If your new year has been anything like mine it felt like January was five months long and February is flying by! It’s hard to believe the Super Bowl, Galentine’s Day, and Valentine’s Day are all only a week away. These gluten-free chocolate strawberry cupcakes are the perfect dessert to make for any plans you might have coming up over the next week.
In elementary school, I truly don’t think there was anything more exciting than Valentine’s Day. I’m still trying to chase the high of opening my shoebox full of candy and cards from all of my classmates. I loved going to the grocery store with my mom to pick out what candy and card combo I’d give out to everyone. Each year I’d analyze every Valentine to make sure I gave my friends the very best ones.
While I might be too old for decorating shoeboxes, making delicious on theme desserts is a close second in terms of celebrating. I always associate Valentine’s day with chocolate-covered strawberries. These chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting are my take on the classic dessert in cupcake form.
Ingredients Needed
To make these simple and insanely delicious gluten-free chocolate strawberry cupcakes at home you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Almond flour: For these cupcakes, we’ll need 1 3/4 cups of almond flour. I’ve linked one of my favorite brands of almond flour, however, I also love the almond flour at Trader Joe’s.
- Coconut flour: This recipe requires a mixture of coconut and almond flour to get the cupcakes the right texture and mimic the outcome of using regular flour. We’ll need 1/4 cup of coconut flour for this cake recipe.
- Cocoa powder: Adding cocoa powder is what makes these cupcakes chocolate flavored! You’ll need 1/2 cup for this recipe. I always make sure to get a cocoa powder that isn’t sweetened with sugar since we’ll be sweetening these cupcakes with maple syrup.
- Baking soda: We’ll need 1 teaspoon of baking soda for this recipe.
- Salt: To bring out the chocolate flavor in the cupcakes, we’ll need 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Eggs: To make these chocolate cupcakes you’ll need 3 eggs.
- Coconut oil: For this recipe, we’ll need 1/3 cup of melted coconut oil. This serves as our dairy-free butter replacement.
- Maple syrup: To sweeten these chocolate cupcakes, we’ll add a 1/2 cup of maple syrup.
- Vanilla: Finally, we’ll need 1 tablespoon of vanilla to complete the cake portion of this recipe.
Frosting Ingredients
To make the strawberry flavored frosting for these chocolate cupcakes you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Strawberries: To make the frosting for these cupcakes strawberry-flavored we’ll need 3/4 cup of fresh chopped strawberries.
- Coconut oil: For the frosting, we’ll need a 1/2 cup of coconut oil. The coconut oil does give the frosting a subtle coconut flavor, so if you’re not a fan of coconut I recommend using vegan butter instead.
- Powdered sugar: You’ll need 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar divided for this frosting recipe.
- Vanilla: This strawberry frosting recipe calls for a 1/2 tsp of vanilla.
- Salt: Finally, to tie all of the flavors together you’ll need to add just a pinch of salt.
How to Make These Gluten-Free Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
The base of these chocolate cupcakes is the same as my Paleo Chocolate Cake recipe. To make these chocolate strawberry cupcakes follow the steps below:
First, preheat the oven to 325 F and line a muffin/cupcake tray with baking cups.
Then, in a large bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cupcake tray.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. You’ll be able to tell the cupcakes are done by inserting a toothpick and seeing if it comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting (at least 15 mins).
Add the strawberries to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
Add the puree to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil, stirring consistently until it has thickened and reduced, about 10-15 minutes.
When the puree has thickened and reduced, pour it into a bowl and allow it to cool to at least room temperature.
Add the coconut oil to a mixer and beat until smooth.
Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar to the mixer and beat until well combined and smooth.
Next, add about half of the strawberry reduction to the mixer and beat until well combined and smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth.
Finally, add the remaining strawberry reduction until the frosting reaches the right consistency.
Frost the cooled cupcakes, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Answering your gluten-free chocolate strawberry cupcakes recipe questions. If you don’t see the answer to your question, feel free to leave a comment!
Changing the frosting flavor
If you’re not a strawberry fan I think changing out the fruit used to raspberry, blueberry, or really any berry would be delicious! I haven’t tried this yet, but I have to imagine it would taste great. Blending raspberry and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations so I think that would be delicious!
Storing these cupcakes
These cupcakes keep for up to 4 days if stored in a sealed container at room temperature. I like to store mine underneath a cake stand like the one pictured above. These cupcakes are so delicious I doubt you’ll have a problem finishing before the four days are up!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup strawberries freshly chopped
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 325 F and line a muffin/cupcake tray with baking cups.
- Then, in a large bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Divide the batter evenly lined cupcake tray.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. You’ll be able to tell the cupcakes are done by inserting a toothpick and seeing if it comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting (at least 15 mins).
- Add the strawberries to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Add the puree to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil, stirring consistently until it has thickened and reduced, about 10-15 minutes.
- When the puree has thickened and reduced, pour it into a bowl and allow it to cool to at least room temperature.
- Add the coconut oil to a mixer and beat until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Next, add about half of the strawberry reduction to the mixer and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Finally, add the remaining strawberry reduction until the frosting reaches the right consistency.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes, serve, and enjoy!
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SC2012 says
My favorite part was the fresh strawberries in the frosting!
madeofeverythingnice says
Thank you! That was my favorite part too