Learn how to make the best gluten-free vanilla cupcakes with this quick and easy recipe! I’ve created the ideal ingredient ratios for a soft, fluffy crumb, yet moist with a rich creamy vanilla flavor. These homemade cupcakes are ideal for birthdays and celebrations because with such a superb taste, no one knows they are GF!
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(Seriously!) Best Recipe For Gluten Free Cupcakes
Since this popular gluten free white layer cake has yielded so many rave reviews, it seemed like a great opportunity to turn them into supremely (and equally) moist, fluffy GF vanilla cupcakes. I’m all about seizing great opportunities.
If you have been disappointed by dry, crumbly gluten-free cupcake recipes, I want you to know you don’t have to settle for subpar results. I have over 15 years experience baking and perfecting a complete gluten-free dessert collection. Luckily the tricks aren’t hard, you just have to be in the know.
What’s my top tip when making homemade cupcakes? Don’t just swap out gluten-free all purpose flour for a traditional recipe. You will technically get a cupcake, but it won’t be a fantastically creamy vanilla cupcake with a moist, airy crumb. (That sounds so much better, doesn’t it??)
GF starches don’t play nicely with liquids, which is why a lot of gluten-free cupcake recipes are either dense and gummy or dry and crumbly. The trick is to use the ideal ratio of wet ingredients to dry, which saturates the starches, without weighing them down. This is a completely different ratio for wheat flour, hence the disappointing results!
Melted butter also helps with coating gluten-free flour, eliminating any grittiness and adding a rich, buttery flavor. Creamed butter doesn’t pull this off as well, which is why my go-to soft and chewy homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies also uses this hack.
If you are taking notes, we are going to be great friends, because I love this stuff too! I have one more easy tip to make superb cupcakes using gluten-free flour. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes before baking. This is a little extra insurance to make sure the dry and wet and really getting along and prevents your cupcakes from falling after cooling.
See, none of that was hard, was it? Now let’s make some out of this word vanilla cupcakes, shall we?
Made these tonight and they are the best gluten free cupcakes we’ve ever had. Even my husband loved them and he’s not GF.
—Marne
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Whisk wet ingredients
First let the egg whites and milk sit out to come to room temp. Once the melted butter has cooled, whisk it all together with the vanilla extract.
Combine dry ingredients
In a larger bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I usually do this in my stand mixer using a paddle attachment. Easy enough, right?
Mix it together
Now pour almost all the wet ingredients into the dry, holding back about 1/2 cup. Beat to combine, then mix for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the remaining liquid and beat it for 1 minute longer. That was the hardest part. Phew 😅
If you are making these for a birthday celebration, then I highly recommend stirring in a little fun! Check out my gluten-free funfetti cake recipe for amounts and suggestions on GF sprinkles.
Pour, wait, and bake
Divide the batter between the lined cupcake liners, but be sure to not fill more than ⅔ full, especially if you want to have even tops for frosting. If you like more of a domed top, you can go up to ¾ full, but you will have less cupcakes. Tough decision, I know. For best results, let the cupcakes sit before baking. This will help them not deflate after they cool Bake for 18-20 minutes, cool on a wire rack and then smother in frosting!
Does It Really Matter What Kind of Vanilla To Use?
Buying vanilla, especially quality vanilla extract, can cause some sticker shock. So, you may be wondering if it is really worth it?
I keep three types of vanilla stocked in my kitchen at all times. When making baked goods that simply need a bit of flavor enhancement, such as in pancakes, cookies, or chocolate desserts, I reach for an inexpensive (yet highly rated) imitation vanilla flavoring.
Use a more intense, quality extract when desserts don’t have multiple flavors competing with the vanilla, such as in frostings, cheesecake, custards, puddings, and vanilla cake.
At minimum use pure vanilla extract, but if you really want a vanilla bean flavor to shine through use vanilla bean paste in the same amount as you would use extract.
