Even gluten free, sugar free folks like to eat a cupcake now and then.  Can I get an amen?

And while I do love this recipe for gluten free, sugar free chocolate cake, sometimes it’s nice to splurge on awesome cupcakes from one of these 5 best gluten free cupcakeries.

Warning: the gluten free cupcakeries we are about to discuss are not “real food” approved.  In fact, I haven’t even investigated the ingredients of their cupcakes because (gasp) I don’t want to know.

I just want to eat their amazingly delicious gluten-free cupcakes!

These gluten free treats are perfect for…

• birthdays
• anniversaries
• graduations
• baby showers
• date nights
• mommy-and-me dates
• thank you gifts
• gender reveals
• any and all special occasions

5 Best Gluten Free Cupcakeries in Northern VA and Beyond

Each of these cupcakeries offers a limited selection of gluten-free flavors, often on a rotating basis.

It’s always best to call ahead, especially if you’re making a special trip.  For special occasions, you’ll want to place your order in advance.

Note: No one in my family is celiac, and we don’t worry about cross contamination.  Those who need to be extra cautious will obviously want to check directly with each bakery to ask about preparation methods.

Cupcakeries are listed in order of my personal and humble opinion.

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1. Georgetown Cupcake

Definitely my favorite gluten free cupcakes.  We were there on a Saturday, which meant our GF option was Peanut Butter Fudge.  So! Good!

Mr. Native Texan wonders if our Gluten Free Peanut Butter Fudge cupcakes seemed so! good! because of all we endured to obtain them–an incredibly long line (in the elements and while eight months pregnant).

But no, I’m pretty sure those amazing little cakes would have been just as spectacular without the line, elements, or pregnancy.

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Gluten-Free Flavors:

• Lava Fudge (Monday & Thursday)
• Chocolate Salted Caramel (Tuesday)
• Strawberry Lava Fudge (Wednesday & Sunday)
• Chocolate Birthday (Friday)
• Peanut Butter Fudge (Saturday)

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Locations:

Note that Georgetown Cupcakes offers nationwide shipping.

• DC–Georgetown
• Bethesda, MD
• NYC–SoHo
• Boston
• Los Angeles
• Atlanta

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2. Cupcakes Actually

In my opinion, the Flourless Chocolate cupcakes at Cupcakes Actually rank neck in neck with the cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake.  And since Cupcakes Actually is much closer to us, it’s our most frequented cupcakery.

Mr. Native Texan is a big fan of red velvet cake, and he says Cupcakes Actually makes the best gluten-free version.

For the benefit of my local readers, I have to brag on the service at Cupcakes Actually.  Two instances in particular stand out…

1. For Baby Bro’s 1st birthday, Cupcakes Actually cheerfully created a jumbo Flourless Chocolate cupcake to serve as a smash cake, with a custom decorative disk on top.  It was perfect!
   

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2. One night I’d planned a mommy date with Older Bro which was to end at Cupcakes Actually.  I’d looked up their hours online and called ahead to verify there would still be GF flavors available that late in the evening.  It turned out there was a mistake on their website, and when we arrived they had just closed.  The employees were still in the shop, however, and saw us at the door.  We communicated through the locked door, and they ended up letting us in to buy the GF cupcakes I’d called about.  They cheerfully packed the cupcakes to go, and Older Bro and I enjoyed them at the Wegmans nearby.

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Gluten-Free Flavors:

Note that Cupcakes Actually also offers mini cupcakes for advance orders.

• Red Velvet
• Vanilla
• Flourless Chocolate

Locations:

• Leesburg, VA
• Fairfax, VA

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3. Red Velvet

Mr. Native Texan and the boys rank this cupcakery higher than I do.  Mr. NT says they make a good chocolate cake, and vanilla too.  I like their special weekend flavors.

Gluten-Free Flavors (Standard):

Note that all regular toppings are GF and can be special ordered in advance (cream cheese, ganache, etc.)

• Black Velvet
• White Velvet

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Gluten-Free Flavors (Weekend):

These flavors are offered on a rotating basis, and can be special ordered in advance.

• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Mocha
• Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Pumpkin (fall)

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Locations:

• Reston, VA
• DC–Penn Quarter
• Doha, Qatar

4. Sweetz

We tried this local bakery recently and while the Flourless Chocolate from Cupcakes Actually is still my favorite, I love that Sweetz offers many gluten-free options.

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Gluten-Free Flavors: 

Note that additional flavors are available on the weekends.  We tried Chocolate Raspberry, and I was tempted by Boston Creme.  

• Chocolate Cream
• Double Chocolate
• Chocolate Coconut
• Vanilla
• Yellow Chocolate
• Yellow Coconut

Locations:

• Leesburg, VA

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5. Sprinkles

Perhaps the most famous of cupcakeries, and definitely the one with the most locations.  Sprinkles even has cupcake ATMs!

We visited the Georgetown location.

Gluten-Free Flavor:

• Red Velvet

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Locations:

• DC–Georgetown
• NYC
• Nashville
• Scottsdale, AZ
• California–many locations
• Texas–Dallas & Houston
• Atlanta
• Tampa
• Chicago
• Las Vegas

What about you–do you have any gluten-free cupcakeries where you live?  Local folks–do you have any bakeries I need to know about?