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    Recipes » Recipes » Baking & Desserts

    Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cupcakes

    Last updated - July 14, 2021; Published - July 11, 2018 By Rhian Williams 26 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Photo of a cupcake topped with white frosting with a bite taken out of it against a grey background

    These Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cupcakes are the perfect indulgent yet elegant dessert. A moist and fluffy cupcake sponge topped with luxuriously creamy frosting and fragrant coconut!

    Three cupcakes topped with white frosting, one with a bite taken out of it

    Some readers have been asking whether my Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cake can be made into cupcakes, so I've decided to give Coconut Cupcakes a go! 

    Why you'll love these Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cupcakes:

    • they're undetectably vegan and gluten-free
    • they're refined sugar free
    • they're amazingly tender and fluffy
    • they're covered in a seriously rich coconut frosting
    • they're simple to make
    • they come together in just one bowl
    • they take just 35 minutes to make
    • you'll only need a handful of uncomplicated ingredients.

    They work well for lots of different occasions like:

    • birthdays
    • baby showers
    • Christmas
    • and anything else!

    Photo of cupcake batter in a glass mixing bowl taken from above

    Substitutions you can make to the recipe

    The recipe for the cupcake batter is versatile, and it can be adapted to suit your preferences or dietary requirements:

    • you can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil
    • you can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc
    • you can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc
    • you can substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground walnuts
    • for a nut-free version: substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground sunflower seeds or use 30g (¼ cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds
    • make sure to use an all-purpose shop-bought gluten-free flour blend (or a homemade gluten-free flour blend), as opposed to just using any type of gluten-free flour you can find (such as almond flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour etc). If you’re not gluten-free, you can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour
    • I decided to keep it easy with a simple vanilla sponge, but if you want extra coconut flavour you can add some coconut extract. My problem with coconut extract is that I don't use it much so wouldn't want to buy a whole bottle just to use a few drops in these cupcakes.

    Photo of two cupcakes topped with white frosting against a grey background

    I decided to make a simple coconut frosting using coconut whipped cream sweetened with a little maple syrup.

    How to make the coconut frosting:

    • Keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight (or for at least 12 hours) for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom
    • Make sure you use full-fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to whip it up
    • Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid
    • Save the watery liquid you pour off for adding to soups or smoothies
    • Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl along with the maple syrup and vanilla extract
    • Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the frosting until light and fluff
    • Make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before applying the frosting, otherwise it will melt

    Tip: The recipe below yields a medium-sized amount of frosting per cupcake. However, if you do want to apply a generous amount of frosting (like in my photos), I’d recommend doubling the amount of frosting.

    Then all you need to do is sprinkle over a heap of nutty, sweet, fragrant desiccated coconut. You can use toasted desiccated coconut (like for my Coconut Cream Pie), but I like to keep it easy and just use desiccated coconut straight from the packet!

    Photo of a cupcake topped with white frosting with a bite taken out of it against a grey background

    Equipment you'll need to make these Coconut Cupcakes:

    • glass mixing bowl – for mixing the cupcake sponge batter
    • measuring jug – for measuring out the plant-based milk
    • muffin/cupcake tin – for baking the cupcakes
    • cooling rack – to leave the cupcakes to cool on before applying the frosting
    • electric whisk – for whipping up the coconut cream to make the coconut frosting
    • a knife, a spatula, or a piping bag - to apply the frosting, depending on how fancy you want to be

    Photo of three cupcakes topped with white frosting taken from above

    How long do these Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cupcakes keep for?

    Although these cupcakes do taste best when fresh, they do keep well covered in the fridge for up to a few days. For super fluffy frosting, make the frosting fresh and top the cupcakes with it just before serving – the frosting does set well, however, and frosted cupcakes will keep their shape and texture for up to a few days in the fridge.

    More gluten-free vegan cupcake recipes:

    • Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
    • Carrot Cake Cupcakes
    • Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Red Velvet Cupcakes

    If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

    Photo of a cupcake topped with white frosting with a bite taken out of it against a grey background

    Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cupcakes

    These Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cupcakes are moist and fluffy, luxuriously creamy, and fragrant and coconutty!
    4.42 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: gluten-free vegan cupcakes, vegan coconut cake, vegan coconut cupcakes
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 12 cupcakes
    Calories: 281kcal
    Author: Rhian Williams

    Ingredients

    For the cupcakes:

    • 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
    • 200 ml (⅘ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of salt
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
    • 2 heaped teaspoons (2 heaped teaspoons) baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

    For the frosting**:

    • 400 g (14 oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk ***
    • 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    To decorate:

    • 12 teaspoons desiccated coconut

    Instructions

    For the cupcakes:

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
    • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
    • Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
    • Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
    • Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
    • Transfer mixture between 12 cupcake cases in a cupcake tin
    • Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean
    • Once out the oven, transfer cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely before applying the frosting

    For the frosting:

    • You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full-fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
    • Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
    • Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
    • Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract
    • Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy

    To frost and decorate the cupcakes:

    • Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a knife, spatula or piping bag to apply an even amount of frosting to each of the cupcakes
    • Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of desiccated coconut over each cupcake
    • Best when fresh, but keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days

    Notes

    *You can alternatively use almond flour
    **This frosting recipe yields a medium-sized amount of frosting per cupcake. However, if you do want to apply a generous amount of frosting (like in my photos), I’d recommend doubling the amount of frosting.
    ***You can alternatively use 200g (7oz) thick coconut yogurt
    Although these cupcakes do taste best when fresh, they do keep well covered in the fridge for up to a few days. For super fluffy frosting, make the frosting fresh and top the cupcakes with it just before serving – the frosting does set well, however, and frosted cupcakes will keep their shape and texture for up to a few days in the fridge.
    Nutrition Facts
    Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cupcakes
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 281 Calories from Fat 171
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 19g29%
    Saturated Fat 11g55%
    Sodium 51mg2%
    Potassium 140mg4%
    Carbohydrates 25g8%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 13g14%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin C 1.3mg2%
    Calcium 89mg9%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

    Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nicole

      February 22, 2021 at 12:57 am

      What flour could you substitute to make these nut free?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        February 22, 2021 at 1:23 pm

        Ground sunflower seeds, or a fifth of the amount coconut flour!

    2. Thuy

      March 28, 2021 at 2:12 pm

      Can I sub almond flour for same amount of GF flour?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        March 28, 2021 at 2:43 pm

        Unfortunately that won't work in terms of texture! You can replace the almond flour with ground walnuts or ground sunflower seeds, though!

    3. June

      January 21, 2022 at 1:34 am

      5 stars
      Delicious cupcakes! The recipe is easy and the ingredients are so simple, yet the cupcakes are amazingly light! These light delicious cupcakes are perfect for birthdays and springtime events.

      Thank you for another great recipe, Rhian!

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        January 21, 2022 at 2:30 pm

        Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!!

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    Photo of Rhian Williams from Rhian's Recipes

    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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