These gluten free red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are the BEST! This is a super easy recipe that yields incredibly rich, moist, and fluffy cupcakes.
I've always loved red velvet flavored anything. As some of my readers may know, my gluten free red velvet cake and red velvet chocolate chip cookies both make a regular appearance in my kitchen.
So I figured it was time for me to develop a gluten free red velvet cupcake recipe... with cream cheese frosting and without eggs. Sounds pretty dreamy, right?
I promise if you're also a fan, you are going to LOVE these moist and fluffy cupcakes. And you will also love how easy they are.
The vibrant red color makes these cupcakes perfect for Valentine's Day or Christmas, but they're also fun for a birthday party or just because. You don't really need a special occasion to try this recipe!
Why You'll Love These Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes...
- This is such an easy gluten free cupcake recipe. I know I say that about practically all of my recipes, but that's because I truly believe gluten free and allergy-friendly baking shouldn't be complicated!
- The red velvet flavor, paired with the delicious cream cheese frosting, is just a dream.
- I think all cupcakes need to be light, fluffy, and perfectly moist. These cupcakes check ALL of those boxes.
What Does Red Velvet Taste Like?
In my opinion, it's a perfect blend of cocoa and vanilla. While many people assume it's just chocolate, it's definitely its own unique flavor.
The beauty of this flavor is that the cocoa is not super chocolatey and fudgy. And it pairs VERY well with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients...
- I always get asked about my favorite gluten free flour, and it's definitely Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. If you are using a different blend, just make sure it contains xanthan gum.
- You'll need natural cocoa powder for this recipe, not Dutch-process. The two are not interchangeable.
- I love the flavor and texture we get by adding both butter and oil in these cupcakes. I used canola oil.
- The cream cheese frosting is made with one block (8 ounces) full-fat cream cheese. Do not try to use the spreadable cream cheese that comes in a tub.
- I love this red velvet bakery emulsion. It adds both that beautiful red color and a bit of added red velvet flavor (if you're wondering what an emulsion is, you can read more about it here but it's essentially a type of extract).
- Note that you CAN use gel food coloring instead of this emulsion, that's perfectly fine! These are my favorite gel colors.
- And speaking of the red color, I didn't include a measurement for this because I believe in eyeballing to get the hue you like. The instructions on the emulsion I used state 1 tablespoon for 12 cupcakes but I ended up using about ½ tablespoon.
How To Make This Recipe...
Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk.
Cream the butter, oil, and sugar. The mixture should be smooth and lighter in color.
Add the egg replacer and vanilla extract.
Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. You'll want to do this in thirds, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Be sure to beat briefly after each addition to incorporate.
Mix in red gel food coloring. Beat to evenly incorporate the color.
Bake! Transfer the batter to a lined muffin tin. Bake on 350ºF for 18-20 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
Make your frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until it's nice and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
How To Decorate...
I like to use Wilton 1A piping tip, which is the larger round tip, to pipe my cream cheese frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. That being said, you can use any tip you like!
Note that cream cheese frosting is not as stiff as buttercream. While it's still pipeable, you will want to avoid any intricate designs.
You can also keep things extra simple and spread the frosting on top of your cupcakes using an offset spatula.
Top the cupcakes with fun sprinkles or red velvet cake crumbs. You really can't go wrong!
How To Store Frosted Cupcakes...
Unlike buttercream, cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated. You can leave the frosted cupcakes out for a few hours, but beyond that I would really recommend storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. Again, use an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
Expert Tips...
- As always, my top baking tip is to use a scale to weigh your flour (and any other dry ingredients, for that matter). This is the best way to ensure accuracy! You don't want to accidentally add too much flour to this recipe, and not all gluten free flours are created equal. You'll need 222 grams for this recipe.
- Stay away from liquid food coloring. It's not as concentrated as gel food coloring, and it takes a lot to get a vibrant red color.
- When it comes to filling the cupcake liners, I actually like to use a cookie scoop to make sure they're fairly even. The cookie scoop I use is on the larger side, it's about 2-2.5 tablespoons.
Ingredient Substitutions...
- If you're not looking to make eggless red velvet cupcakes, you can use 1 egg instead of the powdered egg replacer.
- Buttermilk is a staple in red velvet desserts (both for its flavor and because it helps with that light texture) and, as such, can't be substituted with milk. However, see my notes below about how you can make these gluten free red velvet cupcakes without buttermilk.
- Many people opt to use natural food coloring. I've never tried it, but I have seen natural options at most grocery stores that you can try. Beet powder has also been known to work but, again, I haven't tested it myself yet.
- That being said, if you'd rather, you can certainly leave out the red color. These cupcakes would still be delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions...
Red velvet cake is NOT just chocolate cake dyed red. The cocoa flavor is rich, but not as deep and fudgy as chocolate. It really is a unique flavor!
Buttermilk is a key ingredient when it comes to red velvet. However, if you don't have any on-hand, you can make your own using milk and white vinegar. Add ½ tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to reach the ½ cup mark. Give it a stir, let it sit for 5 minutes, and voila!
No. All of my recipes are developed using a gluten free flour blend. These blends contain different flours and starches (often rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca) and xanthan gum, for binding. Almond flour has a completely different texture and can't be substituted.
My recipes are all nut-free and will only work with a blend, like Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1.
Did you try my gluten free red velvet cupcakes? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog! And don't forget to subscribe to get new recipes delivered right to your inbox.
Just As Tasty: Gluten-Free & Eggless Baking Through the Seasons
Be sure to check out my cookbook for tons of festive and easy-to-make gluten-free treats! From Valentine's Day and Easter to the holiday season and every celebration in between, this book has got you covered.
Related Recipes You Might Like...
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes - Eggless
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups (222g) gluten free flour blend
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea 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 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk room temperature
- red velvet emulsion OR red gel food coloring see recipe notes
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. 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 buttermilk and making sure to start and end with dry ingredients. Beat briefly between each addition to incorporate. Add the red food coloring until desired shade is achieved.
- 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.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt and continue to mix until combined. 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.
- If you don't have buttermilk on hand, make your own! Add ½ tablespoon white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then add enough whole milk to reach ½ cup. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using.
- I used red velvet emulsion, which is a type of extract, but you can use red gel food coloring, too.
- Be sure to use a full-fat block of cream cheese, not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub.
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