These 30-minute moist, soft, and fluffy Vegan Lemon Cupcakes are perfectly sweet on their own. Top them with vegan cream cheese frosting and serve to the ones you love. Everyone will love them and no one will believe they're vegan (and gluten-free optional)! And, you'll love how simple and easy they are to make.
These vegan and gluten-free lemon cupcakes are seriously so good. I love making these in the summertime because the citrusy flavor is so refreshing and balances the sweetness of the dreamy cream cheese frosting!
I bring a batch of vegan desserts to every get together, pot luck and BBQ and trust me when I say that no one ever suspects that they are vegan. I use simple ingredients to keep these as easy as possible, and they always turn out moist, tender and delicious!
Ingredients Needed
My vegan lemon cupcakes recipe uses minimal ingredients while still making a super delicious cupcake. Here's what you'll need:
- Plant-based Milk: We recommend using a plant-based, unsweetened milk like almond or oat milk.
- Sugar: Regular sugar makes these vegan lemon cupcakes a sweet treat!
- Lemon Juice: You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice!
- Vegan Butter: Melted vegan butter adds moisture to make these super tender.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is added for extra flavor!
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Baking powder and baking soda help these cupcakes to rise and get fluffy in the oven.
- Lemon Extract: This is optional if you like your cupcakes to have an extra lemony flavor!
- Flour: All-purpose flour work great. If you prefer gluten-free lemon cupcakes, we recommend using a gluten-free replacement flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour!
- Vegan Cream Cheese Icing: If you want to top off your lemon cupcakes with a decadent frosting, simply whip together vegan cream cheese, vegan butter and powdered sugar!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Mix almond or oat milk, sugar, lemon juice, melted butter and vanilla. Then, add baking soda and baking powder. Option to add lemon extract for a bolder lemon flavor. Quickly add the flour and mix until combined. Don't over mix!
Step 3: Pour the batter into 10 lined muffin molds. Spray a little non stick spray onto the liner to keep the cupcakes from sticking. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden.
Step 4: While the cupcakes are baking, use an electric hand mixer to mix the vegan cream cheese icing. Add more powdered sugar to the frosting to reach desired thickness. Allow the cupcakes to cool and spoon the icing overtop. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Measure the flour correctly! To avoid dense vegan cupcakes, you have to make sure you measure your flour correctly. Instead of packing it into the measuring up, spoon it into the measuring cup and use the back of a butter knife to level off the flour.
- Don't over mix the batter! This is especially important once you have added the flour to the cupcake batter. Be sure to mix only until the ingredients are combined to avoid tough or rubbery cupcakes!
- Add lemon to the frosting! For even more lemon flavor, you can make a lemon cream cheese icing by adding a squeeze of lemon, lemon zest or even some lemon extract! Be careful though, a little bit of lemon extract goes a long way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can definitely make gluten-free lemon cupcakes by using a gluten-free replacement flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure or Cup4Cup. Don't use other flours like almond flour, oat flour, etc. That flour will not work as a replacement for all-purpose flour!
Yes! Lemon desserts are one of my favorites. If you are crazy for citrusy flavors like I am, try some of my favorites like Vegan Glazed Lemon Donuts, Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake, Italian Lemon Cookies, and my Vegan Lemon Loaf!
Storing Suggestions
- To Store: Store any leftover lemon cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Keep them in the fridge and they will last up to one week, but they might get a little dry in the fridge.
- To Freeze: To freeze, place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and top with icing before serving!
More Cupcake Recipes to Try
- Vegan Vanilla Coconut Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Super Moist Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 cup unsweetened oat or almond milk
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract - optional
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour or gluten free all purpose flour If gluten-free, I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour. Please don't substitute any other flour such as almond flour, baking flour, etc.
Vegan Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz vegan cream cheese
- 4 tablespoon softened vegan butter
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Super Moist Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350
- Mix almond or oat milk, sugar, lemon juice, melted butter, and vanilla. Then, add baking soda and baking powder. Option to add lemon extract for a bolder lemon flavor. Quickly add the flour and mix until combined. Don't over mix!
- Pour the batter into 16 lined muffin molds. Spray a little nonstick spray onto the liners to keep the cupcakes from sticking. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden.
- While the cupcakes are baking, use an electric hand mixer to mix the vegan cream cheese icing. Add more powdered sugar to the frosting to reach desired thickness. Allow the cupcakes to cool and spoon the icing overtop.
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.
Heather says
I’ve been enjoying this recipe. I added lemon extract and zest for a bigger lemon flavor. Also made an orange cupcake version with this base recipe. Delicious. I’ve even frozen a few and they come out perfect when thawed and not dry like so many other recipes.
Jillian Glenn says
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Heather! I'm so glad to hear you've enjoyed it!
LindaFollansbee says
Can you take out Almond milk and substitute it for skim milk or gluten free milk where I have nut allergies?
Jillian Glenn says
Hi there, any low fat dairy or non dairy milk will work here!
Lindsay Taylor says
Could this be done in a Bundt cake pan with a longer cook time?
Jillian says
I would recommend making my lemon loaf recipe and cooking in a bundt cake. You may need to multiply the recipe by 1.5x.