These chocolate strawberry cupcakes are moist, tender, gluten free and loaded with rich and decadent chocolate flavor. They are topped with a creamy, dairy free strawberry buttercream that's made from freeze-dried strawberries then topped with a chocolate-covered strawberry.
Is there anything more delicious than chocolate and strawberries? I don't think so! I always get rave reviews on my gluten-free chocolate strawberry cake and decided to recreate the same flavor combination with these cupcakes. These sweet treats give a new meaning to two desserts in one and make a perfect Valentines Day Dessert.
These gluten and dairy-free cupcakes are rich and chocolaty with a sweet strawberry flavor, thanks to the crushed Great Value Freeze Dried Strawberry Fruit Crisps I use in the buttercream frosting. I also top them with chocolate-covered strawberries to complete the look and flavor profile. One bite, and all your guests will fall in love.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
- Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Video
- Ingredients
- Equipment
- Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Top Tips
- Storage
- What to Serve with Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Tips
- FAQ
- More Cupcake Recipes
- Related
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
- It uses simple ingredients you can find in your kitchen, at the grocery store, or online.
- It's an easy recipe that takes very little effort.
- The cupcakes are extra chocolaty and rich in addition to the strawberry buttercream being so decadent.
- Chocolate and strawberries are a classic pairing almost everyone loves.
- It makes a great weeknight dessert, afternoon snack, or addition to any party.
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Video
Ingredients
These cupcakes might look fancy, however, the ingredients could not be easier! They're simple, basic baking ingredients you can find anywhere. Even the gluten-free flour is readily available almost everywhere.
Cupcake Base
- Sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Singing Dog Vanilla vanilla extract
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Boiling water
- Baking powder
- OliveNation 22/24 Fat Dutched cocoa powder
- Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
Strawberry Buttercream
- Country Crock Avocado Oil plant-based butter
- Great Value Freeze Dried Strawberry Fruit Crisps
- Powdered sugar
- Singing Dog Vanilla vanilla extract
- Salt
- Dairy-free heavy cream
For the Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
- Nestle's allergen-friendly, dairy-free chocolate chips
- coconut oil
- Fresh strawberries
See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Food processor
- Stand mixer
- 24-count muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
- Fine mesh sieve
- Piping bag with a star tip
- Wire cooling rack
- Toothpicks
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes Variations and Substitutions
- You can use traditional flour, butter, and cream if you have no dietary restrictions.
- Next, I prefer Dutched cocoa powder, but you can use whatever cocoa powder you prefer.
- Also think about adding chopped freeze-dried strawberries to the cupcake batter for even more strawberry flavor.
- Add a bit of instant coffee or strong brewed coffee for even deeper chocolate flavor.
- Add black cocoa powder to the cupcake batter and red food coloring to the frosting to make a Halloween-themed version that's a great pairing with my spider web brownies at parties!
If you love fun variations on chocolate cupcakes like this one, then try my gluten-free red velvet oreo cupcakes.
How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Making these cupcakes only requires a basic knowledge of the kitchen. Just follow the directions, and you'll end up with moist, tender, and super-rich chocolate strawberry cupcakes that will have everyone coming back for more.
The Cupcake Base
1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and add cupcake liners to a 24-count muffin tin.
2: Then, whisk the baking powder, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt in a stand mixer.
3: Next, add the oil and the eggs and mix on medium speed until completely incorporated.
4: Then, add the sugar, vanilla, and boiling water and mix on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes until completely combined.
5: Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for 14 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6: Finally, transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
The Frosting
7: Blend the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor until powdery. Then, sift through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining thick pieces.
8: Beat the butter on high for 2 minutes in a stand mixer until creamy. Then, add the powdered strawberries, vanilla extract, salt, half the powdered sugar, and half the heavy cream.
9: Mix for 1 minute until fully combined, then add the remaining powdered sugar and heavy cream and mix on high for 2 to 4 minutes until creamy. Adjust as necessary with more heavy cream to reach your desired frosting consistency.
10: Using a piping bag with a star tip, frost the tops of the cupcakes.
11: Wash and pat the strawberries dry.
12: Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth.
13: Place a toothpick into the top of each strawberry.
14: Dip the strawberries in the melted chocolate and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
15: Chill the strawberries for 15 minutes to harden the coating. Next, drizzle the chilled strawberries with any remaining chocolate and chill again for another 10 minutes.
16: Top the cupcakes with the chocolate-covered strawberries.
Top Tips
If you want to make these chocolate cupcakes dairy free like I did, I certainly recommend using Country Crock avocado oil, plant-based butter, and Nestle's allergen-friendly, dairy-free chocolate chips. These are high-quality products, and I've had the best results with them.
To pipe the strawberry buttercream frosting I used a Wilton 1M piping tip.
Storage
As I have noted, you can store these cupcakes at room temperature for a few days. If you need them to last longer, you can put them in refrigerator to make them last longer in a similar fashion. I don't recommend refrigerating them unless absolutely necessary, as it can dry them out a bit.
Room Temperature: Store covered for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
These cupcakes are delicious with a cup of coffee or tea or a glass of plant-based milk. They can also be served alongside your other favorite sweet treats in addition to being part of a larger dessert table for special occasions.
