Gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ Cupcakes Recipe (using Schar Meltos)

Gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes recipe – Kinder Buenos might not be gluten-free, but spoiler alert: Schar Meltos are! Plus, there’s one secret ingredient in this that I know you’ll all love…

Gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes recipe, anyone? They’re not just any cupcakes… they’re FILLED chocolate cupcakes, with tons of whippy Kinder buttercream and a little ‘Bueno’ garnish. Pure heaven if you’re gluten-free!

Back when I first had to start a gluten-free diet, I was just happy to find a cake that was edible.

(it wasn’t that easy back in 2010!!)

Fast-forward to 2020 and I never would have imagined that I’d be creating a recipe like this here on the blog.

It doesn’t look or taste gluten-free AT ALL and it incorporates flavours I would have never imagined to be possible.

So at least 2020 finally has one positive to it! But here we are, staring at photos of one of my proudest cupcake creations – which will hopefully be your proudest cupcake creation too when you make this!

Why make my gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes?

• Super easy to make – just make cupcakes, whip up some icing and construct!
• Get all the AMAZING flavours of a Kinder Bueno with no gluten in sight.
• Discover one of the best ‘accidentally’ gluten-free product finds of 2020… Morrison’s white chocolate and hazelnut spread (linked in FAQ section)
• You’d never know this recipe was gluten-free AT ALL – yes, even muggles will eat these, so watch out!
• This is one of the few recipes on the blog with tons of step-by-step photos. So you absolutely can’t go wrong!

So what do my gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes taste like?

Well… like a Kinder Bueno, but without all the horrible gluten! You’ve got a soft, moist chocolate cupcake, filled with oozing white chocolate and hazelnut spread.

Then it’s topped with a Kinder chocolate icing (tastes like a Kinder surprise), finished with a chunk of Schar Melto.

Honestly, if I could find one of these out in the wild and it was gluten-free… I think I’d faint! But fortunately, you can easily make these at home – no fainting required.

Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe – consider it your shopping list! Keep scrolling until you see the recipe card for the measurements and method ??

Gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes recipe: Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• butter, softened
• caster sugar
• medium eggs
• gluten free self raising flour
• cocoa powder
• baking powder
• xanthan gum

For the filling:

• White Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread (I use the Morrisons one)

For the buttercream:

• butter, softened
• icing sugar
• Kinder Chocolate
• Schar Melto Bars or Kinder Chocolate Bars (optionally to stick in the top)

So I thought I’d kick things off with a little frequently asked questions section – if you just want the recipe, then keep scrolling!

But I’ve thrown in some tips here that will be really helpful if this is your first time baking this, or you want to adapt it. So here they are!

Gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes recipe: Frequently asked questions

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products.

Can I make your gluten ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcake recipe dairy free?

As this recipe contains Kinder chocolate, Schar Meltos AND Morrison’s white chocolate and hazelnut spread, this recipe cannot be made dairy-free, unfortunately.

You’re welcome to give my gluten-free vanilla cupcakes a go – just look for this question over on that blog post for guidance on making it dairy-free. It’s just one simple swap!

Can I make your gluten ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcake recipe vegan?

Sadly, not. The same as above goes for making this vegan. Sorry!

Is your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcake recipe nut free?

Sadly, this is not a nut-free recipe as Schar Meltos and the Morrison’s white chocolate and hazelnut spread both contain nuts.

Is this recipe low FODMAP?

Sadly, because of the high dairy content, this recipe isn’t suitable for the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.

What do you fill your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes with?

This is my secret ingredient – it’s white chocolate and hazelnut spread from Morrison’s. And it tastes EXACTLY like the filling in a Kinder Bueno.

Currently, it’s only available at Morrison’s, but trust me – it’s so worth the trip! See the photo below of what it looks like so you know what to look out for.

Best of all – it’s gluten-free. There’s no ‘may contain’ warning or gluten-containing ingredients. According to Coeliac UK, that makes it safe for Coeliacs and those on a gluten-free diet.

If Kinder Buenos aren’t gluten-free, how is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes – just to reiterate, Kinder Buenos are NOT gluten-free! However, Schar Meltos are and you can find them in Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

(I have worked with Schar in the past, but this is not a sponsored post!)

They’re basically a gluten-free version of a Kinder Bueno – they taste almost identical. So if you haven’t tried one, you definitely need to!

What about the Kinder chocolate bars? Are they gluten-free?

Yup, at the time of writing (in the UK) Kinder chocolate bars are gluten-free. But don’t take my word for it, as always, it’s good to check the ingredients for yourself first – you never know when things might change!

According to Coeliac UK, if a product has no gluten-containing ingredients and no ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat etc. then that makes it safe for Coeliacs and those on a gluten-free diet.

Fortunately, Kinder chocolate bars have neither!

Can I make your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes in a food processor or standing mixer?

Of course you can, but you definitely don’t need to. I use both a stand mixer and an electric whisk for this recipe. Here’s a link to the electric whisk I use.

A stand mixer makes making buttercream a breeze and an electric whisk speeds up mixing the cake batter.

You can of course, use either for both tasks too, just make sure you clean your stand mixer bowl in between of course.

Can I make this recipe completely by hand?

Of course! Just a good ol’ fashioned wooden spoon or spatula will do. Just make sure you give it a lot of welly, otherwise your mixture won’t be consistent!

