Light and fluffy vegan lemon cupcakes that use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor! The cupcakes are made with simple pantry ingredients, come together in one bowl and are perfectly paired with a zesty lemon buttercream.

Close up of vegan lemon cupcake with tall frosting swirl and is decorated with lemon segment and rose petals.

Simple ingredients you’ll need

Flat-lay of ingredients for vegan lemon cupcakes.

The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Ingredients notes and substitutions

Fresh lemon zest and juice instead of lemon extract, for the best flavor! Too much lemon juice in a cake can actually make it deflate, but rather than skimping on flavor, I used LOTS of lemon zest.

Dairy-free milk. I love soy milk as it’s higher in protein which makes cakes softer. However, you can use any milk such as oat milk or almond milk.

Granulated sugar for the lightest and fluffiest lemon cupcakes. You may use coconut sugar however, it will make your cupcakes light brown and they will taste like lemon caramel.

Any neutral oil or a light olive oil. Olive oil makes the cupcakes more yellow, like my vegan lemon olive oil cake.

Close up of lemon cupcake with cupcake liner pulled off showing fluffy interior.

Tips for making the batter

The batter for these vegan lemon cupcakes is easy to make! Simply mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and mix until combined.

My biggest tips for making the batter are:

  • First, rub the sugar with the lemon zest with your fingertips. This will release the natural lemon oil which enhances the lemon flavor in the cupcakes!
  • Accurately measure the flour, because adding too much flour will make the cupcakes dry. If you’re using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method. Alternatively, use an electronic scale to weigh the flour.
  • Avoid overmixing the batter as this can make the cupcakes dense. Some lumps in your batter are fine, as long as the lumps aren’t floury.
Four image collage showing how to make cupcake batter in one bowl.

Baking the vegan lemon cupcakes

I love using an ice cream scoop to divide any cupcake batter – it evenly portions the batter and is easier than using a spoon!

For a nice dome, I recommend filling each cup around three-quarters full. I used a USA Pan Muffin Pan but all cupcake tins are different so your cupcakes may bake a little differently.

To get even taller cupcakes, fill every other cup in your muffin pan (shown below). This allows more oven heat to circulate each cupcake so they rise more. So, if you have a 12-cup cupcake pan, you’ll need to bake 6 cupcakes at a time, in 2 lots.

Two image collage of muffin pan, before and after baking cupcakes.

Decoration suggestions

These lemon cupcakes are perfect with a vegan lemon frosting! Alternatively, you can top your cupcakes with:

Close up of lemon frosting on cupcake.

Customizing these vegan cupcakes

  • Make lemon drizzle cupcakes for even more flavor and moisture. You can make a simple lemon syrup with granulated sugar and lemon juice and drizzle it on the cupcakes. See my vegan lemon drizzle cake for a guide.
  • Add vegan lemon curd to the center of the cupcakes (remove the core first). I recommend using the curd from my lemon cheesecake recipe but increasing the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons.
  • Add blueberries or raspberries to the cupcakes. Make sure you coat them in all-purpose flour before adding them, otherwise they may sink.
  • For something special, add chopped white chocolate to the lemon cupcake batter.

Don’t forget to check out my other vegan cupcake recipes, such as my strawberry cupcakes or red velvet cupcakes.

Close up of lemon cupcake with bite taken out showing texture of cupcake and frosting.

More vegan lemon desserts

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5 from 12 reviews

Vegan Lemon Cupcakes

Light and fluffy vegan lemon cupcakes that use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor! They come together in one bowl and are lovely with a simple lemon buttercream.

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients

Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting (note 3 for alternatives)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180ยฐC (350ยฐF). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Make the cupcakes:

  • Optional: Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub them together until fragrant.
  • Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is well combined and there are no lumps. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
  • Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to divide the batter between your cupcake liners. Each cupcake cavity should be three-quarters full.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. They are ready when you insert a toothpick in the center of a cupcake and it comes out with no wet batter on it (a few crumbs are fine).
  • Cool the cupcakes in the tray for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Make the frosting:

  • Add the butter to a large bowl (if using a hand mixer) or bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until just combined. Taste the frosting and adjust if needed. If the frosting is too thin, add more sugar and beat or add more lemon juice or non-dairy milk if it's too thick.
  • When the cupcakes have fully cooled, use a spatula or piping bag to frost the cupcakes. Decorate as desired.
  • Serve the cupcakes immediately. Store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your cupcakes are frosting, keep them at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving. The cupcakes freeze well but I recommend storing them separately from the frosting.

Notes

  1. Make sure you accurately measure the flour, otherwise your cupcakes may be dry. Fluff up the flour in its container, use a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Using your measuring cup to scoop flour out of the container will pack too much flour into the cup, and result in drier cupcakes. For the best results, use the grams measurements.
  2. You’ll need 3-4 medium lemons for the amount of zest and juice in the recipe. When you zest the lemons, try to avoid getting any of the white lemon rind otherwise your cupcakes may be slightly bitter.
  3. Alternatively, top your cupcakes with a simple lemon icing from my lemon olive oil cake recipe, or cream cheese frosting from my carrot cupcake recipe.
Serving: 1 cupcake without frosting, Calories: 205kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Sodium: 134mg, Potassium: 29mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

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