Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

These vegan chocolate peppermint cupcakes are perfect for Christmas baking. They have a soft and rich chocolate cupcake, topped with a creamy and cooling peppermint buttercream frosting and then are finished off with a sprinkle of crunchy, crushed candy canes. These festive dairy free cupcakes will be a favourite at your next holiday party!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings cupcakes

Calories 362kcal

Author Sally

Equipment

Ingredients

For the chocolate cupcakes:

1 cup dairy free milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
⅓ cup canola oil
¾ cup white sugar/granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups plain flour/all purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt

For the peppermint buttercream:

125 grams dairy free butter
3-4 cups icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1-2 tablespoons dairy free milk
Pinch salt
Crushed candy canes to decorate

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
In a small bowl combine white vinegar and dairy free milk. The milk may split which is fine. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the canola oil, white sugar and vanilla extract until combined.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to the oil and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk mixture, whisking until the cupcake batter comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Spoon the mixture into the muffins tin, ensuring they are only ¾ full before placing them in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the peppermint buttercream frosting. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, beat the dairy free butter 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 peppermint extracts and the dairy free milk, a little at a time. If the frosting is too thin, add in an extra ½-1 cup of icing sugar until it reaches the right consistency. Add a pinch of salt to taste if the frosting is too sweet.
Decorate the cupcakes. Add the buttercream frosting to a large piping bag with a piping tip fitted (I am using a 6B tip) and pipe swirls onto the cupcakes. Top with a sprinkle of crushed candy canes to finish.

Notes

Are candy canes vegan? I just love the look of the crushed candy canes on top of these cupcakes and while most candy canes are naturally vegan-friendly, not all of them are. The culprit is the red food colouring so if it contains carmine or carminic acid, then the red colouring is derived from the cochineal beetle and is not vegan. Always check your ingredient list!

Nutrition