Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

There’s no need to give up cupcakes if you are following a vegan diet. These vegan red velvet cupcakes are moist, fluffy, vibrantly red, and absolutely delicious. 

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe

These vegan red velvet cupcakes are soft, moist, and super light. I guarantee you won’t be able to resist their vibrant color either.

Super easy to prepare with basic pantry staples these cupcakes come together in just a few minutes. 

Helpful Equipment To Make Easy Vegan Red Velvet Cakes

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Cupcake/muffin tray
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Piping bags for your frosting
• Cutting board and knife

Ingredients for Vegan Velvet Cupcakes

For the Red Velvet Cupcakes:

• 2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup of White Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
• 1 tablespoon of Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
• 1 cup of Vegan Buttermilk = mix together 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice + 1 cup of Soy Milk
• 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup (120ml) Canola Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
• 1 tablespoon of White Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of Red Food Color

For the Red Velvet Frosting:

• 1/2 cup of Vegan Butter
• 4 cups of Powdered Sugar
• 1 tablespoon of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of Red Food Color
• 2–3 tablespoons of Soy Milk

How To Make Red Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners and set it aside. 

Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl and then add the sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Mix well to combine. 

Make the buttermilk by pouring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a measuring cup and then adding the soy milk to the 1-cup line (240 ml). Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow it time to curdle into buttermilk. 

Pour the vegan buttermilk, vanilla extract, oil, vinegar, and red food gel into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk with a handheld whisk or electric mixer just until combined into a cohesive batter. Make sure not to over-mix. 

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners making sure to allocate the same amount to each one. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. 

Let the cupcakes cool completely before applying the frosting. 

To prepare the frosting combine vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, red gel food coloring, and 2 Tbsp soy milk in a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. 

If you are using hand mixing start off by mixing the frosting at a slow speed and gradually increasing it until the frosting is thick and smooth. If you need to add a little soy milk to thin it out, add 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Use a piping bag to pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and serve. 

All About Red Velvet

Red Velvet has become synonymous with red desserts like red velvet cake, red velvet cookies, and in the case of this recipe, red velvet cupcakes.

Though many theories exist about how red velvet desserts came to be, we can all agree they look and taste delicious. 

Research tells me that the red appearance originally came from the type of cocoa powder that was used.

Other theories tell us that beets were used to get the red hue. However, today people usually add liquid food coloring to get this effect in their cookies, cakes, and muffins.

Variations

• For a more intense chocolate flavor add chocolate chips to the batter; semi-sweet or dark chocolate will both work. Make sure to read the ingredients to ensure they are vegan. 
• Change up the frosting flavor and pipe the cupcakes with vanilla frosting or use vegan cream cheese and make vegan cream cheese frosting.
• Sprinkle with your favorite cupcake toppings.
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the cupcake batter.
• Make twice as many by using a mini cupcake tray. 

Tips and Tricks/Notes

To get an accurate measure of the flour you can use the ‘spoon and level’ method to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Or you can weigh the flour on a food scale.

To make the vegan buttermilk you can use almond milk or other plant-based milk. The dairy-free red velvet cupcakes will still taste great even if the milk does not curdle. 

To get the bright red color in these cupcakes we used a red gel food color called Ameri color red gel.  Initially, we used red food coloring but the gel food coloring imparts a more intense color. 

These cupcakes can be prepared gluten-free by using an all-purpose gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour. 

How To Store The Cupcakes

Keep the cupcakes covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or covered in the fridge for up to one week though they do taste way better when freshly made. 

You can also freeze these cupcakes, frosted or unfrosted for up to 3 months. Make sure to thaw the cupcakes overnight in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before serving.

FAQs

Are red velvet cupcakes just chocolate?

Though similar in nature, red velvet cupcakes are a bit lighter than traditional chocolate cupcakes with a softer, more tender texture. 

What’s the difference between vegan cupcakes and regular cupcakes?

Vegan cupcakes do not contain any animal ingredients like eggs, butter, or dairy milk.

How to make vegan red velvet cupcakes?

If you are craving some red velvet cupcakes, look no further and follow this recipe. 

What gives red velvet cake its color?

Red velvet cake gets its color from the addition of red food dye. Red food gel provides the best, intense color. 

Conclusion

These soft and moist cupcakes are a decadent treat and are guaranteed to brighten up your day with their vibrant red color. Perfect for your next family gathering, school party, or whenever you are craving something sweet. 

If you are looking for more vegan recipes, I’ve got loads on my website. 

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