These Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes are dairy-free, simple to make, and lend a bakery style texture and a vanilla bean finish. You can bake up a batch of these perfect homemade gluten-free vanilla cupcakes in no-time.
If you like these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes, you might also like my Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes. They are simple to make and bursting with chocolate flavor. I’ve also recently updated the photos for my Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes. If you’re a lemon fan, you’re going to love them.
For more cupcakes and desserts please visit my Gluten-Free Desserts.
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
These are seriously the most incredible, better-than-bakery style Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes! They’ve been shared thousands of times and people come back weekly to tell me how amazing they are.
I’ve been making these gluten-free cupcakes for years and this is the third time I have redone the photos. I really want you guys to see how lovely they are and be excited about how amazing they taste. Just read the comments below. You will fall in love with these cupcakes.
Here’s an old photo that I took of these gluten-free cupcakes. You can see how perfect the texture is.
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
I use vanilla bean paste these days, but you can easily use Rodell’s vanilla extract. Rodelle Vanilla Paste is my newest favorite item to bake and cook with and that’s why I use it in my vanilla cupcakes.
Now that I’ve tried it, I may never go back to extract again. It has such a deep, rich flavor and it’s never too much. I do love Rodelle’s Vanilla Extract, but the paste is dreamy, especially in these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes.
When I first developed this gluten-free cupcake recipe, I used vanilla extract, so please don’t think that you have to use vanilla bean paste. Extract lends a lovely flavor too. You are going to love it in these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes.
Gluten-Free Cupcakes
I have been working on perfecting my gluten-free vanilla cupcake recipe since 2010. It’s not that it’s a complicated recipe or anything. I usually work on new recipes, not improving old ones.
My old gluten-free cupcake recipe was fine but I wanted a better texture. I wanted it to be fluffy and crumbly at the same time. I made these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes a couple of times in January for one of my daughters birthday’s.
Finally the last time I made them I found the right amount of ingredients to get the exact flavor and texture that I had been dreaming about. From frosting to cake, they are now perfect. They’re buttery (even though dairy-free), tender, crumbly, and have the perfect amount of vanilla.
And guess what? These gluten-free vanilla cupcakes only cost about $5 to make. Can you imagine what you’d pay at a bakery for these? They are easy and you can make them yourself.
How to make gluten-free cupcakes
There are a couple of tips and tricks to getting the right texture with gluten-free cupcakes. First, you have to follow the recipe. So many people comment on recipe posts saying that they made a ton of substitutions and the recipe didn’t turn out.
Other than the dairy substitute, I haven’t tried other substitutes in this recipe. If you use substitutions, you are doing so at your own risk.
Second, you want to mix at the right time and not over-mix. When you are beating the oil, sugar, and eggs you’ll want to beat it for the time listed. This adds air which in turn helps the cupcakes rise.
Once you add your flour mixture, you’ll only want to beat until combined. Beating any longer will cause the batter to stiffen.
Why did my cupcakes explode?
First off, you may have overfilled the cupcake wells. Never fill more then 3/4 of the way full, and it’s best to stick to around 2/3’s of the way full. I use a 1/4 measuring cup to fill mine. Another reason could be that you added too much leavening agent, or that you are at higher elevation. Baking powder tends to work twice as hard at higher elevations. Consider cutting your baking powder in half if you are at a higher elevation.
All those tips are relevant to most cupcake recipes, not just these Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes.
Why did my cupcakes sink?
There are several reason why cupcakes sink, one is from over beating the batter and adding too much air. Also, cupcakes often will sink when there is too much moisture. This is more common in humid climates where added moisture can collect naturally in ingredients such as flour. When this occurs, cupcakes may rise rapidly and then fall during baking. In higher elevations, the leavening agent works twice as hard and may cause the batter to rise rapidly and sink before it’s had a chance to set up.
Did you make these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes? Stop back by and let me know what you thought of this gluten-free vanilla cupcake recipe.
These Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes are dairy-free, simple to make, and lend a bakery style texture and a vanilla bean finish.Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
For the frosting:
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 cupcake w/frosting
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 440Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 5950mgSodium: 200mgCarbohydrates: 63gSugar: 40gProtein: 4g 
Katherine Anderson
This is so great. I’ve made a couple of gluten free baked goods in the past and they were anywhere from “ok” to something that resembled a brick and twice as heavy. I used this recipe to make ice cream cone cupcakes (using gluten free ice cream cones). Wonderful taste and I’ve sent links of this recipe to several people. These are truly AWESOME!!!
chrystal
I am so glad you like them. Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Chelsea
These cupcakes are DELICIOUS. Thank you for posting weight measurements! I used dairy milk and although i was skeptical of using oil (instead of butter) I’m so glad i trusted the recipe and used oil. I brought them to a gathering with some gluten-free friends and everyone loved them. Excellent texture, fluffy and flavorful. This will be added to my recipe box!
chrystal
I am so glad you like them.
