Fresh gluten-free strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting. Moist and tender strawberry cupcakes topped with strawberry buttercream. No artificial colors or flavors, just fresh strawberries in every bite. With a dairy-free option.
Gluten-Free Cupcakes
It’s just about summer-time here in North Florida and strawberries are in an abundance. I love baking with fresh berries this time of year!
I first made these cupcakes last year for my daughter’s 12th birthday party.
My daughter loves the color pink and her party theme was, pink of course, so I knew I wanted to make her strawberry cupcakes.
These cupcakes are made with fresh strawberries, not like the strawberry cake mixes you find in the store.
They are moist and tender and made with real ingredients. No artificial colors or flavors, just fresh strawberries in every bite.
Don’t be intimated by using fresh strawberries in your baking. You can see just how easy if it to bake with fresh strawberries in the steps below.
How To Make These Easy Strawberry Cupcakes – Step By Step
- First, make sure you wash and remove the stems from the fresh strawberries, then cut them in half to make it easier puree. Puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender. (photo 1)
- I used my NinjaMaster Prep Pro System, which is both a blender and a food processor. You will want to make 2 cup of strawberry puree, so you have enough for both the cupcakes and the strawberry buttercream frosting. (photo 2)
- I have a Kitchen-Aid stand up mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer for this recipe as well. The next step is to cream your butter and sugar together. I like to cut my butter into smaller pieces to make it easier to cream. (photo 3)
- Once you’ve creamed your butter and sugar together until its nice and fluffy add in your pure vanilla extract.
- Now it’s time to add the eggs one at a time. (photo 4)
- I always like to combine my dry ingredients ahead of time. I just add them to a medium-sized bowl and whisk the ingredients a few times to make sure they are combined. (photo 5)
- Pour the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and egg mixture and mix until fully combined. At this point, it will start to look like traditional cake batter.
- Now you are going to add the 1 1/2 cups of strawberry puree and the buttermilk to the batter. (photo 6)
- If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) to the milk and letting it sit for a few minutes. That’s what I always do.
- I like to line my muffin pans with cupcake liners, but you can also use gluten-free cooking spray too.
- I always use a greased ice cream scoop when making muffins and cupcakes. It measures out the perfect amount and is less messy than trying to spoon batter in the pan. I like to check my cupcakes with a toothpick to make sure they are done too. (photo 7)
- Please make sure to completely cool the cupcakes before frosting. Make sure you remove the cupcakes from the baking pans to cool. I like to use a cooling rack because it speeds up the process. (photo 8)
Gluten-Free Flour
I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
Easy Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
These gluten-free Strawberry Cupcakes are topped with the prettiest Strawberry Buttercream Frosting. The frosting is also made with pureed strawberries.
Making homemade frosting is so easy! Once you make your own, you’ll never go back to store-bought again.
I use my Kitchen-Aid mixer to make the frosting, but you can use a hand mixer with a large bowl too.
- Cream the butter until it’s nice and smooth. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula before you add the strawberry puree. (photo 1)
- Start by adding 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree to the butter and mix until it’s fully combined. Also, add the pure vanilla extract and lemon juice at this time.
- Once it’s well mixed together scrape down the sides of the bowl again before adding the powdered sugar. (photo 2)
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and keep mixing until the frosting becomes firm. Take a taste test and see if the frosting is strawberry enough for you if you want more strawberry flavor add another 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree. Depending on how firm you want the frosting you may need to add more powdered sugar. (photo 3)
Pro Tip
- If you want to have smoother frosting and be a little fancier, you can shift your powdered sugar. I only do this for special occasions, like Birthday parties.
- When I pipe frosting onto cupcakes I use a trick where I line a large cup with the piping bag. It makes the process much less messy! My favorite frosting tip is the Wilton 1M. (photo 4)
I live in Florida, so I always refrigerate the frosting before I pipe it on the cupcakes. I prefer a firmer frosting.
I also like to slice the remaining strawberries in half and use them to decorate the top of the cupcakes.
Dairy-Free Baking
I have also included a dairy-free option to my gluten-free strawberry cupcakes recipe. My husband, my youngest son, and I are all dairy-free.
I promise it is just as delicious made with the dairy-free butter and dairy-free milk. So, you too can enjoy gluten-free and dairy-free strawberry cupcakes.
Some of my favorite dairy-free alternatives that I like to bake with are almond, cashew or coconut milk. I also like baking with coconut oil or Earth Balance or Smart Balance butter.
These gluten-free cupcakes were a hit at my daughter’s Birthday party! I promise no one will even know that they are gluten-free.
Every bite is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, making them the perfect summer cupcake.
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Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Option}
Fresh gluten-free strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting. Moist and tender strawberry cupcakes topped with strawberry buttercream. No artificial colors or flavors, just fresh strawberries in every bite. With a dairy-free option.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.)
