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Bursting with fresh strawberries in every bite, these Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes are super moist, soft and delicious! Top them with dairy-free vanilla buttercream frosting for an indulgent summer treat!
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These easy vegan strawberry cupcakes with dairy-free vanilla buttercream frosting are not only visually stunning but also incredibly delicious.
The star ingredient of these cupcakes is the fresh diced strawberries, which infuse each bite with a burst of natural sweetness.
They contain no eggs, but are perfectly fluffy. Make these your go-to summer dessert!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Flour ~ I use all-purpose flour for these strawberry cupcakes as it’s a pantry staple that I always have on hand.
For a gluten-free option, try using a gluten-free flour blend meant to replace all-purpose wheat-based flour at a 1:1 ratio, like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. Please note, however, I have not tried this myself.
Sugar ~ White cane sugar is the best option for fluffy, soft cupcakes. This will also keep the cupcakes light in color to let the bright red specks of strawberries shine through.
Oil ~ Fat is a necessary component of baked goods to keep them moist and soft. I use melted coconut oil in this cupcake recipe.
You can use refined coconut oil, which has no prominent coconut flavor. Or you can choose to use unrefined coconut oil, which does taste of coconut. Coconut is a natural flavor pairing for strawberries, so both options would work great.
You could also use any mild flavored oil, like grapeseed oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
Milk ~ Any non-dairy milk will work. I typically use almond milk or oat milk, but use what you have on hand.
Vinegar ~ A little bit of apple cider vinegar (or white distilled vinegar) will help these vegan strawberry cupcakes rise.
Strawberries ~ Fresh summer strawberries will provide the best flavor and sweetness.
While frozen fruit can be usually substituted for fresh in baking recipes, frozen strawberries are a little harder to work with here and I don’t recommend it.
Love strawberries? Try my Strawberry Glazed Chocolate Donuts, Strawberry Smoothie, and Strawberry Overnight Oats!
Extras ~ Don’t forget the baking powder, baking soda, pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, too!
Frosting ~ The strawberry cupcakes are sweet and delicious all on their own, but you can take them over the top by frosting them with my homemade vegan vanilla buttercream.
You could also use your favorite store-bought vegan frosting.
Add some extra fresh fruit to the tops or maybe some fun vegan sprinkles.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Add the dry to the wet and whisk just until it comes together into a batter. A few lumps are fine. Do not overmix!
Add the diced strawberries to the cupcake batter and gently stir them in until evenly distributed.
Scoop the batter evenly into a 12-cavity cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners. Fill each cavity about three-fourths of the way full. I find an ice cream scoop with trigger lever to work great for this task. A ¼ or ⅓ cup measuring cup with handle works well, too.
Bake until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire cooling rack before attempting to remove the paper liners or to frost the cupcakes.
Frost the cupcakes with creamy homemade dairy-free vanilla buttercream or your favorite store bought vegan frosting.
You can use a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off) or just slather it on with an offset spatula.
Storage and freezing
Counter: Store the cupcakes, frosted or unfrosted, in an air-tight container on the counter for 1 day. Any fresh fruit garnishes should be added right before serving, not stored on the cupcakes.
If you garnished the cupcakes with fresh fruit, store them in the fridge instead.
Fridge: Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge, frosted or unfrosted, for up to 4 days. Personally, I like enjoy them straight from the fridge, but you can allow them to come to room temperature on the counter before serving.
Freezer: You can even freeze these unfrosted Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes! Place the baked and cooled cupcakes in one even layer on a large plate or baking sheet and freeze. Once the cupcakes are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag.
They should keep well for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Frost, if desired, right before serving.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Choose firm, bright red, fresh ripe strawberries.
~ Dice the strawberries into small uniform pieces and mix them into the batter until evenly distributed.
~ Ensure all of your ingredients are a room temperature before mixing. Cold milk will cause the melted coconut oil to seize up and not incorporate properly.
~ Measure the flour properly using the spoon-and-level method. Fluff up the flour then spoon it gently into a measuring cup until the cup is overfilled. Using the back of a butter knife, scrape it across the top to remove the excess flour from the cup. (Do this over the flour container or a bowl so you don’t make a mess.) Never scoop the measuring cup directly into the flour and never ever pack it down into the measuring cup!
~ Do not overmix the batter! Mix the dry and the wet ingredients together until just combined. A few lumps are okay.
~ Fill the cavities in the cupcake pan about three-fourths full.
~ Allow the vegan strawberry cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them or removing the paper wrappers.
FAQs
While frozen fruit can be usually substituted for fresh in baking recipes, frozen strawberries are a little harder to work with here and I don’t recommend it.
Feel free to substitute whole frozen blueberries, if you prefer. Add them to the batter while still frozen.
Probably, but your cupcakes will be darker in color and more dense in texture.
