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Snickerdoodle Cupcakes (gluten-free, high altitude option)

Oct 7, 2019 · 50 Comments

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Snickerdoodle Cupcakes on a wood slice with cinnamon sticks next to it

Snickerdoodle Cookies transformed into easy, gluten-free cupcakes! These snickerdoodle Cupcakes are filled with the same cinnamon sugar goodness in Snickerdoodle Cookies that you can’t get enough of!

Are snickerdoodles your favorite cookies?

If so.. prepare to be BLOWN AWAY! 😉

But for real. Taking the classic cinnamon sugar flavors that are ever-so popular (think snickerdoodles, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast crunch) and putting it into a CUPCAKE.

These gluten-free Snickerdoodle Cupcakes start with a thick, moist Cupcake that’s filled with extra cinnamon. Topped with simple cinnamon vanilla buttercream, this easy recipe will be your new favorite go-to, from scratch, dessert.

I think these Snickerdoodle Cupcakes make great birthday party desserts for Fall or Winter birthdays, and an easy Holiday dessert that everyone will love!

After all, who doesn’t like cinnamon sugar?! 😉

Top down view of Snickerdoodle Cupcakes on a wood tray

So, here’s what you need to know to make these Snickerdoodle Cupcakes a party in your mouth..

First, use a high quality cinnamon. For real. It makes all the difference. Splurge an extra dollar or two and you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Next, be sure to use a high quality gluten-free all purpose flour for these as well.

These could be made with regular all purpose flour, but if you’re making them for a party I’d recommend making them gluten-free! No one will know the difference, and everyone can enjoy the cupcakes this way. 🙂

My two favorite all purpose gluten-free flours are Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix. I’ve heard great things about King Arthur as well, but haven’t used it personally.

Next, be sure to mix your (almond) milk and vinegar together and let them sit for about 5 minutes for them to curdle and become “buttermilk.”

Doing this makes the cupcakes extra moist and a little more dense… and delicious. 🙂 I like doing this because it’s an easy way to use “buttermilk” without having to buy an extra thing at the store!

Now, about that Snickerdoodle Frosting…

Be sure to use softened butter to make frosting from scratch. Not too melted (or your poor frosting will drip all over your cupcakes!) and not too hard (or you won’t be able to mix everything together well!).

If your frosting is accidentally too soft, you can try putting it into the fridge for a little bit to harden up, prior to piping it onto your cupcakes.

If you want to make these cupcakes AND frosting entirely dairy-free, I would recommend buying your favorite dairy-free frosting and adding cinnamon to it. I’d add about the same amount of cinnamon to a container of dairy-free frosting as what’s in this recipe, gently stir it in, and then pipe it on your cupcakes.

Then you can have easy, gluten-free AND dairy-free cupcakes!

Which brings me to ONE last thing! Mountain friends (or hill friends?) who live in a high altitude. 🙂

Be sure to reduce the baking powder to 1/2 tsp, and your cupcakes should still rise beautifully. I bake at 5000 ft high, so if you bake a couple thousand feet higher I would recommend reducing the baking powder to 1/4 tsp and giving that a try.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes cut in half to see the inside

One more inside picture so ya’ll can see the thick yet fluffy interior of these Snickerdoodle Cupcakes!

My son was obsessed and immediately declared that he wanted Snickerdoodle Cupcakes for his birthday (which.. is almost a year away again now, haha!). I hope you all love these as much as he did. 🙂

Looking for more yummy, gluten-free recipes made from scratch? I love my Snickerdoodle Cookies (of course!), Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes, and Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Muffins. YUM! 🙂

5 from 9 votes
Close up of cupcakes on a tray
Print
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes (gluten-free, high altitude option)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
18 mins
Total Time
33 mins
 
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 356 kcal
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
  • 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vinegar
  • 1 1/3 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 all purpose)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (or butter)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Snickerdoodle Frosting
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
High Altitude Adjustment (for 6,000-8,000 ft): Reduce baking powder to 3/4 tsp.
Instructions
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
  1. In a small bowl, add your milk and vinegar and stir them together. Set aside, and let them set for at least 5 minutes for the milk to "curdle" and become buttermilk.

  2. Preheat your oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

  3. In a small mixing bowl, add your gluten-free flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

  4. In a large mixing bowl, add your coconut oil and sugar and whisk them together. Add your eggs, "buttermilk" and vanilla to the bowl and whisk them in too.

  5. Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir them together, to form your cupcake batter.

  6. Take your cupcake batter and fill each cupcake tin about 2/3 way full with cupcake batter, splitting it evenly among all 12 cupcakes.

  7. Bake your cupcakes in the oven for 18-22 minutes, or till the tops are springy to touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

  8. Let your cupcakes cool entirely before topping with frosting.

Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting
  1. In a large mixing bowl, add your butter, water and vanilla and beat them together, using a hand mixer, till smooth. Add your cinnamon and one cup of powdered sugar to the bowl, and use a hand mixer and beat them together till smooth. Add your next cup of powdered sugar and beat them together again till smooth.