Disperse Cupcake Batter Like A Boss
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 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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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Ridiculously Fluffy Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ⅔ cup (163 g) whole milk, room temperature
- 4 (148 g) large egg whites (room temperature), (148 g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (292 g) gluten free all purpose flour, I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour
- 1 ¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. The recipe makes approximately 22 cupcakes so you will need to prepare two 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- Melt the butter first so it has time to cool before blending in. Once it comes to room temperature whisk together cooled butter, milk, egg whites, and vanilla in a bowl.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅔ cup whole milk, 4 large egg whites (room temperature), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add all but 1/2 cup of the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.2 cups gluten free all purpose flour, 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Beat slow at first to moisten ingredients. Increase speed to medium for 2 minutes and mix until the batter becomes pale and fluffy. Pour in the remaining ½ cup liquid and beat for 1 minute longer.
- Distribute cake batter evenly between the prepared cupcake tins, filling no more than ⅔ full. Let the batter sit in the tins for 10-15 minutes before baking. This helps build out the structure so they don't sink. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it's better to error on the side of slightly over-baking to make sure the excess moisture has evaporated.
- Remove from the oven and cool in pans for 5 minutes. Turn cupcakes onto wire rack to cool completely before frosting with fluffy vanilla or chocolate buttercream.
Notes
Dairy Free Adaptation
To make dairy-free, substitute Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and use unsweetened almond milk for the milk. Reduce the amount of salt to 1/4 teaspoon. The recommended flour, Cup4Cup, does contain milk powder, so I suggest using King Arthur Measure-for-Measure instead.CAN I HALVE THE RECIPE?
Yes. This recipe makes 22 cupcakes, but it may be halved for a smaller batch.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 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. Recipe adapted from Gluten-Free White CakeThis post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
I literally just put these in the oven and am excited to taste…but I just have to say TAHNK YOU for putting the measurements inside the directions as well as at the top! This is my biggest recipe pet peeve and it was soooo nice to not have to scroll back and forth! Can’t wait to taste!
You’re welcome, Krisa! I want to make it easy! What did you think about the cupcakes?
Best,
Melissa
These were so easy to make. No one could believe they were gluten free.
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me a note. Thanks, Corinna!
Best,
Melissa
Hi Melissa, I have just learned I have an egg intolerance… do you have any recommendations on egg replacement? I also saw that my local grocery store carries coconut butter (pure coconut) do you think that would be an appropriate substitute to make these dairy free as well?
Thanks!
Hi Jenine,
I’d be happy to help. As for the dairy-free butter, I think what you are suggesting would work great. Just make sure it’s melted and cooled. You can also just use liquified coconut oil too, if that is cheaper then the butter.
For the egg replacement, I do have a lot of community members writing in with success using Neat Egg or Bob’s Red Mill has an egg replacer that works well in baked goods. Let me know how they turn out!
Best,
Melissa
Hi.
I would love to try this recipe for a birthday coming up soon. Can you please help with how I change the recipe to make chocolate cupcakes.
Thank you
Vasie
Sure Vasie, happy to help. Here’s my recipe for gluten-free chocolate cupcakes.
Best,
Melissa
Really moist and flavourful cupcakes!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa
So these are definitely more angel food cake then anything I have over 20 years of gf baking. Absolutely delicious but would recommend in a bunt pan which I will do for next time. I find the cup 4 cup due to milk powder in it already makes it much more binding plus I’m from Maine and with high altitude you need more liquid. Over all delicious
Thanks for sharing, Sara! If you do a bundt cake pan, you may want to increase the amount of batter since that’s a much bigger size volume. The cake will have to bake longer as well. I love your description of angel food cake, though! I do have a gluten free angel food cake recipe as well, if you’d like to take a look. The newer formula of Cup4Cup does not have the milk powder anymore. I’ve noticed a slight difference with it, but it’s pretty negligible as far as texture.
