Easy vegan strawberry cupcakes packed with 3 cups of fresh strawberries for the best flavor (no strawberry essence needed)! These cupcakes are soft and fluffy and come together in one bowl using common ingredients.
These pretty pink cupcakes are the perfect dessert for birthday parties, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or any special occasion!
Ingredients you'll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Strawberries, either fresh or frozen. Make sure you use strawberries that are sweet and flavorful as it's the main flavor of the cupcakes. Bland strawberries will give you bland cupcakes.
Pink/red food coloring or beetroot powder. Food coloring provides the most reliable and consistent results. Beetroot powder varies a lot depending on the brand and age. Sometimes, the color of beetroot powder doesn't 'stick' during baking and the cupcakes will turn brown/orange. If you make these cupcakes with no added color, they will be a pale pink color.
Baking powder and soda. We're using double raising agents to ensure these cupcakes are FLUFFY and to counteract the high amount of fruit.
Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (not pictured). When an acid is combined with dairy-free milk, it creates vegan buttermilk which gives the cupcakes a more tender crumb.
How to make vegan strawberry cupcakes
First, puree your strawberries in a food processor or blender. If you have a stick blender, you can add them to your mixing bowl and blend.
TIP: If you have a large blender, it can be tricky blending the strawberries by themselves. If so, blend the berries with the milk and rest of the wet ingredients.
To make the cupcake batter, mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. We don't want any lumps of baking powder/soda in the cupcakes! Then the wet ingredients until just combined. Some lumps are fine but make sure there are no lumps of flour.
The cake batter will be bubbly from the high amount of raising agents. Don't whisk out the bubbles or let the batter sit around. Just quickly transfer the batter to the cupcake tin.
If you're using beetroot powder, the results can vary a lot, so here are some tips:
- Start with around 2-3 teaspoons of beetroot powder and add it to your dry ingredients. Towards the end of mixing, add more if you prefer a stronger color. However, avoid overmixing your batter.
- Beetroot powder fades during baking, so add more than you think you'll need.
Baking and decorating the cupcakes
I always prefer using ice cream scoop to divide cupcake batter as it's easier and less messy.
These vegan strawberry cupcakes are wonderful with my strawberry buttercream frosting or strawberry cream cheese frosting. You can also top these cupcakes with:
- Whipped dairy-free cream
- Chocolate ganache
- Vanilla buttercream
- Dusting of powdered sugar
Do I need to reduce the fresh strawberry puree on the stovetop?
No, you don't need to reduce the strawberries for these cupcakes.
Some strawberry cake recipes ask you to make a strawberry reduction to remove excess water from the strawberries. However, I tested this method and it doesn't make enough of a difference for the amount of effort. You're removing water from the strawberries but adding it back to the cupcakes through dairy-free milk.
However, a strawberry reduction is useful for recipes that need less moisture, such as my vegan strawberry cheesecake.
Customizing these vegan strawberry cupcakes
For the easiest vegan gluten-free strawberry cupcakes, I recommend baking my vegan gluten-free strawberry cake in a cupcake pan.
The below recipe can be made gluten-free, but only by using a higher quantity and combination of gluten-free flours. I tested the recipe using some 1:1 gluten-free flours (including Bob's Red Mill) and it results in dense and doughy cupcakes.
Even though we're using significantly more gluten-free flour, the batter is runnier than the regular batter. The gluten-free cupcakes are also flatter than the original cupcakes. Cupcakes that domed had a thicker batter but were very dry on the second day.
This recipe bakes differently in a larger pan. Instead, check out my vegan strawberry cake and double strawberry muffins recipes!
More vegan strawberry desserts
If you love easy vegan cupcakes, check out my vegan red velvet cupcakes, carrot cake cupcakes or coconut lime cupcakes.
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Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled (note 1)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt, optional
Wet ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) ripe strawberries, fresh or frozen then defrosted (weighed after stems have been removed)
- ⅓ cup (85g) dairy-free milk
- ⅓ cup (85g) neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- Few drops of pink or red food coloring, or 3 teaspoons beetroot powder
To decorate
- 1 quantity Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, OR
- 1 quantity Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- Fresh strawberries
- Freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 1-2 cupcake trays with liners.
Making the vegan strawberry cupcakes:
- Add all your strawberries to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined and there are no big lumps. If you're using beetroot powder, mix it with the dry ingredients.
