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The Spruce Eats / Amelia Manley
Traditional cake mixes are made with flour made from wheat. For those with sensitivities and allergies to wheat, these cakes are not an option. Luckily, many food manufacturers have answered the increasing demand for easy-to-make gluten-free products with various concoctions.
Although you can make your own gluten-free cake completely from scratch, if you’re short on time or you don’t have the knack for baking this can be a chore. Great gluten-free cake mixes do exist—you just have to find them, or in this case, let us find them for you! We researched every option out there—from chocolate to vanilla to organic to vegan—to bring you the top contenders.
Best Overall
Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Almond Flour Mix
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Amazon
Simple Mills nails this gluten-free almond flour cake mix. Made with only seven ingredients—almond flour, organic coconut sugar, arrowroot powder, organic coconut flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sea salt—this mix proves that you don’t need additives to get the job done.
To make this, all you have to do is add eggs, oil, water, and a little bit of vanilla extract, and then you’re good to go. The finished product tastes delicious, bakes with a beautiful crumb, and holds up well to substitutions, like flax eggs in place of real eggs. Keep in mind that this mix only provides enough for one 8-inch round cake, so if you want to make a layered cake, you’ll need two boxes.
Price at time of publish: $8
Size: 11.5 ounces | Flour Type: Almond flour, coconut flour | Allergens: Almonds and coconuts
"I actually think cakes are one of the easiest products to make gluten-free. Cakes are always supposed to be soft, light, and tender, and gluten is a protein that gives baked goods like bagels and pizza toughness, chewiness, and crunchiness." — Jaimie Mertz, Owner, The Red Bandana Bakery
Best Vanilla
Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Vanilla Yellow Cake Mix
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Amazon
Light texture
Packaging provides variations
Easy prep
On the pricier side
Bob’s Red Mill is known for its variety of high-quality flours, so it comes as no surprise they’d produce a stellar vanilla cake mix made with gluten-free flours–so good, you’d have no idea it’s missing the gluten. The "delicate and light" mix contains potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sorghum flour, plus a few other ingredients. This combination should provide the "lightest, fluffiest gluten free cake you've ever created," according to the company’s website.
The possibilities are endless, as you can "use this mix to create a beautiful yellow cake or as a base for your favorite cake recipe that starts with yellow cake," suggests the company’s website. The recipe is conveniently provided on the package; all you need are eggs, butter/oil, and water. There are timing variations provided for different-sized baking pans (including cupcakes and loaves), and there’s a white cake variation if you want your cake lighter in color.
Price at time of publish: $9
Size: 19 ounces | Flour Type: Potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sorghum flour | Allergens: Manufactured in a facility that uses tree nuts and soy
Best Chocolate
King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix
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Amazon
King Arthur Flour has been making gluten-free products since things like gluten-free cake mixes were only available in specialty stores online. Nowadays, its gluten-free cake mixes are easily accessible and extremely delicious. This one has a rich, decadent chocolate flavor and moist crumb that pleases a crowd, whether that crowd follows a gluten-free diet or not.
The ingredients list is pretty straightforward, and everything is non-GMO. Because this cake holds up so well to frosting, and one box bakes two 8- or 9-inch cakes, it’s ideal for building gluten-free layer cakes.
Price at time of publish: $5
Size: 22 ounces | Flour Type: Rice flour | Allergens: Not indicated
Best Organic
Namaste Foods Organic Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
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Amazon
Fully organic, gluten-free cake mixes are difficult to find, but thankfully, the Namaste Foods mix is all you need. It’s made with very few ingredients and is easy to prepare. All you need are eggs, oil or butter, and a milk of your choice—dairy or non-dairy work equally well.
Not only is this mix gluten-free, but it’s also made without dairy, peanuts, soy, egg, and corn. Each box makes one 9-inch round cake or 12 gluten-free cupcakes.
Price at time of publish: $7
Size: 192ounces | Flour Type: Organic white rice flour, organic tapioca starch | Allergens: Not indicated
"A good blend of neutral flours and starches is usually good (I like white and brown rice flours mixed with potato and tapioca starches)...check to make sure it has a thickener of some sort that you’re comfortable with using, or know how to buy and add that to your mix." — Jaimie Mertz, Owner, The Red Bandana Bakery
Best Keto
Scotty’s Everyday Gluten Free Zero Carb Keto Baking Mix
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Amazon
Keto-friendly and low in sugar
Rich in fiber
Traditional cake flavor and texture
Contains sugar alcohols
No sacrifice has to be made here when trying to follow a keto and gluten-free diet; Scotty’s Everyday lets you have your cake and eat it too (literally). No suffering through a grainy nut flour texture; this cake (or cupcake–your choice!) tastes, looks, and feels just like your traditional light and airy cake/cupcake, with the added bonus of having zero net carbs and no gluten. The mix consists of resistant tapioca starch, psyllium husk, chicory inulin baking powder, sunflower lecithin, modified cellulose, plus a few other ingredients. Be careful if you are sensitive to sugar alcohols—this mix contains them.
All you need to add is butter, eggs, vanilla, and water, and about 20 minutes later, your cake will be ready. It’s also quite rich in fiber, with 14 grams per serving, which is unique for a cake mix.
