Gluten-free gingerbread cupcakes recipe – filled with oozing caramel and topped with a lightly spiced vanilla buttercream. It’s Coeliac-friendly, wheat-free and simple to make dairy-free too.
Gluten-free gingerbread cupcakes recipe, anyone? These filled cupcakes are guaranteed to be a hit with whoever eats them and nobody would know that they’re gluten-free. But first, I NEED to tell you about my new best friend in the kitchen…
If you’ve taken one look at my Instagram, you’ll know that I bake A LOT. So you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I use a stand mixer almost every day too.
So when Kenwood asked me to create a recipe in their *brand new* Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL (with all its awesome, modern features) I was both excited… and a little apprehensive!
What if I didn’t understand how to use it? What if it was too complicated for me?! Fortunately, that wasn’t the case at all.
Though the Patissier XL offers expert results through Kenwood’s generations of innovation (making this is so much more than just a mixer), using it still felt like second nature, even on my first bake.
Here’s some of my favourite features ?? but you can always head over to the Lakeland website to check out ALL of its of features (it’s available exclusively at Lakeland at the mo).
What are my favourite features of the Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL?
- BakeAssist 2.4” Touch Screen: This is the number one reason that I found the Patissier XL so easy to use on my first bake. Despite having lots of features that I’ve never used before, it made the entire experience incredibly beginner friendly and self-explanatory.
- 7L EasyWarm Bowl: Not only is the bowl big enough to handle HUGE batches of buttercream/dough/cake batter, but you can also melt your ingredients AND prove dough in it. Utterly awesome for a stand mixer!
- EasyWeigh Scales: Yes, you can actually weigh out your ingredients IN the stand mixer itself. How awesome is that? Again, this just streamlined my baking experience so much more!
- 1400W Powerful ChefMotor: This thing is powerful, indeed! Smaller-scale stand mixers often don’t have the power to handle those tough, dough-like mixtures, but there’s nothing this mixer can’t handle.
- BowlBright Light: I didn’t realise how much I needed this until I had it. It’s a light that perfectly illuminates the inside of your stand mixer bowl! And when using a tall 7L bowl, this is especially helpful – no more peering into darkness to try and see if your batter is free of lumps!
- LightLift Head: Unlike my old mixer, all you have to do is press a button and the head lifts itself! Now my baking doesn’t need to also involve weight training ?
- It looks awesome and modern in my Kitchen! It comes in dark grey (which you can see in the photo below) and yes, it actually comfortably fits underneath my kitchen cupboards too. Winner!
And of course, I’m telling you about the Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL, because I used it to make my gluten-free gingerbread cupcakes recipe!
Not only was I able to weigh out my ingredients in the stand mixer itself, but I also I melted the butter/brown sugar/golden syrup/black treacle together in the easy warm bowl too.
Making the buttercream was a breeze especially (not just because the mixer comes with a guard to stop the icing sugar flying out everywhere) because of the vast range of different speed settings.
I was able to start the mixer reeeeally slow at first to prevent the icing sugar explosion, then I simply cranked up the speed up once everything was more combined. It was a dream!
So what do my gluten-free gingerbread cupcakes taste like? The cupcakes themselves literally taste like the cake-version of a sticky, sweet gingerbread biscuit – slightly fiery, super soft and moist, but you’d never know they were gluten-free!
I also cored mine and filled them with caramel, for a sweet, gooey, surprise in the middle. Then, that buttercream adds both sweetness and a lovely ginger/cinnamon combo that I am now officially obsessed with.
Of course, I had to finish them with a gingerbread man too!
(please don’t tell anyone that I had to break his legs off and eat them to make him fit on top)
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 gingerbread cupcakes recipe: Ingredients
- butter
- light brown sugar
- golden syrup
- black treacle
- large eggs
- milk
- gluten-free self-raising flour
- xanthan gum
- ground ginger
- ground cinnamon
- icing sugar
- vanilla extract
- gluten free gingerbread men (homemade or shop bought!)
- caramel sauce (optional filling for the cupcakes)
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 gingerbread 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 sure 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-free gingerbread cupcake recipe dairy free?
