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These Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are perfect for any occasion. Soft fluffy cupcakes get topped off with a dairy-free whipped cream cheese and coconut cream frosting for a *healthyish* treat!

vegan red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and silver sprinkles on a marble and wood cakestand

Rich and comforting red velvet cupcakes

The air is cold, there’s snow on the ground, it’s dark out at 4 pm…it’s comfort food season!

Really though, anyone else craving more sweets and carbs during winter months? I know I definitely do! Everything from Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms to Vegan Gingerbread Cake, there’s nothing better than enjoying some sweet treats during the holiday season!

So this winter season, I’m embracing it. That’s right. We’re going full-on yummy sweet treats, but we’ll keep them slightly on the healthier side.

a vegan red velvet cupcake with a bite taken out of it

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • These vegan red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are made healthier with ingredients like spelt flour, coconut oil, and a frosting that is significantly lower in fat and sugar than a typical frosting!
  • These cupcakes are light and fluffy. Even if you’re not vegan you won’t be able to tell these have no eggs or dairy in them!
  • This recipe is easy to make and comes together in a flash! The cupcakes can be mixed up in a bowl, so you don’t need a mixer to make the cupcake batter.

Is red food colouring vegan?

It’s important to check and make sure to use a vegan-friendly red food colouring, since some food colourings contain animal bi-products, and some red colouring comes from a shellac bug.

For this recipe, I like to use beetroot powder, which is 100% natural and gives a beautiful red hue to the cupcakes.

You can also leave out the red colouring entirely, since it is only for show and won’t affect the actual taste of the cupcakes.

vegan red velvet cupcakes on a marble board topped with white frosting and silver ball sprinkles

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

  • The secret to making red velvet cupcakes, well, red, is to use enough red colouring in them. The cupcakes will darken as they bake, so you will likely want to add more red colouring than you think you may need. You can also of course just leave out the red colouring entirely if you want, the cupcakes will taste the same. If you do so, you can even add in an extra couple tablespoons of cocoa powder to make these more of a chocolate cupcake.
  • Regular red food colouring technically is NOT vegan, so if you are strictly vegan make sure to use a vegan certified red food colouring.
  • The frosting starts with a can of full-fat coconut milk. It is a MUST that you use full-fat, and not light coconut milk, otherwise, it will not whip up into whipped cream. You can also just purchase pre-made coconut whipped cream, or vegan whipped topping and skip making it on your own.
vegan red velvet cupcakes on marble cake stand

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vegan red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and silver sprinkles on a marble and wood cakestand

Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 13 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 20 eminutes
  • Cook Time: 17 minutes
  • Total Time: 37 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 cupcakes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Red Velvet Cupcakes are vegan and make the perfect treat!


Ingredients

Cupcakes: 

  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
  • 1  tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Spelt flour (or regular flour, or gluten-free flour blend)
  • 3/4 cup organic sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp beetroot powder or vegan red food colouring

Cream cheese frosting: 

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk  refrigerated overnight(or 2 cups store-bought coconut whipped cream)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp organic sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  2. Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes to turn to “buttermilk.”
  3. Next, add the coconut oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until smooth. If using vegan food colouring, add it now.
  6. Spoon the batter into your pan, filling 3/4 of the way full.
  7. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. To make the cream cheese frosting,  remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge and scoop out just the cream on top  (the cream and liquid should have separated in the fridge) (*skip this step if using store-bought coconut whipped cream)
  9. Add the vanilla extract and cane sugar and whip on high until smooth and the whipped cream forms soft peaks
  10. Add the cream cheese and continue to whip, just until combined.
  11. Use a piping bag to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
  12. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you really want the red colour of the cupcakes to pop, make sure to use enough red food colouring in them. 

Some red food colourings are not vegan. So if you are strictly vegan, make sure to buy vegan red food colouring. 

Use full-fat coconut milk to make the frosting. Light coconut milk WILL NOT whip up into a coconut whip cream. You can alternatively buy pre-made coconut whipped cream from your favourite grocery store. 

