Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Look no further for the ultimate gluten free chocolate cupcakes recipe. No one will believe these undeniably moist cupcakes are gluten free, and you won’t believe how easy this one bowl recipe is!

Gluten free baking can definitely have it’s trials and tribulations. Many strikeouts and failures occur, especially when starting out. So when you land on a recipe for gluten free cupcakes that exceeds all expectations, you’ll want to share your success!

I’ve tried dozens of gluten free cake recipes and finally landed on two that made me end my searches completely. Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake and fluffy Gluten Free White Cake recipes are now my gold standards!

A lot of my readers have asked how to transform these recipes into cupcakes, so here it is! A whole post dedicated to making the best gluten free cupcakes, ideal for parties, birthdays, and entertaining!

If you love these cupcakes, be sure to check out gluten-free vanilla cupcakes recipe as well!

ingredient notes

The ingredient list is simple, with gluten free flour being the only speciality item required. I consider these to be “emergency” cupcakes, because I always have the ingredients on hand!

• All purpose gluten free flour (I recommend Cup 4 Cup brand.)
• Sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – Use Dutch processed cocoa for richer chocolate taste.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Milk – regular or dairy free
• Vegetable oil – coconut oil may be substituted
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract

How to make Gluten-free chocolate cupcakes recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed.
3. Add regular or dairy free milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture. Mix on medium speed until well combined.
4. Reduce speed to low and slowly add boiling water to the cake batter. Once the water is mixed in, increase to high speed and mix for 1 minute. This helps aerate the batter and make the cake light and fluffy.
5. Pour the cupcake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and cool in pans for 5 minutes. Turn the cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting with one of the recipes below. 

What is the best way to fill cupcakes?

The key when portioning out cupcake batter is to not overfill the tins. Unlike muffins, which rise quickly to have domed tops, you’ll want your cupcakes to be as even and uniform as possible for frosting.

Therefore, I recommend filling the cups one-half to two-thirds full, and no more! If you still have batter leftover, use an additional muffin pan.

Also, use a tool to distribute the same amount of batter into each cup. I use a trigger ice cream scoop because it gets the job done quickly and cleanly, but you may also use a 1/4 measuring cup.

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step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

Can I halve or double the recipe?

Yes. This recipe makes 12 gluten free chocolate cupcakes, but it may be halved for a smaller batch or doubled to make 24 cupcakes.

dairy free modification

If you are looking for a dairy free gluten free chocolate cupcake recipe, you’ve come to the right place! 

The only recipe adaptation you’ll have to make is replacing the milk with a dairy free milk, such as almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk. If you prefer using coconut oil, that may also replace the vegetable oil. 

Storing / freezing cupcakes

For best results, serve these cupcakes at room temperature. Although some frostings have to refrigerated, I highly recommend setting the cupcakes out several hours before serving to reach room temp.

Gluten free cakes especially have a tendency to dry out when refrigerated, so avoid storing them in the fridge. If you need to make the cupcakes ahead of time, freeze the frosted or unfrosted cupcakes until shortly before serving.

Freezing Unfrosted Cupcakes: Wrap each completely cooled cupcake securely in plastic wrap. Transfer wrapped cupcakes to a gallon freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.

When ready to use, remove from freezer bag and thaw wrapped cake at room temperature for 1 hour before frosting and serving.

Freezing Frosted Cupcakes: Place frosted cupcakes on a baking sheet and freeze until the frosting solidifies. Wrap each cupcake securely with plastic wrap and transfer to a gallon freezer bag to freeze up to 3 months.

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