Dairy Free Cupcakes
These dairy free cupcakes are soft, fluffy and made in one bowl! With a rich vanilla flavor and topped with a dairy free buttercream frosting, this is a total crowd pleasing dessert recipe.
Cakes and cupcakes are among my favorite things to make, decorate, eat and photograph.
These dairy free cupcakes are light and fluffy with a moist texture and rich vanilla flavor. I topped mine with a dairy free chocolate buttercream, but you can also do vanilla, strawberry or orange!
These cupcakes rise beautifully thanks to eggs and baking powder and take only 30 minutes from start to finish!
Plus, they call for simple ingredients you probably already have on hand! If you love this recipe, try my vegan funfetti cake or dairy free brownies next!
Key ingredients
COCONUT MILK. Because these are dairy free cupcakes, I wanted something that would create a richness that you sometimes miss out on when you omit dairy.
Light canned coconut milk will not add a coconut flavor, but it will keep the cupcakes moist and rich!
EGGS. You need two large eggs for these cupcakes. I do not recommend a vegan substitute, instead, try my vegan gluten free vanilla cupcakes.
SUGAR. I used regular white granulated sugar to keep the color nice and light. You can try subbing for something like coconut sugar to make these refined sugar free, but the color will be much darker.
OIL. I love using butter in cakes and cupcakes, but since these are dairy free, we’re using oil! I do not recommend coconut oil, but any neutral oil like vegetable or refined avocado oil is great.
FLOUR. I used gluten free all purpose flour, but regular all purpose works great too!
How to make dairy free cupcakes
Combine the coconut milk and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside for 5 minutes.
Whisk together all wet ingredients, adding in the milk after 5 minutes.
Whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour.
Whisk until smooth, then add to the cupcake tin, filling each about 3/4 of the way up.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I usually do mine for 22 minutes, but all ovens are different.
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Frost with the dairy free buttercream and enjoy!
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, these dairy free cupcakes will keep for about 3 days at room temperature. If you store them without the frosting, keep them in an air tight container.
If you store them with the frosting, you don’t want things to get too hot in a container or the buttercream will melt, so I suggest a plate or cake stand covered with a loose cover or foil so they have a bit of room to breathe.
You can also store these cupcakes before frosting! Just wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe bag and store for up to 2 months. Let defrost before frosting and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Is butter or oil better for cupcakes?
I usually use a mix of both! Butter will create a rich flavor but can lead to a dense texture. Oil doesn’t do much flavor wise but will create a light and fluffy texture.
For this recipe, I kept things simple and used all oil! Any neutral flavored oil will work here.
Are they gluten free?
Yes! These dairy free cupcakes are also completely gluten free (as are all of my recipes). I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. You can just a different blend, just make sure it has xanthan gum.
As a side note, most baking powder is gluten free, just be sure to check the label!
Do cupcakes contain milk?
Most cupcakes use some kind of milk as the liquid base. These dairy free cupcakes call for light canned coconut milk to add moisture and create a rich flavor.
If you do not have canned coconut milk, you can sub for another kind of non-dairy milk such as soy or almond, but the texture may be a bit different.
More cakes and cupcakes you’ll love!
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Dairy Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
- Dairy Free Lemon Cupcakes
If you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation!
Dairy Free Cupcakes
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup light canned coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry
- 1 ⅔ cup gluten free all purpose baking flour can sub regular AP flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Buttercream
- ½ cup dairy free butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 12 cavity muffin tin with liners. Set aside.
- Combine the coconut milk and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together all wet ingredients, adding in the milk after 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour.
- Whisk until smooth, then add to the cupcake tin, filling each about 3/4 of the way up.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I usually do mine for 22 minutes, but all ovens are different.
Frosting
- Add the softened butter to a bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and beat for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the cocoa and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
- Beat in the powdered sugar, followed by the milk, salt and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- To thin it out, add more milk, to make it thicker, add more sugar as desired.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost and enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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How much would you charge; if someone placed an order of 36 of these cupcakes?
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Hi Marion,
We don’t take orders, our recipes are just available online for others to make!
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Can you use apple cider vinegar instead of normal vinegar?
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Yes!
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Thanks for this recipe! Going to make it this weekend. Can I use almond milk instead?
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Yes!
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These look delicious, thank you for the recipe! Have you ever used regular coconut milk instead of light? I can’t seem to find light coconut milk anywhere near us.
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Regular should be fine!
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You didnt specify what type of vinegar was used..
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I usually use apple cider, but white is fine!
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When I made these they got super hard after sitting, any suggestions on how to not have them get hard?
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Keep them covered in a contaier!
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Delicious! I went ahead and substituted the coconut milk with soy milk (out of convenience) and they still turned out great!
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So glad that worked well!
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Excellent recipe. I am not dairy-free but made these for a friend and I actually prefer these to the dairy containing cupcakes!! They were uber moist with all vegetable oil. Thank you for the recipe.
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Thank you, Kate! So glad you enjoy it.
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You said you topped these with a dairy free chocolate frosting but that’s the only one I don’t see linked anywhere and if I do a google search I can’t find a specific recipe you use. Do you have one?
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I use my buttercream recipe, then just use dairy free butter in place of regular butter!
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Way to much baking soda I had to throw out the first batch which I doubled put half the baking soda and re make it
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There is no baking soda in this recipe, only baking powder. Definitely make sure you’re using just baking powder, shouldn’t be too much!
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