Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

strawberry cupcakes

Strawberry Cupcakes

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I am beyond tickled to announce the forthcoming publication of my second book Gluten-Free Cupcakes on April 26th, 2011. Gluten-Free Cupcakes is truly a labor of love, as my boys were very involved in its conception and development. What child doesn’t love cupcakes? I could not have done this book without the boys, now 12 and 11 respectively.

When my editor and I settled on a recipe list for the book, the first thing I did was print out two copies, one for each of the boys. They sat on the couch, read through the list, and then I queried them, “Which recipes do you like? Are there any that you want removed? Are we missing anything?”

My two little editors-in-chief, had quite a lot of feedback for me. Baseball Cupcakes easily made the cut. Then the concept of a cheesecake cupcake was added by my younger son, and a marble cupcake was added by my older son. That’s just a highlight of our late night conversations, late night being before 9pm in our house, at least when it comes to children. Many a night after the boys were in bed, I was up baking cupcakes until 2 or 3 am.

Below is my recipe for these amazing nut-free Strawberry Cupcakes from Gluten-Free Cupcakes. It is one of my younger son’s favorite desserts!

Print Recipe
Strawberry Cupcakes
Serves:8cupcakes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
  2. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners
  3. In a large bowl, combine coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla extract
  5. Blend wet ingredients into coconut flour mixture with a hand blender until combined
  6. Fold in the strawberries
  7. Scoop batter into each prepared muffin cup
  8. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached
  9. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 1 hour
  10. Frost with Whipped Cream Frosting or Strawberry Meringue Frosting (pg.92) Gluten-Free Cupcakes
  11. Serve

My favorite recipe in Gluten-Free Cupcakes is the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes which are not only gluten and grain-free, but egg-free too!

Here are some of my easy paleo dessert recipes that use strawberries!

Comments

  2. Followed recipe exactly, baked them for 23 minutes in my toaster oven and they are perfect! Served them unfrosted as muffins and now I won’t feel bad eating them for breakfast!
    Thanks elana!

    Reply

  3. Your frosting looks like there might be pieces of strawberries in it. Do you have a strawberry frosting recipe?

    Would like to make your recipe for a friend’s birthday dinner tomorrow evening… and hopeful you’re able to reply.

    Thank you, Elena.

    Reply

  4. Can you substitute egg for something else? Want to make this for my sons first birthday but I haven’t introduced egg whites yet..thanks

    Reply

  8. I just wanted to thank you so much for posting all these wonderful nut free recipes. I am very creative, but with a nut allergy in my home it gets tricky. This was a wonderful gift today…Great to know your recipes are tested right here in Colorado, I do not need adjust for altitude….

    Reply

  9. I made these cupcakes yesterday for my son’s kindergarten birthday celebration. I was worried the other kids might not like them because they aren’t used to eating grain and sugar free, but I was wrong… only one kid in his class didn’t ask for a second cupcake (I made them mini sized). One kid even said he wished his mom would make cupcakes this yummy :) Elana, thanks so much for the hard work you put into your website and offering up delicious recipes for those of us who like to bake in ways more nourishing for our bodies.

    Reply

  10. Hi Elana I live in Korea where it is hard to purchase coconut flour, & I was wondering if I could maybe subsitute it with a nut-flour instead? If so how do i sub it in, thanks!

    Reply

  11. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I just made these and they were moist and delicious! I didn’t have strawberries so I used cherries and they turned out great. I’m sure I’ll just be using whatever fruit I have on hand when I make them from now on. I also wanted to share that mine turned out huge and I will probably be making 9 of them from now on – wondering if it has to do with baking them in Seattle climate after reading others reviews.

    Reply

  12. Elana:
    Do you ever bake your g/f cupcakes in silicone ‘pans’? I have been looking into these to save on all of the papers we go through, but I’m not sure they’ll give the same results. Any advice?
    Thanks,
    Amy

    Reply

  14. Folks should check out Bruce Fife’s suggestion for cooking with coconut flour………..he uses liquid lecethin and coconut oil to prep pans for baking……..works great. lyn

    Reply

  15. Made a batch last night- I did about 1/4c honey, a few TBS of sugar/stevia blend, and about 1 TBS coconut oil to make up for some of the moisture from not using agave. Couldn’t find my arrowroot, so I subbed potato starch. I topped them with cream cheese frosting- really good cupcakes! :)

    Reply

  16. I made these last night and subbed 1/2 cup agave with 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup buttermilk. They turned out wonderfully, better than anything else I’ve made with coconut flour.

    Reply

  17. Anyone have ideas for how to make this recipe into a cake rather than a cupcake? Healthiest Strawberry cupcake recipe I have found yet but need a round cake for my daughter’s birthday. Any thoughts on cooking times, etc? Thx!

