Last week I got a chance to bake the easiest and tastiest vegan vanilla cupcakes ever! It was my son's birthday and I was in a huge dilemma about choosing a cake recipe to bake for his big day. But he made it pretty simple by saying that he wanted a cheesecake because one of his friends cut a cheesecake for his birthday.
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Ingredients
All-purpose flour - 1 and ½ cups
- Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
- Salt - ½ teaspoon
White Sugar - 1 cup
- Apple-cider vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Vanilla extract - 1 tablespoon
Vegetable oil - ½ cup (I used avocado oil)
Non-dairy milk - ¾ cup (I used rice milk)
Now this was even more difficult for me because I have not baked an egg free cheesecake so far. That's when I decided to take the easy route of making a raw vegan cheesecake, which was also quite new to me.
So I wanted to have a back up if the raw cheesecake flopped and planned to bake some eggless pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Then I needed to have a back up for that too or let's say that I just wanted to have an alternate for the kids to choose and wanted to bake some plain eggless vanilla cupcakes.
I didn't go with my usual recipe for vanilla cupcake recipe without eggs this time because I found another pretty simple vegan vanilla cupcake recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts. I had to try that because I have tried a couple of vegan vanilla cupcake recipes before but not satisfied with the taste or texture or the both.
Tried one with soy milk for an apparently moist vanilla cupcake recipe but all it was just a sticky, gooey mess. Ever since I have stopped using soy milk for vegan baking. It's either almond milk or rice milk. My personal favorite is rice milk.
The vegan chocolate cake with vinegar is a fool-proof recipe and I wanted to have a similar recipe for vanilla cupcakes too to put together when I'm on a time crunch. So I took a leap of faith and tried this recipe and I'm very happy with the result.
I was a bit worried that the flavor and taste of vinegar might show in the cupcakes because it was more than the quantity used in the vegan chocolate cake. Surprisingly they turned out good without any such after taste or smell and I would say that it is the best vegan vanilla cupcakes I have tried so far.
Recipe
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
- ½ cup oil (I used avocado oil)
- 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet mix into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Fill the cupcake liners about tow-thirds full with batter. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake and comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
My Notes
- I avoid using soy milk in baking recipes because I have tried it before and didn't like the texture of the baked goods. Almond milk and rice milk is my favorite.
- The same with vinegar too. I don't like the smell or after taste of white vinegar in baked goods, so I always prefer apple-cider vinegar.
- Substitute ¼ cup of oil with unsweetened applesauce to make low-fat cupcakes.
- Frost the cupcakes with vegan buttercream icing. Use non-hydrogenated vegan butter substitute like Earth Balance instead of the Crisco shortening.
Gitaben Kumar says
Instead of milk can i used normal milk or water.
Madhuram says
Yes you can use dairy milk. Water might affect the taste probably.
Anvit Paliwal says
I have a otg oven and confused which model to set to bake cupckaes. Top heat, bottom heat or both and of fan circulation is required?
Its a little silly, but I am new to baking and very eager to learn.
And many a times my cupcakes rises well but crack open on top.
Looking forward for your help.
Thank you.
(A fan of your receipes)
Madhuram says
Thanks Anvit. I don't have experience using an OTG. We have oven ranges here and that's what I have been using all these years. Did your OTG come with any instruction manual?
Kat says
Seriously?? I followed your recipe & directions perfectly & the cupcakes stuck to the paper liner, & completely fell apart. Wasted time & money!
Madhuram says
I'm sorry about it, Kat. Did you grease the paper liners with non-stick cooking spray? Did you give enough time for the cupcakes to cool before removing it from the liner?
Rela says
Excellent cake. And I agree the rice milk worked well. Soy milk makes cakes soggy.
Madhuram says
Thanks Rela.
Sarah says
I only need eggless cupcakes, not vegan. Can I substitute regular milk for non-dairy milk? And can I use 1/2 cup butter instead of 1/2 cup oil?
Madhuram says
Yes, Sarah.
Bella says
OMG!! These cupcakes are amazing, I made 60 off them for my granddaughters 1st birthday party, and they were a hit, so moist and fluffy.
