3 Gluten-Free Recipes That Upgrade Basic Boxed Cake Mix

Boxed cake mix is great in a pinch when you need to bake something on the fly, but also oh-so-easy to upgrade. Think crowd-pleasing cake pops, decadent red velvet brownies, and irresistible vanilla bourbon cupcakes. Oh, and did we mention all three recipes are gluten-free? Thanks to one of our favorite GF brands, Simple Mills, these recipes work for almost everyone.

Banana Bread Cake Pops

When people expect cake, show up with cake pops instead. It’s the perfect bite-sized treat to enjoy for any celebration.

Yield: 20 to 21 pops
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 eggs
½ cup water
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled, divided
1 box Simple Mills Banana Muffin & Bread Mix
2 ½ jars Simple Mills Organic Vanilla Frosting (about 3 cups)
Gluten-free vanilla wafers, finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides. Whisk eggs, water, and 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large bowl. Stir in banana bread mix until incorporated; pour into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes, or until center is set and doesn’t jiggle; cool completely.

Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. When cake has cooled, crumble it into a large bowl. Add ¼ cup frosting into the crumbled cake (you want it moist but not too wet). Using a 1-tablespoon scooper, add mix to the palm of your hand and gently roll until a ball forms; place on sheet tray. Repeat with remaining cake, then refrigerate balls until ready to frost.

Add remaining frosting and remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil to a small bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals, until pourable, stirring as you go. Using a fork, add 1 ball to the bowl and gently roll it around until coated with frosting. Pick up ball with the fork and allow any remaining frosting to drip off. Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet tray, then sprinkle with crushed cookies. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate until frosting has hardened, about 30 minutes.

Red Velvet Brownies

Give your brownies the red velvet treatment by adding nutritious beet powder to the mix and swirling in a few dollops of creamy vanilla frosting before baking.

Yield: 9 bars
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons beet powder
2 eggs
1 box Simple Mills Almond Flour Brownie Mix
6 tablespoons Simple Mills Organic Vanilla Frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides. Whisk coconut oil, water, and beet powder in a large bowl. Add eggs and whisk until well combined. Stir in brownie mix until incorporated; pour into prepared pan. Dollop 6 tablespoons of vanilla frosting on top of the unbaked brownie. Drag the back of a knife through frosting to create swirls. Bake 25 minutes, or until center is set and doesn’t jiggle; cool completely before cutting.

Vanilla Bourbon Cupcakes

Sorry, kids! These cupcakes are for adults only. A splash of bourbon rounds out the elegant vanilla flavor, and both candied and chopped pecans add extra nuttiness.

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 eggs
⅓ cup neutral oil, like canola
¼ cup bourbon
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 box Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Almond Flour Mix
½ cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup candied pecans
1 jar Simple Mills Organic Vanilla Frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 12 liners. Add eggs, oil, bourbon, water, and vanilla to a large bowl. Stir in cake mix until incorporated. Add chopped pecans and stir. Portion into prepared muffin tin, then bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; let cool. Spread vanilla frosting on top of each cupcake, then sprinkle with candied pecans.

Recipes by Angela Gaines