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 a dozen of them! Can you imagine what you'd pay at a bakery for these? They are easy and you can make them yourself.
Looking for a gluten-free vanilla extract? We found this popular extract, made from ethically-sourced vanilla bean pods.
Working with Gluten-Free Flours
When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour.
The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour but I don't have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.
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.
Follow more Dairy Free Gluten Free Recipes.
Second, you want to mix at the right time and not over-mix.
Why did my cupcakes explode?
First off, you may have overfilled the cupcake wells. Never fill more then ¾ of the way full, and it’s best to stick to around ⅔’s of the way full. I use a ¼ 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.
Looing for an extra special treat? Use these cupcakes to make birthday cake ice cream.
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.
Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
These Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes are dairy-free, simple to make, and lend a bakery style texture and a vanilla bean finish.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ½ cup (4 oz.) vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
- ¾ cup (160g.) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (180g.) all purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup (4 oz.) dairy-free milk (or dairy milk)
- [2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- ]
For the frosting:
- ½ cup (4 oz.) dairy-free butter (or dairy butter), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360g.) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk (or dairy milk)
Instructions
- For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine oil and sugar.
- Add eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute. Add flour, salt, baking powder, dairy-free milk, and vanilla extract (or paste); beat at medium speed for one minute.
- Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and cupcakes are very lightly browned.
- Let cool in the pan on rack for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan onto rack and cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, beat together dairy-free butter and vanilla paste until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well. Alternate one cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of dairy-free milk until all ingredients are blended.
- Beat in additional dairy-free milk if needed to obtain desired constancy.
- Frost and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use regular milk and butter in this recipe if you don't need to eat dairy-free.
- When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weight it but I don't have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.
- This recipe makes 12 standard sized cupcakes. You can double the recipe to make 24.
- To Store: These cupcakes can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the fridge if you prefer, but you'll want to let them come to room temperature so that the frosting softens before serving.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. They never cost you extra.
-
Gifbera Bright Rainbow Standard Cupcake Liners Solid Colorful Paper Baking Cups 400-Count
-
Amazon Basics Nonstick Round Muffin Baking Pan, 12 Cups, Set of 2, Gray
-
KitchenAid KSM150PSAQ Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - Aqua Sky
-
Native Vanilla - Extracts Made from Premium Vanilla Bean Pods‚ For Chefs and Home Cooking, Baking, and Dessert Making (Vanilla, 8 Fl Oz (Pack of 1))
-
Clabber Girl Gluten Free Baking Powder 8.1 Ounce
-
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, 22-ounce (Pack of 4)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cupcake w/frostingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 73Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 66mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.
Gretchen
I made these yesterday for a gluten free fruend’s birthday. I used Bob’s Red Mill ‘1 to 1’ Baking flour. They came out beautifully! Very tender, moist and flavorful!
chrystal
Hi Gretchen!
Thank you for stopping by and letting me know! We use Bob's quite often in this recipe too 🙂 These are our favorite cupcakes, so I'm glad to hear you liked them as well.
Best,
Chrystal
Kim Schaffer
Do these really have 5301 calories each??? Is that even possible?
chrystal
Hahaha. I am playing with a nutrition calculator today. NO, these do not have that many calories. So sorry for the scare!
Sushi D
These look absolutely delicious!
Amanda
Just wanted to leave a little rave! I've been looking for a great gf vanilla cupcake recipe for my son's Birthday party, and these are it! I just tried one without frosting and it was moist, had great flavour, and was very fluffy. If you didn't know they were gf, you probably wouldn't be able to tell. Can't wait to try one with frosting! Yum!
chrystal
So glad you liked them! Thank you for stopping by and letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Amanda
Actually, quick question, but do you think these would be as good with all purpose flour? I'm guessing they would, but I thought I'd ask. I'm making regular and gf cupcakes for my son's Birthday and this recipe is delicious enough that I may try them as the regular cupcakes as well.
chrystal
They would probably work with all purpose flour, but I haven't tried them with it, so it's just a guess 🙂
Shelley
I made these yesterday and they are fantastic! I used avocado oil in the cake and the soy-free version of Earth Balance's spread in the frosting. Texture and flavor were perfect!
chrystal
Hi Shelley,
Thank you for letting me know! We often use avocado oil in the recipe too. Glad you liked it.