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it)
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (or add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to milk to make buttermilk. Dairy-free use almond, cashew or coconut milk)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (dairy-free use Earth Balance or Smart Balance butter)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups strawberry puree
- red food coloring (optional if you want the cupcakes really pink)
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter, softned dairy-free use Smart Balance butter
- 1/4-1/2 cup strawberry puree (start with 1/4 cup and add more if you want more strawberry flavor)
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- red food coloring (optional if you want the cupcakes really pink)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Use cupcake liners or spray a with muffin pans with gluten-free cooking spray.
Remove the stems of the strawberries and cut the strawberries in half. Puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender. (I used my NinjaMaster Prep Pro System)
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add the pure vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
Add one egg at a time to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
In a medium bowl add the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), gluten-free baking powder and salt. Stir to combine the ingredients.
Add the gluten-free flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until fully combined.
Add the strawberry puree and the buttermilk to the cake batter. Mix until fully combined. (Add optional red food coloring if you want the cupcake batter pinker)
Scoop the cake batter into the lined muffin pans. (I like to use an ice cream scoop)
Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes. Please watch your cupcakes because all ovens are different. Use a toothpick to check and see if the centers are done.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
In a large bowl cream the butter using a stand-up mixer or hand a mixer. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next ingredients.
Add the strawberry puree, lemon juice and pure vanilla extract to the butter and mix until fully combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the powdered sugar. (Add optional red food coloring if you want the frosting pinker)
Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix until the frosting is firm.
If you want a firmer frosting, refrigerate the frosting for a few minutes before either piping or spreading on top of the cupcakes. I like to line a piping bag in a tall glass and then add the frosting. It sure is less messy. My favorite frosting tip is the Wilton 1M.
Cupcakes can be stored in an air-tight container, but keep the frosting refrigerated and frost cupcakes when ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- I used cashew milk and Smart Balance butter for the dairy-free-option.
- I always use a greased ice cream scoop when making muffins and cupcakes.
- Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate.
- Mama says, "Always check your labels!"
Tessa Simpson says
June 3, 2018 at 10:51 pmMy teen and her friend begged me to bake and really wanted something strawberry….then I remembered this one! They loved them!! That frosting, drool!! We used Pamela’s Baking Mix, and since I was low on fresh strawberries, we we thawed some frozen and pureed those. Probably should have added a touch more flour…the frozen strawberries probably added a bit more fluid. So tender, so delicious!! Oh and they used half monk fruit for the sweetener.
Audrey says
June 4, 2018 at 5:19 amI am so glad that you, your daughter and her friend enjoyed the cupcakes Tessa! I’ve never tried monk fruit as a sweetener. I’ll have to give it a try. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe rating!
Debi says
November 15, 2018 at 9:44 amHi,
I was thinking about making this recipe for a gender reveal party. (Spoiler, it’s a girl). So I have two questions. What temperature and how long would I need to cook it if I made it into a layer cake instead? Also, is the cake itself very pink without any food coloring?
Audrey says
November 15, 2018 at 2:19 pmHi Debi! I would start at 20 minutes, just like the cupcakes, if you are baking it in an 8-inch cake pan. Test the center with a toothpick to see if it’s done. If it’s not done, allow it to continue to bake at 5-minute increments. Most cakes bake for 30 minutes. The pinkness of the cake will depend on how red your strawberries are. Congratulations on your baby girl! I hope you enjoy the strawberry cake.
Sharon says
January 11, 2019 at 2:20 pmThe cake ingredients has a dairy-free option for butter, but that’s not listed in the frosting ingredients. Can dairy-free butter be used for the frosting as well, or only real butter?
Audrey says
January 11, 2019 at 9:12 pmHi Sharon I use Smart Balance dairy-free butter when I make dairy-free frosting. Thanks for catching the oversight! I corrected it. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes.
D Dsouza says
January 30, 2019 at 9:06 amCan I use normal ingredients which are not gluten free instead of all the gluten free ingredients you mentioned.
Audrey says
January 31, 2019 at 11:07 amHi D! I have never tried this recipe with wheat flour and I cannot have it. I only bake with gluten-free flour. Thanks for asking!
Andrea says
February 12, 2019 at 11:32 pmHello gorgeous I am going to make this recipe my question is you use the pilsbury gluten free flour and that’s what I have in hand also because it has a mix of things can I omit the xanthan gum or do you still use it? Also have you ever tried the recipe halved? If I follow exactly except use half of suggested measurements will the result be the same?
