16 irresistible vegan cupcake recipes for every occasion

Author: Rachel Smith

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these recipes for egg and dairy-free vegan cupcake recipes from fruity to the chocolatey.


Vegan Food & Living may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only ever share brands that we love and trust.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these delightful vegan cupcake recipes. From Oreo cupcakes topped with fluffy buttercream to classic vegan vanilla cupcakes, there’s a vegan cupcake recipe for everyone here.

Looking for vegan cupcake recipes to bake without eggs and dairy?

We’ve compiled a list of our favourite vegan cupcake recipes from decadent dairy-free cupcakes with fruity centres to intensely chocolatey vegan cupcakes topped with fluffy dairy-free buttercream.

Baking cupcakes is simple when you find the right vegan egg substitute, but if you’re having trouble baking vegan cupcakes and getting them to rise, take a look at our tips for baking vegan cupcakes.

1. Banana Cream Vegan Cupcakes

Can’t choose whether to make banana bread or cupcakes? Why not both! As well as being topped with the most amazing fluffy banana buttercream, they’re also filled with sweet vanilla pudding.

Banana Cream Vegan Cupcakes

ADVERTISEMENT

2. Salted Caramel Vegan Cupcakes

Bite into these sweet and sticky dairy-free cupcakes and you’ll find a hidden centre of oozing caramel just waiting to be devoured.

They’re topped off with a salted caramel share for extra indulgence

Vegan & Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Cupcakes
ADVERTISEMENT

Want more vegan recipes? Try 3 issues of Vegan Food & Living magazine for just £3!

3. Mint Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes

The cool flavour of the mint frosting combined with the devilishly moist and rich chocolate cake makes this vegan cupcake recipe so utterly irresistible.

Mint Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes

ADVERTISEMENT

4. Vegan Cookie Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Can’t decide between baking cookies or cupcakes? You can have the best of both worlds with these vegan cookie cupcakes! A rich chocolate cupcake is studded with cookie pieces and topped off with fluffy vegan buttercream icing.

Vegan Cookie Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

5. Blueberry Lemon Vegan Cupcakes

These pretty plant-based cupcakes taste as good as they look thanks to a hidden centre filled with luscious lemon curd.

Blueberry Lemon Vegan Cupcakes

6. Vegan Pink Champagne Cupcakes

These pretty pink cupcakes would be perfect for a bridal shower, party, or any occasion that deserves a celebration! With a hint of bubbly fizz in both the cupcake and the frosting, these grown-up treats have a sophisticated flavour that’s not too sweet.

Vegan Pink Champagne Cupcake Recipe

7. Vegan Mojito Cupcake

These vegan mojito cupcakes are a tasty summertime delight as they contain vegan white rum so you can enjoy the classic cocktail in cake form.

This vegan cupcake recipe is also gluten-free so everyone can enjoy a bite, except for the kids of course as these are strictly for the grown-ups!

Vegan & Gluten-Free Mojito Cupcakes

8. Vegan Mocha Cupcakes

These bittersweet vegan mocha cupcakes with creamy chocolate and espresso frosting make the perfect tea time treat with their espresso-laced frosting and richly-flavoured chocolate cake. They’re the perfect grown-up treat for people who love the punchy combination of coffee and chocolate.

Vegan mocha cupcakes

9. Vegan Guinness Cupcakes

With their dark chocolate base and fluffy icing topping, these vegan cupcakes not only look like little pints of Guinness, but they’re made from it too!

Stout helps to make this vegan cupcake recipe extra tender with a beautiful crumb. Don’t worry if you don’t like the taste of stout – the rich chocolate flavour shines through with just a hint of maltiness.

Vegan Guinness Cupcakes

10. Vegan Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes

These apple and cinnamon cupcakes are perfect for autumn with their combination of cinnamon apple cake and caramel buttercream icing.

They’re made with applesauce and chopped apples so are super moist and decadent.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes 

11. Very Berry Vegan Cupcakes

These vegan cupcakes might look simple, but both the cake and the buttercream frosting are made with real strawberry purée that gives them a sumptuous fruity flavour.

Very Berry Vegan Cupcakes

12. Red Velvet Cupcakes 

These vegan red velvet cupcakes are a luscious treat. They’re super moist, with a hint of chocolate and vanilla, and the vegan cream cheese frosting is so tasty, it’ll be hard not to eat the lot straight from the bowl!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

13. Vegan Brain Cupcakes

Looking for a spooktacular sweet treat for your Halloween party? These horrifying vegan brain cupcakes will get your guests talking!

Despite their gruesome appearance, these cupcakes actually have a tasty vanilla flavour with a sweet and creamy icing. Kids will love them!

Vegan brain cupcakes

14. Vegan Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Who can resist the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate? Not us, that’s for sure! These moreish vegan peanut butter cupcakes are topped with creamy chocolate peanut butter frosting that everyone will love.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cupcakes

15. Agave Yoghurt Cupcakes with Honeycomb

These delicate but moist cupcakes are topped with light fluffy, tangy frosting made from vegan yoghurt. A final garnish of homemade honeycomb makes this one very tasty vegan cupcake recipe!

Agave Yoghurt Cupcakes with Honeycomb

16. Vegan Ghost Cupcakes

Made with charcoal powder to give them an intense black colour, these spooktacular vegan ghost cupcakes will be the start of the show at your Halloween feast.

Vegan ghost cupcakes

Planning a vegan birthday party? Get the party started with these show-stopping vegan birthday cakes!

Written by

Rachel Smith

Having launched the brand's digital presence in 2015, Rachel shares her love for animals and the planet through her work as Vegan Food & Living’s Digital Editor. As a passionate vegan for over ten years, Rachel loves creating delicious vegan dessert recipes for her award-winning blog, Rawberry Fields. Rachel's recipes and photography have been featured in numerous international print and digital publications including the Daily Mail, Huffington Post, Thrive, and Buzzfeed. You can follow Rachel at @rawberryfields

Vegan Tarte Aux Fruits

This sweet and tangy vegan tarte aux fruits recipe combines simple ingredients into an impressive French dessert.

Vegan Pappardelle with Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Lemon

Nutty Brussels sprouts and zesty lemon make this vegan pappardelle pasta dish a flavourful feast that's full of fresh flavours.

Vegan Jackfruit Tuna Mayo

Find out how to make your very own vegan tuna mayo in minutes by using the incredibly versatile ingredient jackfruit.

Raw Vegan Pho

Chewy shiitake mushrooms, fresh vegetables, and a simple umami broth give this raw vegan pho loads of flavour