Best-Ever Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
These vegan Vanilla Cupcakes are unbelievably delicate and moist. Made with applesauce for an easy and delicious cupcake that everyone will love and NO ONE will believe is vegan. Fail-proof and a total crowd pleaser.
This post was originally published on 4/9/2018. Last updated 6/15/2020
Who’s ready to celebrate with me? What’s the occasion, you ask. Oh, just another beautiful day in April. Spring is here. The sun is out. And I’m making cupcakes for work.
Life is pretty good.
Ever since sharing my vegan chocolate cupcakes, I’ve been getting requests to make vegan vanilla cupcakes. And so, I delivered.
This is one of the most tested recipes I’ve ever shared on the blog. I worked hard to get these cupcakes just perfect before sharing them with you. And I’m so glad I did.
They are tender, moist, perfectly sweet, and so good that you will fool vegans and omnivores alike.
Recipe Video
Ingredients & Substitutions
These easy, fool-proof vanilla cupcakes are made with simple, straight-forward ingredients for a fluffy and delicate cupcake that is lightly sweetened and filled with delicious vanilla flavor.
Here is everything you need.
- All-Purpose Flour – This recipe can be made with a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Powdered & Granulated Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.
- Oil – This recipe calls for canola oil because it creates the best texture without added flavor. If you want to avoid hydrogenated oils, try avocado or melted coconut oil. Olive oil also works but adds a slightly savory flavor. If you want to eliminate the oil altogether, swap it out for the same amount of applesauce.
- Non-Dairy Milk – I recommend choosing a thick neutral flavored milk such as soy, almond, or cashew milk but any non-dairy milk will do.
- Applesauce – This is the binder of the recipe. Applesauce works the best but if you don’t have access to it, check out my guide on replacing eggs. I also recommend trying a chickpea egg (equivalent to one egg) or equal amounts of non-dairy yogurt.
- Vanilla Extract
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Step One – Mix the Batter
In one bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. That’s the flour, vegan sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Pro Tip: The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
In a separate bowl, combine the non-dairy milk (I use soy milk but any milk should do), oil, water, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until you have a smooth, evenly hydrated batter.
Step Two – Bake the Cupcakes
With a large ice cream scoop or piping bag fill a muffin tin with batter so that each muffin mold is 3/4th the way full. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
When the cupcakes are done, you’ll notice that it has begun to pull away from the edges slightly. At that point, you can insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, then it’s all ready to go!
Step Three – Make the Buttercream
Since buttercream is primarily made up of butter, it is important to use the highest quality vegan butter you can find. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s. You can also make your own vegan butter.
Pro Tip: Make sure your butter is at room temperature when you add it to the mixer. If the butter is too cold, it won’t incorporate into the powdered sugar and your buttercream will be lumpy.
In a stand-up mixer, using your paddle attachment, cream the vegan butter on high for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Turn mixer to low and slowly add powdered sugar. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer back up to high and beat for another 3-5 minutes until thick and creamy.
Turn down mixer, add non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Step Four – Decorate the Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are ready, remove from the oven and let it cool at least 20 minutes in the cake pan before flipping it out onto a wire cooling rack.
This is very important as the structure of the cake is still firming up. If you flip it over too early, it may fall apart or stick to the pan. Let the cupcakes continue cooling on a wire cooling rack until it is completely cool.
Once the cupcakes are COMPLETELY cool, pipe buttercream onto the cupcakes. If the cupcakes aren’t cool, the buttercream will melt off.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Serve the cupcakes immediately or place them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storing – Store the cupcakes for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These cupcakes can also be store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, simply pull out and let thaw at room temperature.
Tips and Tricks
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Do not overmix. Overmixing allows the gluten strands to develop making the cake gummy. Mix until just combined to ensure a light, delicate crumb.
- Fill cupcake tins about 3/4″ of the way full. Any fuller than that and they will overflow.
- Do not open the oven door while the cupcakes are baking. This causes the structure to fall leaving you with a dent in the middle of your cakes. You can check for doneness after 20 minutes.
- To prevent the cupcake from sticking, use baking cups and generously spray the cups before filling them with batter.
- Bring your butter to room temperature before making the buttercream. If the butter is too cold, it won’t incorporate into the powdered sugar and your buttercream will be lumpy.
- Let the cupcakes sit for at least 20 minutes in the pan before flipping out. If you try and flip it out too early, the cake structure may not have fully set and will fall apart.
- Let the cake completely before decorating to prevent the buttercream from melting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe will fill one 8 or 9″ cake pan. When making a cake, generously spray the pan with cooking oil. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the cake pan before adding the batter.
Follow these instructions and bake this vegan cake for about 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Yes. I have had a lot of luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (<<affiliate link). That is the only gluten-free flour I’ve tried for these cupcakes but I’m sure other 1:1 ratio flours would work as well.
There are a few reasons your cupcakes might have fallen. (1) You opened the oven door before the cake was set. (2) You over mixed the batter allowing too much air to get in. (3) Your baking powder was expired. (4) Your oven was set too high causing it to rise too rapidly before baking in the middle.
Yes! If you are short on time and want to make vegan cupcakes from a boxed cake mix, simply substitute each egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce. Additionally, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to help the cupcakes rise.