Best,
Melissa
Going to try these this week! I have the King Arthur Measure for Measure flour. Hope they turn out good!
Lovely to hear, Holly! Keep me posted!
Best,
Melissa
This is delicious. I hope my customers like this recipe because I am not really a gluten free eat but it’s very similar to a non gluten free cupcakes. I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking flour I don’t know the difference with Cup4Cup. Have you tested it with Bob’s Red Mill?
Hi Francesca,
So happy you enjoyed the recipe. I haven’t tried this recipe with BRM, but I’ve used it in other baking recipes for testing purposes. I find the taste and texture of BRM to be very “gluten-free.” Some baked goods are more easily masked, like cakes or cupcakes, but things like bread or cookies I don’t recommend using it.
Best,
Melisa
Just coming back again a week later to say I’m making these again tonight as a dessert.. is it anyone’s birthday? No but these are too good!!
LOL, love it, Ashley! Thanks for bringing a smile to my face.
Best,
Melissa
Is there a good substitute for the granulated sugar?
Hi Steph,
I haven’t tested this with any sugar-free substitutes, if that is what you mean. If you do try one I would use something with the same bulk as sugar, such as King Arthur’s baking sugar alternative or Splenda baking blend.
Best,
Melissa
Followed the recipe as written and wow…. Blown away by how good these were!! I wouldn’t even know they were gluten free. 10/10 from our whole family. We did add dye free sprinkles.
I’m so happy to hear, Ashley. I love when the whole family gets behind a recipe!
Best,
Melissa
I made these cupcakes for my granddaughters 22nd birthday. We took them over to her and we told her to eat one. She just loved it and said they were the best ever, and that we just made her day. We told her she might want to freeze some but she reassured us that they would be gone today. My wife and I saved two back for us for when we got home. Wow! They were really good and moist. Thanks for the recepi.
How lovely to hear, Tom! Thank you so much for taking the time to make my day!
Best,
Melissa
I have 15 years of gluten-free baking experience. I followed this recipe exactly, and the batter was so thick that it was almost like play-doh. I added more liquid, but it was still incredibly thick. Decided to give a try and see how they baked up, but the cupcakes baked in the exact shape I spooned them in. In my experience, since the Cup4Cup reformulation, recipes using Cup4Cup now need the amount of flour reduced by nearly half. I wanted to try to follow the recipe, but should have followed my gut and reduced the flour. Had to start over completely for my daughter’s birthday.
My apologies for the bad experience, Kira. I’m not sure what happened, but the dough’s texture definitely sounds off. You used melted butter and all the egg whites? I’ve been testing my recipes with the new C4C formula and personally found the differences negligible. Perhaps the batters don’t have as gummy as a texture.
Best,
Melissa
I also had the issue with very thick playdough consistency. I added another egg white and it became much smoother, but I probably should have added another.
Would it be possible for you to add the volume of egg whites you use for your recipe instead of just the egg count? Since egg size varies so much 🙂
Hi Brittney,
Yes, I will weigh the eggs next time I make this. I’m wondering if the difference in the consistency also has to do with the brand of GF flour used? Which brand was used? Perhaps it requires more liquid. Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Melissa
I used the cup4cup you recommended in your recipe 😊 I also used a scale for measurements to match the recipe and followed all your tips from the beginning like letting eggs and milk get to room temp.
Great and easy to follow instructions btw! The taste was very good. I look forward to trying again with your egg weight when you get a chance 😊
So glad to hear, Brittney! And yes, that will be a good excuse to make these cupcakes again!
Best,
Melissa
Hi Brittney,
I just weighed the eggs and added them to the ingredient list!
Best,
Melissa
So many of us have made these with amazing results, I can’t imagine what went wrong for you. It almost has to be user error. No matter how long we have been baking, we can still make mistakes. It’s true they changed the formula for cup4cup and if you knew that, and knew that meant the flour needed halved, then you should have done that. But I would try again with a better flour mix. These really are fantastic cupcakes!!
