These vegan gluten free vanilla cupcakes are fluffy and moist and so delicious. No one will guess they are both vegan and gluten-free! Topped with a velvety vanilla frosting and sprinkles.
You will love these light, fluffy, moist and delicious vegan gluten free vanilla cupcakes. They are super easy to make and only require 1-bowl!
A common complaint about gluten free baked goods is that they are too dry. Well, that’s certainly not the case for these cupcakes (or any of our gluten-free baked goods for that matter…). They are perfectly moist and totally delicious.
The recipe is based on our vegan vanilla cupcakes (made with regular flour) and with just a couple of small changes we get the perfect gluten free vanilla cupcake recipe!
And if you love all things gluten free then also check out our easy gluten free chocolate cake, our gluten free pancakes and our gluten free chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Cupcakes:
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten free all purpose flour – this should be a flour blend that is meant to replace regular flour in baking. You can really use any blend, we have tried a fair few and all have worked out great. One of our favorite blends is Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour. The blend you have may contain xantham gum or it may not, don’t worry about it either way. If your blend doesn’t contain it, there is no need to add it in.
- Baking soda – this must be baking soda and not baking powder. It is also known as bicarbonate of soda in some countries.
- White vinegar – distilled white vinegar reacts with the baking soda and causes the cupcakes to rise.
- Canola oil – can be replaced with any vegetable oil.
- Soy milk – can be replaced with any non-dairy milk.
Frosting
Frosting Notes:
- Soy milk – can be replaced with any non-dairy milk.
- Sprinkles – are entirely optional and just for decoration.
How To Make Vegan Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add gluten free all purpose flour, white granulated sugar, baking soda and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add soy milk, canola oil, vanilla extract and distilled white vinegar. Mix into a batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if they’re done: insert the toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes, it should come out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tray for a few minutes before transferring the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and soy milk to the bowl of your stand mixer and starting at slow speed, gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth.
- When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe on the frosting and add sprinkles to the top.
Chef’s Tips
The cupcakes brown quite a lot on top. This may vary a little depending on the brand of gluten-free flour, but it’s not something to worry about. As you can see from the photo of the cupcake sliced in half (below) the texture inside is perfect.
The cupcakes must be completely cool before frosting. If they are even slightly warm, the frosting will simply melt off, so you have to be patient, which is difficult when they smell this good!
Recipe FAQ
This recipe can adapt to three 6-inch cake layers (bake for 25 minutes) or two 7-inch cake layers (bake for 30 minutes). It can also be made as a single layer 9-inch cake (bake for 30-35 minutes).
We have made vegan vanilla cupcakes with regular wheat flour, check out that recipe.
The BEST results are going to come from using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. I have had some epic flops trying to use a single type of flour such as rice flour. Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Blend is a great flour to use, but any gluten-free all purpose flour blend is going to do the trick.
No, it will either already be in your gluten-free all purpose baking blend or it won’t, but either way, don’t worry about it. I have made gluten-free cakes with blends that did contain xanthan gum and blends that did not. All have worked out wonderfully. As long as you’re using an all purpose baking blend, you should be good.
Keep them covered at room temperature where they will stay good for 2-3 days or covered in the fridge where they will stay good for 5-7 days. They are also freezer friendly if you’d like to freeze them. They can be frozen either frosted or unfrosted.
More Gluten Free Baking Recipes
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake
- Vegan Gluten Free Brownies
- Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 ¾ cups Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour (238g)
- 1 cup White Granulated Sugar (200g)
- 1 ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
Frosting:
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 Tbsp Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk
Decoration (Optional):
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
- Add gluten free all purpose flour, white granulated sugar, baking soda and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add soy milk, canola oil, vanilla extract and distilled white vinegar. Mix into a batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if they’re done: insert the toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes, it should come out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tray for a few minutes before transferring the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons soy milk to the bowl of your stand mixer and starting at slow speed, gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of soy milk.
- When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe on the frosting and add sprinkles to the top.
Notes
- Gluten free all purpose flour – this should be a flour blend that is meant to replace regular flour in baking. You can really use any blend, we have tried a fair few and all have worked out great. One of our favorite blends though is Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour. The blend you have may contain xantham gum or it may not, don’t worry about it either way. If your blend doesn’t contain it, there is no need to add it in.
- Make a layer cake: This recipe can adapt to three 6-inch cake layers (bake for 25 minutes) or two 7-inch cake layers (bake for 30 minutes). It can also be made as a single layer 9-inch cake (bake for 30-35 minutes).
- Storing and Freezing: Keep them covered at room temperature where they will stay good for 2-3 days or covered in the fridge where they will stay good for 5-7 days. They are also freezer friendly if you’d like to freeze them. They can be frozen either frosted or unfrosted.
- This recipe was first posted in August 2016. It has been updated with new photos and tips and the recipe itself has been slightly updated and improved.
Thank you so much for this! My little boy has been having a very hard time at birthday parties lately! We have so many food allergies, it’s very difficult to navigate social events (even friends who provide snacks he can eat at parties are usually at a loss when it comes to making a cake he can eat!) These turned out so nice and fluffy! I’m going to fill them with vegan marshmallow filling and pipe frosting on top then freeze them! Now he will have a go to in the freezer to bring along to a birthday party so we won’t end up leaving with him in tears about how unfair allergies are! I loved how simple they were too. I’m a busy homeschooling mom, and I don’t have time usually for super complicated recipes!
That’s great Jean. Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
Hi there, could I use gluten free self raising flour and omit the baking soda?
Thank you!
Sure!
They turned out lovely, fluffy and light and yummy! I think a ‘normie’ wouldn’t even know they weren’t gluten! They baked so well even in my old oven. I used apple cider vinegar and sunflower oil instead with no trouble. Very simple recipe, I already had everything in the cupboard. I recommend 🙂
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Ava! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
This recipe is mostly great, but it came out extra fudgy and dense for me, I even cooked it a few minutes extra, and they sunk in as they cooled as well. They taste good though! But came out like half-baked cookie dough? I’m not sure what happened because everyone else seems to have loved the recipe according to the reviews!
Hi Padma. Sounds like the oven temperature was a bit to low and the cupcakes didn’t cook properly. Also refrain from opening the oven too early, as that can result in them sinking in the middle.
These cupcakes are DELICIOUS! By the way, my wife and I love your recipes. We have been “Loving it Vegan” fans for a few years now.
Happy to hear you and your wife enjoy the recipes Justin! Thanks for your awesome review! 🙂
I’m finding that the cupcake liners seperate from cupcake once they cool, why would this be happening? Otherwise taste is great!
That hasn’t happened to us in the past Tanu, so not to sure why they are separating.
They taste great! The texture came out closer to a fluffier sugar cookie than a soft cupcake. Not sure if this is typical for GF, or if I buggered something up?
Thank you for sharing this recipe! This is the best recipe for vanilla gluten free vegan cupcakes I have ever made . My family loved them:)
Happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe Jewel!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes it can!
Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing. My cupcakes came out perfect and I only used Rice Flour 🙂
That’s great Simone! Thank you so much for sharing and for your great review!