The BEST vegan vanilla cupcake recipe I have tried.
Thank you so much for sharing, I will be making these time and time again.
Warm Regards 🙂
Madhuram says
Wow! that enthusiasm of yours is contagious, Bella! Thank you very much for sharing your lovely feedback.
Teresa Relingo says
I had doubts when my daughter asked me to make vegan cupcakes. Surprisingly they are delicious and so easy to make. I will now proceed to make more for my granddaughter to sell for fundraising for her gymnastics events.
Madhuram says
Thanks for the feedback, Teresa.
Satya says
Thank YOU, for posting this wonderful recipe! I made this for my sons 10th birthday.He has Dairy allergy.he like it so much.
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Satya.
Glenda says
My son is allergic to eggs, milk, and many other things and this recipe is just awesome. I had tried to many recipes before and he didn't like any of them. Thanks so much. By the way, everybody at home love these cupcakes!
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Glenda. Thank you for the feedback.
Lex says
Thank YOU, for posting this wonderful recipe! I've made it many times with coconut oil, and almond milk. It never fails to turn out well, and the cupcakes keep for several days in an air tight container! I don't have allergies, but like to eat less animal products. Plus I always have the ingredients in my cupboard. I've brought these cupcakes to work, and it's been a crowd pleaser every time. Thanks, Madhuram!
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Lex. Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. Much appreciated. 🙂
Arpita says
Hi I followed exact recipe but the cupcakes were sticking to the liner and falling apart. What went wrong?
Madhuram says
You have to grease the cupcake liners too with non-stick cooking spray and let them cool well enough and then try to remove it from the liner.
Ríona says
Great! I make it with water instead of the non dairy milk and without the cider and they're lovely is there a difference between organic white flour and all purpose flour?
Madhuram says
Thanks Riona. The difference is just that it's made of organic wheat, but still it is white flour, so doesn't have any additional nutrients than the regular all purpose flour.
Whitney says
Where do you find vegan icing?
Madhuram says
You can make your own Whitney, using vegan butter substitute.
Taj says
If I just want to make 6 cupcakes, how much of this recipe would I need?
Madhuram says
Probably try halving the recipe.
Sophie says
This recipe is great I have allergies to dairy and eggs dairy is the worst i'm very young and these are super simple to make there very delicious thank you so much for making this recipe
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Sophie.
Cherry says
Hello, can this recipe be used for a whole birthday cake instead of cup cakes? Also, could I use cake flour instead of plain flour? Thank you.
Madhuram says
Yes you can use it for one big cake. I'm guessing cake flour should work well too.
Charlie says
Thank you. Do you know what size cake tin I would need? And can I double the batter? Thank so much again!
Cherry says
Thank you. Do you know what size cake tin I would need? And can I double the batter? Thank so much again! I will be baking this for my son's birthday!
Madhuram says
I'm thinking the original recipe should be enough for two 8-inch round pans. It's my guess though. Usually 12 cupcakes can be baked as two 8 inch rounds. Doubling the batter should work well too I guess.
Hosheanah says
Hello Madhuram!
What flour would you suggest be best for baking? Cupcakes in particular?
I know all-purpose is required but there's so many various name brands to choose from.
Madhuram says
Any brand is fine Hoeseanah. It doesn't matter at all. Just look for all-purpose flour and I prefer getting unbleached flour.
Hosheanah says
Hello again.
Thank you so much. Yes that's all I use is unbleached flour.
Thank you once again.
Madhuram says
You're welcome 🙂
Jayanthi says
How to make rice milk at home?
Madhuram says
I have not tried in Jayanthi. But I have seen that you should cook the rice and then grind it with water and filter it.
neha batra says
Hi, Awesome recipe. Can you please tell me a substitute for flour, as need to bake these gluten free as well. Thanks in advance.
Madhuram says
I can't suggest without trying Neha, because gluten-free and egg free is not something one can guess.
Legolas says
Try using superfine ground brown rice flour from Authentic Foods.