Hi there! I made these last night with tulip liners and all of my bottoms burned. Was it the liner or was my oven rack too low? They were on the middle rack. Should I lower the temp? The tops were delicious but pretty bummed about the burned bottoms.
Hi Margie,
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that! I know how disappointing that is. I don’t think it had anything to do with your liners, but yes, I would adjust your oven rack, especially if the tops were fine. Also, when was the last time you checked your oven calibration? You can get a cheap oven thermometer, they are less than $10, and put that in your oven. If your oven is set at 350, but actually heating to 375, then you will know to lower the temp 25 degrees when you bake. Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
This looks like a great gf recipe — not just subbing gf flour in a cupcake recipe — so I’m very interested in trying it as I have been asked to make gf vanilla cupcakes for a special event. I have one question — the amount of baking powder and soda seems exceptionally high — is it correctly stated for 22 cupcakes as 3 teaspoons (1 Tbsp.) baking powder plus 1/2 tsp. baking soda? I’ve never baked a gluten free recipe before, so please forgive my ignorance. Actually, one additional question: I’m thinking buttermilk could replace whole milk easily — what do you think?
Love answering questions, and I’m happy to help! Easy question first…yes to the buttermilk. That wouldn’t be a problem.
As for the baking powder, I hear you, it does seem high. I recently went down a long dark hole with cupcake recipe. I was getting comments about the rise and deflating. So I tested the recipe again, about 10 mire times over, varying everything, and a lot of the experiments had to do with the baking powder because I suspected that could possibly be the culprit.
Turns out the high amount of baking powder is KEY to a light, airy texture. When I cut back on it the crumb got a lot denser. Turns out cutting back on the liquid a bit is what ultimately solved the deflating. I scaled back from 5 egg whites to 4.
Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying, I have tried it multiple ways and waaayyy too many cupcakes later, baking powder amount stays. 🙂
Best,
Melissa
I appreciate your response so much, Melissa! Thank you for understanding my apprehension regarding the amount of baking powder. I only know enough about baking to be dangerous, so I couldn’t resolve the question on my own. It makes sense to me now, and I applaud you for your persistence to get it right. Good to know about subbing buttermilk as well.
I’ll probably make a batch next week and freeze them until needed later in the month.
Bake on!
Super good flavor!!! Very impressed! The only thing is, I made the recipe twice, followed directions very carefully (weighed my Cup4Cup flour) and my batter is definitely thicker than yours. I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong!
Hi Lynn,
How are they turning out after they bake? Is the texture okay or are they dry? If they are dry, cut back on the flour by 1/4 cup. If they aren’t, just go with it. It’s hard to tell how thick the batter is by the picture, but the Cup4Cup has a lot of cornstarch in it so the batters do have a gummier, thicker texture. However, after they bake they turn out with a wonderful crumb! Weird baking magic!
Best,
Melissa
They seem a little dense. And when I dump the batter into the tins, the batter does not flatten out. Like it holds its shape even as it bakes so kind of hard to frost! Hopefully that makes sense!
Sure, that helps. I would cut back on your flour by 1/2 cup next time. You’ve made them two times and both times they were this way? Were there any ingredient substitutions you made?
Best,
Melissa
Nope! No substitutions! I made them again and used less flour and 1/2 butter, 1/2 oil definitely seems better! Will be making again! Thanks!!😊
Of course, happy to help!
Best,
Melissa
I can’t wait to try these. What is the recipe for your frosting?
Oh gosh, I could take a bath in that frosting! Here it is https://www.mamagourmand.com/fluffy-buttercream-frosting/
Oh my! These are amazing! My sister recently discovered she has a gluten allergy and I’ve tried several recipes so she can enjoy cupcakes again. These are by far the best and fluffiest of all recipes I’ve tried! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much, Terri! And what a wonderful and kind-hearted sister you are 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Made these tonight and they are the best Gluten Free cupcakes we’ve ever had. Even my husband loved them and he’s not GF. I used Cup for Cup flour, and 3 whole eggs and 1 egg white. Thanks for the recipe!
