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    Home » Recipes » Gluten-Free Sweet Treats » Gluten-Free Apple Cider Cupcakes

    Gluten-Free Apple Cider Cupcakes

    November 12, 2018 By Chandice | 28 Comments | Updated October 30, 2020

    this post may contain affiliate links

    JUMP TO RECIPE
    These gluten-free apple cider cupcakes are moist and full of fall flavors. Warm cinnamon and apple come together in a great dessert that's perfect for Thanksgiving. www.glutenfreefrenzy.com

    These gluten-free apple cider cupcakes are abundant in warm fall flavors like cinnamon and apple. They are perfect for any harvest gathering.

    This post is created in partnership with Glutino

    Each bite of these gluten-free apple cider cupcakes is like a explosion of autumn flavors. Nobody would ever guess they are gluten-free!

    You guys are going to love these gluten-free apple cider cupcakes. One of my favorite things to do during the cooler months of fall is to bake.

    I don’t just want to bake anything though. No, I want to bake treats and bread loafs full of cozy fall flavors like cinnamon, cloves, apple and nutmeg. Just like our apple cider cupcakes and these darling pumpkin spice cake pops have in them. 

    Similar flavors to our chocolate dipped pumpkin spice donuts. These gluten-free apple cider cupcakes totally take the cake (no pun intended) and leave me feeling ready for leaf jumping and cider sipping!

    While I typically love gifting friends with spiced zucchini bread this time of year, I wanted to change it up.

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    Cupcakes are great for my friends with kids and at gatherings because they are so much easier to serve. I also love getting creative with the cupcake liners we use and packaging.

    I am a big fan of single cupcake boxes tied in rustic twine and a cute kraft label. These thankful tags were found at one of my favorite places…the dollar spot in Target.

    I love that they are both affordable and so cute. They really take the gift to the next level by providing text in a gorgeous foil print that I couldn’t create on my own.

    My favorite thing about this recipe is that it can be made semi-homemade which totally saves you time in the kitchen.

    I don’t know about all of you but with the holiday season just weeks away, I want to save my “baking from scratch” energy until then. I promise you though, nobody will ever know the difference.

    Good news, if you like to bake from scratch all year around. We have a variation that includes a from scratch cake mix. Glutino brand products make it tough for even the most avid gluten eater to tell the difference.

    Their yellow cake mix and their all -purpose flour are both delicious and affordable. I love that they are also readily available at most grocery stores.

    If you need another great cake recipe, GF Jules has the BEST gluten-free cake recipe. 

    Need an EASY and delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert?
    Take a look at my Sheet Pan Meals and More!

    NEED MORE GOODNESS? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter for great recipes, entertaining ideas and more!

    Gluten-Free Apple Cider Cupcakes

    These gluten-free apple cider cupcakes are moist and full of fall flavors. Warm cinnamon and apple come together in a great dessert that's perfect for Thanksgiving. www.glutenfreefrenzy.com
    4.5 from 2 votes
    These gluten-free apple cider cupcakes are going to be your new favorite fall dessert! They are always a crowd pleaser and nobody even knows they are gluten-free.
    PRINT RECIPE
    Prep Time: 20 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 40 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: apple cider cupcake recipe, easy cupcake recipe, gluten free apple cupcakes
    Servings: 12 cupcakes
    Calories: 251kcal
    Author: Chandice Probst

    Ingredients

    • 15 oz bag gluten-free yellow cake mix
    • .5 c butter melted
    • 2 eggs
    • .5 c apple cider
    • 1 t cinnamon
    • 4 oz cream cheese
    • .3 c apple cider
    • 2 t butter
    • 2 c powdered sugar
    • 2 tsp cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° and prepare cupcake pan with baking cups
    • In a stand mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, butter, 1 T cinnamon and 1/2 C apple cider together and mix well
    • Fill greased cupcake liners 2/3 full
    • Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean
    • While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting by beating cream cheese and butter until fluffy
    • Mix in 1/3 C apple cider and 2 tsp. cinnamon
    • Slowly add in the powdered sugar. *If it is too thick, add more powdered sugar slowly
    • After the cupcakes have cooled, top with apple cider frosting and a sprinkling more of cinnamon

    Notes

    Using real cider rather than just apple juice gives it a stronger flavor I feel like. If you can't find it, apple juice will do.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 0.3mg

    If you like this recipe, you are going to love these other fall flavor treats…

    How delicious are these chocolate dipped pumpkin spice donuts?! SO yummy and easy to make! They are also gluten-free, dairy-free and so delicious that anybody will love them. Serve these tasty treats at your next Halloween party for a great dessert. glutenfreefrenzy.com

    Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Spice DonutsGluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Donuts

    Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Donuts

    Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Pear Mason Jar Pies

    These gluten-free caramel apple pear mason jar pies are perfect for summer and especially for the 4th of July! They have all the summer flavors you love in personal size containers. Enjoy this dessert with minimal clean up at your next BBQ.

    *This is a sponsored post by Glutino. I was provided with monetary compensation and products. Opinions are all my own and truly reflective of how we feel about these products. We love Glutino brand and use their products ALL the time! 🙂

    *Originally published September 2016

    Share:

    Filed Under: Gluten-Free Sweet Treats, Thanksgiving Dinner Tagged With: apple, apple cider, cupcakes, sweet treats, thanksgiving

    Chandice of This Vivacious Life

    Hi, I'm Chandice!