Best,
Chrystal
Alana Holmes
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
chrystal
It makes 12 cupcakes if you put 1/4 cup of batter in each cupcake liner.
Best,
Chrystal
Kira
It made 12 for me
Katie
Can I use plain gluten free flour or self raising gluten free flour?
Thanks in advance x
chrystal
You can use a plain gluten free flour blend. I’ve tested this recipe with my flour blend and with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1. Just a heads up Bob’s all purpose gluten free flour and Namaste don’t work well in this recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
barbara
HI
Just wondering can i make these cupcake egg free?
chrystal
Hi Barbara,
I’ve had some readers use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer with success.
Best,
Chrystal
Laura Costello
I really liked the recipe!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
chrystal
I’m so glad 🙂
Andrea
Hello, should the batter be really thick?
chrystal
No. On the thin side. What flour blend did you use? How did you measure your flour blend Did you substitute any ingredients?
Shelli
Same question. I followed the recipe exactly and my batter resembled crumbly sugar cookie dough. I’m only halfway through baking, but so far they are still in the shape of the scoop I used to scoop them out.
chrystal
Hi Shelli,
What flour blend did you use? How did you measure your flour? Did you substitute any ingredients?
Best,
Chrystal
Clara Marshall
Mine turned out the same. I used coconut flour and milk.
chrystal
Hi Clara,
Coconut flour works very different in recipes, and doesn’t work as a 1-to-1 in most recipes. The reason yours turned out that way is because the coconut flour absorbed all the liquid. Next time you make these, please use either my flour blend or bob’s red mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour.
Best,
Chrystal
Jessica Howells
So I have tried a few different recipes using wheat flour and gluten free flour for cupcakes but these came out THE best I have ever done!
My boyfriend is Celiac so I am often trying to replace the treats he misses but if I am to bake cupcakes for non celiacs too I will now always use this recipe anyway.
If I wanted to do chocolate ones, do you think the cocoa powder would spoil the fluffiness?
Thank you for this recipe!!
chrystal
I’m so glad you think they are the best. Thank you for taking time to stop by and leave such a thoughtful comment.
Best,
Chrystal
Elisha
This is a great recipe. I erred on the side of less beating after reading the comments about sinking (so each beat was between 30-60 seconds). I was a little haphazard with measuring as I was baking with kids but it turned out fine. One point – they were in the overnight a good 30 minutes (180 degrees Celsius fan forced pre heated). All ovens are different, just a point to note. Thank you!
chrystal
I’m so glad you like them. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Cat
Could this batter be made into a cake? Use a cake pan instead of muffin pan?
chrystal
I have a cake version. Just search for vanilla cake on the right side.
Best,
Chrystal
Brittany Diano
I have gluten free flour and Xanthan gum separate – I couldn’t find the 1-1 flour. How much Xanthan gum should I add?
chrystal
For this recipe, you can add 1 teaspoon of xanthan. Which flour blend do you have?
Chrystal
Brittany Diano
thank you I have kinnickinnick all purpose flour blend. ill let you know how they turn out
Colin
I made this for my wife’s birthday and she loved them. There is one cupcake shop in Madison, WI that she loves, but now that we live far away we haven’t found anything that came close until this recipe. Moist and crumbly just as described.
We live at 7,600 feet and I used the w/ dairy recipe. Right at the 18-minute mark they were ready to come out.
chrystal
I’m so glad you both loved these cupcakes. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Molly
Can I use self raising flour and just not use baking powder ?
chrystal
Yes, you can use self rising flour and omit the baking powder.
Best,
Chrystal
Linda Shanahan
My 4 year old granddaughter was diagnosed with celiac. I am making these for her birthday. Just wondering do you store the cupcakes on the counter or in the refrigerator? Thank you Linda Shanahan
chrystal
I usually store them on the counter. You can put the in the refrigerator, but you’ll want to bring them to room temperature to soften the frosting again.