  2. Pipe or spread your frosting on top of your cooled cupcakes.

  3. Devour!

All Recipes, Desserts, Fall Desserts, High Altitude, Holiday Desserts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie Buell says

    March 21, 2023 at 9:42 pm

    Salted or unsalted butter?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      March 23, 2023 at 4:13 pm

      I always use unsalted.

      Reply
  2. Joan says

    October 17, 2022 at 12:40 pm

    Could these be made a day in advance? Store in refrigerator? Also, I am allergic to coconut and almond, so I would use regular whole milk and vegetable oil. Would that be ok? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      October 18, 2022 at 10:56 pm

      Hi Joan. Yes, I’d store them in the fridge and then frost them just prior to serving. I would recommend regular whole milk (or skim, 2%) and butter. Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Katrina says

        November 6, 2022 at 3:51 pm

        I live in the UK and am wondering if I can use self-raising gf flour instead of regular flour? I’m assuming I would not need to add the baking powder as the self-raising flour already contains it?

        Reply
        • Chelsea Green says

          November 7, 2022 at 3:19 am

          Hi Katrina. I agree – I think that omitting the baking powder would work with that flour good then!

          Reply
  3. Natalie H. says

    September 15, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    So yummy! I ran out of vanilla extract for the icing so I exchanged it for 1 tsp of almond extract instead- it turned out well and complimented the cupcake flavours:)

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      September 17, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Sounds delicious! Thanks, Natalie, for the comment.

      Reply
  4. Sue says

    August 28, 2022 at 11:42 pm

    I just made these for my Dad’s 92nd birthday! OMGosh they are just delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      August 29, 2022 at 7:22 pm

      Yay! Thanks for the comment, Sue.

      Reply
  5. Caitlin says

    June 21, 2022 at 12:11 pm

    If I use butter instead of coconut oil, should I melt the butter or just cream the butter and sugar together?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      June 22, 2022 at 9:59 pm

      I’d recommend melted butter (just not too hot!).

      Reply
  6. Yvonne says

    August 8, 2021 at 1:16 am

    Hi. How long do you recommend baking these for mini cupcakes?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      August 8, 2021 at 3:45 pm

      Yvonne, great question! I would start checking around the 10 minute mark, and add extra minutes if necessary. A toothpick is probably your best bet to make sure they’re cooked through.

      Reply
  7. Carrie K. says

    July 29, 2021 at 8:29 pm

    These are the best cupcakes EVER! I’ve made them for countless birthday parties, holiday parties, block parties… the list goes on. And everyone loves them! I’m in Denver and the high altitude adjustments work perfectly. They truly are the best cupcakes ever!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      August 1, 2021 at 2:16 am

      Awesome! Thanks Carrie 🙂

      Reply
  8. Raven LaRizzio says

    July 22, 2021 at 11:36 pm

    I’ve made these gluten free cupcakes for a friend who is gluten intolerant and EVERYBODY loved them. I wanna make these for another party, but this time not gluten-free. Will the recipe still work if I use normal flour?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      July 24, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      Yes! These should work just as well with regular flour. Love hearing that, Raven, thanks!

      Reply
  9. Sadia says

    May 10, 2021 at 2:10 am

    This recipe was absolutely delicious! I would highly recommend you try it!!! It melted in my mouth and was a hit !

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      May 10, 2021 at 6:44 pm

      Awesome! Thank you, Sadia!

      Reply
  10. Caroline says

    March 28, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    The aroma emanating from my kitchen after I had baked these beauties was tantalizing! I baked these for my husbands birthday. He requested no icing, and on their own they did not disappoint. I will definitely be baking these again. Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      March 29, 2021 at 4:23 pm

      Great to hear, Caroline! Thanks for the sweet comment.

      Reply
  11. Mary says

    December 8, 2020 at 3:04 am

    Hi! Would this recipe convert well to a layer cake?…and if so, would I need to double for two 8 or 9 inch pans? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      December 8, 2020 at 3:47 am

      Hi Mary. I haven’t made this recipe into a layer cake myself, but I would think that it should convert well. It will need more baking time. And yes, one recipe would work for one layer of cake, so you would need to double the recipe for two layers. I hope you have success with it and enjoy it!

      Reply
    • Sherry Briggs says

      March 10, 2021 at 5:49 am

      I made this into a 2 layer cake using 9 inch rounds. I didn’t have coconut oil, so I used soy free earth balance. I made it for my husband’s birthday.
      He is not gluten free, I am, but he LOVED it, I do too!!
      One of our favorites now! I lightly greased and floured the cake pans with earth balance and the GF flour. In my oven it took approximately 30 minutes to bake, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cakes spring back when touchef.

