Easy Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

As more of my girls needed to be gluten free, I started looking for new ways to avoid the boxed pre-made mixes you get from the grocery store. Things like pancake mixes and cake batters came in small boxes and were so expensive. I knew there was a better way. These homemade gluten free chocolate cupcakes were the perfect solution for cakes and cupcakes!

​This is our favorite pancake and waffle batter if you need a good one!

It is amazing when you start searching for recipes how many things can be made from scratch that really don’t take that much added time than the boxed stuff. Usually what you need for ingredients you already have. The more I searched the more I was hooked!

That’s when I began making it all instead of buying the pre-packaged stuff and I have never looked back.

This gluten free chocolate cupcake recipe is delicious, even non-gluten free people have ate them and love them. That is always a win in my book. One dish that pleases everyone, yes please!

If I had to give these cupcakes a star rating, I am convinced they would get a 5 star rating!

How to store extra cupcakes?

Over the years, as I have evolved my cooking from scratch skills, I have learned a few tricks that really help! 

You can not do it all, all of the time. So if cooking from scratch is important to you, you have to learn ways to be prepared for whatever life throws at you.

This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. When we need cupcakes it is usually for a birthday party that we are going to. Which means I do not need all 24 cupcakes, I just need 3-4 for the girls and I. 

However, I always make the full batch and bake them all. I only frost what I need at the moment and then stick the unfrosted cupcakes in a large freezer bag in the freezer until ready to use. That way when an unexpected birthday bash or party comes up, I just simply pull out cupcakes and frost them real quick. They will defrost on their own before they are eaten, plus keep the cupcake cool so the frosting wont melt without refrigeration. Once defrosted the cupcakes are as good as the first time you baked them!

I also do this with my gluten free and dairy free sandwich bread and my whole grain sandwich bread. Along with any soft pretzels or soft flour tortillas. No use in making more work for yourself every day.

What is the best flour to use?

When it comes to gluten free baking, the flours that you use will always be the deciding factor on how well the end product is in both the perfect texture and delicious taste. Just like in most baked goods you want soft, light, fluffy, and moist cupcakes. These gluten free chocolate cupcakes are just that, because of the flour being used.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission on qualified purchases at no additional cost to you. 

For years my favorite flour blend was Cup 4 Cup. In my opinion it is the best gluten free all purpose flour that makes delicious baked goods. You can almost always use it in a 1:1 ratio in any regular recipe for baked goods (not breads) and get a delicious product. 

The one down fall is, it is expensive. With so much of us being gluten free I was using a 25lb bag within a month or two. It just wasn’t cost effective.

So I went out on my own and created a flour blend that works just as good as Cup 4 Cup. It has saved me so much money, plus I don’t have to buy any additional flour because the flours I use in this recipe are also the flours I use in my breads. 

I share this homemade gluten free all purpose flour blend recipe in my digital cookbook. In this cookbook there are 6 categories including homestead breakfasts, ranch style sides, simple salads, fill your belly main dishes, homestead sweets, and gluten free. Every recipe shared in this digital cookbook is a regular recipe with notes on how to make every recipe gluten free. Along with a dedicated section just on gluten free baking!

For best results, I recommend using one of these recommended flour blends in this recipe. However, feel free to experiment with your favorite blend.

Please note that both my blend and Cup 4 Cup has dry milk powder in it. If you have to eat dairy free, I recommend Better Batter as a great dairy-free option for a gluten-free flour blend. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour with xanthan gum. I use my homemade blend, shared in my digital cookbook. 
• 2 cups white sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

How to make gluten free chocolate cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a 24 cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine gluten free flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan heat butter, water, and cocoa powder. Bring it just to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and pour onto the dry ingredients.
4. Add in milk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir or beat with an electric mixer, on low speed, to get a smooth batter. You can also do this in a stand mixer. Just make sure not to over mix!
5. Pour cupcake batter into pan with liners. Fill to about 2/3 of the way full, they will rise to the top when baking.
6. Bake at 350° for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Try this delicious butter cream frosting, you won’t be disappointed!
7. Only frost what you need and store the remaining unfrosted gluten-free cupcakes in the freezer in an airtight container until ready to use. 
8. To make these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes, don’t add in the cocoa powder and add in 2 tsp of vanilla. 

Can you make these cupcakes dairy free?

There are two ingredients you need to change to make these cupcakes dairy free. You will need to replace the butter for a dairy free butter or coconut oil. Coconut oil make change the flavor just slightly but not too much. The texture should remain the same.

In place of the milk use your favorite dairy free alternative such as, almond milk or coconut milk. 

The next birthday party or special occasions you get invited to, try bringing these moist gluten-free chocolate cupcakes. There is no premade boxed gluten free cake batter that can compare to these homemade perfect gluten free chocolate cupcake. 

Gluten free baking can be simple and delicious, you just need the right flour and an easy recipe to succeed!