Audrey says
February 12, 2019 at 11:44 pmHi Andrea and thank you so much for your kind words! If you use the Pillsbury gluten-free you will not need to add the xanthan gum to it (it already has it in it). I have not halved the recipe but I am sure if you halved the ingredients correctly they would turn out the same. I hope you enjoy the strawberry cupcakes!
Andrea j says
February 13, 2019 at 9:40 amThank you so much I’m making them right now
Audrey says
February 13, 2019 at 9:45 amYou are so welcome Andrea! I hope you enjoy the cupcakes.😊
April says
February 27, 2019 at 7:49 pmMay I sub out the butter and is oil? Allergies to palm oil:(
Audrey says
February 27, 2019 at 8:06 pmHi April! If you have allergies to palm oil and you do not have allergies/sensitivities to dairy you can use butter. I use Smart Balance butter for the dairy-free option, but I use unsalted butter for the traditional gluten-free recipe. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Marina says
March 12, 2019 at 7:21 pmDo you use the smart balance sticks or the tub?
Audrey says
March 12, 2019 at 8:36 pmHi Marina! I usually buy the Smart Balance tub because I can’t always find the sticks. Both work great for dairy-free baking.
Tara says
March 31, 2019 at 12:20 amWhen you use the almond milk, do you still add the lemon juice/vinegar? Thanks!
Audrey says
March 31, 2019 at 9:10 amHi Tara! Yes I still add the vinegar/lemon juice to the almond milk (or other dairy-free milk). I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Chris says
April 2, 2019 at 6:29 pmThese are phenomenal! thank you for this recipe. I had a bunch of strawberries in my freezer from the Pick-Your-Own place that I picked last Spring; this recipe helped me to use some of them up. Keep up the good recipe work!
Audrey says
April 2, 2019 at 9:08 pmThank you so much Chris for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the strawberry cupcakes. I’ve never been strawberry picking, it sounds like fun and I bet you get the most delicious strawberries. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement!
Landry says
April 22, 2019 at 10:13 pmHi, I am going to make these for my daughters birthday. Very excited! Do you know how many strawberries you need for the 1.5 cups puréed for the cake and .5 cups for the frosting? I want to make sure I buy enough strawberries! Thank you 🙂
Audrey says
April 23, 2019 at 8:00 amHi Landry! It all depends on the size of the strawberries. I always buy a few of the extra large containers of strawberries because I never know how big someone of them are, or if some of them may be too ripe. It’s always best to buy more than to not have enough. I made this recipe for my daughter’s 12th birthday. I hope your daughter enjoys the cupcakes. Wishing her the happiest of Birthdays!
Landry says
April 25, 2019 at 6:23 pmThanks for your response! So, I’m making these Friday morning to be eaten Saturday lunchtime. Should I put them in the fridge overnight or are they okay on the counter until I serve them??
Audrey says
April 25, 2019 at 11:01 pmHi Landry! You are so welcome. The cupcakes can be left on the counter in an air-tight container, but if you are going to frost them you will need to refrigerate them because the strawberry buttercream is a little softer than traditional buttercream. The strawberries add moisture to the frosting.
Landry says
April 26, 2019 at 9:50 amGotcha! Thanks for the quick response! I’ll be making these today, DF as well. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Audrey says
April 27, 2019 at 8:21 amYou are so welcome Landry, I love sharing what I make for my family!
christine bashara says
May 10, 2019 at 10:00 pmDo you need to strain the puree to remove the seeds?
Audrey says
May 11, 2019 at 8:43 amHi Christine! I did not strain the strawberry puree and did not notice any problems with seeds. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
Dawn says
May 11, 2019 at 11:56 pmI have missed strawberry cake the past 5 years so I finally got around to making these for myself for Mother’s Day. Let’s just say I may have trouble sharing…….
Audrey says
May 13, 2019 at 8:47 amThis makes my heart so happy to hear Dawn! I am so happy that you enjoyed the strawberry cupcakes. Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review!
Brittany humphrey says
May 17, 2019 at 12:17 pmSo yummy and easy recipe to follow. My daughter loved these for her birthday!!
Audrey says
May 20, 2019 at 9:44 amThank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that your daughter loved the cupcakes for her birthday. I created this recipe for my daughter’s 12th birthday. I am glad that you found the recipe easy to follow too. Thanks again!
Maribeth Strand says
May 25, 2019 at 8:15 amI want to make these for granddaughters birthday. If I make on Thursday, and frost on Saturday morning, will cupcakes be ok made 2 days ahead? Should I freeze them?
Audrey says
May 25, 2019 at 8:23 amHi Meribeth! Gluten-free baked goods area always best the day they are baked. You could freeze them and defrost at room temperature before frosting them. I know a lot of moms keep frozen cupcakes (frosting and all) for their gluten-free kids to bring to parties. I hope she enjoys the cupcakes. Wishing your granddaughter a happy birthday!