They’re so good, I’ll bet you won’t know that most of them are dairy-free. With all the new vegan foods and cooking techniques available, it’s never been easier to follow a vegan plan or cater to your dairy-free family and friends. And these recipes look and taste just like any other cupcakes. There’s decadent chocolate, luscious lemon, and classic vanilla. Plus, I found a heavenly tiramisu cupcake that will blow you away. Take my word for it: you won’t be able to stop at just one of these vegan cupcake recipes!
20 Best Vegan Cupcakes for Every Occasion
1. Classic Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
You’ll notice that the recipe for these light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes is super similar to any other. One key difference being the use of applesauce over eggs. I don’t always keep flax seeds in the house, but I almost always have applesauce, so it’s my preferred egg replacement (other than bananas). Feel free to use whatever dairy-free milk you prefer, though I wouldn’t use anything sweetened, as it will affect the taste of the cupcakes. When making the frosting, I recommend holding back on adding the milk until the end. Vegan butter is pretty soft, so you may find you don’t need any added liquid at all (or very little).
2. Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes EVER
Amazingly, this recipe has zero butter or oil. Instead, it uses full-fat coconut milk for added moisture. Since you’ll use coconut cream and water, it’s best to whisk this thoroughly before adding it to the cake batter. That way, you won’t see any lumps. You have a couple of options here for the frosting. I like this one because it includes shortening, which makes it extra stable and perfectly pipable.
3. Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
This lemon recipe is light and moist and is enhanced by the lemon frosting on top. Of course, for something with a zesty kick, you could fill the cupcakes with vegan lemon curd, too. Since these vegan cupcakes won’t include any eggs, you might be wondering how they achieve a light crumb and that trademark “lift” you see when they pop up in the oven. The answer is kind of scientific, but essentially, most recipes will use baking soda and vinegar. If you’ve ever cleaned with this combination, you’ll know it bubbles up when the two mix. The same goes for inside the cupcake, allowing the batter to lift and become airy.
4. Vegan Tiramisu Cupcakes
Before you make these, I need to warn you: you will eat more than one (or three) in one sitting, and they will be on your mind all day long. These really are that good! Not only do they have a light, coffee-soaked vanilla cupcake, and dreamy coffee frosting, but they also have a scrumptious espresso fudge filling. If you can’t find any ready-made vegan hot fudge sauce, this recipe is spot on.
5. Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Carrot cake is the perfect option when you want something sweet, but not too sweet. It has a hint of warmth, and I just adore the texture you’ll get from adding nuts and raisins. As these are carrot cake cupcakes, I recommend using the smaller side of the grater so you don’t get too big of bits in the crumb. And if you want to add nuts, chop them pretty small. Also, when I made these, I used this vegan cream cheese frosting to give them that signature tang. Just be sure to get plain vegan cream cheese and not the herb kind!
6. Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
These vegan red velvet cupcakes use coconut oil, spelt flour, and beetroot powder for coloring. So, they’re not your average cupcakes! Many food colorings are not vegan, so if you don’t want to use beetroot powder (I promise you won’t taste it), be sure to check the ingredients to find a coloring that’s vegan-friendly. That said, red coloring won’t change the flavor, so you could always leave it out if you want something more natural.
7. Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes are challenging to get right at the best of times. They’re often flavorless, super dense, and the color quickly fades in the oven. Luckily, this recipe will give you light cupcakes that are bursting with strawberry flavor. They’re the perfect pink hue, and that frosting is like a cloud of juicy berries on top. To get the most flavor possible, you’ll make a strawberry reduction using fresh, pureed strawberries. Then, strain it if you want it super smooth. Add the puree to a pot and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes until the mixture thickens up, like a tasty sauce. You can even make extra and serve this stuff over ice cream. Mix the reduction into the cupcake batter along with finely diced strawberries for a boost of flavor and color. You’ll also use the reduction in the frosting. Or, another option is to get some freeze-dried strawberry powder, which has a concentrated flavor.
8. Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
It’s easier than you think to make vegan pumpkin cupcakes. As you can use pumpkin puree as an egg replacement, you’re halfway there without having to do anything special. But since cupcakes need to be light (unlike pumpkin loaf that can be denser), you’ll need to add a flax egg to help it lift. This frosting is pretty mild in flavor but pipes beautifully. Or, if you want a bit more warmth, this vegan cinnamon frosting is to die for. Another terrific little addition would be a vegan cheesecake filling. Per this recipe, all you’ll need are soaked cashews, maple syrup, almond milk, and lemon juice.
9. Vegan Coconut Cupcakes
There’s something so clean and classy about an all-white cupcake. Of course, they can also be super fun if you find some funky cupcake liners. To ensure the crumb stays nice and light, try your best not to over-mix the batter. I like to add the coconut with the last bit of flour, so they’ll incorporate together without overworking everything. For the most pronounced coconut flavor, I suggest splurging on some coconut extract paste (you’ll find it online or in most supermarkets). It’s natural and concentrated, so there’s no doubt about the taste. One way to make these extra special, though, is to include a fun filling. Coconut is yummy but pretty mild, so why not fill the cupcakes with vegan coconut and lime curd?
10. Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes
Mint and chocolate work well together because the freshness of the mint is the perfect match for that slightly bitter and super-rich deep chocolate flavor. You’ll use peppermint extract in the cake and the frosting, along with crushed candy canes for some lovely added texture. If you want a more subtle mint flavor, try making a swirled frosting with this peppermint recipe and the chocolate frosting from the top of this post. Not only will it look great, but the taste will be that much more indulgent. Top these with Andes Creme De Menthe Thins, mint-flavored Oreos, or Thin Mints if you don’t have candy canes.
11. Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
As much as I love over-the-top, funky-colored, crazy cupcakes, I also just adore something more natural. The frosting for this recipe relies on cherry preserves to give it that stunning, dusty pink hue and plenty of sweet, tart flavor. They’re finished with the iconic cherry on top, which couldn’t be more perfect! Although, if you wanted to jazz them up, maybe try adding hot fudge sauce and sugared cherries instead.
12. Vegan Banana Blueberry Cupcakes
I need to warn you that these cupcakes are so good, you’ll eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (if they last that long, that is!). The banana flavor is very distinct in these, and it adds so much moisture to boot. It’s the perfect base, and you can so easily swap out the blueberries for chocolate or peanut butter chips. I love that this frosting is sweet and pipes nicely, but it doesn’t distract from the banana and berry flavors. However, I can’t help but think that these would be utterly irresistible if they were covered in vegan peanut butter frosting.
13. Vegan Salted Caramel Cupcakes
If you’re new to the vegan world, you might be worried that your daily caramel macchiato is soon to be a thing of the past. Have no fear: this recipe for vegan salted caramel is here to make your iced coffee dreams come true! Using full-fat coconut milk and vegan butter, this caramel sauce is rich, creamy, sweet, and, better still, made the same way as every other caramel. Pour it over these brown sugar, vegan cupcakes with velvety caramel icing, and indulge in a homemade iced coffee, too. You deserve it! Or, why not combine the two? Use the vegan coffee frosting from the tiramisu recipe, and you’ll have two treats in one.
14. Blackberry Chocolate Cupcakes
If you haven’t already, check out my post on blackberry desserts. One bite, and you’ll be hooked on these inky little berries! When they’re ripe, they’re sweet, tart, and so, so juicy. But they’re not as sweet as some other berries, which (I think) makes them perfect for these cupcakes. As with most fruity frosting recipes, you’ll use blackberry syrup along with powdered sugar to make something smooth and sweet, but not too sweet. Match that with a deep and intense chocolate cupcake, and you won’t ever go back to cloying ready-made frosting again. Oh, and how stunning is that coloring, too?
15. Vegan Peanut Butter Cupcakes
At first, I thought peanut butter cupcakes with peanut butter frosting would be too much. Maybe too much of a good thing? Boy, was I wrong. In the cupcake, the flavor is super mild, and it just leaves you with a sweet and nutty taste that does not overpower at all. However, if you added the caramel or chocolate frostings from above, you would still know the cake is peanut butter. I love that the frosting uses vegan cream cheese instead of just butter because it adds another level of creaminess, not to mention, a touch of tang to the mix. The fudge is optional, but I think you should go for it if only for the fantastic pictures you’ll take!
16. Light and Fluffy Vegan Orange Cupcakes
You’ll find endless lists of zesty lemon recipes around to shock your tastebuds. But if you want something citrusy without the puckered lips, try these fluffy orange cupcakes instead. I found the flavor to be very subtle since the recipe calls for freshly squeezed orange juice. So, I used an orange reduction and added orange zest when I made them again. Though frosting is perfect as is, unless you wanted something more decadent, in which case, try this chocolate and orange frosting.
17. Vegan Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
One look at that picture had me running to the kitchen. The fluffy cake, the gushing filling, and the creamy frosting looked too good not to make immediately. If you can find vegan condensed milk in the store, you’ll save yourself a lot of time here. But this recipe is very straightforward if you want to make it yourself. You’ll notice that the recipe calls for coconut whipping cream, which is available in cans in most stores and online. It’s more or less coconut cream, which you can “make” by simply popping a can of coconut cream in the fridge. The cream and water will separate, and you’ll just scoop out the thick part.
18. Copycat Hostess Cupcakes
Don’t these look just like the real thing? Well, I can tell you they taste like the real thing, too! These babies are gluten-free and vegan, so you will need gluten-free flour. Although, any vegan chocolate cupcake recipe will work if you don’t need it to be gluten-free. The filling is almost like the same stuff you find in Oreos; only this will be a little thinner. The trick is to fill the middle of the cupcake but spread the excess so it’s flat. That way, when you dip the top in ganache, it doesn’t have a bump.
19. 1-Bowl Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
Who doesn’t love Funfetti cupcakes? How about vegan Funfetti cupcakes with a super fluffy frosting that can be made in one bowl? Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? The key to these fluffy cupcakes is the vegan buttermilk. You’ll make that first by adding non-dairy milk and vinegar to the bowl. Then, after a few minutes, it’ll start to curdle, and you can add the rest of the wet ingredients. To keep the sprinkles from streaking in the cake batter, only add them right at the end. Fold them through and get the batter in the cupcake liners asap!
20. Midnight Blue Velvet Cupcakes
I know you’ve tried red velvet, but have you ever tried blue velvet cupcakes? I hadn’t either, which is why I had to make a batch of these right away. My neighbors love it when I get creative in the kitchen! This recipe is almost identical to the red velvet from above, only, you guessed it, you’ll use blue food coloring. If you wanted these to be more natural, you could use Spirulina powder, but I don’t think you’d get such a deep and dark shade of blue (plus, it fades as the cakes bake). Click on a star to rate it!
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