Gluten Free
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Prep
25 minutes
Cook
21 minutes
Yield
12
🧁 These gluten-free chocolate cupcakes hide a sweet secret – a luscious strawberry filling! With moist, rich chocolate cake and creamy frosting, no one will believe they're gluten-free. Ready in just 45 minutes for any celebration!
Classic chocolate cupcakes are seriously the best. They’re so nostalgic to me—that creamy chocolate icing on top that you used to lick off as a child. This gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe, however, is not only gluten-free but also has a stuffed filling. It’s a great spin on the classic cupcakes we grew up loving, so even the gluten-intolerant kids or family at your party can still enjoy a sweet treat.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate: Enough said. Is there anything better than chocolate?
- Easy: Whip these up in 45-minutes flat.
- Show-Stopping: The hidden strawberry filling creates a delightful surprise with every bite.
🍲 Ingredients
Gluten-Free Flour – I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour for this recipe. What’s so great about this flour substitute is that it’s a 1-to-1 substitute. With so many different kinds of flours, you need to do the math to figure out exactly how to substitute them, and if you get it wrong, your baking won’t turn out. With this flour, you’ll have no guesswork.
Cocoa Powder – The star of the show that gives these cupcakes a rich chocolate flavor. Look for a high-quality, unsweetened cocoa powder for the best results. Dutch-processed cocoa will provide you with a deeper color and smoother flavor, while natural cocoa has a more robust, slightly acidic chocolate taste.
👩🍳 How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
In a kettle or a pot, boil 1 cup of water.
1. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder to remove lumps. Using a whisk, combine the dry ingredients until uniform.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, almond milk, and vanilla until combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl, and using a hand mixer, whisk the ingredients together on medium speed for 20 – 30 seconds.
4. Scrape the edges with a spatula, then measure out ½ cup of hot water. Pour this into the large bowl.
5. On medium speed, mix the batter for 1 ½ – 2 minutes until uniform. Do not overmix.
Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake tin.
1. Bake for 20 – 22 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately and allow to cool on a wire rack.
2. To prepare the filling, cut off the tops and quarter all of the strawberries.
3. In a medium-sized pot, add the strawberries and lemon juice, and bring over medium-high heat. Cook this for 3 – 4 minutes, until slightly soft.
4. In a small dish combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Whisk together.
5. Add the sugar + cornstarch mixture to the strawberries and stir together.
6. While stirring, allow the mixture to cook for 2 minutes until it bubbles and you notice it thicken.
7. Transfer to a medium-sized dish and set it in the refrigerator to cool completely.
8. For the chocolate frosting, combine earth balance and chopped dark chocolate in a small bowl. Melt this in the microwave and mix to combine. After, transfer to a large bowl.
9. Sift the cocoa powder + icing sugar over the top of the chocolate mixture and add the vanilla.
10. Whisk together thoroughly with a hand mixer on medium speed. The mix will appear dull and grainy.
11. Add in the sour cream and continue to mix until shiny and smooth.
12. To assemble, once completely cooled, use a small knife to cut a ¾ – 1-inch sized circle on the top of each cupcake. Scoop out the cut-out cupcake portion, and a bit underneath to reach approximately 1 inch in depth.
13. Add a tablespoon of the strawberry filling into the created well-the filling will go taller than the actual cupcake height.
Next, prepare a piping bag with a large star tip, and fill ⅔ full of chocolate frosting.
1. To pipe, hover the end of the star tip 1 cm over top of the cupcake- besides the strawberry filling. Firmly squeeze the bag until icing comes out and touches the base. Continue to squeeze and move your hand in a circular motion around the filling while gradually layering the icing over the top of the filling. Once you have covered all of the fillings and reached the center, lightly press down and flick your wrist to create a peak. Repeat this for all of the cupcakes.
2. Garnish your cupcakes with sliced strawberries! Enjoy!!!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Temperature: Make sure all refrigerated ingredients come to room temperature for the best texture.
- Sifting: Don’t skip sifting the cocoa powder to avoid lumps in your batter.
- Hot Water: The hot water helps bloom the cocoa powder, intensifying the chocolate flavor.
- Cooling: Allow cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting to prevent melting.
🗒 Substitutions
- Berries: Use raspberries, blackberries, or cherries instead of strawberries for different filling flavors.
