These Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes are vegan but you'd never guess it because of how moist, soft and delicious they are! The secret to making them super moist with no eggs or dairy is simply canned coconut milk. Everyone is going to love them!
Gluten-free vanilla oat cupcakes are the ultimate vegan treat. I make these cupcake with simple ingredients and I included coconut milk and shredded coconut for more flavor! If you aren't a fan of shredded coconut, you can simply leave it out. But the coconut milk is key to a tender and moist cupcake! Enjoy these on birthdays and holidays or as a simple sweet treat.
Ingredients Needed
- Canned Coconut Milk: This is the key to super moist and tender vegan and gluten-free cupcakes. Get the full fat canned coconut milk and shake it up well before opening it since it has a tendency to separate!
- Vegan Butter: Vegan butter adds richness and moisture.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is my preference here since it has a deeper flavor than regular sugar. You can also use Purecane Brown Sugar Substitute if you prefer!
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: A little bit of baking powder and baking soda will help these cupcakes rise and become super fluffy!
- Salt: Don't forget the salt to balance out those flavors.
- Vanilla: Vanilla cupcakes need some vanilla extract! This is key for flavor.
- Oat Flour: I like using oat flour in these cupcakes. Just make sure it is certified gluten-free!
- Quick Oats: Quick oats add some texture and fiber. We use quick oats in this recipe. The quick oats make the texture soft and fluffy. If you don't have quick oats, you can pulse old fashioned oats in a food processor to break them down. Just make sure they are certified gluten-free if you are on a strict gluten-free diet.
- Shredded Coconut: Shredded coconut is great for added flavor and texture!
- Frosting: For the homemade frosting, you will simply whip together powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese and vegan butter. You can use Purecane Powdered Sugar Substitute if you prefer!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350. Line 12 muffin wells with paper cupcake liners and spray them with a little nonstick baking spray.
Step 2: Mix the canned coconut milk, melted vegan butter, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla and salt together. Then, add the oat flour and oats and mix until smooth. Option to fold in the shredded coconut.
Step 3: Pour the vegan gluten-free cupcake batter into 12 lined muffin wells. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cupcakes are completely risen.
Step 4: While the vanilla cupcakes are baking, use an electric hand mixer to make the vegan cream cheese frosting by mixing the purecane powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese and softened vegan butter together. Set aside.
Step 5: Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting. Sprinkle the tops with more coconut and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don't skip the full fat coconut milk! The key to moist vegan vanilla cupcakes is the full fat canned coconut milk.
- Avoid recipe substitutions! Especially in gluten-free baking, you have to follow the recipe as close as possible for the best results. The only ingredient that you can take out of this recipe is the shredded coconut, if you prefer.
- Don't over mix! As with most baking, you don't want to over mix the batter. Combine the ingredients until they are only just combined!
- Only fill the cupcake wells ¾ of the way! If you add too much batter to the cupcake wells, they will explode over the edges. Just fill up the wells about ¾ of the way with the cupcake batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! A good, high quality gluten-free cupcake recipe should result in a cupcake that is just as delicious as a regular cupcake. Sometimes the rice flour in a substitute all purpose flour leaves a gritty feel, which is why I chose to use oat flour and quick oats in this recipe!
Store any leftover gluten-free vanilla cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. If you need to store them longer than that, I recommend freezing them (without the frosting) until you are ready to eat them. I wouldn't put them in the fridge because they will dry out!
Definitely! Vanilla bean paste is a great alternative, but it does have a stronger vanilla flavor, which some people love!
More Cupcake Recipes to Try
- Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Super Moist Lemon Cupcakes
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon melted vegan butter or coconut oil
- ¾ cup brown sugar or ½ cup purecane brown sugar substitute
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup oat flour
- 1 cup quick oats
- ½ cup shredded coconut
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 ½ cup purecane powdered sugar substitute
- 4 oz regular or vegan cream cheese
- 4 tablespoon softened vegan butter
Instructions
Gluten-Free Vanilla Oatmeal Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line 12 muffin wells with paper cupcake liners and spray them with a little nonstick baking spray.
- Mix the canned coconut milk, melted vegan butter, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and salt together. Then, add the oat flour and oats and mix until smooth. Option to fold in the shredded coconut.
- Pour the vegan gluten free coconut cupcake batter into 12 lined muffin wells. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cupcakes are completely risen.
- While the coconut milk cupcakes are baking, use an electric hand mixer to make the vegan cream cheese frosting by mixing the purecane powdered sugar, vegan cream cheese, and softened vegan butter together. Set aside.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting. Sprinkle the tops with more coconut and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
The recipes on Peanut Butter and Jilly can easily be adapted to fit a vegan lifestyle, a gluten-free lifestyle, or both depending on the ingredients you use. Please review the ingredients lists carefully and refer to our recommendations in the Notes of the recipe card to make this recipe compatible with your needs. Nutrition information provided is an estimate, and will vary based on specific brands of ingredients used and cooking methods.
Leave a Reply