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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Desserts

    Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

    Published: Feb 15, 2019 · Modified: Dec 4, 2019 by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe
    This one-bowl vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe makes cakes that are so moist, fluffy and delicious that nobody would ever guess that they're vegan. They're also super quick and easy. #vegancupcakes #veganredvelvet #veganredvelvetcupcakes #veganredvelvetcake #redvelvet #veggiedesserts

    This one-bowl vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe makes cakes that are so moist, fluffy and delicious that nobody would ever guess that they're vegan. They're super quick, easy and dairy free.

    A rack of vegan red velvet cupcakes with vegan cream cheese frosting and a piping bag of frosting. Get the easy one bowl recipe.

    Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

    If you've never tried them before, you might be asking yourself, What do red velvet cupcakes taste like?

    Red Velvet is not just cake that's been colored red.

    The flavor comes from the mix of vinegar, buttermilk and cocoa powder.

    It tastes deliciously of a mildly chocolatey vanilla cake, with a bit of acidity and that vibrant trademark red color.

    The acid reacts with the cocoa to create a reddish hue, which is then made more vibrant with food coloring.

    This chemical reaction is where the magic happens. 

    It's hard to pinpoint that irresistable flavor (vanilla, chocolate?), but trust me, it's tasty.

    It's a velvety smooth cake in a fun colour and a delicious indulgence.

    Why you should make these Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

    • Easy one bowl recipe
    • Rich, moist and flavorful 
    • If you loved my vegan chocolate cake you'll love these cupcakes. 
    • Perfect with my quick and easy vegan cream cheese frosting for a classic red velvet taste. 
    • They're delicious and perfect for birthdays, special occasions or a lovely treat. 
    • They're dairy free cupcakes.
    • This is an eggless red velvet recipe.

    Red Cupcakes

    Some recipes simply dye white cake red for red velvet.

    Those ones look super bright red. Frighteningly so.

    But to truly make red velvet cupcakes, you need to add cocoa powder.

    That results in a richer, deeper hue, and also gives it the perfect flavor.

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Easily the best and easiest vegan red velvet cupcake recipe I’ve found. Your recipes are always so easy to follow, and allow me to bake delicious treats with my two little ones helping out. Love that the ingredients are so easy to find, if you don’t already have them in your kitchen. Thanks for another wonderfully delicious vegan dessert recipe!" - Sophia

    A row of vegan red velvet cupcakes with vegan cream cheese frosting on a drying rack. Get the easy one bowl recipe.

    Tips for Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

    • You'll need to use gel food dye, rather than liquid. The color of liquid won't work as well.
    • Be sure to check that your food dye is vegan. Most are nowadays, but glance at the ingredients list to be sure that it doesn't contain cochineal or carmine. 
    • As someone who makes a lot of desserts with vegetables, you'd think that I'd have used beets instead of food dye. Well, I haven't because I know through much trial and error that the beet colour usually cooks out in cakes, so the outside is coloured but the inside is beige! I will keep trying different methods and hopefully will bring you a vegan beet red velvet cake soon. 
    • For the pretty red crumbs (that classic red velvet look), you’ll need to sacrifice one of those precious cupcakes. Take one and use your fingers to rub the cake into crumbs. You won’t need the whole thing, so feel free to have a sneaky taste test with some of the sacrificed cupcake. I won’t tell anyone.

    Frosting Suggestions

    • I used my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. They go perfectly together!
    • Other frostings that would work are Vegan Chocolate Frosting.  

    Storage Tips

    • Keep them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 
    • Once frosted with my vegan cream cheese frosting, they should be kept in the fridge (for up to 5 days). 

     

    A vegan carrot cake with vegan cream cheese frosting and vegan red velvet cupcakes with thick swirls of vegan cream cheese frosting.

    How to make vegan red velvet cupcakes

    This one bowl recipe couldn't be easier!

    Just follow this simple step by step tutorial and then head down to the recipe card for the full instructions. 

    Collage: 1 cupcakes, 2 batter in a mixing bowl, 3 color added.
    1: Add the vinegar to the soy milk and set aside for a few minutes for it to thicken slightly and turn into vegan buttermilk.
    2: Add the oil, vanilla and food colouring to the buttermilk mixture and mix well.

    Note: Be sure to use gel coloring, not liquid for best results. 

     

    Collage: 1 dry ingredients sifted in, 2 batter mixed, 3 in cupcake pan.
    3: Sift in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarb of soda (baking soda). 
    4: Stir gently until combined.
    5: Spoon into the muffin pan and bake for 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

    You can then let them cool completely and frost with vegan cream cheese frosting!

     

    Close up of a vegan red velvet cupcake with vegan cream cheese frosting with a bite taken out in front of a rack of cupcakes.

    More Vegan Cake Recipes

    Be sure to check out some of my other vegan cake recipes: 
    Vegan Chocolate Cake
    Vegan Vanilla Cake
    Vegan Lemon Cake
    Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake
    Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
    Vegan Chocolate Donuts

    Get the Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
    Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #veggiedesserts.

    Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this food blog, sharing vegetarian recipes, vegan recipes, vegetable cake recipes, vegan cake and also easy vegan desserts.
    Kate x

    A rack of vegan red velvet cupcakes with vegan cream cheese frosting and a piping bag of frosting. Get the easy one bowl recipe.

    Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

    Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
    This one-bowl vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe makes cakes that are so moist, fluffy and delicious that nobody would ever guess that they're vegan. They're super quick, easy and dairy free.
    4.86 from 14 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 176 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 200 ml (¾ cup) soy milk (or almond, oat, rice milk etc)
    • 4 teaspoon white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice)
    • 75 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil (canola, rapeseed or other flavorless oil)
    • 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoon red food colouring paste/gel *see note
    • 200 g 1 ¾ cups plain (all purpose) flour
    • 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarb of soda (baking soda)
    • 150 g (¾ cup) sugar
    • 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

    Frosting

    • 1 batch Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper cases.
    • In a large mixing bowl, stir the soy (or other non-dairy) milk and vinegar together and set aside for 5 minutes to turn it into vegan buttermilk.
    • Add the oil, vanilla and food colouring to the milk mixture and mix well.
    • Sift in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and gently combine.
    • Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cases until each is ¾ full, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then carefully move each cupcake to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

    Frosting:

    • When completely cooled, decoratively frost with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

    To decorate:

    • For the pretty red crumbs (that classic red velvet look), you’ll need to sacrifice one of those precious cupcakes. Take one and use your fingers to rub the cake into crumbs. You won’t need the whole thing, so feel free to have a sneaky taste test with some of the sacrificed cupcake. I won’t tell anyone.

    Notes

    **Nutrition calculated without frosting** The nutritional information provided is approximate and is created with online calculators. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
    Tips:
    • You'll need to use gel food dye, rather than liquid. The color of liquid won't work as well.
    • Be sure to check that your food dye is vegan. Most are nowadays, but glance at the ingredients list to be sure that it doesn't contain cochineal or carmine. 
    • Keep them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 
    • Once frosted with my vegan cream cheese frosting, they should be kept in the fridge (for up to 5 days). 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 36mgPotassium: 160mgSugar: 13gVitamin A: 65IUVitamin C: 1.2mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 1.1mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

    More Vegan Dessert Recipes

    • Vegan Rice Pudding
    • Vegan Tofu Chocolate Mousse
    • Vegan Banana Muffins
    • The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tharan

      June 26, 2020 at 8:43 pm

      5 stars
      Hi could I use self raising flour and if so would I have to omit the baking powder completely xx

      Reply
    2. Tharan

      June 26, 2020 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      Hi I'm hoping to make this at the weekend as a cake . What size cake tin would be suitable? Also if I was to use self raising flour would I need to omit the baking powder? Xx

      Reply
    3. Adriana

      March 31, 2020 at 9:42 am

      5 stars
      What a great recipe! I baked your vegan carrot cake the other day and it was delicious 🙂
      I was wondering if I could add some fruit like raspberries or blueberries to the red velvet cupcakes - or will it keep the batter too liquid while baking?
      Thanks a lot x

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        April 01, 2020 at 11:38 am

        Hi, I'm so pleased you like my carrot cake recipe! The cupcakes should still work, but don't add too many and toss the berries in a little flour first. Happy baking!

        Reply
    4. Saiho

      February 22, 2020 at 8:58 pm

      5 stars
      These were so so yummy! I think they came out a little dark for me, but I wasn’t careful with the cocoa powder, so so watch this! I’ve just made cupcakes and will be trying this again for a birthday cake. Any tips on this?

      Reply
    5. Michelle Mota

      November 24, 2019 at 9:56 am

      Could I use this recipe to make a red velvet cake? Thanks

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        November 26, 2019 at 9:30 am

        Hi, yes it will work for cake too!

        Reply
    6. Sophia

      May 18, 2019 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      Easily the best and easiest vegan red velvet cupcake recipe I've found. Your recipes are always so easy to follow, and allow me to bake delicious treats with my two little ones helping out. Love that the ingredients are so easy to find, if you don't already have them in your kitchen. Thanks for another wonderfully delicious vegan dessert recipe!

      Reply
    7. Traci

      February 15, 2019 at 2:56 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! It's so easy and the final product is so elegant! Thanks for bringing us the AWESOME! 🙂

      Reply
    8. Kelly Anthony

      February 15, 2019 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      I mean who doesn't love a red velvet cupcake! Loving this vegan spin on a delicious classic.

      Reply
    9. Jennifer

      February 15, 2019 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      Those cupcakes look so good! I love being able to make delicious desserts to share with my family.

      Reply
    10. Lizet

      February 15, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      I love it! everything in one bowl! I'm 36 and haven't tried a red velvet cake or cupcake. I have no idea why. Your cupcakes look moist. I'll be trying them soon.

      Reply
    11. Emily

      February 15, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      5 stars
      I love the red color of these cupcakes! I am definitely pinning these for later.

      Reply

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    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

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    My cookbook

    Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

    Collage of press logos.

    Popular recipes

    • The BEST Easy Red Lentil Dahl
    • Easy Naan Bread Recipe (yeast-free)
    • Mini Baked Potatoes
    • Easy Lentil Soup

    Easter Recipes

    • Easter Rice Krispie Nests
    • Italian Easter Bread (Pane di Pasqua)
    • Mushroom Wellington
    • Nut Roast

    My cookbook

    Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

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