Price at time of publish: $13
Size: 10.6 ounces | Flour Type: Tapioca starch | Allergens: Not listed
Best Single-Serve
King Arthur Gluten-Free Single Serve Confetti Cake Mix
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Amazon
If you’re looking for a gluten-free cake for one, making an entire package may be overkill. That’s where this King Arthur Gluten-Free Single-Serve Confetti Cake Mix comes in. Not only is it perfectly portioned for one, but all the ingredients are contained in a microwaveable cup. All you have to do is add water, stir, and nuke for 50 seconds to create a freshly "baked" gluten-free cake ready for devouring.
If you’re not into confetti cake, there’s also a gluten-free chocolate cake with salted caramel chips that’s just as delicious and easy to make.
Price at time of publish: $32 for a pack of 12 cups
Size: 2.25 ounces per cup | Flour Type: Rice flour | Allergens: Milk
"The nice thing is you can’t overwork a gluten-free batter, it will never get tough or hard. Do avoid whipping it for too long on high, though, because you can whip air into it and create large air bubbles." — Jaimie Mertz, Owner, The Red Bandana Bakery
Best Vegan
gfJules Certified Gluten Free Cake Baking Mix
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Amazon
Allergen-friendly
Large amount in each package
Long shelf life
On the pricier side
Finding a good gluten-free baking mix is one thing, but finding one that’s also vegan? Not an easy task, but gfJules accomplishes both. It’s top 8 allergen free, making it a great product to have on hand, especially in households with allergens. "You can tell the best gluten free cake mix from inferior ones that will disappoint you by looking at the ingredients," according to the company’s website.
gfJules’ mix uses modified tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, white rice flour, corn flour, plus a few other ingredients. Even without the gluten and dairy (and other allergens), the cake is as "moist and spongy and decadent" as a traditional cake.
The package makes two 8- or 9-inch sheet cakes, or 24 cupcakes, depending on your baking needs. All you need to add to the mix is oil, vinegar, milk (non-dairy), and an egg substitute (like a flax egg). Instructions are also provided to turn the mix into a chocolate cake mix. The mix has an 18-month shelf life, making it a great pantry staple that you don’t have to worry about replacing frequently. If you enjoy this cake mix, be sure to check out gfJules other gluten-free mixes, such as pizza crust mix and pancake/waffle mix.
Price at time of publish: $15
Size: 29 ounces | Flour Type: Modified Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Corn Starch, White Rice Flour, Corn Flour | Allergens: None
With minimal ingredients, the Simple Mills Almond Flour Baking Mix is an all-around excellent option for gluten-free baking. If you’re trying to ditch sugar, too, Scotty’s Everyday Gluten Free Zero Carb Keto Baking Mix is low-carb and still gluten-free thanks to tapioca starch and other ingredients.
What to Look for in a Gluten-Free Cake Mix
Flavor
What flavor you pick can depend on your personal taste but also on what you want to do with the cake. A vanilla or yellow cake mix gives you a range of options to use it as a neutral base for other cakes with fruit, such as peach upside-down cake, or for desserts such as trifle. You can add frosting to a chocolate cake or turn it into a layer cake, but the chocolate flavor will always be the dominant flavor.
Required Ingredients
When you buy a cake mix, it’s always a good idea to check what the required ingredients are—not only to make sure you have them on hand, but also to see if they meet your other dietary restrictions and whether you can use substitutes such as flax eggs instead of real eggs.
Size
Besides the standard 8- or 9-inch cake, there are also cake mixes for single-serve cakes, for times when a cake craving hits you while you’re home alone and others that are larger, allowing you to make multiple treats with one package.
Dietary Restrictions
This one depends on the person. Other than making sure it's gluten-free, you may need to check if the cake mix contains any allergens (such as peanuts or soy) or additives, whether it’s vegan, and how much sugar (and what type of sugar) it contains. Also, if you’re vegan, make sure that both the cake mix as well as the ingredients you need to add are vegan too.
Organic & Non-GMO
To verify whether a cake mix is organic and/or non-GMO, look for the USDA Organic seal and the Non-GMO Project Verified label on the package.
FAQs
Does gluten-free cake mix rise?
Store-bought cake mixes contain leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda, or cream of tartar, which release carbon dioxide during baking and make the cake rise.
How do you make a gluten-free cake mix moister?
A simple hack is to add 1 teaspoon additional pure vanilla extract to the cake mix. Finely grated lemon or orange zest works well for yellow or vanilla cake mixes, and orange zest for chocolate cake mixes.
Can I substitute milk for water in gluten-free cake mix?
If the package instructions call for water, the cake mix has been formulated with water for best results. While you can use milk, the cake might turn out drier than if it's made with water.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best gluten-free cake mixes on the market, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, flavor, and price—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
Lindsay Boyers is a certified holistic nutritionist with extensive nutrition knowledge and food and beverage-testing experience. She’s developed over 1,000 original recipes and is constantly on a mission to find the healthiest, best-tasting options and ingredients across all food and drink categories.
The Spruce Eats writer Alyssa Langer is a registered dietitian and foodie, always curious about the next food or ingredient craze and hungry to learn and try more. Having worked in cookbook publishing, CPG label data, nutrition writing, and meal kits, her diverse background and varied interests provide a unique perspective that fosters clear, well-researched, and trustworthy reviews. She updated this story to include the most up-to-date information.
Sources
- Jaimie Mertz, Owner, The Red Bandana Bakery
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