Planning a party and just discovered one of your guests can't have traditional cupcakes due to dietary restrictions? Don't panic! Vegan cupcakes aren't just for vegans—they're the perfect dessert for guests with egg or milk allergies too. With milk and eggs ranking among Canada's top food allergens (affecting 90% of allergic reactions!), vegan cupcakes could be a game-changer for your next party.
What’s the difference between regular and vegan cupcakes?
The main difference between vegan cupcakes and regular cupcakes is that vegan cupcakes have no dairy and no eggs in them. Vegan baking does not use any animal byproducts including eggs, milk, butter, dairy products, honey, and gelatin.
What are vegan cupcakes made of?
Vegan cupcakes are made by substituting egg and dairy products with plant-based alternatives like non-dairy milk, vegan butter, and oil. Since flour, sugar and baking powder are naturally vegan, they don’t need to be replaced.
The vegan recipes I use at Ampersand Bakehouse always have a little vinegar and baking soda so the cupcakes turn out light and fluffy. (Think of the chemical reaction for making a volcano in elementary school.) I also love to match my non-dairy milk to the cupcake flavour. For example, I use coconut milk in our Coconut Key Lime Cupcake and oat milk in the Cinnamon Bun Cupcake for extra flavour!
What is vegan frosting made of?
Many bakeries will use an american buttercream because it’s easy to make vegan. You simply use a plant-based butter and powdered sugar (and maybe a hint of plant-based milk). I personally find american buttercream to be too sweet and prefer a swiss meringue buttercream. This is harder to make vegan as it consists of egg whites, white sugar and butter.
Thankfully, vegan ermine frosting is our secret at Ampersand Bakehouse. It’s a funny name, but it’s better than boiled-milk frosting or flour buttercream! This recipe is silky smooth and less sweet than traditional icing options. I make it with coconut milk, brown sugar, plant-based butter, and a hint of flour. It’s more labour intensive, but totally worth it.
What do vegan cupcakes taste like?
If the bakery has done their job right, vegan cupcakes will taste just the same (or better) than regular cupcakes. At Ampersand Bakehouse, I make the vegan cupcake flavours appealing to everyone. Our most popular flavours include Strawberry Chocolate Cupcake, and Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcake. Although we serve cupcakes with both traditional and vegan baking, our vegan cupcakes always sell out.
These are incredible! They are the best vegan cupcakes I have ever had! My daughter has an egg allergy and we have tried mannnnnnnny vegan cupcakes. Yours are the best. - Dani Elle
RELATED: View all of our Vegan Cupcake Flavours
Do vegan cupcakes have gluten?
Vegan cupcakes do have gluten. Vegan cupcakes need to use an alternative flour to make them gluten-free. You likely thought the two went together because many bakeries and cafes will group dietary requirements together into one product. Honestly, this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Just because someone is vegan doesn’t mean they are gluten intolerant.
Ampersand Bakehouse currently does not have any cupcakes that are both vegan and gluten-free. (Our vegan icing actually has a hint of flour in it!) Although this is on my list for future cupcake flavours, I want to focus on making the very best vegan cupcakes and the very best gluten-free cupcakes first, before combining them.
Thankfully, Toronto is filled with amazing bakeries for every possible need. All of the products at Bunner's are both vegan and gluten-free. Tori's Bakeshop and Bloomer's are vegan bakeries that also offer gluten-free options.
Are vegan cupcakes healthy?
Vegan cupcakes still have high sugar and fat content, so they’re not necessarily healthy. Since vegan baking uses plant-based alternatives to animal byproducts, it can sound like it’s a healthier choice. But similar to our gluten-free discussion above, you’ll have to look for an option that specifically notes it’s a healthy recipe. At Ampersand Bakehouse, I try to match traditional cupcake flavours so our vegan cupcakes are not any healthier.
Do vegan cupcakes need to be refrigerated?
Depends how hot the weather is! Since our vegan frosting uses a plant-based butter, I find that it doesn’t love the heat. If it’s a hot summer day, I would find a cool place in your home or get those cupcakes in the fridge! Just remember to take them out of the fridge an hour to two before eating so they can warm up to room temperature. Baked goods always taste best at room temperature.