Have you ever seen such gorgeousness as these vegan red velvet cupcakes? Or is that just me blowing my own trumpet since I made them and all.
Well I was mighty impressed with how these turned out. Not least because I finally found a shop that sells gorgeous cupcake liners. Oh my – these have just changed my life I tell you!
Well you know, it’s been a long time since I ate non-vegan cake. I mean like over a decade. So I really can’t remember what it’s like. So it’s not like I’m going to eat a non-vegan red velvet cupcake alongside one of mine and compare them or anything.
So even though I knew these were very good, I wasn’t sure if they were comparatively as good as some ridiculously light and fluffy non-vegan cupcakes.
Well….any doubts I might have had were banished after Jaye took a batch of these to work. He called me from the office to tell me that they had disappeared from the kitchen before the department secretary had even had a chance to send out an email about them.
And when he next crossed the office, people were flipping out about how good these were! He hadn’t even mentioned yet that they were vegan! Light, fluffy, moist, simply perfect! These were some of the words used. He said people were like congratulating him on how good they were. This was music to my ears.
So yes dammit – they match up very very well. Woohoo!
The frosting
I was first of all going to pair these with a white frosting, I thought red and white would be very pretty. But then at the last minute I decided to go with double red velvet, because why not?
And it worked out so extremely well, I was enormously pleased with it.
I was first thinking that it might not bring much to the party, like it might just be frosting dyed red, you know? Like it might not add much flavor. And yes, that’s true, the color doesn’t add to the flavor.
However, what does add to the flavor of red velvet is those hints of chocolate and vanilla. So I added some vanilla and some cocoa to the frosting and the richness and red velvet deliciousness comes through fabulously.
The color
These vegan red velvet cupcakes are adapted from my vegan red velvet cake, which has always been a huge hit whenever I’ve made it.
And as I explain over on that recipe, I don’t think beets work here at all for the color. It’s not like I didn’t try it – I did – and it didn’t work out, not even a little bit! Congrats to anyone who gets beets to work, but it’s not me.
In fact I have some opinions about what belongs in baking. Cauliflower frosting? Black bean brownies? I haven’t got my head around these concepts, though I quite easily got my head around chickpea water for chocolate mousse – I’m inconsistent I freely admit it.
And on that note, beets in red velvet cake? Not for me. I’m content with using a bit of red food color to get the beautiful red color in these cupcakes.
These vegan red velvet cupcakes with red velvet frosting are simply amazing! They are:
- Light
- Fluffy
- Moist
- Rich
- Spongey
- Topped with Red Velvet Frosting
Keep them covered at room temperature where they will stay perfect for a couple of days, or covered in the fridge where they will last for up to a week, but they’re most delicious when fresh.
More vegan cupcakes
- Midnight Blue Velvet Cupcakes
- Classic Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
- Vegan Banana Cupcakes
I’d love to know what you think of these vegan red velvet cupcakes!
If you have any questions or comments about this recipe, please post them down below. And please rate the recipe as that is super helpful!
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Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 12
Description
Gloriously light and fluffy vegan red velvet cupcakes with red velvet frosting. Perfectly spongey and moist, vibrantly red, and fabulously vegan.
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cupcakes:
- 2 cups (250g) + 3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour*
- 1 cup (200g) White Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
- 1 cup (240ml) Vegan Homemade Buttermilk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Flax Egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp Hot Water)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar*
- 3 Tbsp Vegan Red Food Dye
For the Red Velvet Frosting:
- 3 cups (375g) Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar
- 1/3 cup (75g) Vegan Butter
- 1 Tbsp Soy Milk
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Red Food Dye
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- Prepare the buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice into a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line and allowing to sit for a minute to curdle into buttermilk.
- Prepare the flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp Hot Water and allowing to sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the cup of buttermilk, the vanilla extract, flax egg, olive oil, vinegar and red food dye to the mixing bowl and whisk with a hand whisk to combine into a smooth batter.
- Line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners and divide the batter evenly between them.
- Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Add all frosting ingredients to your mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk starting on slow and gradually increasing speed until thick, smooth and creamy. If your frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, add a little more soy milk.
- Frost on top of your completely cooled cupcakes and serve.
Notes
*Weigh your flour for the most accurate results.
*You can use a different vegetable oil such as canola oil if you prefer.
