Incredibly Soft & Moist Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
These delightful vegan vanilla cupcakes are a must-make recipe! With just 9 simple ingredients you can mix up the fluffiest, most tender vanilla cupcakes ever. And the best part? They stay moist for days!
Give these a try and indulge in sweet, satisfying yummyness!
Perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, bake sales, special occasions, or just because you feel like a sweet treat. Don’t forget to top them with vegan vanilla frosting or try vegan strawberry frosting.
I’ve included a bunch of different flavor variations, including a secret tip for golden vanilla cupcakes!
Why You’ll Love these Vanilla Cupcakes
- Packed full of Vanilla flavor. A full tablespoon of vanilla goes into these cupcakes for extra vanilla flavor.
- Simple recipe that’s perfect for beginning bakers! This recipe is so easy to mix up and make in one bowl. Using easy techniques, this is a great recipe for building confidence before tackling a more complex recipe. Plus, you get cupcakes after learning, that’s a win-win!
- No weird ingredients. The ingredients are not only dairy free and egg free, they are simple to find in your grocery store and you probably have most of it in your pantry already.
- Super soft, super fluffy, and super tall!
Ingredients
This is just a quick look at what you’ll need to make these vegan vanilla cupcakes. For the full list, complete with recipe measurements, please see the recipe card below!
- Soy Milk: In testing this, I’ve found that soy milk and pea milk make the best vegan “buttermilk”. The proteins in the soy and pea milk will curdle the best, resulting in that lumpy milk that you want, which reacts with the baking soda to lift the cupcakes. Almond, coconut, or oat milk can work if you need to use those, but I recommend unsweetened soy milk for the best results.
You’ll also need:
- Canola oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- White sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
Vegan Butter vs Oil
I’ve made dozens of variations of this cupcake over the years, experimenting with which is better: Vegan butter or a neutral flavored oil. And I feel that oil makes for a better cupcake.
Using a neutral flavored oil makes for a no-fail cupcake that has a light texture, and stays moist for days.
In my testing, I’ve found that dairy free butter doesn’t always yield consistent results. This is because of the different fat to water ratios in the different plant-based butters.
If you want to use butter, I’ve had the most luck using melted “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” sticks. However, I recommend that you stick with oil.
Variations
- Golden Yellow Cupcakes: Add a pinch of turmeric powder to the soy milk. Heat the soy milk in a small saucepan, stirring over medium-low heat until the milk is warmed and the powder has totally dissolved. Let it cool before adding the vinegar and making the recipe as directed.
- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes: Add 1 teaspoon of your favorite pumpkin pie spice to the batter when you add the dry ingredients.
- Lemon Cupcakes: Add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated lemon zest to the cupcake batter when you add the dry ingredients.
Instructions
Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
Start by making vegan buttermilk. In a measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together to curdle. This should take about 5 minutes.
Then, add the oil, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl. Whisk it all together and then add the vegan buttermilk. Whisk again until it is all combined, about a minute of whisking.
Then, add in the dry ingredients. Just add the sifted flour into the bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, and sat on top. Gently whisk this together, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get everything.
Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake trays. Mine take about 3 tablespoons to fill them all up and use up all the batter.
And then bake until they are golden brown and your kitchen smells amazing. Depending on your oven and the weather (yes, really!) it should take between 20 and 22 minutes.
Let them cool in the hot cupcake trays for 10 minutes before carefully removing them from the hot trays to finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Tips for the Best Results
- Use room temperature ingredients. Using ingredients that are all the same temperature really makes a big difference in how they bake. Warm up the soy milk on the countertop or in the microwave for a few seconds to let it get warm. This will prevent the cupcakes from being gummy or under-baked.
- Don’t open the door! When you pop the cupcakes into the oven, no matter what, don’t open that oven door again for at least 19 minutes! Those minutes are vital to making sure that you get the proper reaction of vinegar, baking soda, and baking powder to give the cupcakes lift. If you open the door, no matter how quick, you’ll let out hot air and the cupcakes will deflate and become sad.
- Weigh the ingredients for the best results. I’ve made these with just cup measurements and with weighing all my ingredients out and really believe that weighing makes for a more consistent cupcake. But both techniques will work.
How to Store + Make Ahead
Countertop: Store any leftover un-frosted cupcakes in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 5 days.
Fridge: Store any leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Store any un-frosted cupcakes in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Let the cupcakes thaw in the fridge overnight before frosting and serving.
Make Ahead: Make and bake vanilla cupcakes either one day or up to a month in advance. You can let them sit on the countertop overnight if you are frosting and serving them the next day. If you are making them in advance for a date farther out, freeze the cupcakes until ready to use.
More Cake Recipes
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest! I added this one to my cakes and cupcakes board. 🙂
If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, vegan friendly recipes you can subscribe to the newsletter. Did you make these? Please tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest! I love to see your creations!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Mixing spoons
- Whisk
- Measuring cups or scale
- Measuring spoons
- Cupcake trays
- Paper liners
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral oil
- 1 cup soy milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 batch vegan frosting of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C with the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper liners. Set aside.
- Make the vegan buttermilk. In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, combine the room temperature soy milk (or other milk) with the apple cider vinegar. Stir and let rest for 5 minutes to curdle.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the canola oil, white sugar, and vanilla. Add the vegan “buttermilk” and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sift the flour into the bowl with the wet ingredients and add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a whisk, gently mix the cupcakes together. Be careful not to over mix the batter. You want this to just come together.
- Fill the cupcakes. Carefully fill each lined cupcake about ¾ of the way full. For me, this is about 3 tablespoons worth of batter. You should get 12 cupcakes.
- Bake and cool. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake pulls out clean. They should be a nice golden color when done. Let them cool in the hot tray outside of the oven on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then, pull the cupcakes out of the trays to finish cooling on the cooling racks. Let them cool completely before frosting.
- Frost and serve! When the cupcakes are done cooling, it’s time to make the frosting! Make any kind of frosting you like. Use a spoon, knife, or piping bag and tip to frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle if desired and serve! Enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store + Make Ahead
-
- Countertop: Store any leftover unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 5 days.
- Fridge: Store any leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Store any unfrosted cupcakes in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Let the cupcakes thaw in the fridge overnight before frosting and serving.
- Make Ahead: Make and bake vanilla cupcakes either one day or up to a month in advance. You can let them sit on the countertop overnight if you are frosting and serving them the next day. If you are making them in advance for a date farther out, freeze the cupcakes until ready to use.
- Variations
- Golden Yellow Cupcakes: Add a pinch of turmeric powder to the soy milk. Heat the soymilk in a small saucepan, stirring over medium-low heat until the milk is warmed and the powder has totally dissolved. Let it cool before adding the vinegar and making the recipe as directed.
- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes: Add 1 teaspoon of your favorite pumpkin pie spice to the batter when you add the dry ingredients.
- Lemon Cupcakes: Add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated lemon zest to the cupcake batter when you add the dry ingredients.