If you want to make this recipe in advance, make the cupcakes and buttercream separately. Store the cupcakes according to the instructions above. Buttercream should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. When ready to use, pull it out of the fridge and let it come back to room temperature. Whip it for 2-3 minutes before piping it onto the cupcakes.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Gluten-free Carrot Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk, I use almond
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream
- 6 tbsp. vegan butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the vanilla cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin tin with 12 baking cups and spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the non-dairy milk, oil, apple sauce, water, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently whisk together until the batter is evenly hydrated and fairly smooth.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin so that they are 2/3rds of the way full, filling all 12 muffin molds evenly. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
To make vanilla buttercream
- In a stand-up mixer, using your paddle attachment, cream the vegan butter on high for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Turn mixer to low and slowly add powdered sugar with motor running, again scraping down the sides as necessary. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer back up to high and beat for another 3-5 minutes until thick and creamy. Turn down mixer, add non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Once the cupcakes are COMPLETELY cool, pipe buttercream onto the cupcakes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Do not overmix. Overmixing allows the gluten strands to develop making the cake gummy. Mix until just combined to ensure a light, delicate crumb.
- Do not open the oven door while the cupcakes are baking. This causes the structure to fall leaving you with a dent in the middle of your cakes. You can check for doneness after 20 minutes.
- Bring your butter to room temperature before making the buttercream. If the butter is too cold, it won’t incorporate into the powdered sugar and your buttercream will be lumpy.
- Let the cupcakes sit for at least 20 minutes in the pan before flipping out. If you try and flip it out too early, the cake structure may not have fully set and will fall apart.
- Let the cake completely before decorating to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- Can this recipe be made into a cake? Yes! This recipe will fill one 8 or 9″ cake pan. When making a cake, generously spray the pan with cooking oil. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the cake pan before adding the batter. Bake this vegan cake for about 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Yes. I have had a lot of luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. That is the only gluten-free flour I’ve tried for these cupcakes but I’m sure other 1:1 ratio flours would work as well.
- You opened the oven door before the cake was set.
- You over mixed the batter allowing too much air to get in.
- Your baking powder was expired.
- Your oven was set too high causing it to rise too rapidly before baking in the middle.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the 
Ricardo Bellini says
I made these for a vegan friend and she loved them so much, I’ve been asked to make more for her baby shower. Can I substitute half of the vegan butter for coconut oil or shortening (for the frosting) so they will hold up better in the hot weather? (I’m in Australia)
Meg says
I just made these for my mom who’s dr put her on a strict diet. She is now gluten free and vegan. I substituted the flour and the confection sugar. I used swerve sugar for both replacements ( Blending the sugar for a powdered like sugar for the icing) ( I would also use less of the sugar for the icing if using swerve) It came out fantastic! My husband even loved it!
Jen says
I just made these and these are the perfect vegan cupcake! Thank you so much for sharing this recipes. 🙂 🙂
Jacinta says
Hi!! Would flax milk be ok?
Lulu says
I’ve had trouble trying to make vegan cupcakes in the past. This recipe and the tips were super easy to follow. The cupcakes tasted great, moist, and not too sweet. They actually fluffed up. Other receipts I’ve tried have usually sunk in the middle. I should add, I didn’t have canola oil, so I had to swap it out for melted vegan butter (cashew butter/coconut oil mix), and I used oatmilk. I didn’t want to stray too far from the original recipe but I had to work with what I had. The tips seriously helped. Thank you!
Sonya Parekh says
Can I substitute the AP flour with any GF flours? If so, what do you recommend? Thanks!
V says
Hi
Could I add strawberries to this recipe when baking it into a cake ?
Sarah J Drouin says
Any tips for making this without a mixer or is that possible? Thanks!
Ylenia says
I made this yesterday and they taste really good. However they didn’t rise as much as they should. Any idea of why this could have happened?
Sarah McMinn says
It might either by your altitude, in which case you’ll need to add a little more leavener. Or you overmixed or your baking powder could have been expired. Those are my best guesses.
V says
hi
could i make these with regular milk and not plant based ? i just need them to be egg free not dairy free
Sarah McMinn says
Sure.
Lynn says
I don’t know why but they didn’t rise. 😔. I bake all the time so I really don’t know why this happened
Dushyanthi says
Hi. I was wondering what is the best way to make this into an orange flavored cake…I was thinking of adding orange zest? Why do you suggest? Thank you!
Sarah McMinn says
Yes, I would add orange zest and replace the non-dairy milk with orange juice.
Aimee B. says
These were pretty good. It’s one of the better vegan vanilla cupcake recipes I’ve tried. I ended up making mini ones and using chocolate frosting and Halloween sprinkles. Super cute. 🙂
Annelle Prefontaine says
Can I substitute using coconut cream and pumpkin in this recipe -to make pumpkin cup cakes?
Katie L. says
I just want to say, first time making these and they turned out so well! I have done other vegan or vegan+GF, but they were not this good, I always had to tweak the recipes so they would work. This is a fantastic recipe. Thank you, as these are for a baby shower and I am sure they will be a hit.
Andrea Connolly says
Just wonderful. Thanks for the recipe, they turn out wonderful every time!