Gluten-Free Vegan Cupcakes Recipe with Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting and Fresh Berries

Scrumptious.

Karissa Bowers   |  

Sep 10, 2024

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Lighten up your next batch of cupcakes by ditching the dairy and gluten in favor of these vegan cupcakes topped with coconut whipped cream frosting and fresh berries. These are great for serving to your friends and family with food allergies since they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. Plus, these cupcakes won’t leave you feeling heavy or bloated afterward.

This recipe uses organic sugar because conventional cane sugar is often refined with bone char and/or other animal byproducts. By opting for certified organic sugar, you are guaranteeing that your sugar is vegan.

The coconut whipped cream frosting is so light and fluffy, you’ll wish you had been topping your desserts with it all along. Native Forest canned coconut milk is BPA-free and certified organic, so opt for that if you are forgoing homemade coconut milk. A pro tip for easily separating the coconut solid from the liquid is to open the can upside down. Then drain out the liquid (save for another use, like a smoothie) and you will be left only with the solid cream remaining.

While these vegan cupcakes are crafted to taste like a cupcake straight from your favorite childhood bakery, that does mean they are a treat with their sugar content. You can lower the glycemic index of these and even make them refined sugar-free by opting for alternative sweeteners. Simply swap the cane sugar for coconut sugar, which is lower on the glycemic index than traditional sugar, and swap the powdered sugar for a few tablespoons of pure maple or agave syrup and achieve the same results.

Note: your cupcakes may be more of an amber color when using coconut sugar but luckily they will be just as delicious!

Recipe adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen

Ingredients

• For the cupcakes
• 1½ cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
• ¾ cup organic cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup expeller pressed refined coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• For the coconut whipped cream
• 5.4 oz chilled coconut milk BPA-free can or homemade
• ¼ cup organic powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• For the topping
• 1 pint organic berries of choice

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
2. Add gluten-free flour, sugar, baking soda, and sea salt to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. In a separate large bowl, whisk together almond milk, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk just combined. Being sure not to overmix.
4. Fill each cupcake liner with cupcake batter until it’s about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cooked through. Insert a toothpick and be certain it comes out dry and with few if any crumbs before removing from the oven. Let the cupcakes cool for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, add chilled coconut milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix until the coconut whipped cream is light and fluffy.
6. Top each cupcake with coconut whipped cream and a few berries. Serve immediately. Leftover unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store leftover coconut whipped cream in the fridge as well.