Lisa says
WOW!! My 5 year old daughter has severe food allergies - especially to eggs. I have tried many from scratch recipes, as well as boxed allergy friendly mixes - this by far is the easiest and tastiest. My daughter was so excited to have these at her cousin's birthday party. And I was so excited at how they taste - not the typical "allergy friendly" but lacking in taste desserts. I followed your recipe using the apple sauce instead of oil. Very moist and held together well. I will try it next time as a gluten free and use the GF flour with xantham gum and let you know how it comes out. Thank you for these amazing recipes I can try with my daughter!!
Madhuram says
Oh, thank you so much Lisa, for the detailed feedback and compliments.
Sally says
Hi, Lisa! I was thinking of trying this recipe Gluten Free, too. Did you get to try it as you planned? How did it come out! Thank you for sharing!
Madhuram, I have been meaning to try some eggless recipes with my little ones and also some vegan baking recipes as well, but have been quite apprehensive about it. Your website and your recipes seem easy and look fantastic! Thank you so much for all your hard work that goes into each and every one and for sharing them with all of us!
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Sally 🙂
Mindy24 says
Super moist. Everyone loved them.
Madhuram says
Thanks Mindy.
Ck says
Great recipe thanks...my kids love it and have been baking this almost every week..
Thanks
Madhuram says
You're very welcome CK. Thanks for the feedback.
ik says
I'm new to baking and this is the very first I baked but it didn't come out so well as I imagined. The cupcakes looked fine first but in the oven they dropped inside of the cupcake and very hard on top. The inside was OK though. I followed your recipe but used white vinegar instead. I think I put more baking powder or vinegar or I think most likely both. I didn't have the measuring spoons probably that's why plzz respond and help BTW love the recipes though
Madhuram says
Hi Ik I think the changes you made only have affected the outcome. Please try to follow the recipe exactly especially if you are a novice baker. Invest in the basic items like measuring cups, spoons, whisk, spatula etc.
Amanda says
I have red vinegar and white vinegar, could either be used instead of apple cider vinegar?
Madhuram says
Do you mean red wine vinegar Amanda? I haven't used it, so not sure how it will work out. You can definitely use white vinegar instead.
Melissa says
I tried this recipe for my son's second birthday party and it worked great! Everyone said they were delicious. Not delicious-for-being-vegan delicious, but delicious for being cupcakes delicious 🙂 it's been a while though and I was curious, is there any reason this couldn't be made into a cake? If so, what alterations do you think would be needed?
Madhuram says
Thank you very much for the feedback Melissa. You can definitely bake it as a cake. I'm thinking the batter will be enough for two, 8-inch pans and you may have to bake it for 25-30 minutes.
dilip says
hi
I want to make sourdough french bread I tried many times , when I bake this kind of bread it turns out to be white bread, it does not have that french bread smell and that elasticity in the bread , what can I do ? please guide
Madhuram says
Sorry Dilip I'm not much of a (yeast) bread baker. I can't help you with this one.
artemiza says
These recipe calls for way too much sugar and oil (especially oil) that the one that`s really needed to use to obtain some delicious, moist and fluffy cupcakes... cut down to half the of sugar and oil stated here.... 🙂
Madhuram says
I too wanted to try the same. Especially using unsweetened applesauce for half of the oil, since I was baking for a birthday party I didn't want to take any chance.
Gowri says
Thank you for such a wonderful easy recipe. My first try at the cupcakes it turned out really good. I thought baking was not my cup of tea and now suddenly feeling confident after trying out your recipe. Will try out more recipe from your blog. Thank you once again for clear cut instructions
Madhuram says
You're very welcome Gowri.
Krithika says
I tried this recipe and this was a super hit. The only changes I made was reducing the sugar to 2/3 cup and using regular whole milk. I can't believe such an easy recipe produces such a moist cup cake. Love it !!!!
Madhuram says
Thanks Krithika.
Lauren says
These were lovely. I substituted for self raising flour & i didnt put any cider or vinegar in (i didnt have any) and they still turns out great. Thanks
Madhuram says
That's a good tip, Laruen. Thanks for sharing.
Sophie says
MMMMM,!!!!I love all of your tasty recipes & this one is a real winner too! I loved the video too,... So cool!
Madhuram says
Thanks Sophie.