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These Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are perfect for any occasion. Soft fluffy cupcakes get topped off with a dairy-free whipped cream cheese and coconut cream frosting for a *healthyish* treat!
Rich and comforting red velvet cupcakes
The air is cold, there’s snow on the ground, it’s dark out at 4 pm…it’s comfort food season!
Really though, anyone else craving more sweets and carbs during winter months? I know I definitely do! Everything from Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms to Vegan Gingerbread Cake, there’s nothing better than enjoying some sweet treats during the holiday season!
So this winter season, I’m embracing it. That’s right. We’re going full-on yummy sweet treats, but we’ll keep them slightly on the healthier side.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- These vegan red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are made healthier with ingredients like spelt flour, coconut oil, and a frosting that is significantly lower in fat and sugar than a typical frosting!
- These cupcakes are light and fluffy. Even if you’re not vegan you won’t be able to tell these have no eggs or dairy in them!
- This recipe is easy to make and comes together in a flash! The cupcakes can be mixed up in a bowl, so you don’t need a mixer to make the cupcake batter.
Is red food colouring vegan?
It’s important to check and make sure to use a vegan-friendly red food colouring, since some food colourings contain animal bi-products, and some red colouring comes from a shellac bug.
For this recipe, I like to use beetroot powder, which is 100% natural and gives a beautiful red hue to the cupcakes.
You can also leave out the red colouring entirely, since it is only for show and won’t affect the actual taste of the cupcakes.
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- The secret to making red velvet cupcakes, well, red, is to use enough red colouring in them. The cupcakes will darken as they bake, so you will likely want to add more red colouring than you think you may need. You can also of course just leave out the red colouring entirely if you want, the cupcakes will taste the same. If you do so, you can even add in an extra couple tablespoons of cocoa powder to make these more of a chocolate cupcake.
- Regular red food colouring technically is NOT vegan, so if you are strictly vegan make sure to use a vegan certified red food colouring.
- The frosting starts with a can of full-fat coconut milk. It is a MUST that you use full-fat, and not light coconut milk, otherwise, it will not whip up into whipped cream. You can also just purchase pre-made coconut whipped cream, or vegan whipped topping and skip making it on your own.
More cupcake recipes to try
Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20 eminutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Red Velvet Cupcakes are vegan and make the perfect treat!
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup Spelt flour (or regular flour, or gluten-free flour blend)
- 3/4 cup organic sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp beetroot powder or vegan red food colouring
Cream cheese frosting:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight(or 2 cups store-bought coconut whipped cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp organic sugar
- 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes to turn to “buttermilk.”
- Next, add the coconut oil and vanilla extract.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until smooth. If using vegan food colouring, add it now.
- Spoon the batter into your pan, filling 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge and scoop out just the cream on top (the cream and liquid should have separated in the fridge) (*skip this step if using store-bought coconut whipped cream)
- Add the vanilla extract and cane sugar and whip on high until smooth and the whipped cream forms soft peaks
- Add the cream cheese and continue to whip, just until combined.
- Use a piping bag to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
If you really want the red colour of the cupcakes to pop, make sure to use enough red food colouring in them.
Some red food colourings are not vegan. So if you are strictly vegan, make sure to buy vegan red food colouring.
Use full-fat coconut milk to make the frosting. Light coconut milk WILL NOT whip up into a coconut whip cream. You can alternatively buy pre-made coconut whipped cream from your favourite grocery store.
Only fill the cupcake molds 2/3rds of the way full. The cupcakes will rise quite a bit.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 13g
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
If you tried these Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe dear , i definitely prepare this at home.
Happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Hey JESS, I also love this recipe, You really shared a secret of red velvet cupcake. I have a question whether it is mandatory to add salt, can I skip.
Hi Giselle! You can skip out on salt however the salt doesn’t make the cupcakes salty. Salt is often added to baked goods (especially ones with chocolate) as it enhances the flavour of the chocolate and makes it more balanced.
Thank you for a healthy and yummy recipe!
My cupcakes turned out brown and not red.. I followed the recipe so I’m not sure why. But it is super tasty ??
Hi Roni, depending on the beet powder or food colouring you use it can really alter the colour. You just need to add some more next time 🙂
Hi! I’ve tried these twice and keep getting quite a gooey cupcake and no rise. I’m not sure exactly what is going wrong but was wondering if you had any advice? Both times I’m just like welp still eating it because it’s absolutely delicious lolol.
Hi Marisa! I’m sorry you’re having that issue! What type of flour are you using? These definitely shouldn’t be gooey. Also check and make sure your baking powder isn’t stale, this can prevent it from working properly to give the cupcakes some rise!
Thanks so much for the response!! King Arthur flour and will definitely try new baking powder!
Hi! Thank you for the recipe! Can i substitute the sugar with rice syrup? If yes how much? And I was wondering ifI could make the cupcakes (with the creme) and then put them in the fridge until the next day?
Hi Ariana, I wouldn’t recommend it because it will change the ratio of dry to wet ingredients.
Baked this cake for my birthday and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you for doing what you do
Thanks Ronak! Happy you enjoyed 🙂