Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes (grain free, vegan, 1 bowl)

These easy gluten-free chocolate cupcakes are light and fluffy yet rich and chocolatey at the same time! They’re perfect for birthday parties or bridal showers. This post was originally published May 01, 2021.

Doesn’t the look of these vegan chocolate cupcakes make you want to hop in the kitchen and bake a batch? Deep chocolate cupcakes with a silky chocolate frosting! And they are gluten-free!

What I love about these cupcakes is that they provide a deep,  rich chocolate flavor while being perfectly light and fluffy in texture. Gluten-free bakes can often be flat, dense or dry. So gluten-free baking needs some additions to help get the structure for the rise, and some help for keeping the moisture in Club soda is my secret to light, fluffy, gluten-free and vegan baked goods. You can use other fizzy drinks, like ginger ale, if you prefer, as long as the flavor plays well with chocolate. That fizz adds some rise and leavening before baking which is essential to get the fluffy texture on gluten-free bakes.

I’m topping these with an incredible, rich chocolate ganache frosting, but you can also top these with coconut whipped cream or your favorite vegan frosting. You need a frosting with these as the tops dry out as they sit. The frosting moistens up the tops so the entire cupcake is then moist! If making larger cupcakes. You can also drizzle a mix of sugar and water or some coffee on them to keep them extra moist.

This recipe also makes great double chocolate muffins. Just add some chocolate chips and/or nuts to the batter and the top before baking, and you’ve got muffins.

Why You’ll Love Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

• light and fluffy with rich, chocolatey texture – no one will guess that they’re gluten-free!
• easy to make with simple ingredients
• use the frosting I made or your vegan frosting of choice
• naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and soy-free

Ingredients and Substitutions

• almond flour makes these super moist.
• oat flour gives them a great texture. You can omit if you don’t do oats.
• potato starch provides tenderness, structure, and binding power.
• cocoa powder adds that rich chocolate flavor and the deep dark color. I use the unsweetened stuff.
• sugar for sweetness in the cupcakes and the ganache topping. You can use coconut sugar instead if you prefer.
• a blend of baking powder and baking soda makes these rise perfectly.
• I use only a small amount of oil here as the almond flour already adds a lot of moisture to the chocolate cupcake batter.
• club soda is my secret ingredient. It gives baked goods a little lift. The tiny air bubbles expand in the batter while baking and produce an extra-light texture while keeping the batter from drying out!
• coconut cream is the base for the chocolate ganache topping.
• chocolate chips makes the ganache so rich!

How to make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients until well mixed. Press and mix to break any almond flour and/or starch lumps, so that the mixture is homogenous.

Add the oil, vanilla extract, milk, and club soda, or any other carbonated drink you’re using, and mix in. The batter should be a little thicker than pancake batter. Mix it lightly and let it sit for half a minute and then mix it again. If the batter is thick, fold in 2-3 tsp more club soda.

Line your regular or mini muffin pan, and preheat the oven to 350° F. Drop the batter into the muffin pan, filling up 3/4 of each of the muffin liners.

Bake 16-19 minutes for regular-sized cupcakes or 11 to 12 minutes for mini cupcakes. Check withs for mini cupcakes. Check with a toothpick at the center, then remove from the oven. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for ten minutes, then remove from the pan. Cover with a kitchen towel to them cool completely before frosting.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Melt the coconut cream in a skillet over medium heat.

Mix in the sugar, then add the chocolate chips and switch off the heat.

Whisk until the chocolate melts. Then, refrigerate the mixture. Check after 30 mins if it’s stiff enough for piping, or continue to chill until desired consistency of the frosting.

Then spread or pipe as needed.