*You can use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar.
*Nutritional information is for 1 cupcake including a generous amount of red velvet frosting.
*Recipe adapted from my Red Velvet Cake.
- Category: Dessert, Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake (of 12)
- Calories: 365
- Sugar: 47.9g
- Sodium: 255mg
- Fat: 9.8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 66.9g
- Fiber: 1.2g
- Protein: 3.2g
Keywords: vegan red velvet cupcakes
I have made these cupcakes three times now and they’ve turned out great, so great that no one can tell that they are vegan! Makes people understand that just because food is vegan doesn’t mean it won’t be delicious. Thank you for your awesome recipes 🙂
★★★★★
Yay! That is wonderful news! Thanks so much for sharing and the awesome review. 🙂
As with other recipes that I have tried till date from your wonderful website, the red velvet cupcakes turned out PERFECT! Moist, decadent.. Totally loved by all. A big thank you!! My family is not vegan, just vegetarian, so I used regular dairy milk, also, I frosted the cupcakes using the frosting recipe mentioned in your red velvet cake recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
So happy to hear everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the wonderful review. 🙂
Also, can you use powdered food coloring instead of liquid, and if so would the measurements be the same? Thank you!
I’m not sure, I haven’t ever used powdered food coloring, I’m not sure if it has the same strength or how much would be needed, it would have to be experimented with.
What would be your recommendation for making these gluten free? I know gluten free flour is more dry and usually you need to either lessen the amount of flour (and change it to GF all purpose), or increase the oil. I’d appreciate any ideas you have! Thank you!
Hi Vivi, yes I would use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend and then I would increase the oil to 1/2 cup and add 2 Tbsp applesauce. That is what I would do in this recipe. Hope it turns out great! 🙂
These are fantastic=)
★★★★★
Yay! Thank you! 🙂
Hi! I love this recipe. I am from India and will be trying this recipe soon! Is there a substitute for flax egg/ flax meal? I am not very particular about the recipe being vegan, just need it to be eggless! Andthis is the most appealing one I found ?
★★★★★
Hi Amrita, you can use applesauce instead, 3 Tbsp of applesauce will replace 1 flax egg. Alternatively you can reduce the flour by those 3 Tbsp that are used in addition to the 2 cups, and then just omit the flax egg and not replace it with anything. 🙂
FYI, the McCormick food coloring you link to (sadly) is not vegan. McCormick responded to a question on Amazon by stating that the product contains animal byproducts.
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Hi Laura, they personally confirmed to me in writing that it is vegan, as are all their extracts and food colors. After receiving your comment I reached out to them again and screenshot the question and answer you had found on Amazon, as I thought it seemed like a typo, the way it was answered it seemed like they had forgotten to write the word ‘not’, like ‘it does ‘not’ contain animal by-products’. I just received confirmation, it was definitely a typo, their products are definitely vegan and they have updated the answer they gave on Amazon that contained the typo. Thanks for bringing this up as of course if they had changed their formulation we would want to know, but luckily they have not and everything is still vegan as previously confirmed.
Hey! I was thinking of making these for my colleagues tomorrow, but I have to make them a day in advance. Would it be okay to make the cupcakes and the icing tonight and assemble them tomorrow about an hour before serving? Can the icing be in the fridge for that long or will it go bad?
Hi Sammy, I assume you already made a decision on this but yes that would be totally fine! If the frosting firms up too much for piping, then you can let it sit on the counter for a few minutes and then pipe it. Alternatively you can just make the cupcakes and the frosting and assemble them and then leave them (covered) in the fridge overnight, they will be just perfect. 🙂
Hi there every time I try to make red frosting it goes orangey – I think because my vegan butter is yellow tinted! Do I need one that is white to carry the colour, and can you recommend any? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, my vegan butter is also pretty yellow, maybe you just need to use a little bit more red color? I think you’re in the UK, Foster Clark’s brand is very good (and vegan). I have used that one before and it works great. 🙂
I tried to do them today but they got too hard 🙁 I just left them for 25 minutes and it was fine. When they were cooled down, they got too hard.