So happy to hear, Marne! I’m glad to hear that the whole eggs worked too!
Best,
Melissa
Did you know that I can’t even read this recipe because of a BIG GIANT AD BLOCKING HALF THE PAGE?
So sorry to hear this. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I did contact my ad company about turning off these types of ads a few weeks ago, but I will check again. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. In the future, I would just hit “jump to recipe” at the top of the page and it brings you directly to the recipe card. You can also print off the recipe or email it to yourself and not have to worry about ads! Hope this helps.
Best,
Melissa
Can you use this for a cake or is there a seperate recipe? Thank you
Hi Jowy, There’s a separate recipe. gluten-free vanilla cake
Enjoy!
Melissa
Oh my goodness. This smells and tastes like angel food cake! They dud decompress a but with cooling however just as fluffy as angel food!
So yummy. I will be making these again. Easy to “sneak” them past the non gf crowd for sure!
So glad to hear, Lorie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
These were WONDERDUL!! I used the whole eggs (because our farm fresh egg yolks would not stay together) and Cassava flour. They were still so moist & fluffy! Great also with chocolate & lemon icing. Compliments from everyone at our party. We couldn’t even tell that they were GF!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much, Tarrah! And thank you for sharing your modifications.
Best,
Melissa
These were WONDERDUL!! I used the whole eggs because our farm fresh egg yolks would not stay together. They were still so moist & fluffy! Great also with chocolate & lemon icing. Compliments from everyone at our party. We couldn’t even tell they were GF!! Thank you so much for sharing!
This recipe is by far the best couples I’ve ever had gluten-free or not!!! I’m severely allergic to gluten and dairy and I made this recipe using King Arthur gluten-free one to one flower and country crock baking sticks and it turned out absolutely phenomenal. It was so be on fluffy and moist. I highly recommend.
Thank you, Paige! I really appreciate readers adding modifications they made. It’s so helpful for others that have to make changes due to their own dietary restrictions!
Best,
Melissa
What’s the best flour to use instead of cup4cup? I’m dairy free as well and unfortunately cup4cup has dairy.
Hi Nani,
You can see Paige’s comment above. She used King Arthur Measure-for-Measure and dairy-free butter sticks. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
These came out better than expected. The cup 4 cup flour was an absolute game changer. I was baking for others who are GF and I was absolutely amazed how light and fluffy these actually turned out. Better than the sticky heavy store bought ones. Thank you!
Thank you, Julie! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa
Can you make these into chocolate cupcakes?
Hi Jessica,
I would use this gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe instead.
Best,
Melissa
Does the gluten free flour need to have xanthan gum in it already, or can gluten free flour that doesn’t have it also be used?
Hi KC,
Yes the GF flour should have xanthan gum in it. If it doesn’t, add 1/2 tsp of it with the dry ingredients.
Best,
Melissa
Amazing! So soft, and absolutely delicious!
So happy to hear! Thanks so much for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
The texture and flavour of these cupcakes were amazing (I’ve also used the cake recipe several times and I love it!) they came out of the oven nicely rounded on top – but they fell as they cooled! I followed the recipe closely using Cup 4 Cup etc. Any idea why this happened, I know one other comment mentioned this as well.
Hi Vicki,
I’ve been experimenting with this. Next time I make these, this is what I’m going to try – bake at 400 for 5 minutes, lower temp to 350 and finish baking 10-12 minutes. (I will also experiment with lowering to 325 too) I haven’t tested this with this recipe, but I’ve been experimenting with almond flour recipes and it seems to help them not fall. Also, I would avoid opening the oven until necessary to check, use visual cues to see if they are done. Luckily, GF baked goods are fine being slightly overbaked because it gives more time for moisture to evaporate. I hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa