Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes With Rainbow Sprinkle Frosting

These cupcakes skip the eggs and dairy and still come out soft and light. Applesauce and almond milk do the work eggs usually do, and refined coconut oil keeps the crumb tender without a coconut taste.

You get 10 cupcakes from one batch. Mixing takes about 15 minutes, baking takes 20 to 25 minutes, and the frosting comes together while the cupcakes cool.

The frosting is vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and rainbow sprinkles folded in at the end. Pipe it in a spiral and add the sprinkles while it is still tacky so they hold.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven

Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) and let it come to temperature. Put a rack in the middle position.

2. Prepare the pan

Lightly grease 10 cups of a muffin tin, or line them with paper liners. Liners make removal easier.

3. Cream sugar and coconut oil

Beat the granulated sugar and solid coconut oil with an electric hand mixer in a large bowl. Keep going until the mixture looks smooth, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the dry and wet ingredients

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, applesauce, and almond milk to the bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until no dry flour shows. Don't overmix.

5. Fill the cups

Scoop the batter into the prepared cups with an ice cream scoop, filling each about three quarters of the way.

6. Bake

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool them in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack.

7. Beat the butter

For the frosting, beat the vegan butter in a large bowl with the hand mixer until smooth.

8. Add the sugar

Sift in half the powdered sugar and beat until it's combined. Sift in the rest along with the vanilla, then beat until the frosting is smooth.

9. Fold in sprinkles

Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the frosting with a rubber spatula. Stop as soon as they're evenly spread.

10. Load the piping bag

Stand a large zip-top bag in a tall glass and scoop the frosting into it. Push the frosting down into one corner, then snip that corner off.

11. Pipe and finish

Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in a spiral, starting at the outer edge and working inward. Add extra sprinkles right away if you like.

Tips & Tricks

• Set the oven rack in the middle and heat the oven fully before the cupcakes go in.
• Fill the liners about three quarters full. An ice cream scoop keeps the amounts even.
• Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting, or the butter will slide off.
• Sift the powdered sugar in two additions so it doesn't cloud up the kitchen.

Variations

Chocolate frosting

add cocoa powder to the buttercream for a chocolate version, then finish with sprinkles and a cherry on top.

Citrus note

swap 1 teaspoon of the vanilla in the frosting for fresh lemon zest.

Mini cupcakes

use a mini tin and start checking for doneness at 12 minutes, since small cups bake faster.

How to Store Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes With Rainbow Sprinkle Frosting

Frequently Asked Questions

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes With Rainbow Sprinkle Frosting

Soft vegan vanilla cupcakes with applesauce and almond milk, topped with vegan butter frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Makes 10 cupcakes in about 45 minutes.

15 minPrep time25 minCook time45 minTotal10Servings

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Ingredients

• ¾ cup organic granulated sugar
• ¼ cup refined coconut oil (solid)
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 ½ cups vegan butter (3 sticks)
• 2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven — Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) and let it come to temperature. Put a rack in the middle position.
2. 2Prepare the pan — Lightly grease 10 cups of a muffin tin, or line them with paper liners. Liners make removal easier.
3. 3Cream sugar and coconut oil — Beat the granulated sugar and solid coconut oil with an electric hand mixer in a large bowl. Keep going until the mixture looks smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. 4Add the dry and wet ingredients — Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, applesauce, and almond milk to the bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until no dry flour shows. Don't overmix.
5. 5Fill the cups — Scoop the batter into the prepared cups with an ice cream scoop, filling each about three quarters of the way.
6. 6Bake — Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool them in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack.
7. 7Beat the butter — For the frosting, beat the vegan butter in a large bowl with the hand mixer until smooth.
8. 8Add the sugar — Sift in half the powdered sugar and beat until it's combined. Sift in the rest along with the vanilla, then beat until the frosting is smooth.
9. 9Fold in sprinkles — Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the frosting with a rubber spatula. Stop as soon as they're evenly spread.
10. 10Load the piping bag — Stand a large zip-top bag in a tall glass and scoop the frosting into it. Push the frosting down into one corner, then snip that corner off.
11. 11Pipe and finish — Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in a spiral, starting at the outer edge and working inward. Add extra sprinkles right away if you like.

Cook's note: Refined coconut oil needs to be solid at room temperature for the creaming step. If your kitchen is warm, chill the measured oil for 10 minutes first.

Servings: 10

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

RecipesCooker15 minutes25 minutes45 minutes

Written by Maya Whitfield
Maya writes about easy American cookies and bars, plus eggs and breakfast casseroles for busy mornings. She focuses on pantry-friendly ingredients, reliable bake times, and make-ahead steps that fit real weekday schedules. Her recipes keep instructions short and checkpoints clear so nothing gets overbaked or underdone.