These easy gluten free vanilla cupcakes are moist and pillowy soft without being cloyingly sweet. You will want to add this recipe to your collection and come back to it time and time again, trust me.
Sometimes you just need a super simple recipe. And because everyone loves a good cupcake, I figured I would share my take on gluten free vanilla cupcakes (without eggs, of course), complete with buttercream frosting. If chocolate is more your thing, be sure to check out my gluten free chocolate cupcakes!
My vanilla cupcake recipe is straightforward but these little guys are far from basic. They're not cloyingly sweet, because we're getting plenty of sugar in our frosting. And they're extra soft.
One thing I learned as I developed and tested this recipe (a few times...) is that it's actually kind of hard to get that perfect texture. My first attempt ended up too dense and chewy for my liking, so I ended up cutting the sour cream completely, increasing the milk, and decreasing the egg replacer.
I've also tested this cupcake recipe using only oil, only butter, and a mix of both. I've found that using both oil and butter is the key to achieving the perfect texture AND flavor. So that's what we'll be doing here.
These gluten free vanilla cupcakes are perfect for birthdays because you can get really creative with the decorating. Feel free to tint your buttercream using gel food coloring, add sprinkles, try out different piping techniques... you can have much fun with it!
Why I Love These Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes...
- They're the perfect little treat when you want to indulge. A single cupcake is enough to satisfy that sweet tooth (though no one will judge if you go in for seconds...).
- There are no complicated ingredients or techniques involved here.
- This is a great base for just about any frosting and decorations you want to top them with! I personally went for a classic buttercream.
What You'll Need...
- Flour: I always get asked about my favorite GF flour blend, and the answer is always Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1. However, any blend should work well in this recipe.
- Egg replacer: Again, Bob's Red Mill is my go-to here. See below if you'd like to use eggs instead.
How To Make Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes From Scratch...
To make my easy vanilla cupcakes, start by combining your dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate, larger bowl, beat the sugar with the butter and oil until it's nice and smooth. Add in the egg replacer, sugar, and vanilla.
You'll want to add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients next, but we're doing this in 3 parts. Start with a bit of your dry mix, then stir in half of the milk. Add dry mix again, then the rest of the milk. Stir to combine, then add the rest of the dry mix and stir until you have your batter.
Fill up your cupcake liners just a little bit more than halfway. Bake on 350ºF for about 18 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
To make the buttercream frosting, beat a stick of butter until it's light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stream in the powdered sugar while continuing to beat, then add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until you have the desired consistency. Pipe or spread onto your cupcakes... and enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Vanilla Cupcakes...
- As with all of my recipes, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your flour. This is the only way to ensure 100% accuracy, and too much flour can really mess with the texture of the finished cupcakes. We'll need 222 grams for this recipe.
- If you want completely even cupcakes, the best way to achieve this is by measuring the batter that you're pouring into each liner. I've found that a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop is a great one to use for this recipe. The cupcakes will rise and fill up the entire liner as they bake.
- For the buttercream frosting, you really want to take your time beating the butter before adding any of the other ingredients. Set a timer for 5 minutes and let your mixer run. The butter should be completely smooth and lighter in color.
- Depending on how clumpy your powdered sugar is, you may have to sift it before adding to the butter. I usually don't, but it depends on the sugar.
Vanilla Cupcake Ingredient Substitutions...
- To make these vanilla cupcakes vegan, you would need to substitute the butter and milk. You should be able to use your favorite non-dairy butter and milk but I haven't tested it myself.
- If you are not allergic to eggs, you can go ahead and use 1 egg instead of the egg replacer.
Did you make my easy vanilla cupcakes? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!
For More Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes, Check Out My...
Easy Vanilla Cupcakes - Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups (222g) gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable or canola oil
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk room temperature
For the buttercream frosting:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar until smooth. Add the prepared egg replacer and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Add in the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk and making sure to start and end with dry ingredients. Beat briefly between each addition to incorporate.
- Spoon batter into the cupcake liners, a little over halfway full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For the buttercream frosting:
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and continue to mix until combined.
- Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time while continuing to beat until the buttercream is the desired consistency. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Notes
-
Be sure to follow the instructions on the package of Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. Once mixed with water, the egg replacer must sit for just a few minutes to thicken.
-
If you are not looking to replace eggs, you should be able to use 1 egg instead of the egg replacer.
- You may not end up using all 4 tablespoons of heavy cream, but you will not need more than that.