Best,
Chrystal
Linda Shanahan
I made these cupcakes yesterday and we ate them today. They were perfect!! Under notes it said you could use butter instead of oil so that is what I used and I used 2% milk We have tried bakery gf cupcakes and these are 1000% better. And so easy to make. Thank you so much for the recipe. I make cupcake for all of my grandchildren’s birthdays which i now have 7 so this recipe will be used over and over again. Linda
chrystal
Awe, I am so glad you love them. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Leslie
Hello—I would like to try your recipe for gluten free cupcakes. If I wanted to use butter instead of oil, how much butter would you recommend? Also, other than being dairy free, is there a taste and/or texture benefit of using oil instead of butter?
chrystal
Hi Leslie,
You can use melted and cooled butter – use the same amount. Oil tends to lend a fluffier texture.
Best,
Chrystal
Leslie
Great—thank you for the advice! They came out so deliciously!
chrystal
I’m so glad. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Amy
Just put these in the oven, but the batter only filled 8 normal sized cupcake libers, not 12. And each liner was filled slightly less that the 2/3 per added recipe notes.
I measured everything out and the only thing subbed was maple syrup for sugar using slightly less than the amount called for.
That wouldn’t have created this great of an error, would it?
I feel so incomplete sans 4 cupcakes!
chrystal
D’awe. I’m not sure why you would have gotten 9 instead of 12. How did they turn out with the maple syrup?
Best,
Chrystal
Fiona
I’ve been experimenting with gluten free recipes as my partner is coeliac. I didn’t think a fluffy textured gluten-free cupcake was possible. I followed the recipe almost exactly, as suggested, but I used a different flour blend. After 18 minutes the cupcakes were perfectly cooked and the texture was not compromised from the lack of gluten. Thank you!
chrystal
I am so glad you like them. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Elesia
Hi, if i want to triple this recipe, how much baking powder will I need?
chrystal
When I double and triple batches I like to use slightly less baking powder. For tripling this recipe I would use 5 teaspoons of baking powder. Can you bake all three at the same time? If not, the baking powder starts to activate while it waits to bake and your cupcakes may not rise as much.
Best,
Chrystal
Nicole
Can you use coconut sugar instead of regular granulated white sugar?
chrystal
Hi Nicole,
I haven’t used coconut sugar in this recipe. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Best,
Chrystal
Patricia
I feel like this recipe is very forgiving. I looked it up on the spot to make a quick batch of cupcakes on a rainy summer day. I was too lazy to get out my hand mixer so I just used a whisk. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk and I added Enjoy Life dark mini chocolate chips. The batter was indeed somewhat thick, however, I did not measure out everything exactly which is why I say this recipe is very forgiving. They did take longer to cook than 20 minutes, but they came out perfect and are delicious. It was just as easy to make as a prepared mix, but I got to use my own fresh ingredients. I love that they don’t have butter because butter can be a pain to work with if it’s not creamed just right.
Definitely would make them again!
chrystal
I am so glad you like them. Thank you for taking time to stop by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Marrissa
I just wanted to say thank you for posting this recipe. I dable in baking and over the last few years I found that I am allergic to basically everything. Hard to be a foodie when you are allergic to everything. This is my ALLTIME favorite cupcake recipe. I make it for myself and now my boys are pretty hooked too.. I’m so excited to be using it for my wedding day cake as well!
chrystal
Hi Marrissa,
I am so glad you and your boys love these cupcakes. I have a cake version of this recipe that you can use for your wedding cake if you want. (Congrats!) I also have a lemon cake that lots have people have used to make wedding cakes.
Best,
Chrystal
Amal
Can you tell me if I want to substitute eggs with pysilim husk
Is the recipe will work or no?
As my kid has allergie from eggs
Thanks
chrystal
Hi Amal,
I haven’t tried pysillium husk powder in this recipe. Some of my readers have used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer with luck.
Best,
Chrystal
Nicole
Hello Chrystal, These look amazing! How do you think rice flour will go? Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes, Nicole 🙂
chrystal
I haven’t used only rice flour in this recipe but I imagine it wouldn’t have the same texture. Sorry I can’t be more help.
Best,
Chrystal
Corinna
I made these for my son who has a gluten allergy. I usually don’t eat any of the GF things I make for him, because frankly they taste just terrible. These cupcakes……. oh man….. I think I had more of them than he did! They are light, fluffy, perfect consistency… topped off with Swiss meringue buttercream, and I have died and gone to GF cupcake heaven! I followed the recipe exactly, also using Bob’s Mill 1:1 GF flour. Only extra I added was some orange zest for a hint of citrus.