    Reply

  18. I just tried these tonight and they are delicious! Very sweet, nice strawberry flavor and really moist. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

  19. Hi Elana! I made this cupcake last night and baked it at 350.. i put the timer on for 20 minutes and came back to check on them at 16 minutes and the tops were starting to burn. I immediately checked to see if they were done (and they were) and took them out. Unfortunately, not only did the tops have black bits but later when we ate them the bottom’s were burnt too. Not sure what I did wrong or if my oven is just gets too hot. The top half that wasn’t burned was moist but the bottom, not so much. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  20. Hello Elana, I want to surprise my niece by having a gluten free cake at my daughters first birthday party. My niece sent me a copy of your recipe a few months ago, and I’d like to know how to adapt the recipe to make it for a 9″ round 2 layer cake and a 6″ round 2 layer cake. I hope to hear from you soon.

    Reply

  21. Hi Elana,
    Am overjoyed to have stumbled upon your site – cant wait to try the chocolate recipes in particular, as well as the almond bread (the primary reason for stumbling upon your site actually). I have one Q for you though – you are so beautiful and slim, how on earth is that possible with all the baking that you do? Granted you dont use wheat products but still, dessert is still dessert! I love baking and have gained a stone in one year! So what’s your secret if you dont mind my asking?

    Reply

  22. I am so excited to try these for my daughter’s 3rd birthday party tomorrow! A couple of her friends have Celiac’s and this is a great alternative (to traditional cupcakes) for her Strawberry Shortcake themed birthday party :-)

    Reply

  24. These are super yummy! Reminds me of the taste of yellow cake. I substituted Coconut Secret coconut nectar for the agave nectar. I also made these with chopped bananas and chocolate chips in place strawberries the second time I made them, and reduced the sweetener a bit, and they were amazing! Thanks for this recipe. :-)

    Reply

    • Also, I found that for appearance’s sake it’s best to smooth down the tops of the batter with a spoon before baking, because if there are little peaks they don’t “melt down” during baking. If you’re going to frost them I guess that doesn’t matter, though.

      Reply

  25. The cupcakes are absolutely gorgeous little cupcakes! I made these for my family and they turned out as good as yours. Very delicious indeed!! Great recipe!!

    Reply

  26. Elana,

    Reviewing your book has truly been the highlight of the season. At this point, we have tried nearly every recipe and have loved every one of them.

    xo,

    SunnyB

    Reply

  27. hi elana –

    thanks so much for the recipe. i am crazy about strawberries – muffins, cupcakes, smoothies – anything.

    i tried this recipe twice and both times they came out very dry and hard and they didn’t rise one bit, even to flatten themselves out on top (so they had little tips that burned). i am not an expert baker by any means but i bake quite a bit and know i got things right as far as oven temp, measuring, fresh ingredients, etc. not sure if you need to do something different for a gas oven vs electric. any recommendations?

    thanks!
    jen

    Reply

    • Hi Jen,

      Happy to help you trouble shoot this recipe. Let’s start with the ingredients –did you use coconut flour? If so, which brand. Next, did you use large eggs? Using another size would make these dry and hard. Finally, what about arrowroot –which brand?

      One other thought –is your oven properly calibrated? I can explain how to do this if need be.

      Happy to get to work with you.

      Elana

      Reply

    • Mine did the exact same thing as yours- did not rise, very dry, and had burnt whisps at top. Did you find out any pointers? I am new to using coconut flour but did measure it correctly, use large eggs, etc. Trying to perfect these for my daughters bday party. Used coconut secret raw coconut flour from whole foods and Bobs Red Mill Arrowroot. Would love any feedback!

      Reply

  28. I made this recipe tonight for my family and this was my first foray into GF baking. These were amazing! I don’t use agave so I replaced it w/honey 1 for 1 and they turned out fabulously! I made a double batch but only had enough cupcake liners for 8 cupcakes so I did half w/and half w/out. The half w/is fine and the pan cleaned up easily, though I also had issues w/this batch falling in the center (cooked at same time as batch w/out liners, same temp, same ingred. amts., etc). The half w/out stuck to the non-stick pan even after I applied cooking spray to the cups. It took FOR.ever to clean the unlined tin! LOL Lesson learned! But the batch w/out the liners didn’t fall int he center. Not sure what one would have to do w/the other, but… Anyway, my family thought they were amazing! I topped them w/a cream cheese frosting w/strawberries folded in as I’m just not that crazy about whipped cream frostings. The cream cheese frosting went so well w/the cupcakes. Yum! I’m so adding this recipe to my rep!

    Reply

  29. I made these yesterday and they turned out OK.I did not make the icing. I prefer the banana cupcakes. These didn’t really taste like strawberry. Maybe because the strawberries I used were not in season (I live in Canada). These turned out really sweet. If I were to make them again I would not put in as much Agave. Also, I had to take them out earlier than the alloted time, so monitor them.

