These vegan cupcakes are the perfect little treat for any occasion! The cupcake is so soft and fluffy. They taste like classic cupcakes and nobody can ever tell they are vegan. Whip up a batch of these totally delicious 4-step vegan cupcakes. Decorate them for the holidays, birthdays, and more!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The perfect base: Use this recipe as a vehicle for other flavor combinations. Why not turn them into red velvet or coconut and chocolate vegan cupcakes? Go to town with your creativity. Try a mint and cocoa flavor combo or matcha and white chocolate.
- Stay softer for longer: The silky oil-based batter keeps for a lot longer than regular butter cupcakes.
- Easy to whip up: Mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry, and combine. Bake and you are ready to go. These could not be simpler.
- Gift option: Wrap these up in a pretty box with a bow and you have the perfect gift. Handmade and baked gifts mean so much to friends and family. These cupcakes make the perfect gift!
- Special occasion worthy: Think birthdays, baby showers, and bridal showers. The list is endless for when to serve these tasty treats.
- These vegan cupcakes are naturally vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free. Make them gluten-free with gluten-free flour.
- They are so fun and festive! Decorate with sprinkles, food coloring, hot fudge, or caramel.
- You will also love this Vegan Chocolate Cake and this Vegan Carrot Cake!
Ingredients You'll Need
Get all the details on these simple ingredients in the recipe card at the post's bottom.
All-purpose flour: Use your favorite gluten-free brand if you prefer. The flour should be sifted and free from lumps.
Maple syrup: For healthy sweetness. Agave syrup is the perfect alternative.
Salt: Salt balances the sweet flavors in the cupcake batter. Use Kosher or sea salt if possible.
Vegetable oil: Any good quality oil will do. Choose one with a neutral flavor profile. Avocado and canola oil are great in this recipe.
Vanilla extract: It gives that dessert-like flavor. Swap it for a little orange extract, almond extract, or a touch of lemon juice if preferred.
Non-dairy milk: Try soy, cashew, almond, or oat milk.
Apple cider vinegar: In partnership with the baking powder, it acts as a leavening agent in this recipe.
Baking powder: Ensure it is fresh for well-risen vegan cupcakes.
Taste and Texture
This vegan cupcake recipe delivers light and fluffy cupcakes. Laced with a dreamy vanilla flavor, they are balanced out with a sprinkling of salt.
Despite being egg-free and butter free, these cupcakes are soft, moist, and utterly delicious.
Made with oil instead of butter, these vegan vanilla cupcakes stay fresh for a long time. Oil-based cakes and cupcakes tend to last longer than butter-based ones. This contributes to a soft and light texture for a good couple of days.
How to Make
Step 1
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sea salt, and baking powder until combined.
Step 3
In another mixing bowl, combine the vegan milk, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and oil.
Step 4
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 5
Scoop the cupcake batter into the lined muffin tin. Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ of the way full.
Step 6
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 7
Finally, remove the pan from the oven. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Step 8
Once fully cool, add vegan frosting on top!
Top Tips
Follow this recipe as written for perfect vegan cupcakes!
Room temperature oil: If you store oil in the fridge, ensure it is at room temperature for this recipe. The ingredients will blend together more easily.
Do not overwork the batter: Use a light hand when mixing the batter. Overworking the flour will develop the gluten. This can result in a dense, dry cupcake.
Cool completely before storing: Cooled cupcakes have the best texture.
Use this recipe as a base: Experiment with other flavors by adding to this foundation recipe for vegan cupcakes.
Thaw correctly: If you choose to freeze them, they will need to thaw correctly. Resist the urge to microwave them. Thaw them out overnight or for a few hours at room temperature.
Frost once completely cool: The cupcakes should be at room temperature or chilled for the frosting process.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few egg alternatives to try in cupcakes. In this recipe, the combination of baking powder and apple cider vinegar replaces the eggs.
Mashed banana is often used as a vegan alternative to eggs in a vegan cupcake recipe. Chia seed “eggs” in their jelly are a good substitute too (1 tablespoon of chia seeds to 3 tablespoon water).
Regular cupcakes typically contain eggs and butter. These ingredients are animal derived. Vegan cupcakes use vegan alternatives to eggs. In addition, they contain oil instead of butter, making them free from animal products.
If the vegan cupcakes have been frosted, they need to be refrigerated. Otherwise, store them at room temperature unfrosted.
No, the frosting is entirely optional.
Sure! Replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.
Yes! Make this Eggless Cake.
Serving
Serve these vegan vanilla cupcakes on their own with a steaming cup of tea or coffee.
Feel free to top them with a drizzle of hot fudge, caramel sauce, or peanut butter. Add some sprinkles on top for fun!
They will go beautifully alongside other treats as part of a celebration spread.
Serve alongside this Vegan Lemon Cake or Vegan Strawberry Cake for the ultimate dessert combo.
Storage
Once the cupcakes are cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. If they have frosting on top, they must be stored in the fridge. They will last about 5 days in the fridge.
They need to be stored in a sealed container to avoid them absorbing other flavors. Pack them either in single layers or with a sheet of parchment paper between them. In the case of the latter, they should be unfrosted.
Unfrosted cupcakes will freeze well for up to 3 months.
Equipment Needed
Pyrex 3 Glass Mixing Bowls: These glass mixing bowls are great for mixing and baking.
Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups: These glass cups are great for measuring out the ingredients.
Whisk: Whisk together the ingredients.
Muffin Pan: This is my favorite muffin pan for baking muffins and cupcakes.
You Will Also Love
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Dairy Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Cake Mix Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
- Dairy Free Whipped Cream
- Vegan Vanilla Pudding
If you make this vegan cupcake recipe, please leave a rating and comment! Check out these Sweet Treats for more delicious recipes.
Vegan Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup vegan milk
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups vegan frosting
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sea salt, and baking powder until combined.
- In another mixing bowl, combine the vegan milk, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and oil.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Scoop the cupcake batter into the lined muffin tin. Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Finally, remove the pan from the oven. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Once fully cool, add vegan frosting on top!
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Notes
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free 1 to 1 flour.
- Use any type of vegan milk.
- For the best flavor, use pure maple syrup. This yields a much better flavor.
- Be sure to use cupcake liners. This helps for easy removal.
- Do not bake too long. Once they look set and have a dome shape, insert a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done baking.
- Wait until these vegan cupcakes are fully cool before adding frosting.
Nutrition
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