Probably. I haven’t personally tried it in this particular cupcake recipe, but I would suggest using a gluten-free flour blend meant to replace all-purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk
- ¾ cup white cane sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup vegan stick butter
- 3-3 ½ cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon(s) non-dairy milk as needed
Garnish, optional
- 6 whole strawberries halved
Instructions
For the Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Add paper liners to a 12-cavity cupcake pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Whisk the dry into the wet until just combined. It should be mostly smooth, but a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix!
- Add the diced strawberries and stir until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling each cavity about three-fourths full.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completly.
- Once completely cool, frost with the following homemade Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or your favorite store-bought vegan frosting. Garnish with halved fresh strawberries, if desired.
For the Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the vegan butter and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. Make sure to start the mixer on the lowest speed each time, only increasing the speed after the powdered sugar starts to incorporate, so as not to send the sugar flying all over your kitchen.
- Add the vanilla and mix well.
- If your frosting is too thick, add the non-dairy milk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached. If you accidentally add too much milk, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, using a piping bag or a plastic baggie with one corner snipped off, pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Alternately, just slather it on with an offset spatula.
Notes
Since the amount of frosting used may vary, the nutrition facts are calculated for cupcakes only without frosting or garnishes.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Sarah
This look so yummy! I have a bunch of strawberries and some homemade coconut butter I want to use up, sounds like perfect timing to me. Hope I can find time this weekend to whip some up.
Jenn S.
Definitely perfect timing! Let me know if you try them!
Krsitina - Love & Zest
Fresh strawberries in anything are sure to brighten up a day but these look over the top amazing. I love love love the frosting.
Jenn S.
The frosting is good enough to eat with a spoon! Thanks, Kristina!
Lindsay Cotter
What a great way to use fresh strawberries this summer! These will be perfect on the dessert table all summer long at potlucks and BBQs! Love that you used strawberries in the batter to get these cupcakes to be so moist!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Lindsay! They are super light and fluffy.
Natalia
Hi Jenn, I found your recipe through a google search. Thanks for the work you put into this recipe. I am considering subbing agave nectar for the maple syrup. Would that work well?
Jenn S.
Hi, Natalia! Glad you found me. It should work. I find agave a bit sweeter than maple syrup, so you might want a little less. The great thing about vegan batter is that you can taste it before you bake it!! So, maybe start with 1/2 cup, take a taste and then you can always add more if you want sweeter. Let me know how they turn out! Enjoy!
connie
these are very tasty but next time I will add a couple of eggs because they fall apart!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Connie. Glad you like them. They are definitely delicate, but mine don’t usually fall apart. Perhaps bake them a few minutes longer?
Jen
I don’t have spelt flour, is it okay if I use 2 cups of all-purpose flour?
Jenn S.
Hi, Jen! Yes, you can sup all-purpose or white whole wheat (or even whole wheat, but they will be more dense) 1:1. Enjoy!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Simon! Enjoy!
Melanie
When using the coconut milk do you include the liquid or let it chill and pour the liquid out first?
Jenn S.
Hi, Melanie. Don’t chill it. Just shake up the can really well so it all mixes together. If it doesn’t shake so well because it’s already so thick, that’s ok. Just spoon it out and when you whisk it with the rest of the ingredients, it will thin out. Hope you enjoy!
Melanie
Got it! Thank you so much for responding!
Jenn S.
You’re welcome. Let me know how they turn out!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Gin! Spelt is a wheat flour, but has less gluten. It can be subbed 1:1 for all purpose or whole wheat. But, I really loved the texture of these cupcakes with using a combo of both! Please let me know how they turn out for you!
Vegan and Beyond
These look so good, and the icing sounds amazing. Coconut butter is a wonder food!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Marissa! Coconut butter is the best, right? I could eat it with a spoon!
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit
I’m in cuteness overload! These look perfect, and I love the chunky fruit frosting 🙂
Jenn S.
LOL, cuteness overload! They are pretty cute, huh? Not too cute to scarf down though!
Linda @ Veganosity
These are very pretty, perfect for summer! I agree, it’s hard to make a vegan cupcake with a light and airy texture. I’m excited to try these. 🙂
Jenn S.
Thanks, Linda! The fresh strawberries in the batter really help to keep these moist. I’m still amazed at how soft and fluffy these are!
The Vegan 8
I love cupcakes! These are so pretty and so perfect for spring! My favorite cupcakes are some vanilla maple ones I make and they are addicting, just as I imagine these are! I love coconut butter too, I use it more than I probably should, lol!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Brandi! Vanilla Maple Cupcakes sound amazing!! I could (and sometimes do) eat coconut butter with a spoon!! So good!
Sophia @Veggies dont bite
These look delicious Jenn! I just love strawberry season!!! And that frosting looks so decadent!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Sophia! I can’t wait for the U-Pick Strawberries this summer!!
Leila
Looks absolutely delicious.
Jenn S.
Thank you, Leila! I can’t stop eating them!