Gluten Free Key Lime Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Why You’ll Love Gluten Free Key Lime Cupcakes
These gluten-free key lime cupcakes are light, fluffy, and bursting with fresh citrus flavour. Made with a simple almond flour and tapioca flour blend, these grain-free cupcakes have the soft texture of classic cupcakes without any wheat flour. They’re topped with a flavourful raspberry cream cheese frosting for the perfect sweet-tart summer dessert.
Like my GF Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes, the cake portion consist of a soft, fluffy cupcake with a tender crumb — the perfect base for all that bright citrus flavour. But the real showstopper? The creamy raspberry cream cheese frosting. It has a light, mousse-like texture and adds the perfect fruity contrast to the tangy key lime cupcakes. In my opinion, it’s what takes these cupcakes from delicious to unforgettable!
These cupcakes do require a little more effort than your average cupcake, but they are absolutely worth it. They’re essentially a gourmet dessert for summer gatherings. Whether you’re bringing them to a backyard party, picnic, brunch, or special celebration, it’s the kind of dessert where everyone takes one bite and asks, “Can I have the recipe?”
The best part is that they’re also easy to prepare ahead of time. Both the cupcakes and frosting can be made up to a day in advance, making party prep so much easier. And if you happen to have leftovers (which is unlikely!), they store well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
And of course, we can’t forget the finishing touches — because presentation matters too! A frozen raspberry and a small slice of key lime on top make these cupcakes look just as special as they taste. They’re a beautiful addition to any dessert table, and I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
What Makes These Key Lime Cupcakes Gluten-free?
It’s the special blend of grain-free flours that make these cupcakes gluten free. These ones are not made with wheat flour. And, instead of using a traditional gluten-free flour blend, they use a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour. Almond flour adds moisture and tenderness, while tapioca flour helps create a lighter, more classic cupcake texture. So, they’re not only gluten-free, but grain-free too!
Ingredient Tips for Almond Flour Cupcakes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Flours – I used a blend of almond flour and tapioca flour for these cupcakes. This means they are both gluten-free and grain-free. Almond flour is lower in carbs too, which I like. Adding a little tapioca flour to the almond flour creates the perfect texture for the cupcakes. Both can be found at your local health food store or online.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works best for the process of massaging the lime zest into it and really helping it to release those aromatic oils.
- Key limes – Key limes are mini limes often found at the grocery store. The zesting process takes a little patience as you will have to zest about 7 mini tiny limes, but it’s worth it! You can also use 2 regular limes in place of key limes.
- Raspberries – I use frozen raspberries for the compote, but fresh or frozen raspberries will work as a garnish! The process of blending, straining and simmering the berries takes a little patience as well, but it is necessary to turn those fresh berries into a thickened jam-like texture. Then, once it is added to the frosting it won’t thin out or change the consistency of the frosting.
- Cream cheese – You will need cream cheese in the block form for this recipe. Do not use spreadable cream cheese. Also, make sure that it is fully at room temperature before beating to avoid chunks that don’t break down.
Tips for the Perfect Gluten Free Key Lime Cupcakes and Raspberry Frosting
- Use finely ground almond flour, not almond meal.
- Bring eggs, butter, and sour cream to room temperature before starting.
- Massage the lime zest into the sugar first — this releases the oils and gives a stronger lime flavour. Make sure your limes are washed and dried well before zesting!
- Strain the raspberry sauce to remove seeds for the smoothest frosting texture.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- Use brick-form cream cheese for the frosting (not spreadable cream cheese).
How to Make Grain Free Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients.
Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer until the butter is whipped and smooth. Then, add the room temperature eggs, sour cream and lime juice. Mix until fully combined.
Step 2: Rub the sugar and lime zest together.
Add the sugar and lime zest to a small bowl and rub the two ingredients together between your fingers until you have a green looking sugar. This will break down the oils of the lime zest creating more flavour release.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 muffins tins with 18 paper liners total. Add the sugar mixture to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients along with the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.
Step 4: Bake the cupcakes.
Scoop the cupcake batter evenly into the 18 prepared muffin liners, filling them just 2/3 – 3/4 full. Transfer the muffin tins to the preheated oven and bake for 17-18 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown. Note: the cupcakes will be slightly sunken in the centre but they will be done! You don’t want to over-bake these. They will firm up slightly as they cool.
Step 5: Make the frosting.
While the cupcakes are baking, start the frosting. Add the frozen raspberries and sugar to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until reduced. Place a fine mesh sieve over a small mixing bowl and add the raspberry mixture on top of the sieve. Push the raspberry mixture through the sieve with a rubber spatula until you’re left with mostly seeds in the sieve. Discard the seeds/pulp.
Beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese with a stand mixer (using the whisk attachment) or a hand mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar and small pinch salt and beat again until completely combined. Then, add 4 1/2 tablespoons of the raspberry compote and beat again until combined and pink in colour. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so that everything gets properly incorporated and there are no chunks of cream cheese or butter. Beat on high for a minute or two to whip the frosting well.
Step 6: Assemble the cupcakes!
Add the frosting to a large piping back fitted with the star attachment and pipe it generously onto all 18 cooled cupcakes. Top each one with a small slice of key lime and a frozen raspberry for garnish. Serve right away!
FAQ:
Yes. If you can’t find key limes, you can use 2 regular limes for the zest and juice in the cupcakes.
I don’t recommend substituting with any other flour unless you know the exact conversion as they will not measure 1:1 to this special blend of almond flour and tapioca flour.
Yes! You can make both the cupcakes and the frosting a day ahead. Store the cupcakes in an air-tight container at room temperature and store the premade frosting in a sealed piping bag, ready to go in the fridge. Allow the piping bag to come to room temperature and soften for at least 30 minutes before piping the next day.
Yes, raspberries have lots of seeds which, if not strained, would make for a not-so-smooth frosting. For best results, I recommend stringing the raspberry sauce. It’s worth it!
Any leftover cupcakes will keep for 3-4 days when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Store any leftover assembled cupcakes in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Gluten Free Key Lime Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- 2 Muffin Tins
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons juice from key limes
- 3/4 cup organic sugar
- 1 tablespoon zest from key limes (about 7 key limes)
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- extra frozen raspberries for garnishing
- extra key lime slices for garnishing
For the raspberry frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 tablespoon organic sugar
- 12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 small pinch sea salt
Instructions
- *Be sure to wash, dry and zest the limes before juicing them.
Make the cupcakes:
- In a stand mixer or medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the room temperature sour cream, eggs and lime juice and beat again until combined.
- Add the sugar and zest to a small bowl or plate and massage the zest into the sugar until you have a green-looking sugar. Add it to the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- To the same bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line two muffin tins with 18 paper liners total.
- Fill the liners about 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full and bake for 17-18 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown. They will be slightly sunk in the centre, but will be done at this point. A toothpick will not come out completely clean. There should be some crumbs. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the raspberry frosting:
- Add the raspberries and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low-medium and let them simmer for 10-15 minutes or until reduced.
- Put a fine mesh sieve over top of a medium-sized mixing bowl and gently press the raspberry mixture through until all of the liquid has gone through and only seeds and pulp remain. Discard the pulp.
- Add the softened cream cheese and butter to a stand mixer and whip until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar and salt and beat again until combined.
- Add 4 1/2 tbsp of the raspberry mixture to the cream cheese and butter mixture and mix again until you have a pretty pink frosting.
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top each one with a frozen raspberry and slice of key lime.
- Serve right away or chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!