Tips
- Bring the eggs to room temperature before mixing them into the batter for the best rise and texture.
- A stand mixer makes this recipe so much easier.
- I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour. I find it gives the best texture to these cupcakes.
- Always make sure your water is at a rolling boil before adding it to the cupcake batter ingredients.
- Your strawberries should be completely dry to ensure your chocolate coating adheres to them.
- Measuring your flour by weight will guarantee that you do not end up with dry cupcakes.
FAQ
Yes, they are! Gluten-free baking has come a long way, and today, most gluten-free baked goods are just as light, moist, and tender as traditional baked items.
Yes! Much like gluten-free baking, dairy-free baking has come a long way since its early days. Today, it's hard to tell the difference between dairy-free and traditional baked goods.
Dense cupcakes are usually the result of adding too much dry ingredients. To avoid this, measure your flour by weight or lightly spoon it into your measuring cup and level off with a knife to avoid compacting the flour.
Gluten-free flour weights can vary by manufacturer, but for this recipe, a cup of Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour weighs 150g.
I purchased my freeze-dried strawberries from Walmart but you can get them at places like Target and on Amazon.
Store these cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an air tight container.
Absolutely, you can store your unfrosted chocolate cupcakes in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Cupcake Recipes
If you love decadent, delicious cupcakes like these, then try my other tasty cupcake recipes!
- Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Dairy-Free Margarita Cupcakes
- Dairy-Free Cupcakes with Hazelnut Buttercream
Related
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Video
Equipment
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Singing Dog Vanilla vanilla extract
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup OliveNation 22/24 Fat Dutched cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup Country Crock Avocado Oil plant-based butter
- 1 oz Great Value Freeze Dried Strawberry Fruit Crisps
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon Singing Dog Vanilla vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup dairy-free heavy cream plus 2 to 3 tablespoons if necessary
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- 1 cup Nestle's allergen-friendly, dairy-free chocolate chips
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and add cupcake liners to a 24-count muffin tin.
- Whisk the baking powder, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt in a stand mixer.
- Add the oil and eggs and mix on medium speed until completely incorporated.
- Add the sugar, vanilla, and boiling water, and mix on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until completely combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for 14 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Blend the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until powdery. Then, sift through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining thick pieces.
- Beat the butter on high for 2 minutes in a stand mixer until creamy.
- Add the powdered strawberries, vanilla extract, half the powdered sugar, and half the heavy cream. Mix for 1 minute until fully combined. Add the other half of the heavy cream and powdered sugar and mix on high for 2 to 4 minutes until creamy.
- Adjust the frosting as necessary with more heavy cream to reach your desired consistency.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
- Wash and pat the strawberries dry.
- Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth.
- Place a toothpick into the top of each strawberry and dip them in the melted chocolate, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you go.
- Chill the chocolate-covered strawberries for 15 minutes to allow the coating to harden.
- Drizzle the chocolate-covered strawberries with any remaining chocolate and chill for another 10 minutes.
Decorate
- Using a piping bag with a star tip, frost the tops of the cupcakes.
- Top each frosted cupcake with a chocolate-covered strawberry.
Notes
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Chill cupcakes without the strawberry decoration, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to a month.
- Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Refrigerating the cupcakes isn't recommended, as it can dry them out.
- Bring your water to a rolling boil before adding it to the batter ingredients to ensure the best mixing and texture.
- Mix your batter until just combined. Don't overdo it, or the cupcakes will be tough.
- If measuring your flour by weight, check the package for how much a cup weighs. Different 1:1 gluten-free flours can have different weights per cup.
Sivan says
I would love to bake these for my daughter's birthday as chocolate strawberry is her favourite combination and she loves cupcakes, thank you so much for this great recipe!
I am wondering will it work good if I add a filling in a hole in the cupcakes? She prefers it if cupcakes have filling in addition to yhe frost on top.
Of so, which filling do you think will best compliment the cupcakes' flavors? I was thinking something like Nutella, but am note sure how will it combine.
Thank you so much again for this great and easy to understand recipe 🙏
Nicole Kendrick says
Hi, Sivan! Yes, you can definitely add in Nutella filling. I think that would be a great flavor combination and really elevate the cupcakes! Once they are done baking poke a hole in the top of them and use a piping bag to fill the hole. Then add the frosting on top like normal! I hope your daughter had a great Birthday! -Nicole
Bev says
i cant believe these are so good even though they are dairy and gluten free! Tasted just like a chocolate covered strawberry!
Jean says
Just what the doctor ordered for my sweet tooth! And so pretty I almost didn't want to eat them! Almost.....
amy liu dong says
This recipe is hands down the best. It is so beautiful and delicious. I can't wait to make it at home!
Tisha says
Chocolate covered strawberries are always a classic, these cupcakes are the next level. Thanks for sharing!
Swathi says
My daughter lvoed this chocolate strawberry cupcakes. Strawberry and chocolate can never go wrong. Yumm
Criss says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Oscar says
I couldn’t get enough of these cupcakes! The combination of rich chocolate and the creamy strawberry frosting made from freeze-dried strawberries was a perfect match.
Swathi says
Chocolate strawberry cupcakes is delicious perfect treat. I enjoyed making it.