These coconut cupcakes are so delicious, no one will know they're vegan! Made using creamy coconut milk + topped with smooth coconut frosting, these cupcakes are a snap to make.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 muffin pans with 24 cups; set side. In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: unbleached flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, and pink salt; stir to combine. Next, add in the wet ingredients: full fat coconut milk, coconut oil, filtered water, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Using electric beaters, whip on medium high until combined well.
Next, divide evenly between muffin cups. I like to use a medium ice cream scoop to make sure they are all uniform! This batter should fill between 20-24 cups, depending on how large of a scoop you have.
Pop in the oven and bake for 15-16 minutes, until the edges start to turn slightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let cool completely before frosting (I wait about an hour. You can also pop these in the fridge to help the cooling process).
Make these cupcakes gluten-free by using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free flour.
Want a little more coconut? Add in ¼ cup of shredded coconut into the batter for that extra texture.
I do not use coconut extract in these cupcakes. However, if you want to add a little, I suggest using only a small amount, such as ½ teaspoon for starters.
I use full-fat coconut milk to make these cupcakes extra moist, but it does make the batter thicker than your average cupcake. Feel free to swap it out for regular coconut milk if you wish.
Make sure your coconut oil is soft before using. If it’s too hard, it will be difficult to whip the batter!
Use only room temperature ingredients in combination with the coconut oil. Coconut oil WILL harden in cold temperatures, so if you are using refrigerated coconut milk, it’s going to make the mixing portion of this difficult!
I used unsweetened coconut flakes for these cupcakes, but you can use sweetened if you prefer.