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    Home » Desserts » Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

    Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

    February 16, 2021 / by Claire Cary / 21 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclaimer here.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    These gluten free chocolate cupcakes are rich, moist, fluffy, spongey and undetectably dairy free. They’re easy to make and the perfect way to satisfy your chocolate craving! 

    gluten free chocolate cupcake with a bite taken out to show fudgy texture

    An oldie but goodie Eat With Clarity recipe, but now even better! This gluten free chocolate cupcake recipe is one of the first recipes on the blog, but it was time for a major upgrade. Both to the recipe and to the photos!

    These cupcakes are more rich, easier to make, and better than ever. With a fluffy and perfectly sweet sponge and silky smooth dairy free buttercream, this is the perfect chocolate treat for every occasion.

    I feel like cupcakes and cakes are desserts that get reserved for special occasions, whereas cookies are an everyday thing, but I’m here to tell you you don’t need an excuse or a holiday to indulge a little!!

    These chocolate cupcakes are fluffy, moist, spongey, cakey, chocolatey, perfectly sweet, and all the things a chocolate cupcake should be. They’re both gluten free and dairy free, but if you did a blind taste test, I promise you would have NO idea.

    Bite taken out of the cupcake to show texture.

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tray with liners and set aside.

    Whisk together all dry ingredients.

    Beat in all wet ingredients with an electric mixer just until combined. Careful not to over mix, but make sure all ingredients from the bottom of the bowl are well combined.

    Once the batter is ready, use a cookie scoop or spoon and add the batter in 12 lined cupcake tins, filling about ⅔ of the way full. 

    Whisking together the batter in a glass bowl.

    Add to the center of the oven for 16-22 minutes. Check at 16 minutes and if a toothpick comes out clean, remove from the oven.

    They will continue to cook slightly as they sit because the tray is still hot, so careful not to over bake because this will dry out the cupcakes. In my oven, they are generally done at the 18 minute mark, but all ovens are different.

    Before and after baking the recipe.

    How to make chocolate buttercream

    Dairy free buttercream is actually much easier than you would think. Buttercream is essentially a mixture of powdered sugar and butter, so to make it dairy free, all you need to do is use dairy free butter.

    You want to use room temperature butter so it’s easy to beat but not too soft, but if yours was in the fridge, microwave for about 20 seconds and you should be good to go.

    Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Then, beat in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until thick and creamy. Finally, beat in the milk and vanilla.

    Dairy free buttercream in a glass bowl.

    I used these large piping tips to get the ruffled look, but you can also take a blob of buttercream on a knife and swirl it around and it’ll taste just the same.

    If you are going to use piping tips, the consistency of the buttercream is really important. Too thin and it won’t hold the shape, too thick and it won’t twirl around the cupcake. When in doubt, this video tutorial is really helpful when frosting!

    Up close view of the cupcake with chocolate buttercream and sprinkles.

    The best flour

    There are other GF all purpose baking flours out there, but not all of them are the same blend. You can definitely try using other ones, but it may yield a slightly different result. Whichever you use, make sure it has xanthan gum in the mix. 

    This recipe does not call for almond flour because I wanted to keep it nut free, but you can try my almond flour chocolate cake instead! It’s just as rich and delicious, I promise!

    Do they keep?

    Once prepared, these cupcakes will store for about 3-5 days. Keep them in an air tight container at room temperature for best results. Keeping them sealed will ensure these cupcakes stay nice and moist.

    If you’re wondering if gluten free cupcakes can be frozen, the short answer is yes! However, you’ll want to freeze them before they are frosted. I do not recommend storing these in the fridge, because gluten free baked goods can dry out if they get too cold unfortunately.

    Tips to keep them moist

    These gluten free chocolate cupcakes are made extra moist with the help of some hot water, eggs and oil. I used avocado oil but melted dairy free butter also does the trick.

