These vegan gingerbread cupcakes are full of spices that will get you in the holiday mood. They are fluffy, moist and topped with a delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting. They are the perfect treat during the Christmas season.
While gingerbread cookies are tasty, we much prefer these cupcakes. They have all the flavors of the classic cookie but in a sweet and decadent cupcake.
These spiced cupcakes are perfect for your holiday table. If you are looking for more recipes for the season, try my vegan Oreo truffles, vegan candy cane sugar cookies, and vegan Fruitcake cookies.
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Why You’ll Love These Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Holiday flavors: These cupcakes are full of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. The perfect combination of spices!
- Cinnamon frosting: The frosting has a slight tang from the cream cheese and the added cinnamon makes it even more delicious.
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan butter: My favorite brand of vegan butter to bake with is Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks.
- Vegan cream cheese: Use any brand you can find. For this I used Tofutti brand.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil.
Please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and amounts needed.
Variations
- If you don’t want to make a cream cheese frosting, you could also make an easy vegan vanilla buttercream frosting.
- Add in non-dairy chocolate chips or raisins for extra flavor and texture, although we love these cupcakes just as written.
How To Make Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.
Step 2: Add the apple cider vinegar to the non-dairy milk and set aside. This will make a vegan buttermilk.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and ground cloves.
Step 4: Stir in the milk/vinegar mixture, molasses, oil, and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Pour into the muffin tin and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. For me, 22 minutes is perfect. Let cupcakes sit in the tin for a few minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
Step 6: To make the frosting, first cream the softened vegan butter. Make sure it is only softened, not melted, or else it won’t work. Add in the cold vegan cream cheese and mix until just combined. Do not overmix it or the frosting will not be stiff enough.
Step 7: Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. If it's not thick enough, add more powdered sugar a little at a time and then get it cold. Store in the freezer for 15 minutes before using. If you need more time, just keep it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Step 8: Once the gingerbread cupcakes are completely cooled, you can frost them and decorate. Or store them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
If you love making cupcakes like I do, try out my vegan Oreo cupcakes and vegan strawberry chocolate chip cupcakes.
Expert Tips
- Vegan cream cheese frosting can be a little difficult to make. The issue is the consistency. If you over whip the frosting or don't keep it cold, it will get too runny. This is because vegan cream cheese is usually made with coconut oil which is liquidy at room temperature.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting or the frosting will just melt and slide off.
Recipe and Storage FAQs
These cupcakes need to be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. The cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated or else it will melt.
If your frosting is too loose, put it in the freezer to stiffen up. Make sure you don’t overmix it as well. You can also add more powdered sugar to it.
More Holiday Dessert Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- ⅔ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cups flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened
- ½ cup vegan cream cheese, cold
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the non-dairy milk and set aside. This will make a vegan buttermilk.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and ground cloves.
- Stir in the milk/vinegar mixture, molasses, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Pour into the muffin tin about ⅔ full and bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes. Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for a few minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, cream the softened vegan butter. (Make sure it's softened, not melted!)
- Add in the cold vegan cream cheese and mix until just combined. Do not overmix it or the frosting will not be stiff enough.
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. If it's not thick enough, add more powdered sugar a little at a time and then get it cold. Store in the freezer for 15 minutes before using. If you need more time, just keep it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
- Once the gingerbread cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them and serve. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Vegan cream cheese frosting can be a little difficult to make. The issue is the consistency. If you overwhip the frosting or don't keep it cold, it will get too runny. This is because vegan cream cheese is usually made with coconut oil which is liquidy at room temperature.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting or the frosting will just melt and slide off.
- If you want to make a regular buttercream instead of the cream cheese frosting, try my https://hasslefreevegan.com/vegan-vanilla-whipped-frosting/vegan whipped vanilla frosting.
Marvin says
Warm and delicious flavors for the season!
Jen Cardenas says
Thanks!