Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

What's better than a super easy to make gluten free chocolate cupcake recipe? This recipe will fool even the harshest of judges into not believing that they are truly gluten free! We pair a rich, chocolatey cupcake with fudge-y chocolate buttercream frosting for the ultimate gluten free chocolate cupcake treat.

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Why this is the Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

• Simple Ingredients - you likely have all of the ingredients in your home!
• Easy Recipe - the recipe is so easy to follow and you actually only need one bowl to make these cupcakes.
• Moist - the cupcakes are super moist from using vegetable oil in the recipe.
• No fancy tools - a whisk and bowl is all we need! No electric hand or stand mixer.

Ingredients

Here are a few important notes about some of the ingredients. You will find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below. I have included options for substitutions in this section as well.

• Gluten Free Flour - The key to this recipe! I recommend using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour.
• Egg - you can even make these cupcakes egg free by substituting ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce for each egg needed. Ensure your egg is room temperature by taking it out of the fridge 1 hour before you begin.
• Cocoa Powder - I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Buttermilk - provides a slight tang to your cupcake. See note below about making homemade buttermilk. I promise it's easy!
• Hot Water - This is so important for the recipe. It helps activate the cocoa powder to make the chocolate flavor extremely rich and delicious.

Instructions for this Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

You'll find full instructions below in the recipe card, but here are the basic steps of this easy chocolate cupcake recipe.

Step 1. Mix together dry ingredients. Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Step 2. Mix together wet ingredients. Milk, egg, vanilla, water, and oil. If you want to use just one bowl, simply add the wet ingredients into the dry and skip this step!

Step 3. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients. Mix well, but do not over-mix. You'll end up with dense cupcakes or they mix sink if you over-mix.

Step 4. Pour into cupcake liners and bake. Fill approximately ⅔rds full!

Baking Tips & Tricks

Make homemade buttermilk - It's incredibly easy to make homemade buttermilk. I've provided full instructions in the recipe card below; but essentially you combine whole milk with white vinegar and voila --buttermilk. It adds a beautiful tang to the cupcake flavor and helps balance out the rich chocolate flavor.

Measure flour properly - Do NOT use your measuring cup to scoop flour. Instead, I like to use a spoon and scoop flour into my measuring cup and then use a knife to level it off. Using the measuring cup to scoop flour packs down the flour and you’ll end up with more flour than the recipe calls for and your cookies will be dry. The opposite of what we want in a good cupcake recipe. Here’s the demo of how to properly scoop your flour.

Ensure all of your ingredients are room temperature. In order to allow your ingredients to incorporate together well, this is imperative. Remove your butter and eggs from the fridge about 1 hour before making this recipe.

Recipe FAQ

Other Cupcake Recipes to Try

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