Best,
Chrystal
Christie Teaney
Hi! Your recipe sounds wonderful! I am going to make these cupcakes this weekend for a baby shower, but plan to make the mini size cupcakes. Do you know how long I would need to bake them for mini size cupcakes? Thank you!
chrystal
I would start with 14 minutes for mini cupcakes and watch them from there 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Susan
I love the teal frosting! How did you make such a pretty color? Thanks for sharing!
chrystal
Hi Susan,
Thank you for the compliment. I put a little blue food coloring in half of the frosting until I got the desired color. Then I put the teal frosting on one half of my piping bag, and the remaining white frosting on the other half. When You do it this way, you can create the swirl effect.
Best,
Chrystal
Griselle
I searched the web for a great gluten free cupcake, soft, fluffy and moist and tried this recipe hoping they didn't turn out dry and like a rock, because not all gluten free recuperar working out fine. Well, I must Say this recipe is great and was a great success at a baby Shower I brought them. Thank you!
chrystal
Hi Griselle,
Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know! These cupcakes are a favorite of ours too.
Best,
Chrystal
Melissa
I used unrefined coconut oil and Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free flour and they turned out amazing! Thank you!
chrystal
Hi Melissa,
So glad you liked them! Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Tianna
I must say these cupcakes are amazing my whole family loved them I did not make the frosting tonight but will try another time.
I substituted the eggs for applesauce because my little one also has an egg allergy and they still came out great. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe as my 6 year old just got diagnosed with a ton of food allergies two weeks ago and my 2 year olds 3rd birthday is in another week. I’m just trying not to have her left out and the cake taste good.
chrystal
Hi Tianna,
I am so happy to hear that you and your family loved these cupcakes. They took me years to get just right and I love it when people make them and enjoy them. You can use my frosting recipe, or your favorite frosting recipe next time you make them.
Thank you for stopping back by and letting me know you loved them!
All my best,
Chrystal
Valerie
Is it possible to replace the sugar with baking splenda in the batter Recipe? I'm-looking for a recipe that would work for diabetics. Thank you!
chrystal
I haven't tried it in this recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Melissa
You can get Swerve brand sweetener. We use it as a sugar substitute for my father in laws baked goods as he is a diabetic as well!
chrystal
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for dropping by. I haven't personally used Swerve, but I am glad to hear that it works for you.
Best,
Chrystal
Lucretia Chappell
I just made these and followed your exact instructions. They are wonderful!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. I used corn oil, Lactaid milk, and Pillsbury Gluten free flour.
Love them!!!!
chrystal
Hi Lucretia,
So glad you liked them! Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Debbie
Sorry if this has been asked, but didn’t make it through reading all the comments. If the flour mix I use doesn’t contain xanthan gum, like Bob’s Red Mill brand, should I add it to the recipe ? If so, how much should I use ? Thanks !
chrystal
Hi Debbie,
No need to add xanthan gum, but depending on the blend you use, the texture may be slightly different. It should still be lovely though.
Best,
Chrystal
Sami
Can I use maple syrup as a sweetener instead of regular sugar?
chrystal
Hi Sami,
I don't think it would work in this recipe. Sorry!
Chrystal
Sami
Thank you for your reply! 🙂
Sarah
These cupcakes are AMAZING! A fellow mom made them for a class party and they were a hit. Now my daughter wants them for her birthday, but strawberry. Is there a way I can modify the recipe to make an equally delicious strawberry version?
chrystal
Hi Sarah,
I'm so glad you like them. They are my favorite! I don't have a strawberry version, but you could always do a strawberry buttercream. You can use dairy-free butter if needed.
For the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
16 oz powdered sugar
Muddle strawberries until juicy and no lumps remain; set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy.
Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with 1 teaspoon strawberry puree, until all powdered sugar and strawberry puree is incorporated and the frosting is at desired consistency.
Best,
Chrystal
Bonnie F. Steele
Is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour an "All purpose flour or a cake flour" that you used for the vanilla bean cupcakes? Thank you in advance.
chrystal
Hi Bonnie,
Yes, Bob's Redmill 1-to-1 gluten free flour is an all purpose gluten-free baking flour.
Melanie
I made these this week and they were very tasty! I used the gluten free flour blend I had on hand by Robin Hood and replaced a little over a 1/4 cup of the flour with coconut flour. They were fantastic! I’m interested to see if there is a difference in the consistency of the cupcake when I use Bob’s Redmill gluten free flour mix next time once I restock my pantry.
chrystal
I'm so glad you liked them! Thank you for stopping back by and letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Cary Martin
This is the best GF vanilla cupcake I have come across! My girls were so excited. We also experimented with oils since I don't use vegetable oil, which turned out to give us a bonus flavor, If you use coconut oil you have coconut cupcakes...so good. I have since tried using this as a cake recipe which was not perfect on it's first attempt as the center did not cook through well. However, I was using a lemon curd filling so I just cut out the center and filled it and had rave reviews from all who ate it saying it was the best cake they had ever had...then I told them it was GF...lol. Today I am going to attempt a cake with this recipe again, but making shallow layers to stack...I also have to make it ombre shades of blue so this will be an interesting challenge 🙂 Thank you...now I have to test more of your cupcake recipes.
chrystal
I'm so happy you liked it! I am still working on how to tweak this recipe so it works as cake. Stay tuned!
