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Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (Vegan, Allergy-Free)

Name: Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cups + 1 TB Gluten-Free Baking Flour; 1 Cup Granulated Sweetener (or preferred granulated sugar); 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder; 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda; 1 Prepared Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacement; 1 Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk; 1 TB White Vinegar; 1/4 Cup Neutral Oil; 2 Tsp Red Food Dye; 3/4 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract; 8 oz Plain Vegan/Allergy-Free Cream Cheese (softened); 1 Stick Vegan/Allergy-Free Butter (softened); 4 Cups Powdered Sweetener (or preferred powdered sugar); 1 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract; Red Sparkling Sugar (optional, to top)

Published: Jan 25, 2021 · Modified: Jan 24, 2021 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

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These rich and moist Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes are vegan, allergy-free, and topped with a homemade dairy-free cream cheese frosting! These naturally-dyed, soft and tender cupcakes have a perfect balance of sweetness and tang with mild notes of cocoa and vanilla. This simple recipe is so easy and quick, it's baked in just 15 minutes!

Have you ever had red velvet? I had not (at least to my knowledge), but there's something so intriguing about that red-colored cake! Who wouldn't want to bite right in and find out what it tastes like? Is it cherry? Is it chocolate? Maybe vanilla? The flavor is hard to explain, but that just means it's time to bake up a batch of these super easy gluten-free red velvet cupcakes that are vegan and allergy-free! Top them off with homemade cream cheese frosting and there's no way you're not going to bake these today!

What Does Red Velvet Taste Like?

Similar to chocolate cake, it's buttery and rich, with slight acidic notes from buttermilk, mild cocoa flavor, and a touch of sweet vanilla! Paired with tangy cream cheese frosting, you pretty much get a bite of all the flavor notes you could want!

What Makes it Red Velvet?

Gluten-Free Baking Flour + Baking Powder + Baking Soda: You want to use a baking flour, rather than an all-purpose so you get a light and fluffy cupcake. Add in some baking powder and baking soda to help your cupcakes rise. The baking soda gets activated by the white vinegar in the buttermilk you'll be adding in!
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: You're only going to use ¼ cup of cocoa for these cupcakes. Remember, they're not "chocolate" and you don't want the cocoa to overpower the other flavor notes. Some people even like to use less cocoa, but for the amount of batter this recipe yields, I found that ¼ cup worked best!
Homemade Vegan Buttermilk: You're going to need an unsweetened plain non-dairy milk PLUS white vinegar. You're going to mix the two together and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes to "curdle". If it doesn't fully curdle, don't worry, it will still be fine to use in the cupcakes.
Natural Red Dye: The most important ingredient! You can use your favorite brand of food dye, I recommend Watkins or Supernatural. Depending on the brand you use, the strength of the color will vary. I ended up using 2 teaspoons of Watkins red dye. You may need more or less!
Vanilla Extract + Sweetener: This is where the sweet undertones of vanilla come in to round out that mild cocoa and buttermilk!
Vegan Egg + Natural Oil: The last things you'll need are a powdered vegan egg replacement and some neutral-flavored oil to keep your cupcakes moist!

What Type of Frosting To Use

Cream cheese frosting! Using a cream cheese frosting is just another essential component to the red velvet flavor complex. Super simple and easy using this homemade dairy-free recipe! If you would rather use a simple vanilla frosting (even chocolate!), you can, I won't stop you, these cupcakes are still going to be delicious!

How to Make These Cupcakes

While you prep the cupcakes batter, preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar to make your buttermilk. Separately, mix together your vegan egg replacer. Allow both of these to sit for 5 to 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your batter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and sweetener. Then add in your wet ingredients, ONLY ¾ cup of the buttermilk, vegan egg, vanilla, oil, and finally your red food dye. Mix the batter until it is combined, smooth, and red!
Now grease a standard cupcake baking pan and use the batter to fill about 9-10 cupcake molds ¾ of the way full. Then bake them in the preheated oven for just about 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cupcakes.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before popping them out of the pan and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
While the cupcakes cool, you can make the dairy-free cream cheese frosting! Simply combine the vegan cream cheese, butter, sweetener, and a splash of vanilla to a stand mixer, or use a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer. Then blend the ingredients until combined and smooth; allow it to chill in the fridge until you are ready to frost!
Use a piping bag or pastry decorator to frost the cupcakes to you're liking! Add some red sprinkles or red sparkling sugar if you want to get a little more festive with the red!

Additional Tips and Storage Instructions

If you don't have a gluten-free baking flour, you can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour, but remove two tablespoons from the amount stated in the recipe and replace the 2 tablespoons with arrowroot starch or cornstarch.
You can make your cupcakes a day in advance so they are 100% cool and ready to frost! Simply store them in an airtight container at room temperature once they've cooled from the oven (Pro Tip: place a napkin or paper towel in the container to prevent moisture.)
Once you frost the cupcakes, you'll need to store the cupcakes in the fridge in a closed container to prevent the frosting from spoiling, because you are using cream cheese frosting (yes, even though it's dairy-free!)
Before serving the cupcakes, let them come to room temperature for the best taste!
You can store the finished cupcakes in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 6 months. Thaw them in the fridge and then frost and decorate as the recipe suggests.

Great For Any Occasion

They're perfect for any holiday or celebration that calls for a delicious cupcake recipe! Valentine's Day always comes to mind when we think about red and pink, but don't let that stop you from making them any time of year too! You'll love them no matter what since they're:

Gluten-Free
Vegan
Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
Low in Sugar or Sugar-Free
Kid-Friendly
Quick and Easy