Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

December 06, 2019

#Recipe #Foody

These vegan vanilla cupcakes are most, tender, and perfectly sweet! They only require a few minutes and seven simple ingredients to make, and are the perfect treat for celebrations.

While I generally consider myself to be a well-established member of team chocolate, every once in a while I crave vanilla. Here’s the thing though: my vanilla desserts need to be really tasty. So many sweets flavored with just a touch of vanilla and have the nerve to go around calling themselves vanilla-flavored. Sugar flavored ≠ vanilla flavored!

These vegan vanilla cupcakes, my friends, are the real deal when it comes to vanilla treats. They’re bursting with flavor. Totally satisfied my vanilla cravings!

Vegan Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make the most amazing vegan vanilla cupcakes. Seven ingredients are all that’s required!

All-purpose flour. Trusty old wheat flour is my go-to for all of my cupcake recipes.

Sugar. We’re using white sugar here. Make sure it’s organic to keep the cupcakes vegan.

Baking powder. This is our leavening agent, to get those cakes light and fluffy.

Salt. This is essential to achieving maximum vanilla flavor, so don’t skimp on it!

Non-dairy milk. Soy, almond, rice, or whatever your favorite non-dairy milk happens to be is fine! Just be sure to use something unflavored and unsweetened.

Oil. This adds moisture to our cupcakes. Without it they’d be super dry.

Vanilla extract. Obviously we need something for vanilla flavor!

How to Make Vegan Cupcakes

Mix the Batter

Start by making up the batter. You’ll need to mix your dry and wet ingredients separately to start with.

Your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) will need to be mixed in a large mixing bowl. Stir everything together and then use a spoon to form a well in the center.

Your liquid ingredients (milk, oil, and vanilla) can be mixed in a small bowl or large liquid measuring cup. The oil and milk will start to separate — don’t worry too much about it!

Now pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and beat everything together with an electric mixer for about a minute — just until the batter is fully mixed. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get all of the ingredients incorporated into the batter.

Baking the Cupcakes

Next, line a muffin tin with papers and spoon the batter into the cavities. You’ll want each one to be about two-thirds full. If you find that you have more batter than you need, save the extra for a second small batch.

Pop the tin into the oven and bake your cupcakes. They should take about 25 to 28 minutes. To test the cupcakes for doneness, gently press your finger into the top of one, then remove it — the indentation should spring back.

Topping the Cupcakes

You can go super simple and serve your cupcakes plain or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, but let’s face it, frosting is the bomb! I love these with my vegan vanilla buttercream frosting. They’d also be wonderful with my vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.

Vegan Vanilla Cupcake FAQ & Tips

Can these cupcakes be gluten-free? I haven’t tried making them gluten-free, but if you’d like to take a crack at it I’d recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free blend like those made by Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.
Can these cupcakes be made oil-free? I’m not sure! Applesauce sometimes works as a substitute, but I haven’t tried these cupcakes with it.
Don’t overmix the batter! About a minute should be enough to fully blend the ingredients. Overmixing could make your baking powder fizzle out, resulting in flat cupcakes.
My cupcakes didn’t rise. Why not? First, see the note above about overblending the batter. If you didn’t do that, I’d recommend testing your baking powder. Sprinkle a bit into a glass of water to see if it fizzes. If it doesn’t, it’s time for some new baking powder!

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