- Egg: Use a regular egg or your egg replacement here. However, if you plan to make this recipe vegan, add the extra teaspoon of baking powder identified in the recipe.
- Milk: Use your favorite oat milk to make it nut-free!
- Toppings: Melt some extra chocolate and drizzle onto your cupcake before adding the strawberry garnish!
🗒 Best served with
- Creamy and Fluffy Vegan Carob Chocolate Mousse
- Vegan Chickpea Chocolate Sauce
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Easy Fresh Fruit Salad
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store cupcakes in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days or in the freezer for 1 month.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! You can make the components ahead of time. Store the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, refrigerate the filling, and make the frosting fresh for best results.
Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. They’re ready if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter).
This could be from opening the oven door too early during baking, overmixing the batter, or having your oven temperature too high.
Yes! For the frosting, use dairy-free chocolate and dairy-free sour cream (or coconut cream with a touch of lemon juice).
Use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon to ensure each cupcake gets the same amount of filling.
With the right gluten-free flour blend, most people can’t tell the difference between these and traditional chocolate cupcakes!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten-Free Flour
- ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp almond milk
- ¼ cup hot water
For the Chocolate Filling:
- 2 ½ – 3 cups fresh strawberries quartered
- 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
For the Frosting:
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp earth balance butter
- ¾ cup dark chocolate
- 2 cups icing sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 – 5 strawberries to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
In a kettle or a pot, boil 1 cup of water.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder to remove lumps. Using a whisk, combine the dry ingredients until uniform.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, almond milk, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl, and using a hand mixer, whisk the ingredients together on medium speed for 20 – 30 seconds.
- Scrape the edges with a spatula, then measure out ½ cup of hot water. Pour this into the large bowl.
- On medium speed, mix the batter for 1 ½ – 2 minutes until uniform. Do not overmix.
Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake tin.
- Bake for 20 – 22 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- To prepare the filling, cut off the tops and quarter all of the strawberries.
- In a medium-sized pot, add the strawberries and lemon juice, and bring over medium-high heat. Cook this for 3 – 4 minutes, until slightly soft.
- In a small dish combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Whisk together.
- Add the sugar + cornstarch mixture to the strawberries and stir together.
- While stirring, allow the mixture to cook for 2 minutes until it bubbles and you notice it thicken.
- Transfer to a medium-sized dish and set it in the refrigerator to cool completely.
- For the chocolate frosting, combine earth balance and chopped dark chocolate in a small bowl. Melt this in the microwave and mix to combine. After, transfer to a large bowl.
- Sift the cocoa powder + icing sugar over the top of the chocolate mixture and add the vanilla.
- Whisk together thoroughly with a hand mixer on medium speed. The mix will appear dull and grainy.
- Add in the sour cream and continue to mix until shiny and smooth.
- To assemble, once completely cooled, use a small knife to cut a ¾ – 1-inch sized circle on the top of each cupcake. Scoop out the cut-out cupcake portion, and a bit underneath to reach approximately 1 inch in depth.
- Add a tablespoon of the strawberry filling into the created well-the filling will go taller than the actual cupcake height.
Next, prepare a piping bag with a large star tip, and fill ⅔ full of chocolate frosting.
- To pipe, hover the end of the star tip 1 cm over top of the cupcake- besides the strawberry filling. Firmly squeeze the bag until icing comes out and touches the base. Continue to squeeze and move your hand in a circular motion around the filling while gradually layering the icing over the top of the filling. Once you have covered all of the fillings and reached the center, lightly press down and flick your wrist to create a peak. Repeat this for all of the cupcakes.
- Garnish your cupcakes with sliced strawberries! Enjoy!!!
I ran out of cacao so I had to melt chocolate and substitute that way for basically everything, so sad, but I will try again soon!
let me know when you do try them!
So simple and tasty! Although the recipe is still very very complex! You beginner bakers out there, follow the steps because Maria makes a mean cupcake.
thank you so much, sherry! These are sooo good!
Can’t wait to make these, my kids will go nuts, but I think my husband will be the one waking up at night eating them all and blaming it on the kids! Thank you!!
hahahah honestly you’re not wrong but please confirm with me once you make them!
These cupcakes are so delicious! We used oat milk instead of almond, I do it almost always for all my baking. We will definitely make it again.
Thank you !!
so glad you loved them!!!