Yep – it just involves a few simple swaps. Firstly:
- Use a dairy-free margarine for making the cupcakes. BUT you must use a hard dairy-free margarine for the buttercream – I’d recommend chilling it before piping as it’ll be a little softer.
- Use dairy-free milk in the cupcakes.
- Use any kind of dairy-free caramel. You can usually find it online or you can easily make your own.
- Ensure your mini gingerbread men (added as a decoration) are dairy-free too.
That’s it!
Can I make your gluten-free gingerbread cupcake recipe vegan?
Yep! If you follow the instructions above to make this recipe dairy free, then all you’ve got left to contend with is the eggs.
Here’s a few ideas you can use as egg replacements, so each of these = 1 egg.
- 3 tablespoons of aquafaba, whisked until frothy – water from a can of chickpeas. Keep the chickpeas for a future dinner!
- 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp of water
- Egg replacement powder – I’d recommend using Orgran as it’s gluten free.
- 1 tablespoon of chia/flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
I haven’t tested all of these egg alternatives so let me know how you get on in the comments below ??
Is your gluten-free gingerbread cupcake recipe nut free?
Yep, this is a nut-free recipe as far as ingredients go, BUT make sure you check the ingredients label on ALL the products you use to bake this cake just to be safe.
Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts.
You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first.
What do you fill your gluten-free gingerbread cupcakes with?
I filled them with a nice, easy and quick option: Carnation caramel. You can easily find it in the supermarket!
Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten-free gingerbread 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 gingerbread 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.
Can I bake your gluten-free gingerbread 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 caramel 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 gingerbread cupcakes for?
I usually find that my cupcakes last for around 3-5 days in an airtight container. They’re usually eaten by that point, but I wouldn’t recommend keeping them for longer than that.
Can I freeze your gluten-free gingerbread 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 gingerbread 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 gingerbread cupcakes recipe: Method
Oh and here’s a printable version of my gluten-free gingerbread 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.
Gluten-free Gingerbread Cupcakes Recipe (dairy-free option)
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 150 g butter use Stork hard margarine if dairy-free
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 175 g golden syrup
- 50 g black treacle
- 3 large eggs
- 180 ml milk or dairy-free milk if necessary
- 300 g gluten-free self-raising flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1.5 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the buttercream:
- 225 g butter softened (use Stork hard margarine if dairy-free)
- 450 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon optional - or use an extra 1 1/2 tsp of ginger instead
For decorating:
- gluten free gingerbread men homemade or shop bought - dairy-free if necessary
- caramel sauce optional filling for the cupcakes - dairy-free if necessary
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 160C Fan / 180C and prepare your cupcake tin.
- Melt together your sugar, golden syrup, butter and black treacle. Put to one side to cool a little.
- In a bowl mix together your eggs and milk until well combined.
- Slowly add your slightly cooled syrup mixture to your bowl with your eggs and milk in it. Ensure you do this slowly and are constantly mixing as you do.
- In a large bowl place your gluten free self raising flour, xanthan gum, ginger and cinnamon. Mix these together.
- Then gradually add your wet mixture into your flour, mixing all the time once more until smooth and combined.
- Pour or spoon your mixture evenly between your cupcake tins, mine were about 2/3 - 3/4 full. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (I always do about 22 minutes) until cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly in the tin before transferring to a cooling rack.
For 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 your mixer and mix on a medium speed for about 5 minutes until the butter has gone a lot more pale 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 but then increase the speed to medium / high for each of your 3 minutes.
- Add your vanilla extract, ginger plus optionally cinnamon and mix once more - it should now be done. Ensure it's the right thickness - it should be if you've beaten it for long enough. However, if it's too thick you can add a tiny amount of milk. And if too thin, add in a little extra icing sugar - this might be the case for dairy free buttercream using hard margarine.
For the assemly of the cupcakes:
- If you want to fill your cupcakes, core the centre of each. I use one of my piping nozzles to gently push into the centre of the cupcake and remove a bit. You could use a knife and remove a little too. Just make sure you don't go too deep as you need some of the cake beneath to hold the filling!
- Spoon some caramel sauce 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 either a shop bought or homemade gingerbread man! Enjoy!
Notes
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!
