These moist and delicious easy dairy free vanilla cupcakes are full of flavor. It's a simple, foolproof recipe that is incredibly easy to whip up in just 30 minutes!
Quick Recipe Facts:
- Dietary: 100% Vegan, Dairy-Free, and Eggless
- Time: 10 minutes of prep and 18 minutes to bake
- Skill Level: Very easy, perfect for beginner bakers
Why You'll Love These Easy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Professional results: My dairy free vanilla cupcakes recipe tastes just as good as a fancy vegan bakery.
- Perfect texture: They have the perfect crumb and soft, moist texture.
- No fancy ingredients: You don't need flax eggs, aquafaba, or expensive vegan egg replacers.
- Simple recipe: These eggless cupcakes come together in about 30 minutes in just a few steps.
- Easy to customize: You can easily use different frostings and toppings to customize the cupcakes for different holidays and events.
Best Dairy and Egg Free Cupcakes
Making fluffy vegan vanilla cupcakes that actually taste like they came out of a bakery is totally possible and actually really easy! Gone are the days of dense, gummy, breadlike eggless vanilla cupcakes.
You see, as a trained vegan chef and food blogger, I've spent years converting traditional baking recipes into eggless and dairy free vegan recipes. And after testing this exact recipe four different times, I cracked the code.
The secret? I use dairy free milk with a splash of vinegar and add a little cornstarch to the flour. This gives the cupcakes the structure they need to rise without eggs and stay soft.
The other trick is to use oil instead of vegan butter. This guarantees a softer crumb.
Looking for more dairy free dessert recipes? Make sure to try my incredible vegan almond flour cake with strawberry sauce!
Key Ingredients
To make the best egg and dairy free cupcakes, you only need a few basic pantry staples. (Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements!)
- All-Purpose Flour & Cornstarch: Adding a little cornstarch to standard all purpose flour creates cake flour. I like to use this classic baker's trick for the lightest texture.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness and moisture.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Since we aren't using eggs to lift the batter, this combination does the job, helping to keep the cupcakes light and fluffy.
- Vanilla Dairy-Free Milk & Apple Cider Vinegar: When mixed together, these create a homemade "vegan buttermilk" that helps create a tender crumb. I like to use vanilla-flavored almond milk or soy milk for extra vanilla.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Use a high-quality, pure vanilla extract (not imitation) for the best-tasting vanilla cupcakes.
- Grapeseed Oil: You can use any neutral liquid oil you like to keep your cupcakes nice and moist.
Why Make Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes With Oil
You might be wondering why I like to use oil instead of vegan butter. One might think that butter would add more flavor and texture.
However, vegan baking science tells us that because oil remains liquid at room temperature, it produces much moister and softer cupcakes that stay fresh longer.
How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes Dairy Free
You are going to be amazed at how easy it is to make vanilla cupcakes dairy free and eggless! Here is a step-by-step look at all you need to do.
Whisk the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the room-temperature vanilla plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Then add the vanilla extract and oil.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a different large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together your sifted all-purpose flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. You want to make sure it's fully combined so the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
Make the batter. Pour the wet ingredients directly into the dry ingredients. Then gently fold them together using a rubber spatula just until the batter is smooth. It's important to stop mixing as soon as your batter is combined so your cupcakes don't turn out rubbery.
Bake the cupcakes. Divide the batter equally among your cupcake liners, filling them about ⅔ full. I like to use a large ice cream scoop for this step.
Then pop the pan in the oven and bake the cupcakes at 350°F (177°C) for 18 to 22 minutes. You'll know they are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool and frost. Once baked, let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Then frost with my vanilla vegan buttercream frosting or my vegan cream cheese frosting serve!
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, and your cupcakes won't rise as well.
- Let them cool completely. Wait until your cupcakes are completely cool before adding your frosting so it doesn't melt.
How To Store Cupcakes
- Room Temperature: Unfrosted, these dairy free vanilla cupcakes will keep for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container.
- Refrigerator: If you frost them, you need to store them in the fridge. They will keep up to 5 days. Just let them sit at room temp for 30 minutes before serving so the frosting has time to soften.
- Freezer: For longer storage, you can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Then thaw at room temperature and frost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can easily make these gluten and dairy free vanilla cupcakes by swapping the all-purpose flour for a high-quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum (like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur). Do not use plain almond flour or coconut flour, as they will not work.
Soy milk is typically the best dairy-free milk for baking. It has a higher protein and fat content, which mimics traditional cow's milk, creating a richer cake. That said, all plant milks can be used in vegan baking.
Eggless cupcakes usually sink because the leavening agents (baking powder or baking soda) were expired, the oven door was opened too early during baking, or the batter was overmixed. Always make sure to check the expiration dates before starting any recipe.
More Vegan Baking Recipes You'll Love
If you loved this eggless and dairy free cupcake recipe, try these other vegan favorites next!
⭐️ One Last Thing! Please leave a review and rating to let me know how you liked it! Your feedback makes a difference.
Dairy-Free and Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (205 g )
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar (200 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup vanilla flavored plant milk (soy, almond, etc.)
- ⅓ cup grapeseed oil (any flavored neutral oil)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Vegan vanilla buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then whisk until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, mix together the vanilla almond milk, oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold the mixture together using a rubber spatula just until the batter is smooth and no dry flour remains. Stop mixing as soon as it comes together.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined cupcake cavities. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan for about 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
- Finish with your favorite vegan frosting and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage Instructions: Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If frosted, store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
- Do Not Overmix: Eggless batters are very prone to becoming dense or rubbery if overworked. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together gently and stop the second the dry streaks of flour disappear. A few tiny lumps are perfectly fine.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your almond milk is at room temperature before you start. If you pour cold milk into the oil, it can impact the texture and baking time.
- Measure Your Flour Correctly: If you aren't using a kitchen scale to weigh the flour, make sure to use the "spoon and level" method. Scooping directly from the bag packs too much flour into the cup, resulting in dry cupcakes.
Nutritional information is an estimate provided for your convenience. Values may vary slightly depending on the exact brands and measuring methods used.
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