These light and fluffy vegan vanilla cupcakes are topped with a creamy vegan vanilla buttercream frosting and colourful sprinkles. This dairy free and egg-free cupcake recipe is the only one you will need for birthdays and special occasions.
This recipe was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful content. The recipe remains the same!
There are some recipes that you just need to have in your back pocket, and I truly believe that a reliable vanilla cupcake recipe is one of those.
While I have my favourite vanilla cupcakes recipe which has long been my go to, when making cupcakes for a birthday or celebration, there is always a chance that someone may have food intolerances and that can make things tricky, so this is a handy recipe to have.
I started adapting my cakes to find a vegan option that still tastes like cake should because being dairy-free myself I know first hand what it feels like when everyone else gets cake for their birthday and you end up with a slice of the standard orange almond cake that seems to be the only allergy friendly cake that bakeries make, or worse, nothing because it’s just too difficult.
This is the perfect recipe to make for those who need a vegan dessert, but those who don’t won’t feel like this is anything less than the most delicious cupcake. I’ve tested this recipe on many people, both vegan and non-vegan and these cupcakes get the tick of approval from all.
Key Ingredients
There are a couple of key ingredients that help make these vanilla cupcakes vegan and taste so good, so let’s run through.
- 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.
- White vinegar – mixed with the dairy-free milk to create a homemade buttermilk. This gives the cupcake a light, soft crumb. I prefer white vinegar so it doesn’t impact the flavour of the vanilla, but apple cider vinegar also will work.
- Plain flour – known as all purpose flour in the US. You can also substitute with your favourite 1-1 gluten free flour blend.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda / baking soda – without eggs to help with lift, we need to add both to give the cupcakes rise so they don’t end up dense.
- Vanilla – for the best flavour make sure to use a good vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla essence.
- Canola oil – for moisture and a soft and tender crumb. You can substitute with any flavourless oil. Coconut oil also works, but again you may get a slight coconut flavour through the cupcakes.
- White sugar – keeps the cakes sweet but not overly so they can be balanced with the buttercream frosting.
Step-By-Step Instructions
These cupcakes come together so quickly. You just need a few bowls and an electric mixer if you want, otherwise I generally just use a whisk for the cupcake batter. You’ll also need a cupcake or muffin pan and liners.
Start by making the vegan ‘buttermilk’ which is going to help give the cupcakes that perfect light and fluffy texture. Add the vinegar to the dairy free milk in a small bowl, mix and then set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. It might curdle and look a bit odd, but that’s ok!
Next, sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and give it a quick mix to make sure it’s combined. By making sure the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda are properly mixed into the flour before adding to the wet ingredients, you don’t have to worry about overmixing which can lead to a dense, almost gummy cupcake.
Finally grab your large mixing bowl and combine the canola oil, white sugar and vanilla. You can use your electric mixer here, otherwise just whisk well to combine.
Add a little of the milk mixture, followed by about a third of the dry ingredients and mix, continuing to alternate adding the milk and the dry ingredients until the batter just comes together.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan so that each is about ¾ full and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the tops are just golden and spring back when lightly pressed.
Let them cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Decorating your cupcakes
For frosting these cupcakes we’re using a batch of my best vegan vanilla buttercream. You can read through that post first as well if you’re looking for more comprehensive instructions on making the frosting itself.
Now most vegan vanilla cupcakes keep things simple with a plain white frosting, but one of the things I love the most about using vanilla as your flavour base is that you can change things up a little bit and inject a bit of extra vibrance and personality into how they are presented.
I love playing around with my Americolor gel food colouring kit as just a few drops create the most vibrant colours without impacting the taste and texture of your food. Plus they are vegan!
For these cupcakes I’ve gone with a light purple using a few drops of the Violet colour, but you can really do whatever you like to match your party theme, or of course simply keep them white.
To pipe on the frosting I used my Wilton 1M piping tip. If there is one piping tip you are looking to buy to ensure you get pretty frosted cupcakes everytime then this is it. It’s a wide open star and is perfect for making your cupcakes look that little bit more professional without much effort.
And finally to finish, a few colourful sprinkles. Just ensure that if you do need these cupcakes to be completely vegan you check the sprinkles you’re using as some are not due to the colours.
Storing and freezing
These cupcakes are best stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place at room temperature for 2 days. Any longer or if it’s warm or humid, in the fridge is best.
