These are my favourite dairy free vanilla cupcakes! This easy recipe is perfect for celebrations, birthday parties or just because. They are soft, light and fluffy, and the perfect base for a swirl of creamy vanilla buttercream frosting.
For different flavour variations, make sure to check out all of my dairy free cupcake recipes!
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Made these for a friend’s daughter’s birthday – as a treat for her class mates. Requested a handful (not all) of dairy and gluten free vanilla cupcakes, however I was determined to find a recipe that met all dietary requirements without the substitution of flavour. These cupcakes were delicious and a huge hit with the kids. Thank you. – Suzie
Having a perfect, easy, works every time vanilla cupcake recipe in your back pocket is one of those essential recipes for every home baker.
This is my OG dairy free cupcake recipe that has served me for most of my adult life and I am so excited for it to be yours as well!
This one of the very first recipes I shared on this blog back in 2015 and for years before and still to this day I have been making these cupcakes.
Whenever I have an occasion that calls for some baking such as a birthday, work lunch, or just a general need for cake, I make these. They are so easy, but result in a perfect soft texture, and are full of vanilla flavour.
Key Ingredients
Vanilla is always a great option when you want to make something using basic pantry ingredients. I usually have everything I need to make a batch of these making them a great option when you’re short on time (or notice!).
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dairy free butter – for the best taste and texture use a good quality vegan butter. I always use Nuttelex Buttery which is an Australian product but I believe the best US alternative is Earth Balance.
- White sugar – keeps the cakes sweet but not overly so they can be balanced with the buttercream frosting.
- Eggs – to give extra lift and lightness to the cupcakes keeping them soft and light.
- Vanilla extract – for the best flavour make sure to use a good vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla essence.
- Self-raising flour – we’re using self-raising flour in this recipe so we don’t need to add another ingredient to provide lift and rise. If you don’t have any, see recipe notes for how to make your own.
- Plain flour – known as all purpose flour in the US, we’re combining it with the SRF to give the perfect cupcake texture.
- Dairy free milk – I like to use almond milk usually, but any non dairy milk such as oat milk or soy milk will also work. Coconut milk can be used but your cupcakes will carry that flavour through them.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the ingredients needed for the frosting or read the full post for the vegan vanilla buttercream which includes a more detailed breakdown and step-by-step photos and instructions.
Equipment and Tools
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- Cupcake / muffin tin – I always recommend using light coloured baking pans as they allow for a much more even heat distribution. My favourite is this USA Pan muffin pan.
- Paper muffin liners – these are the ones I use and honestly they are expensive but they are the best paper liners I’ve used. They will not stick to your cupcakes and are the perfect size giving your cupcakes that professional finish.
- Stand mixer – I find that a stand mixer is really the best kitchen tool to create a super creamy buttercream frosting. My KitchenAid is a workhorse and is definitely worth the investment.
- Piping bags – I prefer to use disposable piping bags just to keep clean up super easy.
- Piping tip – you can use any piping tip you like to decorate your cupcakes. I am using the Wilton 1M tip for these cupcakes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I love this recipe so much – I’ve literally been making it for years and it’s just so quick and easy to whip up the batter.
Start by creaming the dairy free butter and sugar together well which will result in a soft, flavourful cupcake. Next, add in the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flours. Add the flour to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk and mix well in between each addition.
🤓 It’s essential that you use a combination of BOTH plain flour and self-raising flour in these cupcakes. If you don’t your cupcakes will not rise as we are not adding any additional baking powder to the batter.
Spoon the mixture into a 12 cup muffin pan that has been lined with cupcake liners about ½ to ¾ full. It is important to not overfill the cupcakes so that they have room to rise without spilling out and burning.
Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
For these cupcakes I love to finish them with batch of my favourite vanilla buttercream and a few sprinkles for fun.
This buttercream is vegan, dairy free, really easy to make, and holds its shape perfectly for piping, but you would never realise it’s not made with real butter once you taste it.
One batch of the frosting will be enough for these cupcakes, but all ingredients and steps are written out in the recipe below.
How to store dairy free cupcakes
These cupcakes will be fine covered at room temperature for about 2 days, or in the fridge for about 5 days. I recommend letting them come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.
You can also freeze unfrosted cupcakes ahead of time and let thaw overnight at room temperature before frosting on the day of serving.
Recipe FAQs
While these cupcakes are dairy free, they are not vegan as they contain eggs. For a vegan version, use my vegan vanilla cupcakes recipe instead which are equally delicious.
Yes you can replace the flours with gluten free 121 replacement flour or for best results, use my gluten free vanilla cupcakes recipe instead.