Best,
Chrystal
Alexandra
I made these today and the cupcakes turned out quite well! The only issue I had was with the frosting-- mine didn't turn out white like yours and just stayed kind of yellow-ish, like the butter I was using. Do you know what the issue might have been? Do I need to mix it longer? Thanks!
chrystal
It could be the butter you used. Next time you can add more powdered sugar (and milk/df milk) to help them come out whiter.
Thank you so much for stopping back by and letting me know you liked them 🙂
Chrystal
Kathleen B.
Hi Chrystal..
Am so thrilled to find your site...especially since in a week I am hosting a family gathering after Baptism of new baby boy. These cupcakes would be so special...as well as a treat for the guests with gluten issues. I wanted to use a tin for 24 smaller (2" across) muffins...do you think I'll have enough batter for the 24? I thought the smaller ones would be more manageable for the little kids in attendance.
Thanks so much.
Kathleen B..
PS:
Must say am eager to double the cinnamon swirl recipe, put in rectangle pan, cut into squares & put in larger white paper cups for easier serving...will report back....
chrystal
Hi Kathleen,
You should get 24 mini cupcakes with a 2", just make sure to fill them 2/3 the way full, so they don't spill over when they rise 🙂
After you make them, please stop back by and let me know how they turned out!
Best,
Chrystal
Angela
First time baking gluten-free! These were delicious. Fully impressed with the recipe. Thanks for posting!
chrystal
Hi Angela,
I am so glad you liked them. Thank you for stopping back by and letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
jenn
To make these healthier and adjusted for altitude (6,500 feet), I used melted coconut oil instead of vegetable, and reduced baking powder to 1 teaspoon. They came out perfectly, and delicious. Excellent recipe.
chrystal
Thank you for stopping back by to let me know!
Best,
Chrystal
Therese Brausch
can I make a cake with this recipe instead of cupcakes?
chrystal
Hi Therese,
This cupcake recipe doesn't quite work as cake. I am working on a cake version - stay tuned!
Best,
Chrystal
Helena
Hi, I'm searching for lactation cake/cupcake, if I add brewers yeast or flaxseed meal should I change the amount of other ingredients? Any suggestion please? Thank you
chrystal
Hi Helena,
I haven't tried making a lactation cake, but looking at the ingredients and knowing how this recipe works, I don't think flaxseed meal would work well in this recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Ashly
OMG I love this recipe! It is so easy and fun.I have made it for a few parties and everyone loves it.
Best recipe ever!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
chrystal
Hi Ashly,
Thank you so much for stopping back by to let me know you love them! So glad.
All my best,
Chrystal
Crystin
Hi! I absolutely love these cupcakes! So easy to make and always end up moist and delicious. I was just wondering if you have calculated the nutritional info for 1 cupcake? How much calories/ carbs per cupcake etc...
chrystal
Hi Crystin,
I'm so glad you like them! I don't have the nutritional information calculated for these cupcakes.
Best,
Chrystal
Kimmie Strang
Hi there...
I’m going to be making these this afternoon and was wondering if I can double it with success. Have you tried it?
Thank you so much in advance
chrystal
Hi Kimmie,
We were out of town this weekend so I am just getting to questions. I haven't doubled this recipe. The cupcakes need to be baked right away so the air bubbles created during the beating process don't deflate. If you decide to double, you'll need to bake all 24 at the same time, and rotate your pans. It might take a bit longer to bake since there will be 24 cupcakes in the oven and not 12.
Best,
Chrystal
Lia
Do you add sugar? It doesn’t come. Out on the video but it’s listed in the ingredients ?
chrystal
Hi Lia,
Yes, I add sugar. It's the second ingredient added in the video, and is in the recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Aliyah
Cam I use dairy free butter instead of oil in the cake batter?
chrystal
Hi Aliyah,
I haven't tried these cupcakes with dairy-free butter. If you try it, stop back by and let me know how it turned out.
Best,
Chrystal