Gluten-Free Jello Cupcakes (Dairy-Free)

These moist and delicious gluten-free Jello cupcakes are bursting with flavor and are perfect for special occasions like bridal showers, baby showers, and special holidays like St. Patrick’s Day or the 4th of July. Use any flavor of Jello to match the occasion.

Let me show you how to make these yummy cupcakes! You’ll never miss the gluten or dairy.

How to Make Gluten-Free Jello Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix gluten-free flour, cornstarch, Jello, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together, set aside. 

Place apple cider vinegar into a glass measuring cup and then add in enough almond milk to make one cup. Stir and then set aside. This is our “buttermilk”. 

In a large bowl use a hand mixer, or stand mixer, and beat the buttery spread until creamy then add in sugar and continue beating until completely creamed together. Next, mix in the vanilla, and then add one egg at a time and combine. 

Now add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and combine.

Next, beat in half of the “buttermilk”. After it’s all combined together repeat with the rest of the flour and then the “buttermilk”. Mix until batter is fully combined and smooth.

Line a muffin pan with cupcake holders and lightly oil them with cooking spray.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with the cake batter.

Bake for 25-27 minutes. Do a toothpick test to make sure the centers are done.

Let cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove from the pan and place directly on the wire rack to cool. 

Repeat the process with the rest of the cake batter until it’s all baked. 

Frosting: 

►To make a really good dairy-free frosting with palm oil shortening it’s going to take at least ten minutes of total beating time but it will be so worth it! Also, check your powdered sugar before using it. If it is lumpy then sifting it through a wire mesh strainer will make it easier to mix. 

• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the shortening for several minutes until very creamy and soft. Add in one cup of powdered sugar and beat until completely mixed in and creamy. Mix in the coconut oil.

• Beat in another cup of powdered sugar and then add the almond milk, vanilla, salt, and a few drops of food coloring (optional).  Beat until creamy. 

• Then add the last cup of powdered sugar and beat until completely creamy and then beat another minute. 

• Frost the cupcakes once they are completely cooled. 

Special Ingredients for Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cupcakes:

• Gluten-Free Flour: My favorite blends that I love and that I recommend are Better Batter and Pamela’s Artisan Blend.
• Dairy-Free Buttery Spread: Smart Balance or Earth Balance
• Shortening: Spectrum Organic All-Vegetable Shortening
• Refined Coconut Oil: I recommend refined coconut oil because it does not have a strong coconut flavor.
• Food Coloring: McCormick’s food coloring is now labeled gluten-free, so thank you McCormick’s and Watkins have a line of no artificial dyes food coloring that is also gluten-free.

More Gluten-Free Desserts That You’ll Love:

Gluten-Free Honey Bun Cake
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Gluten-Free Lemon Brownies
Gluten-Free Fudgy Brownies

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