    The eggs also helps the cupcakes get nice and fluffy too. These cupcakes will be (and stay) nice and moist as long as they are not over baked!

    rich gluten free chocolate cupcake with buttercream and sprinkles

    Try these recipes next

    • Chocolate Energy Bites
    • Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
    • Red Velvet Cupcakes
    • Lemon Cupcakes

    Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram and leave a comment below so I can see your creation!

    Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

    These gluten free chocolate cupcakes are moist, fluffy, spongey and undetectably dairy free. They’re easy to make, just sweet enough and made ultra delicious with a simple dairy free buttercream. They’re the perfect way to satisfy your chocolate craving! 
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 12 cupcakes
    Author: Claire Cary

    Ingredients
     

    US Customary – Metric

    Cupcakes

      Wet

      • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
      • ¼ light brown sugar
      • 2 eggs (at room temperature)
      • 2 tsp vanilla extract
      • ⅓ cup oil (I like olive oil for a rich flavor, but any oil works)
      • ⅔ cup boiling water
      • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

      Dry

      • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 All Purpose Baking Flour (spoon and level to measure)
      • ½ cup cocoa powder ( spoon and level to measure)
      • ¼ tsp salt
      • ½ tsp baking soda
      • ¾ tsp baking powder
      • ½-1 tsp espresso powder (optional but recommended for a richer chocolate flavor)

      Buttercream

      • ½ cup dairy free butter (at room temperature)
      • 2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk
      • 2 tsp vanilla
      • ½ cup cocoa powder (or more to taste)
      • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
      • Sprinkles for topping

      Instructions

      • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tray with liners and set aside.
      • Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
      • Beat in all wet ingredients on medium speed until well combined, making sure you get all of the dry ingredients from the bottom. the batter will be on the thinner side, but not too runny.
      • Use a cookie scoop or spoon and add the batter in 12 lined cupcake tins, filling about ¾ of the way full. 
      • Add to the center of the oven for 18-22 minutes. Check at 18 minutes and if a toothpick comes out clean, remove from the oven. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit, so careful not to over bake because this will dry out the cupcake. In my oven, they are generally done at the 20 minute mark. 
      • Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
      • To make the buttercream, beat the room temperature butter with an electric mixer until fluffy.
      • Beat in the cocoa powder. Beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar, then beat in 2 tbsp of milk and vanilla. If you want the frosting more chocolatey, you can sub some of the sugar for more cocoa, or vice versa for less chocolate. If the frosting is too thin, beat in a bit more sugar, too thick add more milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
      • Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Frost with piping tips or keep it simple and use a knife!

      Notes

      There are other GF all purpose baking flours out there, but not all of them are the same blend. You can definitely try using other ones, but it may yield a slightly different result. Whichever you use, make sure it has xanthan gum in the mix. 
      Once prepared, these cupcakes will store for about 3-5 days. Keep them in an air tight container at room temperature for best results. 
      Without the buttercream, these cupcakes are sweet, but not too sweet. Keep this in mind if you are planning to eat them like muffins without any frosting. You can use ¾ cup of light brown sugar instead of ⅔ cup if you want them sweeter. 
      I used these large piping tips for the frosting.
      The espresso powder helps bring out the chocolate flavor, but it is optional if you don’t have it. Another option is to sub the hot water for hot coffee. 
      The frosting will make enough to frost all cupcakes generously with a knife, but if you want to pipe them on tall, I suggest making a 1.5 batch of the frosting or even double it.

      Nutrition

      Serving: 1cupcake with frosting | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3.9g | Fat: 8.7g | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 25g
      did you try this recipe?Mention @eatwithclarity or tag #eatwithclarity!
      Keyword: chocolate cupcakes, dairy free chocolate cupcakes, gluten free chocolate cupcakes

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Stacey

        February 22, 2021 at 4:30 pm

        5 stars
        Made these for my Son’s birthday! They came out delicious. The only substitution I did was use flax eggs, organic cane sugar and coconut sugar instead of brown to keep it vegan. Thank you for the delicious recipe.

