These are the best gluten-free chocolate cupcakes - I've made them over 250 times. Made in just one bowl (no stand mixer needed!, these easy cupcakes are incredibly moist and chewy, while also super light and fluffy. With rich chocolate crumb and smooth chocolate buttercream swirled on top, this is my back-pocket chocolate cupcake recipe. Bake it as a sheet cake, layer cake, or cupcakes!
Alternate titles for this recipe include: "The Very Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes in the World" or "The Only Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcake Recipe You'll Ever Need." That may seem rather bold, but I stand by it. I'll even go even further and claim it's the best chocolate cupcake recipe, gluten-free or not.
This is my back-pocket gold standard recipe I bake any time I need a home run. Every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe, never suspecting it's gluten-free.
I've made the recipe well over 250 times in various forms and at least 1200 of these gluten-free chocolate cupcakes have come out of my oven over the years. I've got the recipe committed to memory at this point.
It's also endlessly versatile. This is the very same cake base I've posted as a gluten-free chocolate sheet cake and gluten-free chocolate layer cake, but deserving of its own very chocolatey cupcake spotlight.
So, if you're looking for a foolproof recipe guaranteed to impress, look no further than this gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe.
Why are these the best gluten-free chocolate cupcakes?
- These cupcakes are incredibly moist and chewy, while also light and fluffy.
- Rich chocolate flavor in a tender cupcake that's not even a little bit dense.
- This cupcake recipe is so easy to make - no mixer required.
- Can be made in just one bowl.
Important ingredients for moist gluten-free chocolate cupcakes
- Milk & vinegar: Any kind of milk works, dairy or non-dairy. You can also use buttermilk, but I've found over the years that creating a mock buttermilk with milk and a splash of vinegar creates a lighter cupcake that I prefer.
- Sweet rice flour: Also called mochiko, sweet rice flour is distinctively different than white rice flour or brown rice flour, and despite its name, it's not sweet. Sweet rice flour is the same flour used to make mochi, and as such, its stickiness helps to bind the cake together, creating chewiness like a classic cake recipe.
- Gluten-free oat flour: Gluten-Free oat flour adds the lightness and structure for the fluffy crumb. It keeps the cake sponge super moist, but not dense.
- Millet flour: Millet flour is a neutral flour here to balance the others out so the cake isn't too moist or gummy.
- Unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder: I strongly recommend using Dutch-processed baking cocoa. Unlike natural unsweetened, Dutch-processed cocoa powder has been treated with alkaline to counteract its acidity. This results in a deep, dark brown color for baked goods, enhancing richness without any bitter notes.
- Vanilla and chocolate extracts: If you don't have chocolate extract, you can sub in additional vanilla extract)
- Hot water: makes them super moist and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Tips for the best chocolate cupcakes
- Weigh your ingredients: The way you scoop your flour can drastically affect the weight of a cup of flour. Even more so in gluten-free baking, in which you measure out multiple types of flour. Use a scale to make sure you’ve got accurate measurements.
- Add chocolate extract: Chocolate extract is my secret weapon in all my chocolate desserts because it gives them just a little oomph. If you're worried about using it all, I recommend adding a splash to all your chocolate desserts! That being said, if you don't have it or don't want to buy a whole bottle, you can also substitute additional vanilla extract.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Cocoa powder, oat flour, and baking powder tend to get clumpy, so it's important to sift them together to create a smooth batter.
- Use an ice cream scoop for perfect cupcakes: Divide your batter into the cupcake liners with a ¼ cup ice cream scoop to create perfectly even cupcakes.
Recipe
Moist, One Bowl Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- Scant ⅓ cup milk, ⅓ cup minus ½ tablespoon (any kind, dairy or non-dairy works), or use ⅓ cup buttercream and skip the vinegar
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
- 55 g (⅓ cup) sweet rice flour, also called "mochiko" - different from "white rice flour" or "brown rice flour"
- 33 g (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon) gluten-free oat flour
- 28 g (3 tablespoons) millet flour
- 43 g (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 168 g (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature (see vegan option below)
- 1½ tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, sunflower, safflower, or canola oil
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon chocolate extract, or ¼ teaspoon more vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup hot water
- 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, just about room temperature 60-70°F
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup (54 g) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon chocolate extract, or ½ teaspoon more vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, dairy or non-dairy
- Optional: Sprinkles
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with 11-12 liners.
- If not using buttermilk, combine the milk and vinegar in a small cup and let sit while you measure the flour, at least 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, sift together the sweet rice flour, oat flour, millet flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the sugar.
- In the measuring cup, whisk the milk and vinegar mixture with the egg, oil, vanilla extract, and chocolate extract until smooth. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir lightly.
- Pour the hot water into the dry ingredients and mix until completely smooth, scraping up the sides and bottom to completely incorporate.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling them just over halfway, or with about ¼ cup of batter using an ice cream scoop.