To freeze, if I’m intentionally making them ahead of time, I prefer to freeze just the cupcakes on their own and then frost on the day of serving; however you can also freeze them already frosted if you prefer.
To last longer in the freezer, it’s best to wrap each unfrosted cupcake individually with plastic wrap and then stack them into a freezer bag. For frosted cupcakes, in an airtight container is best. They’ll last in the freezer for 1-2 months.
To defrost, do this on the kitchen counter or in the fridge overnight.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I’ve had many readers who have successfully turned these vegan cupcakes gluten free by replacing the plain flour with a gluten free 1-1 blend.
Yes, you can use this batter to make a 3 layer 6 inch or 2 layer 8 inch cake and adjust the cooking time as needed. Otherwise for something bigger, check out my vegan vanilla cake recipe which is the perfect option for special occasions.
More vegan cupcake recipes:
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
The BEST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan Snickers Cupcakes
Vegan Biscoff Cupcakes
Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup dairy-free milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 ¾ cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
For the buttercream:
- ½ cup (125 grams) dairy-free butter
- 3-4 cups icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk
- pinch of salt to taste
- food colouring optional
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with 12 patty cases.
- In a small bowl combine white vinegar and dairy-free milk. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and set aside.
- Using a handheld mixer or a whisk, mix canola oil, sugar and vanilla until combined. Slowly add dry ingredients, alternating with the milk until cupcake batter comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Spoon mixture into patty cases ensuring they are only ¾ full before placing them in the oven for 18 minutes or until lightly springy to touch. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the buttercream. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, beat dairy-free spread for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add in 3 cups of icing sugar and beat on medium until combined. As mixture thickens, add in vanilla and dairy-free milk. If frosting is too thin, add in an extra ½-1 cup of icing sugar until it reaches the right consistency. Add pinch of salt to taste if frosting is too sweet.
- Tint the buttercream with a few drops of food colouring, I used 3 drops of Americolour Violet gel colouring. Place buttercream into a piping bag, I used a 2D tip, and pipe buttercream on cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.
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.
Mandy
Hey there! I’d really love to try this recipe for my daughter’s class for birthday on Thursday but I was wondering how it works with GF flour? And do I add xanthum gum or does the recipe not need it (some gf baking recipes don’t need it)
Sally
Hi Mandy, What a lovely idea! I don’t usually bake gluten free but I have readers who have substituted the flour with gluten free flour and the results been just fine. If you use a standard 1-1 replacement gf flour it should work as is. Please let me know how they turn out 🙂
Mandy
Thanks so much Sally! I will try them today as a test bake! I assume that I use SR GF flour??
Sally
This recipe uses plain flour, not self raising as it also contains both baking powder and bicarb soda. I’d recommend sticking with plain gf flour here for best results. Good luck today!
Mandy
Is grapeseed oil ok instead of canola? I just realised I don’t have canola oil!
Mandy
Thanks again Sally! Is grapeseed oil ok instead of canola? I just realised I don’t have canola oil!
Sally
Hi Mandy! I haven’t used it specifically before, but as it’s a pretty neutral tasting oil it should be fine as a substitute.
Isabel
Hi Sally! This recipe looks amazing! Can you tell me if the buttercream keeps its shape at room temperature?
Sally
Hi Isabel, yes it does. I usually only refrigerate if it’s a particularly hot/humid day or I want them to last a few extra days. They will sit at room temperature for 2-3 days just fine. Thanks!
Leanne
These were fantastic! Others I’ve tried recently have been much too doughy, these are just perfect, took a little longer in my oven and we added currents & sultanas and didn’t frost them, yum!!
Sally
Sounds delicious Leanne! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Alison
Hi I have made these for the first time today I haven’t frosted yet
But tried one and they are amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Ali x
Sally
Thanks so much for letting me know Ali!
Jo-Ann
Hi there , I’m excited to try this recipe . Can I substitute canola oil with regular vegetable oil ?
Sally
Hi Jo-Ann, yes you can but you want to choose a light tasting oil to make sure the flavour doesn’t come through the cake.
Mala
Hi, tried this and it turned out great. Can I substitute the flour to cake flour?
Sally
Glad you enjoyed them Mala! Cake flour is not easily available in Australia so I haven’t tried, however I believe you could substitute it just fine and it should result in a softer, more delicate cake.
Erin
Hi Sally, thank you for these great recipes – I’m so excited to try making your vegan chocolate or vanilla cupcakes.
