, and 1-2 tablespoons water to a standing mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until fluffy.
- Decorate the cupcakes any way you like!
Nutrition
Notes
- For this recipe, I used instant crystals, Via, that I bought from Starbucks.
- 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 3/4 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan 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.
- I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work. However, I do not recommend canned coconut milk. Regular milk will also work.
- These cupcakes will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutritional 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.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
That really was a fun day baking together, Sandi! These cupcakes look amazing, and the frosting is just fabulous. What a lovely treat!
I had so much fun too. I hope you are able to come back to the states sometime soon so we can bake together again!
I made this frosting with a different cake recipe, and it is out of this world!
I am so glad you loved this frosting recipe! Thank you.
Hi. I made these cupcakes and they were super moist the day of. I put them in the fridge and frosted them the next day and then tried one and it was not so moist. A bit drier and hard. I made sure I didn’t over mix either. Is this normal for it to be harder after refrigeration even after letting it come to room temperature? I’ve been requested to make a gluten free birthday cake later this wk so I would like to perfect this. Help.
Hi Faye, can you provide more info? What gluten free flour blend, liquid (milk or type of non-dairy milk) etc? Did you make any substitutions? Mine didn’t become hard like what you are describing so hoping more info can help us figure it out.
Hi Faye and Sandi,
I wonder if it was putting them in the fridge? I know my mocha cake keeps better at room temperature…
It could be. I hope Faye sees your response.
Do I need to add xanthan gum if my GF flour blend doesn’t contain it?
Hi Kristina, you will need to add 1 teaspoon of Xanthan gum to the dry ingredients.
I’m desperately trying to find an excellent dairy free /gluten free recipe to bring t o a birthday this weekend. I’ve been gluten dairy free for about 3/4’s of a year now made a huge difference in my life but it’s to revamp a lot of my recipes some work some don’t. So I was wandering if I could replace the unsalted butter with either vegan margarine or vegan butter. I can’t find any unsalted ones in our stores. I cannot wait to try this recipe and pray it all works out great!
Hi Denise, I haven’t tried vegan butter sticks, but I have to assume they would work well in the cupcakes. I am not fully sure for frosting, you may consider checking Pinterest for vegan frosting recipes.
Can this exact recipe be used as a cake or bundt?
Hi Deb, this can definitely be made into a cake but you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly.
These look incredible and I would very much like to make these for a retirement party but I am a little confused with the frosting ingredients. The bullet that says, “made with 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons boiling water) Amount used depends on caffeine level you want” – is that an ingredient that is used as well as the instant coffee? Forgive me, I tend to overthink everything!
Hi Steph, some people are sensitive to caffeine so I was trying to say you can use more or less espresso depending on if you are sensitive or not. I hope this helps.
These cupcakes were absolutely amazing! Definitely a favourite in my house.
Thank you so much Marsha, I hope you get to make them again soon :-).
My newly gluten-free son says THANK YOU…these were amazing!
I am so glad he likes these…you made my day coming back to tell me 🙂