- Add the strawberry puree and the rest of the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl. If you're using food dye, add it at the same time. Fold the mixture until just combined. The batter should be thick and slightly bubbly. Some lumps in the batter are fine, as long as they aren't lumps of flour. Avoid overmixing the batter, otherwise your cupcakes will be dense.
- Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to divide the batter between your cupcake liners. Each cupcake cavity should be around two-thirds full. You will get anywhere from 12 to 16 cupcakes, depending on the size of your cupcake pan.
Baking the cupcakes:
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick into one of the middle cupcakes and it comes out clean. The baking time will depend on the size of your cupcakes.
- Cool the cupcakes in the tray for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack. These cupcakes may brown underneath which is normal. If you eat the cupcakes immediately, they may stick a little to the liners and will be very moist (this is due to the high amount of strawberries in the recipe). However, when the cupcakes cool, they'll peel away from the liners more easily and the texture will change.
Decorating and serving the vegan strawberry cupcakes:
- Prepare the frosting of your choice.
- When the cupcakes are completely cool, use a piping bag or spatula to decorate the cupcakes, as desired. Top the cupcakes with fresh strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries/raspberries if desired. Serve immediately.
- Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
- For the best results, use the grams measurements. If you're using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method to measure the flour. To do this, use a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Do not use the measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container as too much flour will result in dense cupcakes.
For gluten-free cupcakes, it's easiest to bake my gluten-free strawberry cake in a cupcake tin. If you'd like to make the above recipe gluten-free, replace the all-purpose plain flour with 175g (1 ¾ cups) almond flour, 165g (1 ½ cups) potato starch and 35g (⅓ cup) cornstarch. All the other ingredients/steps are the same. Even though we're using more flour, the batter will be runnier. You'll ~14-16 cupcakes which are flatter than the original. This recipe does not work well with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2017 and updated a few times since then with step-by-step pictures and more useful information.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Sonnet Oberholzer says
Made these earlier this week and just wow! Everyone loved them. Saved on my list of favourite’s. They were just the right amount of light and sweet. The vegan strawberry icing was also great and can’t wait to try this as a cake instead of cupcakes.
Anthea says
Hi Sonnet, I'm so thrilled that you loved these cupcakes and the icing! I hope you enjoy the cake too, if you get to try it. Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
Natalie says
These were so good! I topped them with your strawberry frosting recipe and it was delicious! I like how the cupcakes are not overly sweet and have great flavor. Took these to a gathering and they were a hit. Thank you for the recipe!
Anthea says
Hi Natalie, I'm so glad that you and those at your gathering enjoyed these cupcakes! Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback 🙂
Filomena Giannico says
I made them for a summer BBQ, and they were a hit!! Fresh strawberries knocked it out of the park. It’s a keeper!
Anthea says
That's amazing news!!! They would definitely be perfect for a Summer BBQ too. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Amber says
Delicious, simple cupcakes! So perfectly pink without any dye, they turn out moist and lovely with little effort.
Anthea says
Hi Amber, aw that's great to hear!! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
Kenneth says
Just tried this recipe for Valentine’s Day and OMG!! They came out absolutely perfect and delicious. I will never use another recipe for cupcakes!! Thank you for making my valentine a very happy man!
Anthea says
Hi Kenneth, aw I'm sooo thrilled that you and your man loved these cupcakes!!! Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback - you've made my day!
Audrey says
Hi Anthea, can these cupcakes be frozen after being baked? If so, how long would they last frozen? Love this recipe! Best texture, will try next time with beetroot powder.
Thanks!
Anthea says
Hi Audrey, I'm so happy that you loved these! And yes you absolutely can freeze them! They can last from 2-4 weeks in the freezer, depending on how you store them. Just try to keep them in an airtight place, whether it's a small container or in food wrap. I hope that helps 🙂
Gaby says
Made these for Galentine's today and they were a hit! I used frozen strawberries, and no dye and everyone loved them! I paired them with a vegan vanilla buttercream and freeze dried strawberry sprinkled on top. I made the mistake of not thawing out my strawberries with enough time, so the mix was a tad cold going into the oven (which I know is a no-no) but they baked fine (20 minutes), just weren't super smooth on the top which ended up covered by the frosting either way (inside texturing was not affected)!
Note for other readers: I saw someone say they got more than 12 cupcakes, so I made the recipe as if I was making 18 to try to get 24, and some even ended up overfilled (I think I could've gotten 26/27 if I had filled them properly).
