Do you know the history of black bottom cupcakes? I certainly didn’t when I set out to create gluten free black bottom cupcakes, and honestly, I don’t really know anything more about them now, except that they’re darned delicious.
Everyone agrees that they’ve been around for ages, in one incarnation or another.
A chocolate cupcake topped with cream cheese deliciousness that’s hard to beat, as far as a well-rounded sweet treat is concerned.
Of course the obvious answer to the question of origin is that these scrumptious mini cakes are black on the bottom and white on top (using those colors broadly, as they’re actually brown and cream colored, but who’s counting?).
And the grammarian in me would also insist that there be a hyphen in the name, so gluten free Black-Bottom Cupcakes, but again, who really cares except me?
And who would honestly want something called a “Brown-Bottom Cupcake”? Ok, I digress.
Allow me one more digression: is it weird that I can’t even say the words gluten free Black Bottom Cupcakes without thinking of the Queen song “Fat Bottomed Girls”? Embarrassing, maybe, but regardless of the words, the song is hopelessly catchy. But no hyphen. I checked.
Regardless of whether you care to use a hyphen or not, you need to try these moist and delicious mini gluten free cakes of chocolate-cream-cheese deliciousness. They’ll make your rockin’ world go ’round.
P.S. Check out my Facebook Live video showing every step of how easy it is to make these delightful cupcakes (click on the photo below to watch on YouTube)!
Note that in my recipe I made these entirely dairy-free with some great ingredient substitutions, so don’t shy away from this recipe just because of the “cream cheese” topper.
Here’s what these cute little cupcakes look like before baking — all made with dairy-free and gluten-free ingredients.
P.P.S. If you want to add some protein to your cupcakes — hey, why not? — I tried this recipe with OWYN protein powder. See the recipe notes below, but adding their vegan, gluten-free protein powder and/or drinks to this recipe can add up to 21 grams of protein to your yummy dessert. Now that’s something to get really excited about!**
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments, and please leave a 5-star review if you love it!
Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes
Black Bottom Cupcakes
A classic dessert turned gluten free, dairy free and even vegan and high in protein if you choose. How sweet is that?
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, dairy or non-dairy (like Kite Hill Vegan Cream Cheese)
- 1 egg or egg substitute (e.g. 1/4 cup firm silken tofu, blended with 1/2 tsp. baking powder)
- 1/3 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life® Mini Chips)
- 1 1/2 cups (203 gr) gfJules® All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) GF vanilla pudding mix) or vanilla protein powder 1/4 cup=~25 grams)
- 1/4 cup (20 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable or other mild cooking oil
- 1/2 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy (like So Delicious® Coconut Milk Beverage) OR OWYN Vanilla Protein Drink*
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection).
Line 18 muffin tins with cupcake papers or lightly coat with oil.
Beat cream cheese, egg (or egg substitute), sugar and salt in a medium-sized bowl until lighter and well-mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips, cover and refrigerate until finished mixing the cupcake batter.
Whisk together the gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, dry pudding mix, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar and oil until integrated. Add dry ingredient mix and slowly pour in the milk, water, cider vinegar and vanilla, beating until totally smooth.
Spoon the chocolate batter into each muffin cup, filling only 1/3 full. Top with a spoonful of cold cream cheese mixture in the middle — it does not have to cover the top of the muffin cup completely, or cover each cup evenly.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out with only dry crumbs and the cream cheese topping is beginning to lightly brown. Remove to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
* If you use OWYN Protein Powder in place of milk powder, you'll be adding 14 grams of protein to this recipe. If you also use OWYN Vanilla Protein Drink in place of milk, you'll be adding 7 more grams of protein to this recipe.
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**I’ve partnered with OWYN (Only What You Need) to use their products in order to increase the nutrition in many popular gluten-free recipes. As always, all opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy for more information. Working with select brands I love allows me to keep bringing you free recipes, and I hope that in the process, you’ll learn about some of the safe gluten free products I choose for my family. Thanks so much for your support!
Hello, do you think any non dairy/gf vegan protein powder will work as powdered milk substitute?
Hi Brenda, I think other protein powders should work, it’s just whether they’re gritty or have a funky taste or not. If so, that will definitely alter the results.
~jules
I want to try these, but we are at high altitude and I’m wondering if I need to adjust anything?
Hi Carla, likely no changes (depending on how high), but check my high altitude gluten free baking tips first!
~jules
I want to try these, but we are at high altitude and I’m wondering if I need to add more flour like we usually do with boxed cupcakes/bakery items
These look good. Do they freeze well if I make them in advance? Should I refrigerate them if I make them the day before?
Hi Kim – I’m glad you’re looking at trying this recipe! Making them the day before with my flour shouldn’t be a problem -they should still be delicious on day 2. If you wanted to do anything, I’d say freeze. I never refrigerate baked goods because it just dries them out!
Hi, I made these a few weeks ago: DELICIOUS.
we ate half the batch and I froze the other half.
We just had them this weekend: DELICIOUS!
you wouldnt even know they had been frozen.
Shemirah that is so wonderful to hear — especially that you froze them and they still tasted delicious next time around. So smart to freeze the extras for “cupcake emergencies!”
~jules
What kind of frosting would work best with these?
I made these the other night and they were delicious! I did not have baking powder or the substitute for it, but it still turned out well. I use Blue Diamond Almond milk vanilla flavor and the brands listed in the recipe for the other ingredients. My 2 year old dairy free son loved them also! This made one batch of mini muffins plus I have another batch of regular sized dozen in the oven now- they may be on the small side. I froze the mini ones then pulled them out when I wanted one- uinfortunately, I did not make them last.
Thanks Jules, for another great recipe!
That sounds great, Jen! So glad they worked, even without the leavening – that’s fantastic!
