I don’t think there’s a happier food than cupcakes. And friend, when you need cupcakes that are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and oil-free, these vanilla allergy free cupcakes check all the boxes while delivering delicious happiness.
Are you a cake lover like me? Then try these specialty dark vegan chocolate cupcakes, these vegan coconut cupcakes, and this vegan coconut lemon cake. For frosting, try this 2-ingredient chocolate ganache frosting, which pairs beautifully with these cupcakes and is allergen friendly too. Or make this vegan peanut butter frosting– you can’t go wrong!
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What makes these cupcakes allergy free
Fluffy, moist, and naturally sweet, these vanilla allergy friendly cupcakes are something I’ve been working on for some time. The recipe came out of necessity, for not only friends IRL but for readers too.
Because the truth is, not everyone can enjoy “traditional cupcakes,” which are loaded down with gluten, oil, dairy, eggs, and artificial flavoring and coloring. Still, we all want the satisfaction of biting into that perfect cupcake that makes us feel like we’re 6 years old again, am I right? #gimme
I went through a few experimental rounds to find the perfect ingredients and ratios for these cupcakes, but luckily found exactly what I needed with the following:
For gluten-free, I always rely on a 1 to 1 four, because I’ve had the most success + it’s more cost effective. Mixing your own gluten-free four can be fun, but it can also be costly. And if you mix incorrectly, you may get a taste that doesn’t compliment your dessert.
That’s why I typically use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour to do the job.
For oil-free I tried a couple different methods, but found that applesauce worked the best to provide moisture without overpowering the flavor. I also tried bananas for one batch, which just turned into a banana cupcake and took longer to bake. That being said, you can certainly use bananas if you want that flavor!
To make these cupcakes dairy-free and nut-free, I used full fat coconut milk which I think gave these cupcake an added moistness. And for egg-free, I relied on my favorite egg substitute: baking powder. For more on egg substitutes, check out this post where I give the complete run-down of eggs in baking.
Perfect for kids birthday parties
If you have a child with allergies, these cupcakes are the perfect save for any birthday party. To make them more “fun,” I recommend purchasing cupcake toppers with your child’s favorite cartoon character, superhero, or princess.
For a pop of color, you can also add vegan sprinkles (that do not contain artificial dyes) on top of your frosting. For the record, I have tried making confetti cake with vegan sprinkles but do not find that the natural dyes hold up in the oven— so I recommend sticking to sprinkles on top and adding fun toppers.
For frosting, you can decide between this dairy-free chocolate ganache, this coconut frosting, or this dreamy blue vegan buttercream. And if you’re making white icing, don’t forget to color it with these natural food dyes by Color Kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make these cupcakes up to two days in advance, unfrosted. Simply store the cupcakes in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to frost. You can frost the cupcakes the day before and then return to the fridge.
If you don’t want to use applesauce, you can always substitute with mashed banana or canned pumpkin. Just keep in mind that this will change the flavor of these cupcakes. For more on egg substitutes, check out this post. For the coconut milk, you can substitute with any plant-based milk of your choice, but remember that this may change the texture of the cupcake. I find that coconut helps act as an oil substitute + helps add moisture to these cupcakes.
Absolutely! This recipe can easily be doubled for larger parties. Just check out the recipe card below and change the 1X button to 2X for measurements.
Allergy Information and Substitutions
- These cupcakes are 100% vegan, meaning they are dairy-free and egg-free. They are also naturally gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and oil-free.
- Don’t want to use applesauce? Substitute with mashed banana or pumpkin. Just keep in mind that this may change the taste.
- Don’t want coconut? Swap it out for another plant-based milk of choice.
- I have not tried making these chocolate yet, but you can experiment by adding ½ cup to ⅔ cup of cocoa and see what happens!
Ingredients needed
What you need (check out the recipe box below for exact measurements):
- Gluten-free flour (1 to 1)
- Granulated vegan sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt (I use Himalayan pink salt)
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Vanilla extract
- Full-fat canned coconut milk (just the cream)
- Added liquid (water or more coconut milk)
- Chocolate frosting
How to make it
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Add dry ingredients to a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 350°. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl; stir.
