The Best Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes

The BEST gluten-free vanilla cupcakes made from scratch. No gluten-free flour blend needed. Moist vanilla cupcakes for birthdays, celebrations or just whenever a cake craving hits. 

I have been on a mission to create the BEST gluten-free vanilla cupcakes! It has been a tough job tasting all these vanilla cupcakes, but somebody had to do it. Ha!

My first goal was to create a vanilla cake that didn’t utilize a store bought gluten-free flour blend. I find that gluten-free flour blends vary significantly so using them in a recipe can lead to inconsistencies in texture and flavor.

My other goal was to create a vanilla cake recipe that uses only two flours so that it would not only be easier to whip up, but also be more affordable.

And do you want to know the best part of the recipe? This vanilla cake recipe can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.

This really is the easiest and most delicious gluten-free and nut-free vanilla cupcake recipe ever! It can be used for birthdays, celebrations or just whenever a cake craving hits.

So let’s get baking!

Ingredients & What you need to make Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes 

Superfine Brown Rice Flour + Sorghum Flour

• The flour blend for these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes is brown rice flour and sorghum flour. These whole grains provide the bulk structure for this vanilla cupcake base while also imparting great flavor and texture. It also makes these vanilla cupcakes nut-free AND gluten-free.

Avocado Oil

• Personally, I am a HUGE fan of oil-based cakes because it adds so much moisture to cupcakes. And as we know, that is something that most gluten-free baked goods always need a little help with! The avocado oil keeps the vanilla cupcake moist and has a very neutral flavor.
• However, if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute another neutral flavored oil.

Yogurt

• Yogurt helps to add a lot of moisture to gluten-free vanilla cupcakes while also helping it to rise.

Eggs

• Eggs are primarily utilized in the gluten-free vanilla cupcakes to provide structure and an exceptional texture.

Cane Sugar

• I decided to use white cane sugar in this gluten free vanilla cake recipe. Many of the other sugar alternatives I tested gave it too much of a brown tint. Cane sugar also has a more neutral taste that helps enhance the vanilla flavor in this recipe.

What Kind of Yogurt Do You Use?

Yogurt may not be a traditional ingredient in a classic vanilla cupcake recipe. However, it is one of my favorite ingredients to use in gluten-free baking.

It helps the vanilla cupcakes to rise so you don’t get a dense structure like so many gluten-free cakes normally do.

The key to using yogurt in baked goods is to find one made without gums or other additives.

There are many dairy yogurt options that work well but personally I prefer to use the Siggis 4% fat when baking. The more fat the yogurt has then the better it is for baking!

Dairy-free yogurt is a little tricker since most are made with large amount of gums or stabilizers. I have had success with using plain Culina and Coyo (NOT cocoyo) yogurt in gluten-free vanilla cupcakes.

How to Make Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch

• Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with liners.
• Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. (Don’t skip this step. The sifting makes a big difference.)
• In a large bowl whisk together the avocado oil, yogurt, vanilla extract, eggs and sugar.
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until batter is combined.
• Fill each cupcake liner about halfway and bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the cupcakes sit in the pan a few minutes and then move to a cooling rack. Once cool, you can top with your preferred frosting.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

You can frost these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes with any of your favorite frosting recipes but I chose to go with my very favorite whipped vegan ganache frosting. It is made with just TWO ingredients. Coconut milk and dark chocolate! Yup, that is it. You can snag the recipe HERE.

FAQS and Tip for Making Gluten-free Vanilla Cupcakes 

Where do I buy superfine brown rice flour?

• Amazon is a great place to buy superfine rice flour. My two favorite brands are Anthony’s and Authentic Foods.

Do I need a kitchen scale to make these cupcakes?

• A kitchen scale is not required for making this vanilla cake recipe. However, using a kitchen scale while baking is a much more accurate way of measurement. I have THIS one and love it.

Where do you buy sorghum flour?

• Sorghum flour is found at most local health food stores, but you can also find it on Amazon. I like to use Bob’s Redmill or Authentic Foods.

This post contains affiliate links

Looking for more Gluten-free Desserts? Check these Recipes Out

Oat Flour Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Sorghum Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

Vegan Coffee Cacao Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Skillet

Print