    Reply

  30. I just made these and the flavor is great, but they completely sunk in the middle! What did I do wrong? They overflowed at first and then sunk, so they look like bowls! Thanks!

    Reply

  32. just one bite of these scrumptious cupcakes, made me log-on to amazon and order your new book. just gave your book and this recipe a promo on my FB page! blessings, Kelly

    Reply

  33. Hi Elana,

    These look so yummy! I would love to make them this weekend and have everything I need on hand with the exception of “celtic” sea salt. Will regular sea salt work?

    Please advise.
    Thank you!
    ~Mayra

    Reply

  34. I made sure to pack the coconut flour to get the right measure. While making my second batch I had to step away after I mixed all the ingredients,and it was several minutes before I put the batter in the pan. It thickened up quite a bit, and the cupcakes came out much denser than my first batch.

    Reply

  35. I just pulled these out of the oven for Easter Dinner and am letting them cool. My first baked item with coconut flour and they look and smell amazing!

    Reply

  37. I just made these and they were AMAZING. I didn’t have agave so I used 50% raw honey and 50% spoonable stevia. I also lightened them up using 2 eggs and 1/2c egg whites. They were so delightful I didn’t put any frosting on mine but put chocolate frosting on my husbands batch….let’s just say they were so good, I frosted them for him at 4pm and there were none left by 845pm. Wow. Big hit in my house! Can’t wait to get your new book in the mail

    Reply

  38. Eeek. Made these tonight for the big family Easter dinner tomorrow, and while they are delicious, the one I tried stuck so badly to the paper wrapper that half of it remained behind! Any ideas why that happens? And any suggestions for salvaging them somehow?

    Thanks! :)

    Reply

      • Katie & Felicia,

        Thanks for your comments.

        I would try cooling the cupcakes in the pan for 2 hours instead of the recommended cooling time of 1 hour.

        Also, be sure to use fresh, not frozen strawberries as frozen strawberries will not work in this recipe and will make the cupcakes stick to the wrapper.

        Elana

        Reply

  39. Oh crap. I fear I will make these far too often. First batch I made with tapioca starch in mini cupcake pans. No frosting needed. Wowza!

    Reply

  40. I love your website and recipes. I have the almond flour cookbook and already pre-ordered your new book. Thanks. I recently heard that agave surup/nectar is just as bad as HFCS (high fructose corn surup), in fact some people say it is worse and has HFCS in it. Dr. Mercola for one. Check it out on the web. It is not natural and lab generated. I have always used xylitol in your recipes. It is acually good for you. Or I may use stevia as a sweetner. I have an autistic son hence gluten free recipes and am constanly doing research hence the agave realization.

    Reply

  42. Just made these … couldn’t wait for them to cool…they are so yummy!! Strawberries are perfect for Spring! I will make these again. Thanks, Elana :)

    Reply

  44. I made this last night in cake form. I accidently added 1/2t of salt and it was still good enough that my boyfriend ate almost the whole cake. I’m going to make it again tonight with the correct amount of salt. Thanks for the tasty recipe!

    Reply

    • I’m glad you mentioned that you baked yours in cake form. I was wondering if it would work well that way. My cupcakes were delicious, but too much stuck to the muffin cup!

      Reply

    • I just got my cookbook in the mail! Very exciting. I can’t wait to try everything! Thanks for all of your hard work and for sharing your delicious recipes with the world!

      Question for Kelly:

      I know that Elana is very clear that for optimal results you should follow the recipe as written, but I am allergic to agave, so I usually substitute with a very clear liquid honey.

      I am finding the one to one ratio that works with almond flour recipes doesn’t seem to work with coconut flour. It sounds like you have had great results which inspires me to keep on trying! When I made them, they were far too wet, even when cooked significantly longer than recommended (and I checked my oven temperature as mentioned in the book!)

      I made these cupcakes twice with a one-to-one substitution, once baked for 25 min, once for 35 min, and both were soggy. The third batch I tried with 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon honey for 25 min, and still soggy, but better. I don’t have a solution yet, but I will keep trying!

      I live in a very humid climate. Do you use any particular kind of honey or live in a drier climate? I’m just trying to troubleshoot! Thanks!

      Reply

  46. These are awesome! Came out very moist and the scent was heavenly! My kids BEGGED me for more. This recipe has sold me on your next cookbook (I already have and use frequently the almond flour cookbook). Thank you for making such a delicious alternative for my gluten-free, dairy-free family!

