These gluten free dairy free cupcakes are an easy and delicious dessert for celebrating any occasion without common allergens like dairy, wheat, eggs, nuts, or soy.
As a mom of two sons with a combination of allergies including eggs, dairy, wheat, barley, and peanuts I have made a lot of gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free cupcakes in my day.
They're the perfect treat to send to a birthday party, school party, or make for a family gathering. Celebrating something? Make allergy friendly cupcakes!
My go-to cupcake has always been this chocolate gluten free cupcake recipe but sometimes, you just want a vanilla cupcake. So I set out to make a delicious gluten free, dairy free, egg free vanilla cupcake that everyone could enjoy.
Cupcake ingredients
To make these gluten free dairy free vanilla cupcakes, you'll need baking staples plus a few specialty ingredients.
- All purpose gluten free flour - I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Dairy free margarine - I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread.
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract or baking vanilla
- Aquafaba - The key ingredient for making eggless cupcakes! Aquafaba is the brine from a can of chickpeas. Before opening the can, be sure to shake it well so the starch that settles on the bottom is distributed into the liquid.
- Oat milk - If you need a dairy free, lactose free milk substitute for baking, oat milk is a great choice. I have also tested this recipe with soy milk. Any dairy free milk substitute should work fine.
- Vinegar - This helps with leavening. I have tested this recipe with distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and rice vinegar, and all of them work well.
- Cupcake liners
- Frosting of your choice (see decorating tips below for ideas).
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Start by preheating the oven to 350° F and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
It's important that the margarine is at room temperature when you start so I like to measure it out first and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before mixing.
Next, I like to get all of the ingredients measured out. That way, when it's time to mix I have everything ready to go.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Tip: When measuring the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup to avoid it getting packed down. If you use packed flour, it ends up being too much and will make the cupcakes dry.
Step 2: Measure out the oat milk into a liquid measuring cup and add the vinegar. Set aside.
Step 3: Measure out the aquafaba. The easiest way to do this is to open a can of garbanzo beans (or another white bean) and drain it into a liquid measuring cup. The starches can settle on the bottom of the can so be sure to shake it well before opening it.
Tip: Freeze the extra aquafaba in a small freezer-safe container and freeze it for later!
Step 4: Put the margarine in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until it is smooth. If it looks lumpy, wait a few more minutes to let it get to room temperature.
Step 5: Add the sugar to the margarine.
Step 6: Beat at high speed for 2 minutes. The mixture will start out looking dry and crumbly but will become smooth after beating.
Step 7: Whisk the aquafaba until it has a bit of foam on the top.
Step 8: Add the aquafaba gradually to the margarine and sugar mixture while mixing on low speed. When it is all mixed in add the vanilla. Then beat on medium-high speed for another minute until the batter is smooth.
Steps 9 and 10: While mixing on low speed, gradually add the flour and milk, alternating between the two until everything is incorporated into the batter. Then, beat on high speed for 1 minute.
Step 11: Pour or scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until they are about two-thirds full.
Step 12: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool a bit before removing them from the cupcake tin.
Decorating the cupcakes
Be sure to allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating. You can choose any gluten free dairy free frosting that you like.
This is my go-to gluten free dairy free buttercream frosting recipe that is delicious every time.
When I want to save time, I use canned frosting. Pillsbury Creamy Supreme is the brand that I use the most because it works for our allergens (gluten, dairy, egg, and nut free).
I recently discovered that whipping the frosting for a couple of minutes makes it so much better! Yes, it adds some dishes and time but the frosting ends up being lighter, fluffier, and looks prettier, too!
For the cupcakes pictured, I used a large open star decorating tip (6B if you want to get technical!) You'll also need a decorating bag and large coupler.
Are there gluten free dairy free frosting brands?
Yes, there are several brands that are gluten free and free of the top 9 allergens. Here are a few:
- Miss Jones Baking - free from the top 9 allergens (except coconut) and gluten free.
- Simple Mills - Certified Gluten free, Non-GMO, Grain Free, Corn Free
- Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Frosting - As mentioned above, this is my go-to store-bought frosting brand. I buy the vanilla, chocolate fudge, and cream cheese flavors. They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, peanut free, tree nut free but do contain soybean ingredients (soy lecithin).
Recipe Tips and FAQs
How do you keep gluten free cupcakes fresh?
Store the cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If you aren't going to eat them within that time, I recommend freezing them in an airtight container.
These cupcakes taste pretty good right out of the freezer but, if you want to thaw them before eating, let them sit at room temperature for about an hour.
You can freeze them frosted or unfrosted. I have done it both ways and prefer to frost them right before serving rather than freezing them frosted. They just look better in my opinion.
Are these cupcakes safe for nut allergies?
Absolutely! These cupcakes are gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut, and tree nut free. Just be sure the ingredients you use do not have any cross-contact with nuts.
Can you make egg free cupcakes without aquafaba?
The starch and protein in aquafaba make it an ideal egg substitute for making egg free cupcakes. I haven't tested this eggless cupcake recipe without it, but did play around with different amounts and found that using less made the texture crumbly. Using ground flax as an egg substitute made them a gummier texture.
Do gluten free cupcakes taste different?
If anything, gluten free cupcakes have a different texture than those made with wheat flour. I tested this recipe many times to get the texture as close to a cupcake made with wheat flour as possible.
The best feedback I could have gotten was from a friend who follows a strict gluten free diet. She bit into a cupcake and immediately questioned if she had mistakenly grabbed a cupcake made with wheat flour because it tasted so good. I assured her it was gluten free and stopped testing the recipe. 🙂
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Dairy Free Cupcakes {Allergy Friendly!}
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup dairy free margarine such as Earth Balance
- 1 ⅓ cups oat milk
- 2 teaspoon distilled vinegar
- ½ cup aquafaba see notes
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or baking vanilla
- 3 cups gluten free all purpose flour I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a muffin tins with paper liners.
- Start by measuring out the margarine and placing it in a mixing bowl. Allow it to warm to room temperature.
- Measure out the aquafaba into a liquid measuring cup and set it aside. In a separate liquid measuring cup, measure out the oat milk and stir in the vinegar. Set it aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the sugar to the margarine in the mixing bowl and beat on high speed for 2 minutes, until smooth. Using a small whisk or fork, whisk the aquafaba until it is foamy on top, then add it to the margarine sugar mixture gradually until it is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat on high for one minute. Next, while mixing at low speed, gradually add the oat milk and flour mixture, alternating between the two until all is incorporated. Beat on high for another minute.
- Scoop or pour the batter into the lined muffin tin filling them ⅔ full. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow them to cool before removing from the muffin tin.
- When completely cool, decorate them with the frosting of your choice and enjoy!
Notes
- For aquafaba, use the brine from a can of garbanzo beans or other white bean. Be sure to shake the can before opening and pouring off the liquid.
- For best results, be sure the margarine is at room temperature before mixing with the sugar.
Nutrition
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Bharathi says
Can we use flax eggs instead of aquafaba? in that case how much quantity of flax egg can be used to replace 1/2 cup aquafaba?
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
Hi Bharathi,
I would not recommend using flax eggs instead of aquafaba. I tested it and found that the texture was more gummy with the flax eggs. However, if you can't have aquafaba and want to use flax eggs anyway, I tested it with one flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons warm water). Hope that helps!
Jenna says
These cupcakes are so good! A lot of gluten free cupcakes I have tried have a gummy texture but these turned out light and airy.
Jill says
These turned out great! I made them for my son’s birthday party and everyone enjoyed them!
Kristi Winkels says
Thanks, Jill! I'm glad you enjoyed them!