Gluten Free Mini Cupcakes

These gluten free mini cupcakes are the perfect (and cutest!) way to satisfy your sweet tooth. They’re gluten free, can be made dairy free and are perfect for feeding a crowd. Choose from either chocolate or vanilla.

Cakes and cupcakes are among my favorite desserts, but lately I’ve been obsessed with these gluten free mini cupcakes because they’re perfect to feed a crowd or when you just need a little something sweet.

I couldn’t decide between chocolate and vanilla, so decided to go with both. Each recipe makes around 24 mini cupcakes and you can frost and decorate in a variety of ways.

I kept it simple here, but for the vanilla, you can try using different colored frostings, or even try my strawberry buttercream.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy
• Perfect for a crowd
• Gluten free
• Dairy free friendly
• Two different flavors- chocolate or vanilla

How to make gluten free mini cupcakes

VANILLA: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and Line a mini cupcake tin with liners and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla until well combined.

Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt until smooth. Add to your prepared cupcake tin, filling about 2/3 of the way up (about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of batter). You should have 24 mini cupcakes.

Bake for 11-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the tray for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the tray to finish cooling.

Once cool, top with my vanilla buttercream frosting and enjoy!

CHOCOLATE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a mini cupcake tin with liners and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, egg, greek yogurt, brewed coffee and vanilla until well combined.

Beat in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt just until smooth.

Add to your prepared cupcake tin, filling about 2/3 of the way up. You should have 24 mini cupcakes. Bake for 12-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in the tray for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the tray to finish cooling. Top with chocolate or vanilla buttercream and enjoy!

How to store and freeze

TO STORE: Once prepared, these gluten free mini cupcakes will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days. Once frosted, I suggest storing in container so they don’t dry out.

TO FREEZE: Once baked, you can let the cupcakes cool completely, then place in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 1 month or until ready to frost/decorate. Let them thaw, then decorate as usual.

TO THAW: If you’re going to freeze, you want to do it the same day you bake them to ensure all the moisture gets trapped inside.

Just let them thaw in the fridge or at room temperature, but don’t place back in the oven or they can dry out.

Ingredient swaps

FLOUR. I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 All Purpose Baking flour, which I recommend for this recipe. If you are not GF, just sub for regular all purpose flour. If you use a different gluten free blend, make sure it has xanthan gum in the mix.

SUGAR. I used regular white granulated sugar, but you can swap with coconut sugar for a refined sugar free option. You won’t notice a big difference with the chocolate version, but the vanilla will be a darker color if you use coconut sugar.

I do not recommend maple syrup, honey or any other liquid sweetener.

BUTTER/MILK. I used regular butter and almond milk, but you can use dairy free butter/milk or regular butter and milk.

EGG. Each recipe calls for just one egg, so you can likely swap with a vegan egg replacer with no issues. I would suggest apple sauce (3 tablespoons), a flax egg or a store bought egg replacer.

COFFEE. The chocolate mini cupcakes call for coffee because it adds a really rich flavor, but you can swap with hot water instead.

Frequently asked questions

Does baking time change for gluten free mini cupcakes?

Yes! Because they are smaller than regular cupcakes, the bake time is going to be shorter. For this recipe, it’s around 14 minutes, but it will depend on your oven so be sure to keep an eye on them.

How much cake mix for mini cupcakes?

One box of cake mix will make about 60 mini cupcakes, but this recipe will yield about 24 gluten free mini cupcakes for each flavor.

How many does this serve?

This recipes makes 24 mini cupcakes per flavor, but I suggest 2-3 cupcakes per person if you’re feeding a crowd, so it would serve between 8-12 people.

More cakes and cupcakes you’ll love!

• Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Almond Flour Chocolate Cupcakes
• Mini Chocolate Cake
• Gluten Free Vanilla Cake

Be sure to follow along on on instagram and subscribe to my email list for more recipes and updates. Leave a comment and rating below if you try this recipe and let us know how it turns out!