        Reply
        • Claire Cary

          February 22, 2021 at 8:46 pm

          Yay! I haven’t tried them with flax eggs so I’m so glad they worked that way! So happy you enjoyed these 🙂

          Reply
      2. Ella

        February 06, 2021 at 5:04 pm

        5 stars
        These were amazing!! You couldn’t even tell they were gluten and dairy free!

        Reply
        • Claire Cary

          February 06, 2021 at 8:40 pm

          Love to hear that! That’s always my goal with everything 🙂

          Reply
      3. olga

        January 26, 2021 at 1:46 pm

        5 stars
        These were so good had the best amount of sugar! would not change anything

        Reply
      4. Olive

        January 26, 2021 at 1:45 pm

        5 stars
        I love these! They are very moist and delicious! It is the perfect amount of chocolate.

        Reply
        • Claire Cary

          January 26, 2021 at 2:20 pm

          Thanks Olive! So glad you enjoyed them 🙂

          Reply
      5. lulu

        January 26, 2021 at 1:44 pm

        5 stars
        soo good!!!

        Reply
      6. Sands

        January 23, 2021 at 2:35 pm

        Wen I tried this recipe it was way to thick and I had to add a stick of butter, another half cup of oil, and another cup of milk. I did a recipe of what the directions said to do and the cupcakes didn’t rise. When I added all the extra stuff, the cupcakes kind of rose but not really. These cupcakes were not the best thing I have ever made, They could be better.

        Reply
        • Claire Cary

          January 23, 2021 at 2:43 pm

          With the additions you added, I am not surprised the cupcakes didn’t rise, the batter would’ve been heavily weighed down, especially since there is no butter in the cupcakes. Did you measure the flour/cocoa as I mentioned? Did you include the hot water in the batter? The batter definitely shouldn’t be too thick at all, but I’m sorry these didn’t work out! Can’t say for sure what went wrong and why the batter was thick, but my guess is something was measured incorrectly or a wet ingredient was forgotten.

          Reply
          • sands

            January 26, 2021 at 9:56 am

            I measured every thing the right way and the water was hot, it rose when I added the other ingredients

            Reply
            • Claire Cary

              January 26, 2021 at 12:21 pm

              hmm I’m not sure what went wrong. This recipe has been made dozens of times with no issues. sorry it didn’t work out for you! It could be an issue with the oven temperature, ovens are often much lower than the temperature reads, which can really change the way things rise. I promise the batter should not be thick. I’d suggest just adding more liquid rather than the extra oil and butter as that will weigh down the batter and prevent rising.

              Reply
              • sands

                January 27, 2021 at 9:50 am

                Ok, thanks!

                Reply
            • Claire Cary

              January 26, 2021 at 5:19 pm

              Just wanted to follow up since I just made these again to ensure I got all of the measurements correct. The batter was definitely not too thick, quite runny actually and the cupcakes rose quite a bit, as expected. I’m not sure what went wrong with yours, but would love for you to try them again!

              Reply
              • Sands

                February 04, 2021 at 2:48 pm

                okay I will

                Reply
      7. Kirsten

        January 14, 2021 at 1:59 pm

        Can I refrigerate the batter? If so, how long will it last? Thanks!

        Reply
        • Claire Cary

          January 14, 2021 at 2:22 pm

          I actually don’t recommend it! The baking soda can end up deactivating a bit and the cupcakes may not rise as well. You are welcome to try it, I’d guess it would hold up for about 24 hours in the fridge, but let it come to room temperature before baking. If you do try it out, let me know!

          Reply
      8. Stephanie

        August 26, 2020 at 10:25 am

        Anything I would need to ch age if I used this for a cake? Thank you!

        Reply
        • Claire Cary

          August 26, 2020 at 10:41 am

          I would just recommend my gluten free chocolate cake instead!

          Reply
      9. Alina

        March 15, 2020 at 3:22 pm

        5 stars
        So good! One would never tell they are gluten free. The sweetness is just right 👌 my 5-year old son loved them))

        Reply
        • Claire Cary

          March 15, 2020 at 3:49 pm

          Thank you Alina! So happy you both enjoyed them 🙂

          Reply

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