Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Just because you’re lactose-intolerant doesn’t mean you have to miss out on dessert time fun. My Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes have a lovely, tender crumb and a gorgeously rich and creamy buttercream frosting, all without the unpleasant side effects.

Try making this easy dairy-free cupcakes recipe next time you’re in the mood for something sweet!

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All About Dairy-Free Cupcakes (& Why You’ll Love This Recipe!)

There’s something special about cupcakes — they’re dainty, handheld, loftily frosted, and perfectly portioned so I get to eat a whole cake just to myself, no sharing required. What’s not to love? Well, so long as you’re good with dairy products, that is.

Most cupcakes and buttercream frosting recipes are loaded with ingredients that can cause serious tummy distress to lactards like me. 🤦‍♀️ Luckily, these no-butter cupcakes have all the flavor and delectable texture of your favorite bakery treats. Nobody will be able to guess they’re dairy-free!

Aside from being deeply flavorful, super soft, and piled high with my vegan vanilla buttercream frosting, these non-dairy cupcakes are also:

• Quick & Easy - Despite being made from scratch, whipping up a batch of cupcakes without milk is nearly as speedy as making them from a box. You’ll only need about 15 minutes of active time to get them prepped, then all that’s left to do is decorate!
• Made With Only 15 Simple Ingredients - Most of them are pantry staples, so it’s likely you already have the majority of them on hand.
• Allergen-Friendly - While I’ve developed this vanilla cupcake recipe to be dairy-free, it is also easy to make nut-free, soy-free, vegan (i.e. egg-free), or gluten-free as needed.
• Budget-Friendly - If you’ve ever ordered specialty cupcakes from a bakery, you know they can easily run $3 apiece or more. Making this big ol’ batch of 18 dairy-free cupcakes costs only as much as 2-3 of the bakery-bought variety. I’m no math major, but that seems like a pretty good amount of savings to me!

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, this vanilla cupcakes recipe without milk is made with very simple, easy-to-find ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• All-purpose flour - Plain white flour is perfect for this recipe. Feel free to swap in cake flour instead, but make sure to replace the cornstarch with it too.
• Cornstarch - For giving your cupcakes a tender texture without using specialty flour. If corn is off the table, you’re welcome to swap in an equal amount of potato starch instead.
• Fine salt - Fine salt dissolves into batter quickly, which is perfect for this recipe. If you are using a different type of salt (say, Kosher), please refer to this conversion chart. 
• Baking soda & baking powder - You’ll need both types of leavener to make these cupcakes bake up perfectly. 
• Granulated sugar - The neutral flavor of white sugar is perfect for letting the vanilla shine through. Feel free to use organic cane sugar or superfine caster sugar instead.
• Vegan butter - For all the buttery flavor without bellyaches.
• Oil - Use a neutral-flavored oil to ensure it doesn’t overpower the floral complexity of your vanilla. Avocado oil is my go-to, but grapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, or vegetable oil all fit the bill.
• Eggs - For binding the batter together. 
• Mayonnaise - This is a thick acidic ingredient that acts as a dairy-free sour cream substitute that reacts with the baking soda to add fluff and structure. The batter might smell a little tangier than you’re used to, but I promise you can’t taste it in the baked cupcakes. Feel free to use vegan mayo if you prefer.
• Vanilla extract - For adding lots of vanilla flavor to the cupcake batter. 
• Unsweetened dairy-free milk - Any variety of plain or vanilla-flavored plant-based milk will work here including soy, oat, or almond. I prefer to use unsweetened milk so I have greater control over the added sugar, but you’re welcome to use whatever you have in the fridge.

For the vegan vanilla bean buttercream, you'll also need:

• Shortening - For added stability in the dairy-free vanilla frosting. You can substitute equal amounts of vegan butter if needed, but note that it will be more susceptible to melting and/or drooping. 
• Powdered sugar - Also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar, this superfine powder is essential for making a soft and smooth buttercream. If you are fresh out, you can easily make your own using granulated sugar and cornstarch.
• Vanilla bean - For deep vanilla flavor and gorgeous black flecks in your frosting. You can substitute 4 teaspoons vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons of ground vanilla (either of which will still give you the flecks), or 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract (which will give you the flavor without the flecks).

How To Make Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Making these cupcakes without milk or dairy of any kind is just as easy as making regular cupcakes. Here’s how:

Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C) and line your cupcake pan with paper liners.

Step 2: Dry ingredients + butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and granulated sugar. Add the softened vegan butter and work it into the flour until the mixture looks like sand.

Step 3: Wet Ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, eggs, mayonnaise, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Step 4: Finish the batter. Stir in the milk until a smooth batter forms. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Step 5: Bake. Fill the liners evenly with the batter, about ½ to ⅔ full. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 18 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If you see any crumbs, bake for another minute or two. 

Step 6: Cool. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 minute before taking them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7: Whip butter for vegan buttercream frosting. As your cupcakes bake and cool, beat the softened vegan butter and shortening with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy and light in color.

Step 8: Add powdered sugar. Add a third of the powdered sugar and continue beating. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula before each addition. After adding all of it, taste it to see if it's sweet enough for your liking. Add more powdered sugar if you'd like.