I will be making these again very soon, and can’t wait to try out more of your GF recipes! So glad I found your website!
chrystal
I’m so glad you like them. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Toni
Hi can you tell me what the finished batter consistency should be like? In the video is looked more loose than usual cupcake mixture is that correct? As going to be making these on Friday don’t want to get it wrong x
chrystal
Hi Toni,
The batter is a little loose, but it should be similar to other cupcake and cake batter. Cupcake batter shouldn’t be thick. When you measure the flour make sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it.
Best,
Chrystal
Molly
Hello, do you know if grapeseed oil would be good here? I realized that there is no butter in this recipe and i am aware that grapeseed oil can be a good sub for dairy free butter. Just wondering if anyone has ever tried this? Thanks!
chrystal
Hi Molly,
You can use grapeseed oil. I don’t personally use it but many of my readers do.
Best,
Chrystal
Amanda
Hello!!! I tried these cupcakes and absolutely love the flavor of them!! I also tried the chocolate ones and loved them as well!! I was noticing that my chocolate cupcakes raised up a little bit further than the vanilla ones. The difference in ingredients was cocoa powder and baking soda for the chocolate. Any suggestions on getting the vanilla cupcakes to raise a little more? Thanks so much!!!! Amanda
chrystal
I am so glad you like them. You can always add 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar (this will react with the baking powder and give it a quick lift) or you can fill them a little more, making 10 cupcakes instead of 12.
Best,
Chrystal
Amanda
Hi crystal!!! I Have fixed the vanilla ones several times and I feel like because I live in Indiana the humidity is getting me. The cupcakes taste delicious but they are a little moist and dense. The chocolate ones are very fluffy!! I’m just trying to get the vanillla ones to have a similar texture. I have not tried the vinegar trick yet. I did however fill them fuller and that made them bigger but still had a lot of moisture. The next day the top of the cupcake comes off on my finger. Should I reduce the milk and add vinegar? I am using unsweetened almond milk, bobs flour 1-1, coconut oil, vanilla paste (along with the other ingredients) and mixing for the written time. The taste is delicious!!! I just am wanting them to be a little more airy and fluffy!!! Thank you so much!!!!
chrystal
I definitely think the humidity is causing them to be extra moist. You could try making the chocolate cupcakes without the cocoa. Omit the cocoa and add an additional 1/4 cup of gf flour to offset the recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Nouna
Let me say something, i’m gluten intolerant and this is the best cupcake recipe i’ve ever tried ! Nothing but good food right here! Super moist and fluffy . Full of taste , simply amazing in everyway ! for a gf cupcake or any cupcake ! I even made a tiktok about it if ur interested ! Thank you for this , can’t wait to try other recipes to❤ You made my day
chrystal
I am so glad you liked them.
Best,
Chrystal
Arielle
Omggggg amazing!!! So easy and so moist! Thank you!
Arielle
How do you store these?
chrystal
You can leave them at room temperature or you can place them in the fridge.
Best,
Chrystal
Susan
Finally a wonderful GF cupcake!! Thank you so much for this recipe. It was easy and did not have a million ingredients that no one has on hand. This is a keeper.
Amazing. Thanks again.
chrystal
I am so glad you like it.
Best,
Chrystal
Nicole
These cupcakes came out great — excellent flavor and texture in both the cake and the frosting. Followed the recipe carefully and used Bob’s 1:1 Gluten Free Flour and oat milk. Non-celiac family members loved them, too.
chrystal
I am so glad you liked them. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Nikki
I just came across this recipe yesterday afternoon and decided to try it last night. All I can say is YUMMY! I do not have any gluten allergies or dietary restrtictions but I love trying new things. As someone who has never made anything gluten free, I can really say that it was very delicious and not a huge difference between a non gluten free cupcake. I did find that I needed to add a little more powdered sugar to my frosting. I was rather loose with the instructions provided. I used about 1/2 to 1 cup additional. Any idea why it may have been a little loose initially?
Thank you for this recipe!
chrystal
Hi Nikki,
I am so glad you loved it. I’m not sure why it would have been softer. Maybe your butter was too soft? Next time make sure to use room temperature, but it shouldn’t be soft enough that you could swipe a finger through it. If that wasn’t it, try using less milk/dairy-free milk.
Best,
Chrystal
Candace
Hi, this recipe looks amazing and I can hardly wait to try it. I have real vanilla beans, would that work? Do you have a feel for how much/many to use? Thanks!
chrystal
Hi Candace,
You can use vanilla beans, you’ll want to cut them down the center and use the beans in the inside. One bean’s worth should be great.
Best,
Chrystal