      Reply
      • Chelsea Green says

        March 10, 2021 at 4:22 pm

        That’s so great to hear, thanks Sherry!

        Reply
  12. Jessica McCoy says

    October 25, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    These were amazing and I had all the ingredients. These will definitely be made again. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      October 26, 2020 at 3:01 am

      Awesome! Thanks for the stars Jessica 🙂 So happy to hear that!

      Reply
  13. Katelyn says

    October 22, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    Is it safe to use a different oil in place of the coconut oil? Like olive oil?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      October 23, 2020 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Katelyn. You know I haven’t made this recipe before with any other oil, so I can’t guarantee it, but I would guess it would work just fine. The flavor will just be a bit different. I’m also loving country crock’s plant butter, if you’re looking for something dairy-free.

      Reply
  14. Skye Taylor says

    October 16, 2020 at 8:59 pm

    What kind of vinegar do you use for the recipe? 🙂

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      October 17, 2020 at 5:12 pm

      Just white vinegar!

      Reply
  15. Diane Romano says

    October 8, 2020 at 11:14 pm

    I made these today at 5459′, used 3/4 t. baking powder. Just rereading and see in discussion portion before recipe you say to use 1/2 t. baking powder. My cupcakes rose, then flattened out. However they didn’t sink, so yay!. Also took more like 23 minutes to bake till toothpick was not coated with wet batter. If I had used the lesser amount would they not have flattened out? I’m devastated to say I don’t get to try them because the recipe made 12, and I was asked to deliver 12 for an event 🙁

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      October 9, 2020 at 1:45 am

      Hi Diane. First, that’s great news that they didn’t sink! I think at only ~5500 ft your cupcakes would be fine with the larger amount of baking powder. I bake at ~5000 ft in altitude now, without adjusting for altitude with some of my recipes (most of my high altitude adjustments are more so for 6000-8000 ft, depending on the type of baked good it is). My cupcakes are more moist & dense (because that’s how I prefer them) so they should be flat or just barely rounded on top (not as tall as a muffin). Bummer to hear that you didn’t get to try them! Hopefully they were well-received at the event, and I hope this info helps!

      Reply
  16. Sarah says

    October 2, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    What about cassava flour?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      October 5, 2020 at 2:11 am

      Hi Sarah. To my knowledge, cassava flour will not work in these cupcakes in place of all purpose gluten free flour. It might work, but I have never tried it so I can’t guarantee if it will or not, sorry!

      Reply
  17. Lindsay says

    August 29, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    Will these freeze well?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      August 30, 2020 at 1:54 am

      Hi Lindsay. I haven’t frozen them myself, but just the cupcakes themselves should freeze fine. I would defrost them in the fridge. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  18. Raqeeba says

    August 21, 2020 at 2:53 am

    Hi there,

    I’m wondering if you have any egg substitute suggestions that would work best in this recipe? Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      August 22, 2020 at 1:54 am

      Hi there. I would recommend an egg replacer or a flax/chia egg, although the cupcakes will be a touch more dense with those they should still work well and be delicious.

      Reply
  19. Miriam says

    July 14, 2020 at 7:04 pm

    I just made these, and they are amazing! They are the best gluten free cupcakes I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried a lot of recipes. They’re delicious with or without the frosting! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      July 14, 2020 at 9:34 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for the comment, Miriam!

      Reply
  20. Elana says

    June 18, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    These came out awesome!! Everyone loved them and the frosting was DELICIOUS! <3

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      June 19, 2020 at 1:49 am

      Great to hear, Elana!! Thanks for the comment.

      Reply
  21. emily p says

    May 21, 2020 at 2:23 pm

    can you use almond flour?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      May 22, 2020 at 1:41 am

      Hi there. No, almond flour would not work as a replacement. Sorry!

      Reply
  22. Mindy says

    May 5, 2020 at 1:48 am

    These are amazing!! Any trick to making the frosting more whipped looking? Ours kind of looks clumpy and gross- tastes great but looks… not like yours haha! We are trying to use vegan butter…

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      May 6, 2020 at 3:03 am

      Hi Mindy. Happy to hear it! Sorry to say though, I’m not sure what went wrong with your frosting. What kind of vegan butter did you use? Maybe it’s the brand? I know some vegan butters are better for baking and others are better for spreading.

      Reply
  23. Nicole says

    April 30, 2020 at 5:22 pm

    If I already have butter milk on hand cause I can use that instead of making it??

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      May 3, 2020 at 4:21 pm

      Hi Nicole, yes that should work just fine!

      Reply

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Hey, I’m Chelsea! I'm a Colorado Mom baking up simple, gluten-free recipes at over a mile high above sea level. Here you'll find healthy breakfasts and snacks, decadent desserts, and fun drinks. Join me, whether you bake in the mountains or not! Read More…

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