    Parties, gatherings, gorgeous food and ESPECIALLY holidays with my people are what make my heart pitter patter. Having a place to share our favorite traditions, recipes and celebrations is very important to me. I live each day with unapologetic, authentic happiness and hope to help others do the same. More About Chandice

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Abby says

      November 11, 2019 at 9:02 pm

      I’m confused by the fact that the ratio of ingredients is about 4 parts dry to 1 part liquid (I made the batter but it’s not even holding together like dough much less looking like batter)…am I doing something wrong? Or will the cupcakes somehow turn out fine anyway?

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 12, 2019 at 3:29 am

        They are runny but it will turn out. Mine always did… Let me know

        Reply
        • Abby says

          January 04, 2020 at 11:50 pm

          No, I mean that that ratio is incredibly dry (most cupcake recipes are 2-3 parts dry to one part liquid) – for me the batter was so crumbly it barely even resembled dough, but when packed into a cupcake liner, they somehow baked just fine and tasted great. 😉

    2. C says

      December 18, 2018 at 11:30 pm

      The recipe calls for one cup of cider. A half cup goes in the batter and one-third in the frosting though doesn’t equal one cup. What am I missing?

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        December 23, 2018 at 3:51 am

        I apologize it has been updated. There is only 1/2 cup in the batter and 1/3 cup in the frosting.

        Reply
    3. Vanessa says

      November 28, 2018 at 7:19 pm

      Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 29, 2018 at 7:43 pm

        Most gluten-free goodies keep for a few days. The fridge will dry them out so I would store them covered on the counter. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Alie says

      November 23, 2018 at 2:30 pm

      Hiya! Do you use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 27, 2018 at 4:32 am

        I always use salted but either will work. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Celina says

      November 18, 2018 at 3:09 am

      Where does the xantham gum come in to play? It’s mentioned in the list of ingredients but not in the directions. Thanks for he help!

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 19, 2018 at 7:10 pm

        Hi Celina, you either use a GF cake mix OR use the other ingredients listed in parentheses including the xanthan gum to make a homemade gf cake mix, not both. Hope you enjoy them! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Allison says

      February 07, 2018 at 6:24 pm

      Where is the recipe for the apple cider frosting for the gluten -free apple cider cupcakes?

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        February 07, 2018 at 9:02 pm

        Its right there in the post. It says, while cupcakes are baking, prepare frosting then goes on to explain how… 🙂

        Reply
    7. Lana says

      December 20, 2017 at 12:05 am

      How many cupcakes does this yield?

      Reply
    8. Lana says

      December 20, 2017 at 12:03 am

      How many cupcakes does this make?

      Reply
    9. Noel G says

      November 18, 2017 at 8:11 pm

      I doubled my recipe and the frosting is waaaay to thin even with extra sugar. Any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 19, 2017 at 5:28 am

        Did you only do the 1/3 C apple cider in the frosting? The other 2/3 goes in the cupcake batter…

        Reply
        • Brittany says

          November 19, 2017 at 8:42 pm

          I followed your directions for the frosting and my turned out thin as well, even with adding a little extra sugar. Thoughts?

        • Chandice says

          November 23, 2017 at 5:41 am

          You can cut the apple cider by half and keep the sugar the same.

    10. Paula Schlotterbeck says

      November 08, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      This look absolutely wonderful! I’m a Celiac and I’m hoping to make these as a treat for both myself and my family. Do you have a particular brand of apple cider that you would recommend? Thank you so much for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 08, 2017 at 9:24 pm

        You bet, I am so excited for you to make them! 🙂 You can use any apple cider from the store however, don’t use sparkling. Enjoy!

        Reply
    11. Dee says

      November 04, 2017 at 4:59 pm

      2 C (Cups)? of Powdered sugar seems extreme
      Is it a typo?

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 07, 2017 at 3:14 am

        Nope, you need a lot to make the frosting. That is actually much less than most people use in their frostings.

        Reply
    12. Nikki says

      November 21, 2016 at 9:19 pm

      These look wonderful and I’m excited to try them for Thanksgiving!! Do you know approximately how many cupcakes this recipe makes? I’m not sure if I should double the batch. Thank you in advance :-). -Nikki

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 23, 2016 at 3:54 am

        Hi Nikki, I am so excited for you to make them too! This recipe made about two dozen. Can’t wait to hear how the family enjoys it. Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Sue says

      November 18, 2016 at 1:02 pm

      Your packaging is adorable. Where did you find the box and tag? Looking forward to trying your recipe as it looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Chandice says

        November 23, 2016 at 3:56 am

        Aw, thank you so much Sue! 🙂 I actually ordered it with a bunch of other bakery boxes for gifting specifically through a bakery wholesale website. The tags were found in the Target dollar bin. Love that area!

        Reply

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    Chandice of This Vivacious Life

    Hi there, I’m Chandice!

    I love sharing ways to live more vivaciously! Celebrate life with us through unforgettable gluten-free recipes, easy mocktails and everyday entertaining ideas…

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