You will love these vegan cupcakes with vanilla frosting! They’re super fluffy, moist, and unbelievably delicious. I’ve made them so many times and they’re a real crowd-pleaser. No one will believe they’re completely vegan!
Why This Recipe Works
If you like cupcakes, you really have to try this recipe. Making cupcakes without dairy and eggs can be so easy. My recipe is fool-proof and they’re seriously the best cupcakes I’ve ever had!
They’re perfectly sweet, delicate, and vanilla infused. And they’re topped off with an easy and fluffy vanilla frosting and colorful sprinkles.
I love making them for birthday parties, brunch, or actually just any time of the year. They’re also perfect for Valentine’s Day and they’re a big hit with kids!
You need only 40 minutes from start to finish. And 20 of those 40 minutes is the baking time. Easy, peasy!
The unsweetened apple sauce serves as the perfect egg replacement in this recipe. It’s a great and very budget-friendly binder for vegan baking recipes. In combination with the apple cider vinegar it makes the cupcakes super fluffy, moist, and light. No eggs needed!
I love decorating my cupcakes with sprinkles, but you could also use fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for a change.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour. You could replace it 1:1 with a gluten-free flour blend if you want.
- Vegan Butter – My favorite dairy-free butter for baking is Earth Balance. Miyoko’s also works well.
- Almond Milk – use unsweetened milk. You could also replace it with unsweetened and unflavored soy or oat milk. I don’t like rice milk for baking as it tends to be very thin.
- Apple Sauce – it serves as a binder in this recipe. Don’t worry, the cupcakes won’t taste like apples. Use unsweetened apple sauce for this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract – I recommend using natural vanilla extract without any kind of sweetener.
- Salt – a pinch of salt enhances the flavor.
- Coconut Milk – use full fat canned coconut milk.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a muffin form with 12 paper muffin paper liners.
2. Step: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter with the sugar and the salt and beat with an electric hand mixer until combined and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
3. Step: Then add the remaining ingredients.
4. Step: Beat until well combined. Make sure not to overmix the batter.
5. Step: To prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the muffin liners, spray them with nonstick baking spray after you’ve placed them in the muffin tray. Then divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
6. Step: Bake at 350 °F for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool down completely.
7. Step: In the meantime, make the vanilla frosting. Place the softened vegan butter in a medium bowl and beat it with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. This should take about 45 second to 1 minute.
Gradually add half of the powdered sugar and beat on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Add the canned coconut milk, the vanilla extract, and the remaining powdered sugar. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for about 30-45 seconds, until you’ve got a fluffy and smooth frosting. Make sure not to overbeat.
If your frosting is too thick, add more coconut milk (about 1 tablespoon). If it’s too thin for your liking, add extra powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency (start with ¼ cup).
8. Step: Use a piping bag to evenly divide the frosting on the cupcakes. Add some vegan sprinkles on top if you want.
Recipe Notes
- If your powdered sugar contains sugar lumps, make sure to sift it before starting with the recipe for the frosting.
- The vegan butter should be soft. Leave it out at room temperature for a while. Don’t melt it. The recipe won’t work with melted butter.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter. If you mix it for too long, the cupcakes might become gummy.
- I know it’s tempting, but don’t open the oven door during the baking time. The rush of cold air might cause your cupcakes to collapse.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating them with the vanilla icing. Otherwise the icing will melt.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin pan for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
FAQs:
How Long Do The Cupcakes Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, they will last up to 3 days.
Can I Freeze Them?
Yes, you can keep frosted cupcakes in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can I Make These Cupcakes Gluten-Free?
Yes, you can easily make them gluten-free by replacing the flour 1:1 with a gluten-free flour blend. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill flour blend.
Could I Use This Recipe to Make Lemon or Chocolate Cupcakes?
My favorite are vegan vanilla cupcakes, so this is my go-to recipe. But if you want you could also make vegan chocolate cupcakes or lemon cupcakes.
For the chocolate version, add a 3/4 cup of cocoa powder to the batter. For the frosting, melt 1/2 cup of roughly chopped dark chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop and add it to the frosting once it’s fluffy. Then beat for another 2 minutes on high speed.
For the lemon version, add 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice to the batter. Make the vanilla frosting and sprinkle it with more lemon zest.
Related Recipes:
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Blondies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Donuts
- Classic Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
I Love to Hear From You!
I hope you like these vegan cupcakes as much as we do around here.
If you give them a try, I’d love to know what you think about them. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
You like my recipes and want to see more? Then follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Vegan Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Vegan Cupcakes:
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, softened (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup almond or soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- nonstick cooking spray
For the Vegan Vanilla Frosting:
- 1 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance, 2 sticks), softened (at room temparature)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons canned full fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- vegan sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a muffin form with 12 paper muffin paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter with the sugar and the salt and beat with an electric hand mixer until combined and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the remaining ingredients. Beat until well combined. Make sure not to overmix the batter.
- To prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the muffin liners, spray them with nonstick baking spray after you’ve placed them in the muffin tray. Then divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake at 350 °F for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool down completely.
- In the meantime, make the vanilla frosting. Place the softened vegan butter in a medium bowl and beat it with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. This should take about 45 second to 1 minute.
- Gradually add half of the powdered sugar and beat on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add the canned coconut milk, the vanilla extract, and the remaining powdered sugar. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for about 30-45 seconds, until you’ve got a fluffy and smooth frosting. Make sure not to overbeat.
- If your frosting is too thick, add more coconut milk (about 1 tablespoon). If it’s too thin for your liking, add extra powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency (start with ¼ cup).
- Use a piping bag to evenly divide the frosting on the cupcakes. Add some vegan sprinkles on top if you want.
Notes
- If your powdered sugar contains sugar lumps, make sure to sift it before starting with the recipe for the frosting.
- The vegan butter should be soft. Leave it out at room temperature for a while. Don’t melt it. The recipe won’t work with melted butter.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter. If you mix it for too long, the cupcakes might become gummy.
- I know it's tempting, but don't open the oven door during the baking time. The rush of cold air might cause your cupcakes to collapse.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating them with the vanilla icing. Otherwise the icing will melt.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin pan for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Honestly the best vegan cupcakes I have ever made and tasted. I made a large batch for my daughter and granddaughter’s birthday (on the same day!) in the summer, and decorated them with edible vegan glitter and special toppers. My granddaughter is lactose intolerant so this was perfect for her first birthday. They looked amazing and tasted even better. For any non vegan they are a fantastic experience and we couldn’t stop eating them. So moist and delicious, I coiuldn’t believe they were vegan. Repeating this recipe for the future in place of the non vegan recipes. Thanks very much for this recipe – a total triumph!