Gluten Free Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes
Description
Happy February!! As promised, I flipped the strawberry crunch bars from my Ice Cream Truck childhood into delicious, gluten free cupcakes! These might be my favorite recipe to date. They taste exactly how I remember the ice cream bars tasting, and they are perfect for Valentine’s Day! In my version, these light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes are filled with strawberry jam filling, topped with an airy whipped cream cheese frosting and covered in the most delicious homemade strawberry crunch topping! I am definitely going to have to find other desserts to sneak that crunch into. It is divine! Let me know what you think if you make them and if they evoke feelings of nostalgia for you too. I hope you enjoy. Happy February and Happy Baking!
- Gluten Free
- Vegetarian
- 30 minutes prep time
- 15 minutes cook time
- 0 minutes chill time
Recipe
Written recipe makes 14 cupcakes, video reflects 1/2 batch
Vanilla Cupcakes:
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
~1 1/3 cups (180g) gluten free flour blend
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons (9g) baking powder
1/2 cup (120ml) milk of choice
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling:
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon water (omit if using frozen fruit)
1/8 cup (25g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5ml) lemon juice
Whipped Cream Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
Vanilla Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 liners. Line a second standard cupcake pan with 2 liners (this recipe makes 14 cupcakes total). Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine oil, sugar and eggs. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
4. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minutes.
5. Distribute batter evenly between 14 cupcake liners.
6. Bake at 350°F for 15-17 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or tops spring back when pressed lightly with finger.
7. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and allow to cool completely on wire rack.
Strawberry Filling:
1. Thaw strawberries if using frozen fruit. Add strawberries to blender with water (if using fresh fruit) and puree until smooth.
2. Add pureed strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
3. Cook over medium heat until mixture is boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
4. Pour into an airtight container. Allow mixture to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature then refrigerate until cooled completely.
Whipped Cream Frosting:
1. Add cream cheese and powdered sugar to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer.
2. Beat together until smooth and well combined.
3. Slowly pour in heavy cream while beating and beat on high speed to medium peaks.
4. Add vanilla extract then beat on high to stiff peaks.
5. Transfer to piping bag and set aside.
Strawberry Crunch:
1. Pulse freeze dried strawberries in a blender or food processor until they become a fine powder.
2. Crush vanilla cookies until coarse crumbs.
3. Mix together the cookie crumbs and freeze dried strawberry powder.
Assembly:
1. Core out the middle of the cupcakes using a melon baller, spoon, or back of a piping tip, saving the inside for later.
2. Spoon or pipe a dollop of the cooled strawberry filling inside the middle of the hollowed out cupcake.
3. Top with reserved pieces of cupcake that you previously removed.
4. Add frosting to the top of each cupcake.
5. Cover with strawberry crunch topping.
6. Enjoy! These are best enjoyed on the day they are made so that the crunch topping doesn’t get soggy. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat!
Written recipe makes 14 cupcakes, video reflects 1/2 batch
Vanilla Cupcakes:
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
~1 1/3 cups (180g) gluten free flour blend
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons (9g) baking powder
1/2 cup (120ml) milk of choice
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling:
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon water (omit if using frozen fruit)
1/8 cup (25g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5ml) lemon juice
Whipped Cream Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
Strawberry Crunch:
1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries (I buy certified gluten free ones from Nuts.com)
10 Gluten Free Vanilla Cookies (I used Glutino Vanilla Creme)
Vanilla Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 liners. Line a second standard cupcake pan with 2 liners (this recipe makes 14 cupcakes total). Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine oil, sugar and eggs. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
4. Add remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minutes.
5. Distribute batter evenly between 14 cupcake liners.
6. Bake at 350°F for 15-17 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or tops spring back when pressed lightly with finger.
7. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and allow to cool completely on wire rack.
Strawberry Filling:
1. Thaw strawberries if using frozen fruit. Add strawberries to blender with water (if using fresh fruit) and puree until smooth.
2. Add pureed strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
3. Cook over medium heat until mixture is boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
4. Pour into an airtight container. Allow mixture to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature then refrigerate until cooled completely.
Whipped Cream Frosting:
1. Add cream cheese and powdered sugar to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer.
2. Beat together until smooth and well combined.
3. Slowly pour in heavy cream while beating and beat on high speed to medium peaks.
4. Add vanilla extract then beat on high to stiff peaks.
5. Transfer to piping bag and set aside.
Strawberry Crunch:
1. Pulse freeze dried strawberries in a blender or food processor until they become a fine powder.
2. Crush vanilla cookies until coarse crumbs.
3. Mix together the cookie crumbs and freeze dried strawberry powder.
Assembly:
1. Core out the middle of the cupcakes using a melon baller, spoon, or back of a piping tip, saving the inside for later.
2. Spoon or pipe a dollop of the cooled strawberry filling inside the middle of the hollowed out cupcake.
3. Top with reserved pieces of cupcake that you previously removed.
4. Add frosting to the top of each cupcake.
5. Cover with strawberry crunch topping.
6. Enjoy! These are best enjoyed on the day they are made so that the crunch topping doesn’t get soggy. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat!