Name: Gluten Free Strawberry Cupcake Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups organic palm shortening; 3/4 cup powdered sugar (see notes); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 4 tbsp coconut flour; 5 tbsp arrowroot flour; 1 bag freeze dried strawberries (see notes); 2-3 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil (see notes); 3 large eggs (at room temperature); 1/2 cup sugar or monk fruit (see notes); 1/3 cup melted butter or ghee (at room temperature); 2 1/2 cups almond flour; 1/3 cup non-dairy milk; 2 tsp baking powder; pinch of kosher salt; 1 tbsp vanilla extract

This gluten free strawberry cupcake recipe is quick and easy to make and made with simple ingredients you have in your pantry. They are incredibly moist, perfectly sweet and perfect for a treat or to make for a celebration.

an unwrapped vanilla and strawberry cupcake with a fresh strawberry on top

An easy gluten free strawberry cupcake recipe

These cupcakes are made with almond flour, melted butter or ghee, and sugar. They can easily be made sugar free by 1: 1 substituting in monk fruit instead.

The crumb is delightful, and the cupcakes themselves are incredibly moist.

What's really nice is the recipe for the cake and frosting will perfectly divide into 12 cupcakes. You shouldn't have any leftover frosting.

Feel free to double the recipe and work in batches if you are making these for a birthday party or large gathering.

If you have access to another freeze dried fruit, you can pulverize that into a powder instead and have a different flavor of buttercream frosting.

strawberry frosting on a vanilla cupcake sitting on a grey linen napkin

Keto buttercream frosting

The buttercream frosting can easily be made sugar free and keto by using monk fruit as well.

You can purchase granular monk fruit and pulverize it until it becomes a powder or find an already powdered variety.

I am familiar with using Lakanto and Swerve.

How to make strawberry cupcake recipe

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or using a large bowl and an electric hand mixer, add in palm shortening and powdered sugar. Mix on medium high until smooth throughout.

Add the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut oil and mix for about 1 minute. *add about ¼ cup freeze dried strawberry powder at a time until it reaches color and taste you love.*

Slowly drizzle in coconut oil while turning the mixing speed up to high. You may need a tablespoon more to reach your desired consistency depending on the other brands of products you have used, but I got the perfect texture with 3 tablespoons.

Remove from the mixer and give everything a nice stir. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F. Like a cupcake pan with 12 parchment liners and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sweetener, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.

Stir in baking powder and almond flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring gently incorporate the flour to avoid lumps.

cupcake batter in a large ceramic mixing bowl

Transfer batter evenly into the 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 22–25 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean or with few crumbs on it.

Let cool for 30 mins before piping on strawberry buttercream frosting. Enjoy.

Storage Tips

These need to be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 5 days.

Alternatively, you can keep them at room temperature after first making them for up to 24 hours.

Before eating, let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

vanilla cupcakes in a muffin tin and piped strawberry frosting on top

How do you get jam in the middle of a cupcake?

You can make these cupcakes full of even more strawberry flavor & it's so easy!

Scoop about half of the batter you will need into a cupcake liner and add 2 teaspoons of strawberry jam or preserves. Cover with more cupcake batter.

They will be extra strawberry-y (that's a word, right?) 😉

You can alternatively omit the freeze dried strawberries from the buttercream frosting and do a vanilla frosting with just strawberry jam in the centers.

The possibilities are endless- just depends on what you want, what you have in your pantry and how much strawberry flavor you'd like.

gluten free strawberry cupcakes with frosting and fresh strawberries on top

Strawberry cupcake recipe substitutions

I haven't tested this recipe too many different ways. The substitutions I am sure of that I can share with you are:

Melted butter or ghee are both great options for the liquid fat. Alternatively, you can use coconut oil but be sure it's melted and at room temperature as well.
You can use white sugar or monk fruit sweetener.
Another freeze dried fruit powder could be made in place of strawberry.
Coconut oil or avocado oil will work well in the frosting recipe.

If you have any more substitutions questions, please ask me in the comments before attempting yourself.