Gluten Free Apple Cupcakes

Gluten Fee Apple Cupcakes made with almond flour and cinnamon and topped with a simple yet delicious buttercream icing. Whether you're gluten free or not, you're going to want to try these cupcakes for yourself! 

Here's the thing: I love a good fall cake recipe (my vegan pumpkin cake might be my favorite), but cupcakes are a little more fun, ya know? They're pre-portioned and don't require any assembly, plus they taste just as good.

Recipe features

• Made with almond flour, similar to my almond flour blueberry muffins
• Soft, moist and topped with a simple buttercream + a dash of cinnamon

Ingredient notes:

This is just to provide further clarification and possible substitutions. The full ingredient list is provided below in the recipe card.

Almond flour - make sure to use almond flour, not almond meal

Apple - any kind! I usually use some variety of red apples (Gala are my favorite)

Butter - regular or dairy free

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together then set aside.

Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla together. Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold. Last, stir in the shredded apple, being careful not to over-mix.

Step 3: Fill muffin tin. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, spray them with nonstick spray, then divide the batter evenly amongst them. Bake cupcakes for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Wait for the cupcakes to cool before icing them.

Step 4: Make the buttercream. Add softened butter to a bowl, then along with the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar, then use an electric mixer to stir until the buttercream is smooth. If it still seems too thick, add 1 more tablespoon of milk.

Expert tips & FAQs

• You can absolutely pipe the icing onto the cupcakes if you prefer. I just used a knife to spread it on, but piping would look even better!
• I recommend using a box grater to grate the apple.
• Always spray the cupcake liners with nonstick spray or grease them with coconut oil before adding the batter. That way, the cupcakes won't stick to the liners.

Do I have to use almond flour?

Yes. I've only tested this recipe using almond flour. With that said, you're welcome to try using a different kind of gluten free flour, just be aware that I haven't tested it myself.

How long will these stay fresh?

They should stay fresh for 2-3 days.

More gluten free desserts

• Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp
• Chocolate Avocado Cake
• Sweet Potato Mousse

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Gluten Free Apple Cupcakes

Gluten Fee Apple Cupcakes made with almond flour and cinnamon and topped with a simple yet delicious buttercream icing. Whether you're gluten free or not, you're going to want to try these cupcakes for yourself! 

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 14

Author: Erin

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cup almond flour
• ⅓ cup cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded apple

for the icing:

• 3 tablespoon butter softened; regular or dairy free
• 2 tablespoon almond milk or more as needed
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, syrup and vanilla together. Combine wet and dry ingredients into the same bowl, and then stir in the shredded apple by hand.
• Line a muffin tin with muffin liners, spray them with nonstick spray and distribute the cupcake batter evenly. Bake cupcakes for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tin and onto a cooling rack.
• While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the icing. Stir butter, milk and vanilla together with an electric mixer, and then add the powdered sugar.
• Wait until cupcakes have completely cooled before icing them.

Notes

*Calories are per cupcake and are an estimation 

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg

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UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in September 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in September 2020.