These vegan coffee cupcakes are fluffy, moist, coffee flavored and totally divine. Topped with a vegan coffee buttercream frosting.
Oh wow, these vegan coffee cupcakes with coffee buttercream turned out better than I ever expected!
And the color was a surprise! I was expecting the cupcakes themselves to have more of a light color, more like the color of the frosting. But no, this is a deep dark rich brown.
I did use quite a lot of coffee in these though. Well, I don’t know if you’d agree that it was a lot. I used three tablespoons of a nice strong blend of instant coffee so I imagine each cupcake is around equal to a cup of instant coffee.
And then I used another tablespoon of instant coffee in the frosting.
So the coffee flavor is strong with these guys! But not too strong. I think it’s a perfect flavor blend. They’re unmistakably coffee flavored without being overpowering.
And then I couldn’t tell you why, but the addition of coffee to the frosting seemed to make it super creamy! Like more creamy than frosting has ever been before.
And it just worked so well as a topping for these cupcakes. Like coffee and cream!
How To Make Vegan Coffee Cupcakes
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add light brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix together.
- Then mix some instant coffee with hot water into a paste and whisk that into soy milk.
- Make a flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of hot water and allowing it to sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the coffee and soy milk mix, flax egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix into a batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Let the cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
The Frosting
The frosting is a rich coffee flavored buttercream that pipes beautifully over these cupcakes.
There is a little cinnamon in the recipe and cinnamon goes well with coffee so I sprinkled a little on top of the cupcakes too.
Baker’s Tips
- Measure the flour correctly. Weigh the flour for accuracy or make sure to use the correct method for measuring flour which is the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife.
- Flax egg. An alternative to the flax egg is to use 3 Tablespoons of applesauce.
- Gluten free. If you want to make these gluten-free then I would recommend using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour in this recipe.
Storing and Freezing
Keep them covered at room temperature where they will last for a few days or covered in the fridge where they will stay fresh for up to a week.
They are also freezer friendly for up to 3 months, frosted or unfrosted.
More Vegan Cupcakes
- Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Coffee Cupcakes
Ingredients
Coffee Cupcakes:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (200g)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
- 1 Flax Egg 1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseed Meal + 3 Tablespoons Hot Water
- ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Coffee Buttercream Frosting:
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar (360g)
- ⅓ cup Vegan Butter (75g)
- 1 Tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Decoration:
- Sprinkle Cinnamon
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
- Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add light brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix in.
- Mix the instant coffee with the 2 Tablespoons of Hot Water into a thick paste and then mix that into the soy milk (or other non-dairy milk).
- Prepare the flax egg by mixing 1 Tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 Tablespoons of Hot Water and allowing to sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the coffee and soy milk mix, the flax egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix into a batter. Don't overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners and place into the oven to bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before moving the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Prepare your frosting by adding the powdered sugar and vegan butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix the instant coffee with 1 Tablespoon of soy milk into a paste and add this in along with the vanilla extract.
- Starting at slow speed gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of soy milk if needed.
- Frost the cupcakes and decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon (optional).
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. Weigh the flour for accuracy or make sure to use the correct method for measuring flour which is the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife.
- Flax egg. An alternative to the flax egg is to use 3 Tablespoons of applesauce.
- Gluten free. If you want to make these gluten-free then I would recommend using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour in this recipe.
- Storing: Keep them covered at room temperature where they will last for a few days or covered in the fridge where they will stay fresh for up to a week.
- Freezing: They are freezer friendly (frosted or unfrosted) for up to 3 months.
These cupcakes are very light in coffee flavor. Can I double the espresso mix for a more intense flavor?
You could double the coffee powder, but not the water that you mix it in, so more coffee, same amount of water.
Phenomenal!
Thanks Nikki!
Can I use egg to replace the flax egg mix please, and if so how many eggs?
The flax egg in this recipe is equivalent to one regular egg.
Hi, could I use half a banana instead of the flax seed (it’s pretty hard to get hold of where I am)? Also, what is the purpose of the vinegar?
Am planning on topping the frosting with a little sprinkle of sugary cinnamon 😋
Many thanks! El
You could use banana but you would need to use 3 tablespoons mashed banana. You can also use applesauce. Vinegar reacts with the baking soda causing the rise.
I noticed that the biggest difference between this recipe and your vegan coffee cake is that this one includes a flax egg, and the other recipe does not. I’m not sure which recipe to try first, and would love a bit more insight on the difference that the flax egg adds! Thanks!!
Hi Kelsie, honestly it just depends on whether you want a cake or cupcakes, because this recipe is for a perfect 12 cupcakes whereas the other recipe is larger. I sometimes use flax eggs and sometimes not. When I don’t, it’s because I’ve increased another ingredient. So, in these cupcakes, it is needed.
Another 5 star rating from me! This was my first time making vegan buttercream after a couple of years of making not-so-great vegan cake toppings using cashews/dates/coconut oil etc. they were ok but I never found a keeper recipe. I’m unable to buy vegan butter where I live so discovering your vegan butter recipe was a game changer. I used that in this recipe and it was a winner! Thanks for the keeper recipe! For the cake I had to make it gluten free so I used a combination of cassava flour and oat flour (50:50) and the texture was perfect. So light and fluffy! Undetectably gluten free I was told! Thanks again!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing and the awesome review!
Hi Alison,
I cannot wait to try this recipe. I was wondering if cocoa powder could be added to make it more like a mocha cupcake. If so, how much should be added? Thanks!
Hi there, you could try it. If you’re using a small amount (like 1 Tbsp) then just add it in and see how it goes. If you’re using a larger amount though then you would need to increase the wet ingredients of the recipe so that it stays balanced.
These are so good – I was pleasantly surprised by just how fluffy the texture of these cupcakes is!! Thank you so much 🙂
Thanks so much Chloe!
I’ve made these twice now and they are perfect. Second time, I added some coco to the mix and grated some vegan chocolate on top.
Awesome Vanessa! Thanks so much!
Hi allison!! i’m a huge fan of your recipes but i was wondering if i could replace the flaxseed egg with 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce??
Hi Michaela, thank you, so glad you like the recipes! In this case you can replace the flax egg with 3 Tbsp of applesauce. 🙂
Hello! I saw that you said to someone that regular ground coffee could be used rather than instant. Would you brew the coffee and just add the liquid so the grinds aren’t in it? Also how would that work for the frosting? I do also have instant coffee granules if that would work better. Thank you so much, these look delicious and I’m hoping to make them for my boyfriend’s birthday!
Hi Colleen, I mean that you can use finely ground coffee granules. It would always be the granules. If you have instant coffee then that will work great!
Great recipe!!! I have had so many vegan cupcakes turn out terrible so when I find a good one it’s a Win!!! Thank you!!!
So happy it was a success Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi! I absolutely love your recipes because they turn out well every single time!
Would like to know how I can make this specific recipe GLUTEN FREE? Thank you 🙂
Hi Carolina, so glad you love the recipes, thank you! A gluten-free all purpose flour blend in the same quantity as the regular flour would be the best way.
Thank you! Baking as I type and the odour from the oven is already mouthwatering! Could I use ground coffee beans in lieu of instant coffee for the buttercream? If yes, would I also dilute it in the milk in the same ratio? Thank you xxx
Hi Carolina, as long as it’s finely ground it should be okay!
Hi 🙂 I tried this recipe and it was so delicious!!!!! I was wondering, would this work if I baked in a loaf tin instead of singular cupcake holders?
XX
Hannah <3
Hi Hannah, I think it would work, but it would be a much longer bake time, probably 50 minutes or longer.