Only fill the cupcake molds 2/3rds of the way full. The cupcakes will rise quite a bit.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 200
  • Sugar: 13g
  • Fat: 11g
  • Saturated Fat: 9g
  • Carbohydrates: 22g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 2g

If you tried these Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on PinterestInstagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

Hi, I'm Jess!

Choosing Chia is a blog all about healthy vegetarian recipes that are easy to follow, taste delicious and focus on wholesome ingredients. I started the blog after a spontaneous trip to India where I studied the practice of yoga and wellness.

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57 Comments

  1. Thamara Fleming says:

    Healthier and delicious! I made it for my husband’s bday and will make it again on Valentines! Totally recommend!! 5 stars for sure!!

    1. Jess says:

      Thanks for your review Thamara! I’m glad to hear you loved the recipe-these are perfect for valentines day!

  2. A.J. says:

    Your cupcakes look delish! Instead of beetroot powder, can roasted beets be used instead? If so, what measurements do you suggest for using roasted beets?

    1. Jess says:

      Hi A.J, I wouldn’t recommend using roasted beets since they have a lot of moisture in them I can’t guarantee that this won’t alter the texture of the cupcake. If anything you can use some vegetarian red food colouring!

  3. Henriett says:

    Can’t go wrong with red velvet ?

    1. Jess says:

      Totally agree Henriett!

  4. Ashley says:

    Hello! I am eager to make these! My girlfriend loooves red velvet so this will be an exciting surprise! Question: can I just use regular wheat flour for these? Not sure if there’s a difference, texture-wise, spelt vs. wheat. Thanks!

    1. Jess says:

      Hi Ashley, you absolutely can! 🙂

  5. Alexandrine says:

    Hi! I often find it very hard to find good both gluten free and vegan recipes, so it is lovely to see that you include these options in most recipes as well. I’m especially dying to try this one out. I have one question though, when you use gluten-free flour, do you ever change the process anyhow? I sometimes feel like especially cakes and cupcakes with gluten-free flour don’t rise as well or become more dense than they should.

    1. Jess says:

      Hi Alexandrine! I use bob’s red mill 1-1 gluten-free baking flour which you can use just as you would regular flour without having to make adjustments! definitely would recommend it 🙂

  6. Cassandra Thuvan Tran says:

    Daiya is such a wonderful company–I adore their plant-based alternatives, especially their vegan cream cheese and frozen vegan pizzas! You had me scratch my head a little at first with the picture of macaroni and cheese because I totally thought you would incorporate that in your vegan red velvet cupcakes, haha! But the cream cheese = magnificent product to use for the frosting! Red velvet cupcakes can usually be screwed up if you use too much food coloring and not enough cocoa, but I love the flavor in general. I’m even more delighted to see that these are gluten free and healthier than the average cupcake (aka the vegan Sprinkles cupcake that’s 425 calories and is loaded with fat and sugar–but it’s worth it since it’s absolutely delicious!)!

    1. Jess says:

      Totally agree on Cassie! Seriously, having their boxed mac and cheese…lifesaver for those more “fast food” cravings while still keeping it healthy! For the cupcakes I find using not too much cocoa and just a bit of food colouring makes them come out best! 🙂

  7. Natalie says:

    These cupcakes look so delicious! I love red velvet!

    1. Jess says:

      Thank you so much Natalie!

  8. Bianca Zapatka says:

    These look so beautiful and delicious, Jess!?
    So perfect for the Christmas time!
    Lots of love,
    Bianca ❤️

    1. Jess says:

      Thank you so much Bianca! One of my favourite types of cupcakes 🙂

  9. Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says:

    These are seriously the most beautiful cupcakes ever! I haven’t had red velvet cake in forever because it is so hard to find a dairy-free version so I love that these can be made with vegan cream cheese and beetroot powder. Brilliant! Bring on the comfort foods and sweets. 🙂

    1. Jess says:

      Aw thank you so much Sarah I appreciate it! And yes! These are so great to make at home and super quick to put together the batter because you don’t even need to use a mixer, just a bowl!

  10. Sarah | Well and Full says:

    The frosting on these cupcakes is absolutely dreamy, Jess!! I also love those silver sprinkles, so pretty! 🙂

    1. Jess says:

      Thanks Sarah! The little silver balls are my favourite kind of sprinkle!