Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes with Vegan Strawberry Buttercream are the perfect gluten free cupcake recipe. The cake is tender and moist with the perfect crumb and topped with a delicious naturally colored pink frosting. We also have a gluten free vegan funfetti cupcake version for those of you who avoid egg as well. 

Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes with Vegan Strawberry Buttercream are perfect for a baby shower, birthday party, or Valentines Day celebration. Don’t feel guilty if you decide to make them just because they sound good. I am TOTALLY guilty of this. We ate the entire batch too, no regrets here. It was worth it.

Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes

gluten free vegan funfetti cupcakes

Vegan Strawberry Buttercream

Gluten free cupcakes

Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes

Funfetti was something we all enjoyed. When I originally created this recipe you could not buy a gluten free boxed funfetti cake at the store. Even though you can now, this recipe is much cleaner and tastier than the alternative. 

We like to use all natural sprinkles to keep the recipe dye free and I am obsessed with coloring anything naturally. The strawberry puree used in the frosting give this vegan strawberry buttercream the perfect pink color while adding a pop of flavor!

This gluten free cupcake recipe is very simple to make. The base of the cake is my Gluten Free and Dairy Free Vanilla Cake recipe. This is the most popular recipe on my blog!

I simply add sprinkles to make it “funfetti”. 

Gluten Free Cupcakes

Vegan Strawberry Buttercream

One of the things I love the most about this recipe is how the strawberry frosting is made with real strawberries. This is the real deal here. You will puree fresh strawberries and fold it into the buttercream. It is sooo good.

Strawberry buttercream can also be used to frost Sugar Cookies. Simply use a Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter if you are going for a V-day theme. Add some fresh strawberries or sprinkles and you will look like a rock star.

Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes

Having and dealing with multiple food intolerances can make finding holiday treats difficult. Since the Funfetti cake mix at the store contains milk and we can not have milk/lactose, making our own from scratch fixes this problem.

A homemade from scratch cake is so much better for you than if you bought a pre-made mix anyways. It tastes so darn delicious that even those who eat gluten and dairy will come back for seconds. Don’t forget to add the most important ingredient… LOVE!

First of all, when making a gluten free baked good, always keep in mind that the quality of your All Purpose Flour will make or break your recipe. Poor quality flour or dense flour causes many recipes to fail. I only either use Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend or the Better Batter Original Blend for this recipe (code LIVINGFREELYGF gets you 30% off full priced items). If you use a premade flour blend that contains xanthan gum, then omit the xanthan gum from the recipe!

To make these Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes with Vegan Strawberry Buttercream you will need…

• gluten free all purpose flour- I either make my own blend, grab the recipe HERE, or use Better Batter Original Blend. Your flour matters and these are the only 2 I recommend. In my honest opinion I prefer the Better Batter, but I created my flour blend for convenience and to save money
• xanthan gum (only if you use my flour blend recipe
• baking powder & baking soda
• salt
• water
• sugar
• coconut milk- you can use any milk here. Coconut is my preference, but oat, almond, flax – it all works. Not dairy free? No problem, use regular milk
• dairy free butter- my favorite is Earth’s Balance, Miyoko’s, or the Trader Joes brand. If you’re not dairy free then use regular butter!
• coconut oil- if you don’t like coconut, or have an allergy then use any neutral cooking oil
• eggs- to make this vegan use the Bobs Red Mill egg replacer
• vanilla extract
• sprinkles- we like to use all natural dye free sprinkles
• strawberries, powdered sugar, shortening, vegan or regular butter for the frosting

How to make Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes with Vegan Strawberry Buttercream

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
2. Boil the water in a sauce pan with ½ cup of sugar for about 2-3 minutes just until there is a slight boil and the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cool.
3. In a stand mixer blend the other ½ cup of sugar with the butter and melted coconut oil. Add the coconut milk and the cooled water/sugar mixture (the mixer should be on medium/low speed the entire time).
4. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Allow to mix in for about 30 seconds and then add in the flour one cup at a time. You can turn the mixer off to do this if needed. Mix on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula half way through. Your batter should have a pudding like consistency. Fold in the sprinkles and mix them in gently.
5. Fold sprinkles in last. Pour into a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
6. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Alternatively you can make this into a cake by baking in a 6 inch pan for 35-40 minutes, 8 inch pan for 30-35 minutes.

Vegan Strawberry Buttercream

1. In a stand mixer, cream the shortening and butter. Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. To puree the strawberries you simply add them to a blender with a splash of water if needed and blend until it is smooth.
3. Add the strawberry puree and mix on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes allowing the buttercream to fluff up.
4. Frost to your liking. If you are making a cake and planning to pipe the frosting then you will want to double the frosting recipe. 

Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes with Vegan Strawberry Buttercream

4 from 8 votes

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Funfetti Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

These light and fluffy cupcakes are perfect for a birthday party or celebration. Everyone will love them- even those who are not gluten free. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Dairy Free Funfetti Cupcakes, Gluten Free Funfetti Cupcakes

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 18

Calories 335 kcal

Ingredients

Cake Batter

• 2 ½ Cup GF All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Xanthan Gum omit if your flour contains xanthan gum
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 tsp. Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp. Salt Dash
• 1 Cup Water Boiled
• 1 Cup Dairy Free Milk I like coconut but any will work
• 1 Cup Sugar
• ⅓ Cup Dairy Free Butter
• 2 TBSP. Coconut Oil or neutral cooking oil
• 1 TBSP. Vanilla
• 2 Eggs or Bobs Red Mill egg replacer to make it vegan
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• 1/4 Cup Sprinkles

Strawberry Buttercream

• 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
• 3 TBSP. Strawberry Puree
• 3 Cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Boil the water in the sauce pan with ½ cup of sugar for 3 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. In your stand mixer blend the other ½ cup of sugar with the butter and melted coconut oil.
4. Add the milk and the cooled water and sugar mixture. (The mixer should be going the entire time)
5. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum and gluten free all-purpose flour.
6. Beat on medium for about 5 minutes until your batter is almost a pudding like consistency.

7. Fold sprinkles in last. Pour into a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

8. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Strawberry Buttercream

1. Make the strawberry puree by adding the strawberries to a blender and blending until it is a smooth puree.

2. In a stand mixer add the butter and shortening. Mix on medium speed.
3. Add the powdered sugar and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.
4. Add the strawberry puree and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
5. Mix for another 2 minutes on medium high.
6. Once cupcakes are cooled frost to your liking. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Alternatively you can make this into a cake by baking in a 6 inch pan for 35-40 minutes, 8 inch pan for 30-35 minutes.

 If you want to pipe decorations onto the cake you will need to double the frosting recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Funfetti Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

Amount Per Serving

Calories 335 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 18mg6%

Sodium 295mg13%

Potassium 65mg2%

Carbohydrates 46g15%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 33g37%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 265IU5%

Vitamin C 1.5mg2%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Need more delicious gluten free dessert recipes? I’ve got you covered…

• Gluten Free Strawberry Waffles
• Vegan Gluten Free Coconut Cupcakes
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream Story
• Gluten Free and Dairy Free Vanilla Cake
• Grain Free Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Bundt Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

This recipe was originally posted in 2018. It was updated and re-posted in February of 2023.