Also the frosting, I used a hand mixer, and the matter for grainy and not too thick. I added more icing sugar but nothing changed
Hi Natalia, do you mean the cupcakes were too hard or the frosting? If it was the cupcakes, then I am thinking it is likely a case of too much flour resulting in them being too dense. I would weigh the flour to be sure of using the correct amount. All the best! 🙂
Love the recipe but the food coloring in the link is not vegan. It contains animal by products.
★★★★
Hi Hope, so glad you like the recipe. It definitely is vegan. I have personally reached out to this brand and received confirmation that the linked product is vegan. All the best.
these cupcakes tasted amazing. people that tried them, couldn’t believe the cupcakes were vegan
★★★★★
It’s the best when that happens! Thanks so much for sharing Hardeep! 🙂
Hi Alison,
Do you have a suggestion for food color in the US? I’ve just used the food coloring drops before, and I can’t seem to find Foster Clark’s, not available on Amazon either. Will the food color drops work? Or is there a better vegan alternative you can suggest?
Thank you!
Any food color brand that is meant for baking should be great. Usually red food colors are vegan these days, the ingredient to look out for is carmine (also called cochineal), which is not vegan. 🙂
So I’m not a baker but wanted to bring something to the Thanksgiving potluck. After checking the list there were only two desserts so why not add to it. This was simple, fun and easy for me to make. And everyone loved them. (Used vegan egg instead of the flax egg).
Thank you for sharing.
(PS: I’m not vegan but was thinking about my colleagues that are).
★★★★★
That’s awesome! I’m guessing your colleagues think you are the bomb dot com right now! 🙂
Hi there! These cupcakes look so delicious and I would love to make them for mother’s day this Sunday. However, I only have powdered red food colouring. Can I just add this into the mixture until it reaches the desired colour or should I also add more liquid? Thanks!
Hi Astrid! If you have used the red food powder before in baking and know it works then go ahead. I only mention this because some red coloring doesn’t hold very well and I’ve never used a powder form. Yes, you will need more liquid. I would add in a couple of tablespoons extra of any liquid, like non-dairy milk or even oil or applesauce or even a flax egg, would be great to add here.
Hi
I’ve literally just finished making these but they aren’t red at all 🙁 I followed the method exactly with all the correct measurements but they have come out dark, like chocolate muffins. Any idea what’s happened?
If the color didn’t hold then it means that the brand of food coloring you used doesn’t hold when exposed to high heat. It needs to be a liquid red food coloring and it needs to be a brand that is used for baking. If you’re in the UK then something like Foster Clark would likely be a good choice. On my Red Velvet Cake recipe someone mentioned using a Sainsbury’s brand of food coloring that didn’t hold at all. Just thought I’d mention in case this was the one you used.
Thanks for the advice. I did use one that was for baking but even the mix before baking wasn’t particularly red. I will try making them again and see what happens. They tasted great it’s just the colour that was off !
You’re welcome! Oh I see! Yes, the color needs to be ridiculously vibrant before baking, as no matter how strong it is, it will dull a bit in the baking process. So if it isn’t crazy vibrant red before going in then the food color isn’t right. I can confirm Foster Clark is a vegan brand of food coloring (if that is one you can get), I emailed them to make entirely sure. All the best!
Can I make these gluten free by just replacing the all purpose flour with gluten free flour? 🙂
Use a gluten-free all purpose flour baking blend such as Bob’s Red Mill brand, increase the oil to 1/2 cup and add 2 Tbsp of Applesauce. And you’ll be good to go.
Thank you!!! I plan on making these for Valentine’s Day!
OMG!!!! THE BEST HANDS DOWN VEGAN CUPCAKES I’VE MADE TO DATE! Everything you said it would be. The only thing I wish is that they had a nice rounded and higher dome.
Can I use baking powder to get that dome? If so how much?
Also can you give me the nutritional value/facts would like to know how much the calories, fat and sugar levels are in these Cupcakes and if these are something that can be given to friends that are diabetic.
Thank you just a great outcome!
★★★★
Hi Arielle! So glad you liked them! Mine did have a nice dome, so I’m not sure why yours didn’t. The nutritional info is already on the recipe. 🙂
Looks so soft and light and delicious
★★★★★
Hello Alison, So happy with all these delicious recipes. Love from Holland, Gieta
Thanks Gieta, so happy you’re enjoying the recipes! xo
These cupcakes look beautiful and taste amazing. What a great recipe
★★★★★