    Reply

  47. Beautiful recipe Elana! I made these this afternoon and they are gorgeous but they look much dryer than yours in the picture. I live in Australia and use a brand of coconut flour called NUI which may be a bit more absorbent than the one you use. I just wondered if your cupcake batter is of dropping consistency (as in you could pour it like a thick sauce) or if it is dryer than that? I translated the American cup and tbl into Australian measurements so it could be my very poor maths skills instead of the flour…
    Thankyou for such a fabulous insight into gluten free cooking. My three sons are not coeliac but I love to cook your recipes for the nutrition factor and they love everything I prepare from your book and website (and it helps me to be able to pick away at any leftovers with joy instead of guilt…) With gratitude, Anna x

    Reply

    • I also made these this weekend and they were so dry, the batter was so thick i even added some water before putting them in the liners,it did not help! humm……i have been using coconut flour for other recipes and it works fine!

      Reply

    • Anna,

      My batter is of dropping consistency. It is like a super duper thick sauce.

      I hope this helps :-)

      Elana

      Reply

    • When I made these, my batter was super thick as well, more like cookie dough than cake batter. I even added 1/2 cup of almond milk to thin it out. They came out tasting good, but were very dry. Could it be the brand of coconut flour? I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic.

      Reply

    • Hello,
      I think the problem with the thick batter is over mixing. I just made them and I did a few turns and they looked fine, but I wanted to add almond slivers and I kept mixing it became very thick and cookie dough like. Sometimes it can make a difference if you use a electric mixer vrs. hand mixing with how much air is added to the batter. I think this recipe needs very little mixing.
      Hope that helps,
      Shara

      Reply

      • I think this is the missing piece to my gluten free baking with coconut flour. I have being trying recipes for a few weeks now with bad results. I totally think it is the overmixing. I noticed that the more I stir the thicker it gets! I will come back to the blog if this didn’t solve my problem of dense, gritty baking..

        Reply

  49. HI Elana,
    Thank you for this great recipe, already printed, ready to be tested.
    I now have your 1st book and love it.
    Have pre-ordered the second and can’t wait to recieve it.
    All the best.
    Isa

    Reply

  53. I can’t wait to receive my copy of your new book. My sister-in-law pre-ordered it for me as a gift.
    Made your chocolate cupcakes this past weekend for our teenage employees and they vanished within seconds.

    Reply

  54. So beautiful, as is the rest of your new book! Feel super special to have the preview and to get to bake from it. I love using coconut flour. The marble cupcakes were so good. (Don’t ask me how many I ate!) Thanks for the link love once again, dear. I am so happy to spread the word!

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply

  56. Congratulations! I preordered the book some time ago, and am eagerly awaiting delivery. Also, many thanks for sharing this recipe ahead of publication.

    Question–is the arrowroot powder necessary? What function does it perform in the cupcake?

    I’m very starch sensitive and try to avoid it completely, so am wondering if I can leave it out.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  58. You have put me out of my misery! The perfect strawberry cupcake has eluded me. I’ve got your new book on order and can’t wait to see it.

    Reply

  59. These are beautiful!! Can’t wait to try them. And I can’t wait for you new cookbook, as your almond flour cookbook is my favorite gf cookbook… I tell everyone about it. I will review your cupcake book on my site, I’m sure my readers will be interested!

    Congratulations in advance!
    Pat

    Reply

  61. YES! I am sooooo excited about this cupcake. I’ve already pre-ordered your book. :) And, I’m so happy this has arrowroot powder because I bought some a while back and didn’t know what to do with it. WIN-WIN-WIN!!!

    Reply

  62. DH Said Oh looks good! He doesn’t like cake. But with the use of the coconut flour instead of regular, I think he will like these.
    Can’t wait to try them. And thank you for the strawberry info yesterday. Muchly appreciated!!

    Reply

  63. Looks so yummy! I have promised myself to be sweets-less until I get my copy so I can pig out on cupcakes! I love your recipes. They are always a billion times easier to bake than the traditional ones.

    Reply

  64. Congratulations Elana!! I have two of your books and most of the ingredients now as staples. I even bought a julienne peeler and now we eat zucchini & squash noodles instead of the flour noodles :-) something I thought my family would not be happy about but they love them. Thank you for helping us to eat healthier without being deprived of delicious treats!

    Reply

  65. Yum! Strawberry was one of the requests for last year’s cupcake month, glad to see this one is with coconut flour, I’ve been nut-floured out lately. Looking forward to getting the new book and seeing the rest of the recipes.

    Reply

  66. Oh no! How can I make these *perfect cupcakes for a spring potluck* Thursday night without the frosting recipes!?

    :) I guess I will have to make them now, with made-up frosting, and then later, when I receive my cookbook from Amazon!

    Thanks Elana, they look beautiful.

    Reply

  72. I made a version of these a few weeks ago adding lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon. It really seemed to bring out the strawberry flavor. YUMMY!

    Reply

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