- Add wet ingredients.
Add coconut milk (cream only), applesauce, vanilla, and extra liquid (water or more coconut milk). For more on the coconut milk, see the recipe box below.
- Using electric beaters, blend on medium-high until combined well.
Batter should be smooth and creamy, but will start to fluff up upon standing (this is because of the baking powder).
- Divide into baking cups.
I like to use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly between cups.
- Bake.
Pop the cupcakes into the oven for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Want more allergen free recipes for birthday parties? Try these:
- This Allergen Free Chocolate Birthday Cake is dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free.
- These Almond Joy Vegan Brownies are dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and can be made gluten-free by using 1 to 1 gluten-free flour.
- For summer parties, try these Golden Milk Popsicles which are dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
Amazing Allergy Free Cupcakes for Birthday Parties
Ingredients
- 1½ cups gluten-free 1 to 1 flour
- 1 cup sugar (I use vegan cane sugar)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (I use Himalayan pink salt)
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (cream part only)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons water (or use the coconut liquid from can)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Add dry ingredients to a large bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir.
- Add wet ingredients: coconut milk (cream), applesauce, water (or more coconut milk), and the vanilla. TIP: For the 1 cup of coconut milk, be sure to use just the cream part only. I do this by using a can of full-fat coconut milk that has been separated. To check this, shake your can of coconut milk– if you don't hear it sloshing around, it's separated. Scrape out the top cream part, and use some of the extra liquid at the bottom for the 2 tablespoons of extra liquid.
- Using electric beaters, mix the batter until smooth and creamy. The batter will also start to fluff up upon standing (this is because of the baking powder).
- Divide batter between 12 baking cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop to keep it even. Your cups will be full (unlike traditional cupcakes where you fill halfway).
- Bake cupcakes for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
- These cupcakes are pictured frosted with this 2-ingredient chocolate ganache frosting.
- You can also frost them with this coconut frosting or this dreamy blue vegan buttercream.
- If you don’t want to use applesauce, you can always substitute with mashed banana or canned pumpkin. Just keep in mind that this will change the flavor of these cupcakes. For more on egg substitutes, check out this post. For the coconut milk, you can substitute with any plant-based milk of your choice, but remember that this may change the texture of the cupcake. I find that coconut helps act as an oil substitute + helps add moisture to these cupcakes.
- You can make these cupcakes up to two days in advance, unfrosted. Simply store the cupcakes in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to frost. You can frost the cupcakes the day before and then return to the fridge.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for larger parties. Just check out the button above and change the 1X button to 2X for measurements.
Nutrition Information
T&J
My daughter and I will be making these instead of cookies for Santa this Christmas , and we think this recipe looks perfect for Santa’s allergies! Thank you for sharing !
K
Welp, I tried. I consider myself a pretty good baker, but these overflowed like CRAZY. Maybe my tin was too shallow.
They smelled amazing as they were overflowing, so that’s a good sign! I’m going to let them finish baking to see where I end up, but so far we have a volcanic absolutely delicious smelling mess!
Morgan Adair
Hi there. I would like to try this recipe, but unfortunately my daughter is allergic to coconut. Most people don’t realize that coconut is actually in the tree nut family. My question is, could the coconut cream be substituted with oatmilk or would it alter the consistency too much? Thank you!
Randi Tisdall
Hi Morgan! For the coconut milk, you can substitute with any plant-based milk of your choice, but remember that this may change the texture of the cupcake. It’s worth a try with oat milk though! Honestly I think it should turn out just fine, just keep an eye on the bake time– you may need to pull them out a little sooner. If you try this please let me know your results!
Wilma
Thank you Randi
I have never been much of a baker BUT lOVE your methods of baking – where I can please the palate of family with allergies.
You are so awesome to share this with us.
I plan to try your methods and make mug cakes for birthdays
I will pick up mugs from charity shops and individuals will have their cake and eat it too in their take home mug – party favour.!!!!
Randi Tisdall
Oh thank you so much Wilma!! The mug cake idea sounds amazing– I would love to hear how that goes!!