Note: this post was originally published on Just As Tasty in June 2020. I updated the post in July 2021 to include new photos and more context. I also made adjustments to the recipe. The original recipe called for oil only, while the new recipe calls for both oil and butter. I've also adjusted the buttercream recipe to yield more frosting for piping.
Marta says
I'm a big fan of vanilla cupcakes with icing- especially when I'm hosting a party. I know I can never go wrong with vanilla.
Taleen says
I agree! It's so important to have a reliable classic vanilla cupcake recipe!
Stine Mari says
That egg replacer sounds so convenient! I don't think we have that here in Norway. Either way, these muffins sound delicious! Vanilla is a classic flavor for a reason. 🙂
Taleen says
Thank you! The egg replacer has been a life saver for us since finding out about my husband's egg allergy!
Lesli Schwartz says
I have yet to try Bob's Red Mill GF flour for cupcakes, but you made these beautiful cupcakes, so game on! Can't wait to try your recipe!
Taleen says
Thanks Lesli! Bob's Red Mill flour has been my favorite GF flour that I've tried so far!
Beth says
I appreciate the recommendations for Bob's Red Mill products. Do you ever make your own egg replacer with flax seed? That's all I've tried but it works. I'm just so happy to get to explore this and your other gluten-free recipes.
Taleen says
Thank you, Beth! Unfortunately my husband (who is the one with the egg allergy) is also allergic to flax seeds, so I haven't tried that. This egg replacer has worked well for me so far, but not all of my recipes call for it -- sometimes I use applesauce or Greek yogurt as my egg replacer, depending on the recipe!
Sophia says
Yum, vanilla cupcakes are such a classic cupcake and paired with vanilla frosting you can't go wrong. I like to top them with cut up fruit for summer! Delish!
Taleen says
Yum, love the idea of adding fruit!
Wendy says
I love Bob's Red Mill products. I can't wait to try these Easy Vanilla cupcakes using it.
Taleen says
I'm a huge fan of Bob's Red Mill! Please let me know if you try them!
Sondra Barker says
Sometimes it can be hard to find cupcake recipes that aren't too overly sweet, super excited to try this recipe!
Taleen says
Thanks, Sondra! I don't like my cupcakes too sweet either.
Jar of Lemons says
I love a good vanilla cupcake and I LOVE LOVE LOVE buttercream frosting! Even better that this recipe is gluten-free!
Taleen says
I love buttercream frosting, too!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
This recipe is perfect! I love the simple but clean flavors in it. It turned out fabulous.
Taleen says
Thank you so much!
Jere Cassidy says
I love a plain and simple cake or cupcake, yes, just vanilla. Glad this is a gluten-free recipe.
Taleen says
Thank you, Jere!
Gail Montero says
I love that these are gluten-free so I can make them for hubby! Looks totally scrumptious and that frosting is everything!
Taleen says
Thanks so much, Gail! I think your husband will love these!
sapana says
Those vanilla cupcakes with gluten-free flour looks so yummy. Love the beautiful texture it has got. and that cream frosting is just WOW.
Taleen says
Thank you, Sapana!
Lathiya says
I love easy, simple recipes like this. These vanilla cupcakes look awesome and glad that you tried it gluten-free.
Taleen says
Thank you!
Amy Liu Dong says
I love food with vanilla on it. This is such an easy choice to add to my favorite comfort food that's easy to prepare and cook. Thanks for sharing this to us.
Taleen says
Thank you, Amy!
Kari says
I am always looking for gluten free recipes and this cupcake is one I will be pinning because good ones are hard to come by,
Taleen says
So glad to hear that, thanks Kari!
Alexis says
My kids love this cupcake recipe so much, thank you for sharing. I'm making this again this weekend.
Taleen says
Thanks for the positive feedback, Alexis! Great to hear that it was a hit with your kids. Enjoy!
Brooklyn says
Hello ^-^ Would Ener-g egg replacer work ?
Taleen Benson says
I haven't tried it myself but I don't see why not! You will need the equivalent of 1 egg. Please let me know how it goes!
Suzy says
Hello and thank you for this recipe. Could I sub avocado or olive oil in place of the other oils listed? I cannot have the ones listed in the recipe.
Thanks!
Taleen Benson says
Hi Suzy, I've never baked with avocado oil and I think olive oil may impact the flavor. I would recommend substituting with melted butter if you can (so that would be in addition to the 4 tbsp room temp butter the recipe calls for) or melted coconut oil. Please let me know how it goes!