I was wondering what you think about the following substitutes just based on what I have available right now to use: low gi raw sugar instead of white sugar, coconut oil instead of canola and apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. What are your thoughts ? I know you have worked hard to perfect these recipes so I think if it’s too much of a risk I will go and buy the right ingredients before trying these recipes 🙂
Kind Regards,
Erin
Sally
Hey Erin, so glad you are going to do some baking! The coconut oil and apple cider vinegar will be fine substitutes as they will react very similar in the recipe (you may get a slight coconut taste from the oil in the cupcakes, but I quite like that personally!). With the sugar, I don’t use raw sugar a lot so can’t be 100% but it should work however it may alter the texture of the finished cake. Let me know if you do try though!
Carolyn
Hi,
Do I have to add Xanthan gum if the gluten flour does not contain the gum? If so how much do I have to add?
Thanks,
Carolyn
Lindsey
Can you use coconut milk?? My son can only have this kind of milk
Sally
Hey Lindsey, I haven’t used it in this recipe myself but have used coconut in many other cake recipes on my site so I think it will be fine. Your cakes will just have a slight coconut taste to them.
Lindsey
It turned out great with the coconut milk by so delicious (I got the vanilla flavored ) I’m sooo glad I came a cross this recipe because my son has severe eczema and is allergic to eggs and dairy , gluten and peanuts so this recipe has allowed him to actually have a cupcake! Hes anaphylactic to eggs and peanuts! They were so good everyone ate one and couldn’t tell the difference! Thanks for creating this master peice!!
Sally
Thank you so much Lindsey for letting me know how they turned out! I am so incredibly happy to hear that your son got to enjoy a cupcake 🙂
Amanda
The buttercream melted! I had it stable last night and I guess my own fault I put it in the fridge and it separated. The butter I bought may also be too oily.
Otherwise the cake has a great texture and the buttercream was delicious!!
Sally
Oh I am sorry that happened! If this happens again, I would suggest trying to save it by beating again with electric beaters after it comes to room temp and maybe adding a little more icing sugar to get it back to the correct consistency. Glad you still enjoyed them!
Alee
Delicious cupcakes! This frosting and cupcake recipe really go well together. The cupcake itself isn’t too sweet but the buttercream makes up for it. My buttercream was a bit too thick, like bread dough at first. I had to add a bit more milk but it ended up being very tasty! Will definitely make these again!
Sally
Thanks so much for the review Alee! So happy you enjoyed them 🙂
Lori
Has anyone tried making these gluten free?
Lindsey
I used gluten free flower as my son is allergic! They turned out perfect
Natasha
What is the nutritional value/calories?
Sally
Hi Natasha, I don’t have that information sorry, but feel free to calculate it – there are many calculators available online. Thank you!
Mary
Can I transfer this into cake form? I want to make a double 6 inch cake for my kid’s birthday!
Sally
You certainly can Mary! The cupcake recipe will be best to make either a 2 layer 8 inch cake or a 3 layer 6 inch cake.
Amanda Smith
Hello, new vegan here! I just finished making these cupcakes and they were absolutely delicious! My 1 year old and my husband devoured them. I love that the recipe makes 12 cupcakes instead of the typical 24 as we don’t need 24 cupcakes at one time in our house. Next time I will half the frosting recipe as I only ended up needed half of it. I will definitely be making this recipe again. My husband (not vegan) said he actually preferred this frosting to the typical buttercream I had previously made. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sally
Thanks so much for your review Amanda – so glad your whole family loved them!
Jillian Benedict
I’ve been making vegan cupcakes for five years to no avail. I can never get the vanilla ones right. Too dense. Too crumbly. Some don’t even rise. So frustrating. FINALLY a recipe that not only works but tastes great too. THANK YOU!
Sally
Thanks so much for your review Jillian, so happy you could finally have success!
Adrianne
These are such pretty looking cupcakes! I love the delicate touch of the colourful sprinkles as well! Can’t wait to try them. Cheers
Robyn
These are so pretty! Such a great idea, I know quite a few people who can’t eat dairy and would love these!
Sylvie
Love the idea of a dairy-free buttermilk – so genius!! A great recipe that can be used in so many different ways – I know all my vegan friends will absolutely love these cupcakes!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes
After seeing these on Instagram the other day, I whipped up a batch for my best friend who is a vegan. We both enjoyed them immensely 🙂 Thank you so much, Sally!
Sally
I am so happy you both enjoyed these!