- Bake for about 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs and the center bounces back when poked. In my experience, it's best to err on the side of an extra minute or two - this cake is very moist and won't over-bake very easily.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool complately.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter over medium speed.
- Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add ½ of the sugar and cocoa mixture, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla and chocolate extracts and mix until smooth. Slowly mix in the remaining sugar and cocoa mixture. Add the milk or cream, starting with just 1 tablespoon and adding more as needed, until frosting is smooth and soft enough to be piped. It should be somewhat glossy, but still hold swirls.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch closed star pastry tip (I use Ateco 846 or 847) and pipe swirls onto the cupcakes.
Notes
Note on cupcake size
For years, I've make this recipe with homemade gluten-free oat flour (ground up gluten-free oats), baking it in 12 standard cupcake liners, filling them just above half full, which bakes up 12 perfectly-sized cupcakes that reach just the brim of the liner. I discovered that there is a small difference in cupcakes baked with store-bought gluten-free oat flour, where the cupcakes rose just ever so slightly less. If you're using store-bought oat flour, I recommend making 11 cupcakes.Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
These cupcakes are easy to make dairy-free. Use dairy-free milk, such as oat milk or almond milk for the batter. The results are identical to those with whole milk. For the chocolate buttercream, use a stick plant butter and dairy-free milk You'll need a bit less milk for the frosting, as plant butter tends to be a bit softer, so start with just ½ tablespoon, adding more as needed.Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
To make these cupcakes vegan, simply follow the dairy-free option above, using plant milk in the batter and plant butter in the frosting, and replace the egg with ¼ cup aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas). For vegan cupcakes, the recipe makes 10 cupcakes and requires 5-6 minutes longer baking time.Flour Substitution
- Millet Flour: You can sub in by weight: teff flour, brown or white rice flour, or Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. Alternatively, sub in just 16g coconut flour: coconut flour is much more absorbent, so you need less flour than millet.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
These gluten-free chocolate cupcakes are one of the easiest recipes on my site!
In a large bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients to remove any clumps.
Add the sugar.
Whisk the sugar into the dry ingredients.
Whisk together the milk and vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the egg, oil, and extracts.
Pour these wet ingredients into the dry.
Whisk to combine as much as possible. The batter will be thick and dry still.
Pour in the hot water.
Whisk the batter well until completely smooth.
Ensure there are no clumps remaining.
Divide your cupcake batter between 11-12 lined muffin cups.
Bake and let cool completely before frosting. When testing it with a toothpick, err on the side of just a little bit longer. This recipe is super moist and forgiving. To this day, I have never accidentally over-baked them.
Notes: For years, I've made this as a dozen cupcakes, but recently I've started filling them more and making 11 slightly larger cupcakes.
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
Cream the butter until smooth, scraping down the sides, as needed.
With the mixer on low, slowly mix in half of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder mixture. The mix in the extracts.
With the mixer on low, slowly mix in the remaining powdered sugar and cocoa powder mixture, followed by a tablespoon of the milk, mixing until smooth. Add additional milk as needed until the frosting is smooth and pipeable.
Frosting for Chocolate Cupcakes
These ultra-chocolatey gluten-free chocolate cupcakes are topped with chocolate buttercream, but you can use your favorite frosting!
Most often I use cream cheese frosting, as it's our family favorite (leave out the lemon for plain cream cheese frosting).
Here are a few other favorite frosting recipes that pair well with these chocolate cupcakes:
- Matcha buttercream frosting
- Lemon cream cheese frosting (or use orange!)
- Salted caramel cream cheese frosting (use 2x this recipe)
- Vanilla buttercream (use ⅓ this recipe)
- Coconut cream cheese frosting
- Raspberry cream cheese frosting (use ½ this recipe)
Recipe Variations
Make as a cake
To adjust the recipe to make different quantities or shapes, scale all the ingredients to 1, 2, or 3 eggs (1x, 2x, 3x).
- Single-layer round cake: (1x) Use the exact recipe but bake it in a parchment-lined 8-inch round cake pan for 33-37 minutes. This is most often what I do for weeknight family birthday celebrations.
- Sheet cake: (3x) This recipe works as a gluten-free chocolate sheet cake too! Triple the recipe and bake in a 9x13 cake pan for 45-55 minutes.
- Layer cake: (2x or 3x) You can make this as a gluten-free chocolate layer cake. Double the recipe for a 2-layer 8-inch round or 3-layer 6-inch round cake. Triple the recipe for a 3-layer 8-inch round cake. Bake the rounds for 33-37 minutes. You can even turn the layer cake into the best gluten-free ice cream cake!
I've got a post with each scaled version below to save you the trouble. Here's a summary of what scaling the recipe up can make:
Pat K -
Have you ever made Red Velvet cupcakes?