These easy vegan Easter cupcakes are a soft, perfectly sweet vanilla cake topped with a cloud of vanilla buttercream and colorful jelly beans! The batter comes together quickly and bakes up in just about 20 minutes.
Quick Recipe Facts:
- Dietary: 100% Vegan
- Total Time: Under 40 minutes (plus cooling)
- Skill Level: Very easy, beginner-friendly
- Servings: Makes 12 cupcakes
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect rise: My vegan vanilla cupcake recipe uses the perfect ratio of baking soda, baking powder, and vinegar.
- Stays Moist: Using oil prevents the dairy-free Easter cupcakes from drying out for days.
- Simple Ingredients: No hard-to-find commercial egg replacers required. Everything you need is likely already in your pantry.
- Pipeable Frosting: The vegan vanilla buttercream pipes beautifully and holds its shape for hours at room temperature.
- Customizable Decoration: Swap out the jelly beans for other candies, use coconut, make grass, bunny, Easter egg, or nest designs.
Looking for more vegan Easter baking recipes? Make sure to check out my vegan carrot cake cupcakes and entire vegan Easter dessert collection!
Key Ingredients
For the Vegan Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour + cornstarch: I replace a portion of the flour with cornstarch to mimic cake flour, which results in a finer, more delicate crumb that doesn't feel heavy or dense.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar dissolves well and provides a sweetness that enhances the vanilla flavor.
- Baking powder + baking soda: I've found that using both creates the best lift and fluffy cupcakes. The baking powder itself works on heat, and the baking soda reacts immediately with the acidic vinegar.
- Vanilla plant milk: Adds a subtle sweetness with extra vanilla flavor that complements the vanilla extract. Any sweetened or unsweetened plant milk works.
- Neutral oil: Oil-based vegan cupcakes stay moist longer than butter-based ones because oil remains liquid at room temperature. Any type of flavorless oil works, such as grapeseed, canola, etc.
- Apple cider vinegar: A touch of acid activates the baking soda and creates tiny bubbles that help lift the cupcake batter. Don't worry! You won't taste it in the cupcakes.
For the Vegan Buttercream
- Vegan stick butter: Using stick-style vegan butter and not a spread or tub vegan butter is critical here. The stick variety has a lower water content and will give you a stable, pipeable frosting.
- Powdered sugar: Always sift your powdered sugar. Unsifted can lead to lumpy or grainy frosting.
- Non-dairy milk: I use just a little to smooth out the consistency of the frosting.
- Pure vanilla extract + salt: Make sure to use pure extract for the most flavorful results. I also like to add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
* Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements!
How to Make Vegan Easter Cupcakes
1. Make the Cupcakes
Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 350°F / 177°C and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Get this done first so the oven is fully up to temperature by the time your batter is ready. Putting cupcakes into an underheated oven is one of the most common reasons they don't rise properly.
Combine the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl and then whisk everything together until it's evenly combined. This helps to make sure the leavening agents are equally distributed throughout the batter.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the vanilla plant-based milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract until combined. The vinegar will start reacting with the milk slightly, which is normal and exactly what you want.
Make the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a rubber spatula just until the batter is smooth and no dry flour is left at the bottom of the bowl. A few very small lumps are completely fine. It's very important to stop mixing the moment it comes together.
Fill the tin and bake. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Then pop the cupcakes into the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. You'll know the cupcakes are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool completely before frosting. Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Don't rush this step. Frosting a warm cupcake will cause the buttercream to melt and slide off.
2. Make the Vegan Vanilla Buttercream
Beat the butter. Put the room-temperature vegan stick butter into a large mixing bowl and beat it with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for about 60 seconds until smooth and creamy. You want it soft and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar gradually. Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. Adding all the sugar at once on a higher speed can create lumpy frosting.
Add the dairy-free milk and vanilla. Pour in the non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Then beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. The frosting should look smooth and fluffy, but thick enough to hold a soft peak when you lift the beaters.
Adjust the consistency if needed. Scoop a little frosting with a spatula. If it's too thick, add a little more of the plant milk and beat briefly. If it feels loose and doesn't hold its shape, add more sifted powdered sugar. Once the texture is right, stop mixing.
Pipe and decorate. Transfer the vegan buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your nozzle of choice and pipe generously onto each cooled cupcake. Then press a small handful of colorful jelly beans into the frosting, and your vegan Easter egg cupcakes are complete.
Expert Baking Tips for Success
- Measure your flour correctly. I always use a kitchen scale for the best results. You'd be amazed at how much flour you can pack into a measuring cup if you're not careful. That said, if you aren't using a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure your dairy-free milk is at room temperature. Cold milk can make the batter clumpy.
- Do not overmix the batter! Eggless cakes are very susceptible to becoming rubbery or dense if you overmix the flour. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. A few small lumps are perfectly normal.
- Bake right away. Once you whisk the wet and dry ingredients together, the baking soda and vinegar react immediately to create carbon dioxide bubbles. If the batter sits on the counter for too long, those bubbles will deflate.
- Let them cool completely. Wait until your cupcakes are completely cool before adding your frosting so it doesn't melt.
How To Store
- Room Temperature: You can store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a few hours before the buttercream begins to soften too much.
- Refrigerator: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then bring them to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Freezer: For longer storage, you can freeze unfrosted dairy and egg free Easter cupcakes individually and then place them in a zip-lock bag for up to 2 months. When ready, thaw them at room temperature and frost them. You can also freeze the buttercream separately in an airtight container for up to 3 months and re-whip it briefly after thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute the all-purpose flour and cornstarch with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum, like King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1. Keep in mind that the texture will likely be slightly denser, but the cupcakes will still rise well and be delicious.
This almost always comes down to one of three things. Too much liquid, underbaking, or opening the oven door too early, which causes cupcakes to collapse. This is why it's important to measure your ingredients properly, bake fully, and resist opening the oven before the 16-minute mark.
No, not all jelly beans are vegan. Some traditional brands use beeswax or shellac (often listed as "confectioner's glaze") to get that shiny coating. Look for brands like Jelly Belly (vegan line), YumEarth, or store-bought options specifically labeled "vegan."
More Vegan Baking Recipes You'll Love
If you loved my vegan Easter cupcake recipe, try these other vegan favorites next!
Easy Vegan Easter Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
For the vegan cupcakes:
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (205 grams)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup vanilla plant milk, unsweetened (almond or soy milk)
- ⅓ cup neutral oil (grapeseed oil, canola oil, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the vegan buttercream (half batch for 12 cupcakes):
- ½ cup vegan stick butter, room temerature
- 1 ½ to 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Candy topping
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until no clumps remain. Then whisk together.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the vanilla plant milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Use a rubber spatula to fold the batter together just until smooth. Do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat the room temperature vegan stick butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time.
- Add the non-dairy milk, vanilla, and pinch of salt. Increase speed to medium and beat for about a minute until light and fluffy.
- Pipe a swirl onto each cooled cupcake. Then top with jelly beans.
Notes
- Measure the flour by weight for the best results or use the sift and spoon method.
- Use stick-style vegan butter, not a spread or tub. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, Miyoko's, or Violife are all reliable.
- Not all jelly beans are vegan. Check the label for beeswax or confectioner's glaze, or use a certified vegan brand like YumEarth.
- Nutritional information is an estimate provided for your convenience. Values may vary slightly depending on the exact brands and measuring methods used.
Leave a Reply