Anthea says
Hi Gaby, aw I'm so glad that these cupcakes went down well! It's great they still baked well with the chilled strawberries (I admit that I've done that a few times with other recipes). And thanks for the feedback about the number of cupcakes - it's so interesting that everyone's cupcake tin is a bit different! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment here 🙂
Ashley says
If I don't have vegan options, can I create the cream cheese frosting with the same amounts of real cream cheese and butter?
Anthea says
Hi! I haven't personally tested it as I only use vegan ingredients but technically it would work the same.
Nia says
Can we make this with whole wheat flour? If yes, what would be the measurement?
Anthea says
Hi Nia, these cupcakes will work with whole wheat flour in the same amount. However, I recommend adding an extra splash of milk as that flour is more absorbent than all-purpose. I hope that helps!
Nina says
Just so you know these cupcakes are currently destroying my diet. That I started today. Because of these cupcakes. They're really simple to make, light in the middle and paired with the cream cheese frosting really tasty. One batch made 17 for me and I had frosting to spare.
Anthea says
Awwww!! I'm so happy that you loved these cupcakes, and it's great that you got so many out of one batch! And hahahahaha, there's always another day to diet (not today for me either). Thanks so much for your feedback (and the laugh)!
Raisa Hammoud says
Only the best strawberry cupcakes in this world. Snd trust me, ai’ve made a few recipes. They are so amazing. I filled them with strawberry jam and topped them with strawberry buttercream. Will definitely make them more often.
Anthea says
Hi Raisa, aw that's wonderful feedback!! I *love* that you filled them with jam and I want to try that next time! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
Maya says
Made these for my girlfriends birthday yesterday. We had an Alice in Wonderland themed party so I added vanilla frosting and fondant bunny ears, they turned out really cute and delicious 🙂
Did the frozen berries and dye instead of beet powder, worked great. Thank you for this recipe.
Anthea says
Oh that sounds sooo special and cute!!! And what a fun way to celebrate your girlfriend's birthday :). Thanks so much for your feedback, Maya!
Sofia Marta says
Hey Anthea,
Really want to make this recipe for my kids birthday. And I already made half recipe to try out. They turn out lovely!! But got a little bit to hard on the outside. But I guess it was may fault, to long on the oven. So just two questions to make them more perfect: you pre-heat the oven at 180ºC and also bake at 180ºC? To you use the fan (ventilation) or just normal upper and lower heat?
Anthea says
Hi Sofia, aw it's great that you enjoyed the cupcakes! With cupcakes being hard on the outside, this can happen if your oven heat is a little too high (some ovens run a little hotter than what they say) or, as you said, if you bake the cupcakes for a little too long. I used a conventional oven with upper and lower heat but if you use a fan oven, reduce the temperature to 160ºC. Also yes, preheat the oven at the same temperature at which you bake it. If it's just the tops of the cupcakes that are hard, after baking you can brush a little water on them to soften. I hope that helps!
PAmin says
The strawberry cupcakes turned out amazing! The flavor and texture were on point. I used weight measurements but some how ended up with more batter - I got 12 regular cupcakes and 11 minis! Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
olivia says
I loved these!! I’m vegan and these were perfect!!! My 3 kids loved them 🥰🥰
evge says
I made them into cake and I had to bake it 10 minutes more, which makes sense. The taste is so good. I measured the ingredients for 10 cupcakes and baked them in the usual round tint for cakes. I used brown sugar and added 4 drops of red food dye and they turned pink-brown as you wrote for coconut sugar. I would recommend more drops or actually using caster sugar - I just didn't have some. It's great, I will definetely try them with frosting next time. xxx
Krinio says
I made the cupcakes according to the recipe but used my own frosting. I tried one cupcake before frosting and was in heaven. They are really really good! Moist, fruity, not too sweet but definitely sweet enough on their own. They taste and smell like strawberries and were a huge hit with everyone (including omni kids).
My frosting was born out of time pressure and need for convenience and was something like: 1 vegan strawberry yoghurt, 1 vegan cream cheese, 2-3 tbs pureed strawberries, 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted with 1tbs beetroot powder, 1tbs coconut oil (to help it firm up).
Belem says
I have never baked anything before but wanted to try this recipe. As a beginner, I found it really easy to follow and I found all ingredients at my local store. I used 7-8 drops of red food dye instead of the beetroot powder. These are the most delicious cupcakes, super fruity and soft! They taste incredible! I'll definitely be making them on a regular basis!
Anthea says
I'm so glad that you loved these cupcakes Belem! Thanks so much for your feedback x