Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
The best vegan vanilla cupcake recipe, easy, light, fluffy vanilla cupcake recipe perfect for celebrating any occasion. Don’t forget to add the vegan vanilla frosting and few sprinkles to make them a little fancy!
How to make this vegan vanilla cupcake recipe?
It is easy to make homemade vanilla cupcakes without eggs or dairy. All you need is to combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, using an electric beater, spoon, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Let’s see the ingredients you need to start and create the best moist vegan vanilla cupcake recipe!
Wet ingredients
First, stir the non-dairy milk with apple cider vinegar. The reaction between the acid and plant-based milk will curdle the milk creating vegan buttermilk.
The remaining wet ingredients will be added to the dry ingredients later in the recipe, along with the vegan buttermilk.
All the wet ingredients you need to make easy vegan cupcakes are:
- Non-dairy milk – I love to use unsweetened almond milk, the texture of the cupcake is lighter and fluffy but, soy milk, oat milk, or any plant-based milk will work here.
- Apple cider vinegar – or any acid ingredients like lemon juice or white vinegar. This curdles the non-dairy milk and creates moist cupcakes.
- Vegetable oil – I used avocado oil but melted coconut oil will work too! But watch out, never add melted coconut oil into cold non-dairy milk, or your coconut oil will solidify and form lumps! Make sure the milk and coconut oil are at the same temperature if you use this option.
- Vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
You only need 3 dry ingredients in this vegan cupcake recipe, including:
- All-purpose flour – you can probably use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, but I didn’t try this option, so I am unsure how it will affect the cupcake texture. Spelt flour is another great option, but it’s a heavier flour, and the cupcakes would be less fluffy with this option. Oat flour won’t work in this recipe.
- Baking powder – or if you prefer, replace with only 3/4 teaspoon baking soda.
- White sugar – there are plenty of healthier white sugar options like low GI cane sugar or unrefined cane sugar. Use your preferred option. I don’t recommend coconut sugar in this vegan vanilla cupcake recipe. It makes the batter heavy, brown in color, and not as appealing.
First, combine all these dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then, make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the vegan buttermilk made before along with oil and vanilla extract. Combine the ingredients with a whisk, spoon, or electric beater. I recommend an electric beater to create fluffy, moist cupcakes and avoid lumps.
Filling cupcake liner
The tricky part to making beautiful cupcakes is to fill the cupcake liners evenly up to a maximum of 2/3 of their capacity. You should never fill the cupcake liner up to the top, or the cupcakes overflow in the oven and look like muffins.
I recommend using a measuring cup to fill each cupcake liner and add 1/3 cup of cupcake batter in each cupcake liner. Then, if you still have some batter left, add evenly to each cupcake.
Baking vegan cupcakes
This easy vegan vanilla cupcake recipe bakes in 20-23 minutes in the center rack of your oven at 350F (180C). Your vegan cupcakes are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean, and the top is golden.
How to make vegan vanilla cupcake frosting?
A cupcake wouldn’t be a cupcake without buttermilk frosting. To make a creamy, sweet dairy-free frosting, read my recipe here. You need:
- Soft vegan butter – there are many brands available. I recommend Earth Balance.
- Powdered sugar – also known as icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened almond milk
To make vegan vanilla icing for cupcakes, beat the butter with vanilla extract until pale and fluffy. Then, sift in the powdered sugar gradually until it forms a thick frosting.
Sometimes the frosting is too thick to your liking. If it is the case, add extra unsweetened almond milk about 1-2 tablespoons for a softer consistency.
Cupcake frosting
First, cool the cupcakes for at least 3 hours on a cooling rack. Then, prepare the vegan cupcake frosting recipe as explained above. Finally, spread or pipe vegan cupcake icing over each cooled cupcake. You can top your cupcakes with sprinkles. Most of them are vegan-friendly.
Storage
You can store your vegan cupcakes at room temperature for 24 hours maximum. Then, store in a cupcake box in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
The cupcake box prevents the cupcake frosting from drying out, and it keeps the cupcake crumb moist and fluffy too.
Of course, you can also freeze the cupcake in a sealed container. Then, thaw the cupcakes the day before at room temperature.
More vegan cake recipes
I love to bake vegan desserts, including vegan mug cakes, vegan muffins, or vegan cakes. If you love vegan baking recipes, you may also love to try the recipes below!
Have you tried these vegan vanilla cupcakes and want to share a picture with me? Join me on Instagram. I love to connect with you,
Your friend, Carine
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 cup Soy Milk - or non-dairy milk of your choice, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar - or lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1 ¾ cup All-purpose Flour - or white spelt flour
- 1 cup white sugar - or unrefined cane sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil - I used avocado oil
Vegan Cupcake Frosting
- 1 batch Vegan Vanilla Cupcake Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a bowl, stir soy milk and vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes to curdle the milk.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder for 40 seconds until evenly combined.
- Pour the milk mixture, oil, and vanilla extract onto the flour.
- Stir with a whisk, spoon or beat with an electric mixer on low speed - this is the best option to avoid lumps!
- Divide the batter evenly into the 12 cupcake liners, filling up to 2/3 full, not more!
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) on the center rack of your oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Let it cool down 5 minutes in the pan, then cool completely on a rack before frosting with one batch of my vegan vanilla frosting recipe.
Notes
Carbon Footprint
Nutrition
First time making dairy free cupcakes for my grandchildren. They loved them!
Easy to make too!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, I am so happy you love them
Hi! Had been scouring recipes for my daughter’s birthday since her little bestie comes from a vegan family and I wanted her to be included in everything. I love your recipes, they seem simple and so easy to follow. Was wondering if I can make this recipe into a small round cake instead? Will keep an eye on the baking time of course.
It should probably work yes!
May I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour to make the cupcakes fluffier ?
Yes sure!
These were incredibly fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness! This will be my go to recipe!
Thank you so much!
my son, who is allergic to dairy and egg. I would however add a pinch of salt and a bit more vanilla extract. Overall, really good texture and super easy. Thank you!
Hi, love the cupcakes 🙂 if I want to use the recipe but to bake a round cake using a 6 inch tin, how should I adjust the temp & baking time?
Can I replace the sugar with honey. I really am trying to find a white cake recipe for today.
It will probably work yes
I am not sure if my comment posted. Can I wait less than 3 hours of letting the cupcakes cool before I put on frosting? If so, what’s the earliest time I can wait? I am placing them on a cooling rack but if theres another way let me know. Thank you.
The key is to wait until they reach room temperature or the frosting will melt and run away. You can pop the cupcakes in the fridge to cool faster but the crumb will be less fluffy
Can I substitute the regular flour for almond flour?
No you can’t, the cupcakes will never set. It’s an egg-free recipe so you need a high starchy flour to hold ingredients together
Could I also add a tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with water, to this recipe?
I would add chia seed in these cupcakes, it will dry out the dough and they won’t be as fluffy and moist
Hi
These look amazing – I’m trying to cut back on sugar – any recommendations on how I can replace the sugar and amount required?
Thank you!
Sure, you can replace the amount of sugar by the 3/4 cup of pure erythritol its 100% sugar free and a safe sugar replacement for diabetic too. Enjoy the cupcake recipe, XOXO Carine