Cream cheese and chocolate, the other two loves of my life! Can’t wait to try these out.
I haven’t tried Tofutti in place of cream cheese – great idea!!
~ Tiffany
Transfer of Health
Healthy Living and Recipesore.com”>Health Food and Supplements
Jules, I have never used non dairy powder and it seems you use it a lot. What are some brands to look for and why use that type of cooking ingredient? Does non dairy creamer powder substitute in a pinch? I sometimes buy non dairy protein powder but that’s not what you are talking about is it?
Thanks. I am not a cook and need as few ingredients and ease as possible. This whole gluten/dairy free thing is new to me.
Rachel, it’s an excellent question and I’m happy to clarify. Milk powder (not reconstituted) can provide structure for gluten-free recipes, particularly in cakes and even yeast breads. Where a bread or cake might collapse because the flour is not heavy enough to hold the liquid, for example, the milk powder can help to hold it up. My favorite brand of non-dairy milk powder is Vance’s DariFree. If you cannot find it, you could also use Almond Meal or even GF Oat flour, which are easy to make at home. Without these ingredients, or another more structured gluten-free flour, the recipes will work, but they will not hold their shape as well.
Thanks! That was very helpful. So would non dairy powdered creamer work or does it not have enough oomph?
Rachel, not sure about that powdered creamer. I haven’t tried it – it probably has enough oomph, but maybe too much. It’s worth trying though, if you have it on hand (I love experiments!) – proportionately, it’s not a huge ingredient here. The other option, of course, is just to sub the amount of powdered milk in the recipe with the same amount of my all purpose flour. It is a lighter flour, so the results will still differ, but the taste will still be great. Let me know the results of your playing!!!
Thanks again. I really, really appreciate how much you check your blogs!!! I’ll try it and also look into buying some other ingredients.
Jules, I just made these. Yum! I only have 3 of the 6 muffin tins BUT I do have mini muffin tins. Yep, I made mini versions of these muffins. That may have been a bad thing. It’s way to easy to just walk by and pop one in your mouth! LOL!!!
Susan that’s so funny about the mini-muffin tins! That’s what my daughter got for Christmas, and what she wanted to bake, so our first attempt at creating a black-bottom cupcake recipe we also used the mini-muffin tins. You are so right that they are too easy to just pop in your mouth! Ours are LONG gone!!!
I shared some of the regular size cupcakes with a friend (minis were all mine!) and he cussed me when me met today. All he ate for supper the day I gave them to him were the cupcakes. Nothing else! He want’s more! What better compliment then a gluten eating friend wanting gluten free baked goods!
I love it, Susan!!! So true! What a huge compliment! Congrats on being cussed! LOL!
As soon as I saw the title of this I immediately started singing it to the tune of “Fat Bottomed Girls”! Hilarious!
Can’t wait to make these…Looks like I need more flour!
Megan
aka: AbsoluteMommy
Megan – I’m so glad that I’m not the only one with this song stuck in my head! Enjoy the recipe & the tunes!
Pamela you could use Goat Cream Cheese by Trader Joes OR by Chevre. I haven’t tried it yet but thot you might look at these as well. I use the TJ Goat cream cheese everyday on my GF toast.Not only it tastes great but also reasonably priced as everything else there..Hope it works out.Let us know through your post.
Hi Jules,
Is there a difference between milk powder and instant nonfat dry milk?
Thank you.
Jacqueline – the milk powder referenced in the recipe could be the DairiFree product I use or instant dry milk, but don’t reconstitute it. The key here is to add the powdered milk (dairy or non-dairy) to the recipe. Enjoy!
HAHA! Jules, I too have been singing that song since you posted on FB about eating these cupcakes. I had better whip up a batch this weekend.
Yay! So I’m not alone in getting that song stuck in my head?
I am excite to try these cupcakes tomorrow! As you know one of the biggest complaints about GF baking is dry baked goods, and these look very moist and promising! I can’t wait to taste them
Pamela, we can tolerate goat’s milk cream cheese, but not cow’s milk & not sheep’s milk – I have heard that someone fermented rice milk, but that sounds too complicated for me…good luck! We also use duck eggs instead of chicken (different protein)
These look delicious! Thanks for sharing! Thanks too for giving some non-dairy substitutes. Trying a dairy free diet in addition to my already GF diet, and that is very helpful!
Good girl on researching the hyphen! I try to explain to folks all the time about when gluten free needs a hyphen and when it doesn’t. Sadly, most of the time they don’t get it … or don’t care.
Love Queen, but they should have had a hyphen in that title!
Now these cupcakes … they’ve long been one of my faves! Off to share, dear!
xo,
Shirley
So glad you appreciate my grammatical concerns, Shirley! I hope you get to make this recipe soon!!!
My daughter was just asking for our regular recipe for these cupcakes. I was thinking I will have to convert it and make some soon.
Thank you for doing it for me. And I so appreciate the choices since many in our family have other allergies.
Any ideas on what would work instead of dairy or soy cream cheese?
Pamela – I’m so glad my recipes have taken some of the work off your shoulders! When I wrote this recipe, I also tried using vanilla coconut yogurt in place of the soy cream cheese. It works, but it doesn’t set up like the cream cheese or soy cream cheese does. Not that the result is bad, it’s just not the same. If you can use eggs, that will help, and maybe using 2 eggs and reducing the coconut yogurt by 1/4 cup would further help it set up. I might also try it again by adding some of my flour to the filling if you’re not using the cream cheese. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Yes, you do need a hyphen and I love that song by Queen. These look great. I’ll be making them as soon as I make your cinnamon rolls.
So glad someone agrees with me about the hyphen! LOL! Thanks Clare & enjoy the recipe!