Making the buttercream can take a little longer by hand, but it’s definitely do-able.

Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes?

Certainly not! You will need a good quality muffin tray, so here’s a link to the one I use.

Of course, you will need a piping nozzle and piping bags if you want to finish them like I have in the photos. I use the 1M star nozzle in this set to pipe cupcakes and piping bags like these.

Do I need weighing scales to bake your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes?

In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any of my recipes without them.

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities and for me, baking is all about consistency and precision. I want you to make this recipe and for it to turn out EXACTLY like mine did.

I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.

Can I bake your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes with less sugar?

I can definitely understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but this is one of the recipes where I wouldn’t advise removing it from the cake batter itself.

Of course, the sugar isn’t just for sweetness. It’s integral to the structure of the cake once baked and is sooo important.

However, if you want to reduce the overall sugar, you can always omit the white chocolate and hazelnut filling, or reduce the amount of buttercream on each cupcake.

Can I make this recipe without xanthan gum?

In some of my recipes, yes, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving xanthan gum out of this one. You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten-free baking.

Without gluten to bind the cake batter together, you can be left with a very loose and crumbly sponge texture which won’t work for this recipe.

Some people have asked if they can use psyllium husk powder instead of xanthan gum, but I’ve found that it definitely results in a denser sponge so I wouldn’t overly recommend it.

If you’re really against xanthan gum or you simply don’t have any, you can omit it if pushed. There’s a little in gluten-free self-raising flour anyway, so they should still turn out fine.

Can I make this recipe using other gluten-free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?

There’s a big difference between ‘gluten-free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten-free flour. When I say ‘gluten-free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten-free flours, not just one, singular flour.

Most gluten-free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!

In gluten-free self-raising flour, there’s usually even a little baking powder and xanthan gum in it too which always helps.

So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten-free flour blend.

How long can I keep your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes for?

I usually find that my cupcakes last for around 3-5 days in an airtight container. It’s usually eaten by that point, but I wouldn’t recommend keeping it for longer than that.

If it’s any longer than that then I’d highly recommend reading the next question…

Can I freeze your gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes?

Of course! I’ve frozen them for up to a month and after allowing them to fully thaw, you’d never know they were frozen.

Simply leave each cupcake out at room temperature for 4-5 hours to defrost.

How can I tell when my gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes are done?

Grab a skewer and give one a poke in the centre. If it comes out clean, then it’s done!

But if the skewer comes out moist and cake-like, it’s best to pop them back in for a bit longer.

Gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes recipe: Method

For the cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 160C Fan / 180C and prepare a cupcake / muffin tin with cases. Adding a little rice under each case helps to reduce the chance of a ‘soggy bottom’!

Cream together your softened butter and sugar using an electric hand whisk. Do so until lighter in colour and fluffier in texture.

Gradually add your eggs (I whisk briefly in between each addition).

Sift your gluten free flour, cocoa, baking powder and xanthan gum and then mix with your electric hand whisk until combined.

Divide the mixture between the cases. I fill mine just over 2/3 full.

Place in the oven for between 20-22 minutes until cooked through. To check if the cupcakes are cooked, insert a skewer and if it comes out clean, it’s done!

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the buttercream

Melt your Kinder chocolate (I do this is the microwave in short 15 second bursts, mixing between each), put to one side to cool whilst making the rest of the buttercream.

For the buttercream, ensure your butter is soft and at room temperature. I find it takes a good hour out of the fridge to soften, but never let it go too soft! Place your butter into a stand mixer and mix on a medium speed for about 5 minutes until the butter has gone a lot more pale in colour.

Here’s what your butter should look like after being mixed. It should be nice and noticeably paler in colour.

 

Add your icing sugar gradually. I add it in 2-3 stages and beat for about 3 minutes between each addition. Start your mixer slowly to save your kitchen from a real icing sugar mess, but then increase the speed to medium / high for each of your 3 minutes.

Then add in your melted Kinder chocolate – mix briefly to combine. It should be the right consistency at this point. If you think it’s too thick you can add a small amount of milk, or too thin add a little extra icing sugar.

Here’s what your finished buttercream should look like:

For the assembly of the cupcakes

Once the cupcakes are cool, you need to make little holes in your cupcakes to fill with the jam, use something circular to make a small hole – I used a metal piping nozzle.

Just make sure you don’t go too deep as you need some of the cake beneath to hold the filling!

Spoon some of the Morrison’s white chocolate and hazelnut spread into the hole you’ve made in each cupcake.

Spoon your buttercream into a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Then pipe your buttercream on top. If you don’t want to pipe it, you can spoon it on top too!

Finish with a chunk of Melto (gluten free Kinder Bueno) or a chunk of Kinder chocolate.

Oh and here’s a printable version of my gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes recipe. Please remember to give it 5 stars if you tried it and enjoyed it as it helps people know it’s worth trying too! ⭐️ Feel free to leave your written reviews in the comments below this post ??

Thanks for reading how to make my gluten-free ‘Kinder Bueno’ cupcakes recipe! If you make them, I’d love to see how they turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your bakes and tag me on Instagram!

Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo.

If you want to send me a photo of how your bake turned out, you can request to join my Facebook group and post it there. Myself and everyone else would love to see it!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!