Vegan Blueberry Cupcakes Recipe with Vanilla Frosting

One clever reader submitted this clever vegan blueberry cupcakes recipe for a recipe contest we held several years ago. Savannah Ziegler knows that the moisture and bulk of fresh or frozen blueberries quickly turn cupcakes into muffins. So she used dairy-free blueberry yogurt for the flavor instead.

Vegan Blueberry Cupcakes that are Infused with Flavor

We have updated this post with additional tips, substitutions, and other suggestions for these vegan blueberry cupcakes.

Starch: If you need corn-free, you can substitute arrowroot starch or tapioca starch for the cornstarch.
Milk Beverage: Almost any type will work well in this recipe. In baking, the results don’t vary much between brands.
Oil: You can technically use your favorite baking oil – it doesn’t need to be coconut.
Vanilla Frosting: We like to use the Decorator’s Option on our Dairy-Free Buttercream Recipe. But you can also buy it. You’d be surprised how many brands of canned frosting are made without milk, including many flavors of Duncan Hines. Savannah uses Pillsbury. Organic brands like Miss Jones are also available.
Blue Food Coloring: Most brands are free of top allergens, but India Tree is a popular natural brand.
Powdered Blueberry: This is our add on. You can process freeze-dried blueberries in a spice grinder into a powder. It’s okay if a few little bits remain. Stir that powder into the frosting. It will infuse the frosting with blueberry flavor and give it a purple-ish hue. I’d start with 1/4 cup freeze-dried blueberries and add more as desired.

Special Diet Notes: Vegan Blueberry Cupcakes

By ingredients, this recipe for vegan blueberry cupcakes is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose the milk beverage and yogurt alternative that suit your dietary needs.

Vegan Blueberry Cupcakes

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

22 mins

Total time

37 mins

This recipe uses dairy-free blueberry yogurt to infuse blueberry flavor without adding the excess moisture of fruit.

Author: Savannah Ziegler

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup plain dairy-free milk beverage
½ (5.3-ounce) container dairy-free blueberry yogurt (Savannah uses So Delicious)
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dairy-free vanilla frosting (use Decorator's Option; see post above for additional options)
Blue food coloring or powdered blueberry (optional; see post above)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a mixing bowl, blend the sugar, milk beverage, yogurt, coconut oil, and vanilla until combined.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined; try not to over mix.
Divide the batter between your prepared cupcake tins.
Bake the cupcakes for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely.
In a bowl, whisk the frosting and blue food coloring or powdered blueberry (if using) together. Pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes.

Notes

Want more blueberry flavor? We like to rehydrate dried blueberries in hot water for just 5 minutes, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. You can add fresh blueberries, but as noted, they can make these cupcakes more moist and muffin-y, particularly since the recipe is egg-free.