Gluten & Dairy Free Oreo Cupcakes

These gluten and dairy free Oreo cupcakes are moist and tender, without being too spongy or crumbly. The swiss meringue buttercream frosting provides even more Oreo flavor and is extremely light and fluffy. The cupcake has a vanilla base, but the addition of gluten free Oreo crumbs makes every bite exciting. Not to mention, the oreo crumbs throughout both the cake and frosting makes it aesthetically pleasing and irresistible to the eye.

Before I began my gluten and dairy free diet, Oreos were my favorite on-the-go treat. Although the creme surprisingly lacks milk, the cookie is packed full of gluten. There has been an ongoing argument (with all of humanity basically) whether the cookie or creme is superior. Personally, I have always been team cookie, but let me know which part you like better. Once I started the diet, I began a quest to find a decent replacement for Oreos. After a while, I came across Glutino’s Chocolate Creme Cookies. Although they are not the same, they are pretty darn close.

If you’re stuck in your house for a while, these gluten & dairy free Oreo cupcakes can help cure your boredom. They can serve as a fun family activity, or just an time-filler for yourself :). Since I will be stuck inside for a while, I hope to reignite my passion for baking and find a creative outlet for myself. I experimented with a new type of frosting for these cupcakes: swiss meringue buttercream.

In this recipe, it is important to note how the cookies are crushed. In the cake part, the cumbs do not have to be superfine, or else you won’t be able to taste them. I recommend using a ziplock back and a rolling pin to crush the cookies into semi-fine pieces. However, the crumbs should be finer for the frosting. I used a food processor to do this, but if you don’t have one then you could use a blender or the ziploc bag method, but with more effort. They need to be fine in the frosting to make sure it doesn’t clog the piping tip.

Gluten & Dairy Free Oreo Cupcakes

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 17-18 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients 

For the cupcake:

  • 3/4 cup dairy free milk (almond, soy, etc)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 & 1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup oil (vegetable, sunflower, etc)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk (save the white for frosting!)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 crushed Glutino Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (or any other gluten free sandwich cookie)

For the frosting:

  • 4 oz egg white (about 3-5 large eggs)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1 & 1/4 cup dairy-free butter (room temp)
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 crushed Glutino Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (see above for crushing info)

Procedure 

For the cupcakes:

  1.  Preheat oven to 350°F and line 1 cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  2. Measure milk and add vinegar. Set aside (for at least 10 min).
  3. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine milk mixture, oil, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
  5. Fold crushed cookies into batter until evenly incorporated.
  6. Split batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners. They should all be about 2/3 full.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. When cool enough to touch, let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting:

  1. Pour egg whites to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium low until frothy.
  2. Increase mixer to medium speed and slowly add sugar, one tablespoon at a time. When about half the sugar has been added, pour in the vinegar. Continue adding sugar until it’s all mixed in.
  3. Turn up the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form (this might take a couple minutes).
  4. Once stiff peaks have formed, reduce the speed to medium low and add room temperature butter one cube at a time. (It might look a little chunky)
  5. Add vanilla and set the mixture to high speed and beat for 4 minutes until frosting is smooth and creamy.
  6. Pour in cookie crumbs and stir until combined.
  7. Transfer frosting to a piping bag filled with a tip of your choice. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool and add frosting.

Tip: Garnish with mini chocolate chips, a cookie, or chocolate drizzle.