Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

These gluten-free snickerdoodle cupcakes with sugar coated cranberries are perfect for the holiday season!

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A Twist on a Classic

Snickerdoodle cookies are a favorite, especially during Christmas, known for their soft, chewy texture and cinnamon sugar coating. The key ingredient, cream of tartar, gives them a distinct tang compared to regular sugar cookies.

Now, you can enjoy that same flavor in cupcake form! These Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cupcakes replicate the cookies' soft interior and sweetness, topped with cream cheese frosting that enhances the vanilla flavor. They're a perfect holiday dessert!

The Batter

The star of this recipe is the cupcake batter, which is soft and flavorful. For gluten-free baking, I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, known for its light, fluffy texture.

Start by mixing the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream of tartar, xanthan gum, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

For the wet ingredients, cream softened unsalted butter with brown and cane sugar using an electric mixer, starting on low and increasing to medium speed. Add two room temperature eggs one at a time, then mix in half a cup of plain Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of milk, and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. The Greek yogurt adds tang and keeps the cupcakes moist.

The Cupcakes

Now, we have one bowl of dry ingredients and one bowl of wet ingredients. So, you know what that means... it's time to combine them! Slowly sift in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. I like to add one fourth cup of the dry ingredients at a time while mixing on low speed. This ensures that the flavors are being well incorporated. As well, adding all the dry ingredients at once can make the recipe too thick at first. This can lead to over mixing the batter; which, will result in more dense, chewy texture.

When it comes to pouring the batter into the muffin liners, there's always the question.... How far should I fill it up? If you've made muffins or cupcakes before, then you've probably had the experience of filling the liners too high. Not only does this get messy really fast, but it also can ultimately ruin the cupcakes- at least the look of them. For this recipes, I fill the liners a little more than three fourths of the way with batter. The cupcakes will ultimately rise but will not go over the top and spread.

There should be enough batter to fill at least twelve muffin tins. If you're using a smaller tray, you may even have enough for fifteen! As much as possible, try to make sure that each liner has the same amount of batter in it. Then, all that's left to do is bake the cupcakes! Bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. When you remove the finished cupcakes from the oven, allow them to rest in the tin for at least ten minutes. Then, you can remove them and place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.

The Cream Cheese Frosting

You can't have gluten-free snickerdoodle cupcakes without frosting! The most important element when it comes to frosting cupcakes it allowing the cupcakes to fully cool and reach room temperature. If you frost the cupcakes too early, the frosting will melt. As hard as it can be to wait, trust me- it is worth it!

My cream cheese frosting has a special ingredient to it. Like the batter, I use a bit of plain Greek yogurt in my frosting. This ties the recipe together by ensuring the frosting isn't overly sweet. First thing is first, though: the cream cheese and butter. I like to put both ingredients out when I'm making the cupcake batter. I do this so that when it is time to make the frosting, the cream cheese and butter are already at room temperature. This makes it so much easier to mix the two together!

After the butter and cream cheese are thoroughly incorporated and creamy, it's time to sift in the powdered sugar. Sifting the sugar ensures that the frosting is smooth and doesn't have any lumps. Then, add a bit of plain Greek yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix again to incorporate. If the frosting is a little too loose, add another quarter cup of powdered sugar. Remember too that the frosting will firm up in the refrigerator. I like to allow my frosting to rest in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.

Finishing the Cupcakes

To frost the cupcakes, add your chilled frosting to a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a small corner cut off. Start from the outside of the cooled cupcake and create a circular pattern inward, building layers as you go.

For garnishes, coat fresh cranberries in sugar by wetting them and rolling them in cane or brown sugar, then place one or two on top. Add a cinnamon stick for a festive touch, perfect for holiday celebrations!