Yes, the best part about these cupcakes is just how versatile they are! To change the flavour combination you could try pairing the cupcakes with a classic chocolate buttercream, lemon buttercream, or even a strawberry buttercream!
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More dairy free cupcake recipes:
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (Vegan)
Celebration Cupcakes
Dairy Free Lemon Cupcakes
Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
Dairy Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
For The Vanilla Cupcakes
- ½ cup (125 grams) dairy free butter
- ¾ cup white sugar/granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup self-raising flour
- ¾ cup plain flour/all purpose flour
- ½ cup dairy free milk oat milk or almond milk
For The Vanilla Buttercream
- ½ cup (125 grams) dairy free butter
- 3-4 cups icing mixture
- 1 tablespoon dairy free milk oat milk or almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt to taste
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with patty cases.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift both flours together. Stir briefly to combine, then set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the dairy-free butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the sifted flour to the wet mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, alternating with the dairy-free milk. Continue mixing until all the flour and milk are incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Fill the cupcake cases: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared patty cases, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
To Make the Vanilla Buttercream
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the dairy-free butter for 1–2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add 3 cups of icing mixture and beat on medium speed until combined. The mixture will be thick.
- Add the vanilla extract and dairy-free milk, and continue beating until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too soft, gradually add up to 1 extra cup of icing mixture until the desired consistency is reached.
- Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness, to taste.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle, then pipe onto the cooled cupcakes. Finish with sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in March 2015, updated in July 2023, and again in 2025 to include new photos and more helpful content. The recipe remains the same!
Celia says
Hello,
I’m not seeing any mention about the temperature of the butter in this recipe. Are you using cold butter or room-temp?
Sally says
As the dairy free butter I use is a spreadable kind, I use it cold as it’s already quite soft. If you’re using a harder stick-style version you will want to allow it to soften slightly just so it can be easily beaten with the sugar.
A H says
Delicious, reliable recipe – love making it!!
Sally says
So glad you love this one!
Kyle says
Very yummy, so glad to find this easy dairy free alternative. However, it was quite sweet, so I would add less sugar next time.
Sally says
Glad you enjoyed them Kyle!
Anne says
Made these in a holiday house oven and they turned out great. Followed all the notes tips. I used beaters for all the mixing.
Sally says
Amazing Anne, so glad they worked well for you!
Suzie says
Made these for a friend’s daughter’s birthday – as a treat for her class mates. Requested a handful (not all) of dairy and gluten free vanilla cupcakes, however I was determined to find a recipe that met all dietary requirements without the substitution of flavour. These cupcakes were delicious and a huge hit with the kids. I substituted the flour for gluten free flour and used vanilla almond milk. Thank you.
Sally says
These kind of comments make my day, thank you so much for sharing! So glad everyone loved them!
Kate says
Great recipe, thanks for sharing. My daughter has some allergies and previously we had to stick to vegan baking, so great to be able to use eggs again! I made a few errors (baking with a toddler…) but the final product was delicious!
Sally says
So glad you found this recipe that will work with your daughters allergies!
Tegan says
Looking forward to making these next weekend for my daughters birthday.
Can I ask if i made them with the frosting on will they last overnight?
Thanks
Sally says
Hi Tegan, sounds great! Yes as long as you keep them in a cool, dry area covered then they will be totally fine frosted overnight.
Essie Langley says
Thanks, it a great recipe for delicious cup cakes
Kendra says
I have made the cupcakes before and loved them, just wondering if you can use the cupcake recipe to make a cake?
Stacey says
Just made these and they are great! I loved that they are dairy free. I am in the USA and used Silk Vanilla Soymilk as my milk, and Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks as my butter. The crumb is fine and tender and the cupcakes are fluffy but not dry. I found that the batch made closer to 16 cakes. I’m excited to try this recipe again with maybe some lemon or coconut. This is a great classic vanilla base to build off of. Thanks for sharing it!
Sally says
Thanks Stacey, so glad you enjoyed them and thanks for sharing the products you used!
Wayne says
Did anyone add baking soda to there mix?
Sally says
Hi Wayne. This recipe doesn’t require baking soda. Thanks!
Sally says
Awesome!
We used soy milk and also added some 100s and 1000s to part of the mixture.
Beautiful texture: light and fluffy.
Also, it’s hard to find recipes with Australian measurements and products. So happy to have found your site. Thank you.
Sally says
Thank you so much for your comment! Happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes, they really are of of my all time favourites!
Andrea says
These are the prettiest cupcakes I have ever seen! And such a handy staple recipe. Can’t wait to try them.
Sally says
Thanks so much Andrea!
Sylvie says
I feel like this is the perfect basic vanilla cake recipe that can be used in many many different ways! Love that it is a dairy-free one too 🙂
Sally says
Thanks Sylvie!