Step 9: Add vanilla. Once the powdered sugar is all incorporated, add the salt and the seeds from inside the vanilla bean and beat again. 

Step 10: Frost the (completely cooled) cupcakes any way you like! 

Optional Variations

While I think this is the best out of all the dairy-free cupcake recipes I’ve tried, there is still plenty of room for you to customize this recipe to fit your needs. Here are a few variations to consider:

• Filled cupcakes. Add a pop of flavor and textural interest by filling your cupcakes with jam, ganache, or extra frosting. 
• Try different frosting flavors. Vanilla pairs beautifully with any number of flavors, so consider using any dairy-free chocolate, lemon, strawberry, coffee, mocha, or any other flavor of frosting you prefer!
• Swap in different extracts. The simplest way to transform the flavor of your cake is to switch up what flavor extract you use. Try using a 3:1 or 1:1 ratio of vanilla extract to almond and/or lemon extract for a yummy springtime twist.

Making Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Making dairy-free gluten-free cupcakes is as simple as making a flour swap. Use equal amounts of a measure-for-measure or 1-to-1 GF flour blend that includes xanthan gum in the mixture. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is my go-to. (1⅓ cup is 197g.)

Other than using gluten-free flour, make sure to follow these tips for perfect results every time:

• After the gluten-free cupcake batter comes together, continue mixing for an extra 2 minutes. It helps to add structure. 
• Rest the gluten-free dairy-free cupcake batter for 30 minutes. Gluten-free flour requires extra time to hydrate. If you skip this step, the cupcakes will end up with a grainy texture.
• Preheat the oven while resting the batter. Many ovens will turn off automatically while preheating if it doesn’t get used in about 20 minutes, so wait to preheat it until after you've made the batter.
• Cool the gluten-free cupcakes completely, even just to do a taste test. GF baked goods continue to cook as they rest. They’ll feel a little mushy if you eat them while warm.

Expert Tips

Whenever you’re baking cupcakes (dairy-free or not), there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Always use room-temperature ingredients, including your eggs. This ensures that everything blends together well without needing to overmix the batter.
• Scrape the bowl with a spatula between adding ingredients to make sure everything is being incorporated properly.
• Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. If they’re even slightly warm, the frosting will slide right off. 
• Use a cookie scoop for clean and even measurements.
• Use high-quality cupcake liners so they don’t stick to your gorgeous mini cakes.

Doubling the recipe

When it comes to baking cupcakes, I find that doubling the recipe is not a great idea (but feel free to double the frosting!). Why, you ask? 

Well, for starters, you should really only be baking one tray of cupcakes in the center of your oven at any time. This helps to ensure even rising and baking. 

If you have a double batch of batter, you either have to bake two trays at the same time, or you have to wait for the first batch to bake before popping in your second batch. If the latter is the case, you lose out on at least half of the power of the baking powder, which gets activated when it hits liquid.

If you want a double batch (or 36 cupcakes), my suggestion is to bake the recipe as written,  double the frosting recipe as the first batch bakes, then make a separate batch of the batter to bake when the first round is done.

Serving Suggestions

These tasty little handheld cakes are perfect for birthdays, baby showers, picnics, bake sales, or anytime you have something to celebrate or want a sweet treat. Feel free to use food coloring and sprinkles to adjust the frosting to match whatever color scheme you need!

Storage Instructions

Once baked, these DF vanilla cupcakes will last for about 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. (You can still eat them for a couple of days after that, but don’t blame me if they taste dry and not fresh!) Let the cupcakes come to room temp on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving/eating to soften the buttercream.

To freeze: chill frosted cupcakes in the fridge until the frosting goes rock solid, then wrap each cupcake with plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container/bag to keep in the freezer for up to a month. Let the cupcakes defrost in the fridge overnight, and then come to room temp on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Tools & Equipment

Most of the equipment you’ll need to make DF cupcakes are standard issue in any well-appointed kitchen. Here’s a comprehensive look at everything you’ll possibly need:

• Measuring cups and spoons - Baking is all about precision, so measure carefully.
• Mixing bowls - Having a minimum of 2 mixing bowls plus the bowl of your stand mixer is a good general rule.
• Electric mixer - You can use either a hand or stand mixer here, but you’ll definitely want the extra assist rather than making it by hand.
• Flexible spatula - For scraping down the bowl and getting every last drop of the batter into the tin.
• Muffin/cupcake tin - I used a standard muffin tin, but you are welcome to use either a mini muffin tin or a jumbo/Texas muffin tin instead. If you do, be sure to adjust the bake time up or down as needed.
• Muffin/cupcake liners - For making sure the cupcakes come out of the tin easily.
• Cooling rack - Making sure your baked goods have 360-degree airflow as they cool ensures that you don’t accidentally get condensation that makes them soggy.
• Piping bag & decorative tip - These are optional but useful for making your cupcakes look like they came from a bakery.

FAQs

More Dairy-Free Dessert Recipes

• Dairy-Free Brownies
• Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Coconut Macaroons
• Dairy-Free Fudge
• Leche Flan
• Cranberry Oat Bars
• Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie
• Vegan Rice Pudding
• German Chocolate Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake