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–+ servings
Hand holding an almond flour cupcake.
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5 from 2 votes

Gluten Free Cupcake Recipe (with almond flour)

This Gluten Free Cupcake Recipe with almond flour is the perfect healthy treat to curb your sweet tooth! Sweetened with stevia and fruit, these bite-sized, low carb delights are 100% natural and plant-based. No refined sugar, no artificial vegan butter, and no nasties!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: allergy free, american, banana, chocolate, cupcakes, dairy free, dessert, layered cupcakes, mini cupcakes, paleo, party food, treat, vegan
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 148kcal
Author: Bethany Galloway

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup erythritol stevia, coconut sugar, or sweetener of choice

Wet Ingredients:

  • 2 bananas
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can not carton

Add to 1/2 of the batter for the Chocolate layer (optional):

  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tbsp stevia or sweetener of choice

"Buttercream" Icing:

  • 2 400 ml 12oz cans of full-fat coconut milk, cream separated, and the water discarded (see note 1)
  • 75-100 g 3/4-1 cup powdered erythritol
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tsp blue butterfly pea powder optional
  • 1 pinch sprinkles optional

Instructions

For the batter:

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
    Mixing dry ingredients together in a metal bowl with a wooden spoon.
  • In a separate bowl or in a blender, blend the wet ingredients with a hand-held blender. Alternatively, you could mash them all together with a fork.
    Hand blender blending ingredients in a white bowl.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the almond flour blend and mix.
    Adding wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
  • (Optional for layered cupcakes) Split batter into 2 bowls.
    Cupcake batter split into 2 bowls.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients for the chocolate batter to one bowl and mix.
    Chocolate cupcake ingredients mixed in a metal bowl with a wooden spoon.
  • Place mini cupcake liners in a mini muffin pan.
  • Fill half of each of the paper liners with plain cupcake batter.
  • Add the chocolate batter on top, until they’re full almost to the top of the wrapper.
    Filling mini cupcake liners with batter.
  • Bake for 30 minutes at 160°C/320°F. Poke a toothpick in the center of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean they’re done! Bake them a little longer if necessary.
  • Cool to room temperature on a cooling rack before adding the icing.

For the Icing:

  • Chill a can of coconut milk and a large mixing bowl in the fridge for about 2 hours. I used the mixing bowl of my stand mixer.
  • Carefully remove them from the fridge, taking extra care to not shake or bump the coconut milk.
  • Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out the coconut cream on top, leaving the liquid behind.
  • Add it to the chilled mixing bowl along with the powdered sweetener, salt, butterfly pea flower powder, and vanilla.
  • Place the stand mixer on the stand with the whisk attachment or a hand-held electric mixer with a whisk attachment, and whisk the coconut cream on high speed for 2-5 minutes to create stiff peaks.
  • Add the whipped coconut cream to a piping bag and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes before piping it onto the cooled cupcakes on the wire rack. 
    A person using a blue icing on a gluten free cupcake made with almond flour.
  • I recommend storing the cupcakes in the fridge so that the coconut icing sets. It may melt in warmer temperatures.

Notes

  1. Leave the cans of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The cream will separate from the coconut water and sit on top. Scrape the cream off of the liquid carefully into your mixing bowl. Discard liquid (or add it to curries and smoothies!)

Variations

  • Almond Flour Banana Cupcakes: Skip the chocolate batter to have banana cupcakes
  • Almond flour chocolate cupcakes: Double the chocolate ingredients, and mix it in with all of the batter to make chocolate cupcakes.
  • UK/USA themed: Skip the chocolate and just make the almond flour banana cupcakes. Add a raspberry or sliced strawberry on top of the blue icing to make them red, white, and blue.
  • Scottish themed: Skip the chocolate so that the cupcakes are just the lighter color. Then add the blue icing on top.
  • Flavored Icing: Add flavor extract to the icing! Mint would be great, orange would be lovely too.
  • Chocolate icing: Add 1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder to make chocolate frosting. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g