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Close up of one vanilla frosted strawberry cupcake in a red paper liner.
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes

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!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Desserts & Sweet Treats
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 12
Calories: 172kcal

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
  • cup coconut oil melted
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup diced fresh strawberries

Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

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

~ Choose firm, bright red, fresh ripe strawberries.
~ Dice the strawberries into small even 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 cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them or removing the paper wrappers.

Since the amount of frosting used may vary, the nutrition facts are calculated for cupcakes only without frosting or garnishes.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g