1-Bowl Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

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Stirring a bowl of batter for Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

I have one of those super cool moms who brought in cupcakes for my class on my birthday. She always baked them in ice cream cones and she always topped them with tons of sprinkles.

Moms, birthdays, and sprinkles are the best (in that order).

Stirring sprinkles into Vegan Funfetti Cupcake batter

I’m so excited I finally got around to vegan-izing funfetti cupcakes.

Up until this point my favorite flavor of vegan cupcakes has been chocolate, so it was due time to try my hand at good old fashioned vanilla. Turns out, vanilla has my heart, especially when sprinkles are involved.

This recipe may look a little complicated, but I assure you it only requires 1 bowl and less than 1 hour!

The ingredients are basic as well. If you’re like me, you always have vegan butter and sprinkles on hand anyway. If not, you’ll probably start doing so after trying these babes.

Plates of partially frosted Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
Adding sprinkles to frosted Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

Quintessential funfetti cupcakes have sprinkles inside the cupcake as well as on top of the frosting. If I could’ve figured out another way to infuse sprinkles into these babes, I surely would’ve. I’ll report back on any such discoveries.

Plate of Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes with frosting and rainbow sprinkles

These cupcakes are seriously dreamy. They’re

Fluffy
Moist
Perfectly sweet
Vanilla infused
Loaded with sprinkles
Topped with MEGA fluffy buttercream
Super shareable
& Slightly addictive

I may or may not have sampled one pre frosting…then another post frosting…then another just to ensure I hadn’t in fact gotten a wrong assessment. Turns out, I was right all along. These cakes are amazing!

Holding up a Vegan Funfetti Cupcake from a plate

Make these for book club and birthdays and anniversaries and casual Fridays and everything in between.

You and whomever you bestow them upon will not only experience a slight sugar high, but also the pure bliss that ONLY comes from eating a cupcake loaded with icing and sprinkles. Enjoy!

Batch of our Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes recipe
Partially eaten Vegan Funfetti Cupcake

NOTE: Recipe updated 3/20/19 to address crumbly texture and flat tops. We swapped the vegan butter for oil and it worked much better. 

One Bowl Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes

1-bowl vegan funfetti cupcakes that taste JUST like the real thing! Fluffy, sweet, and loaded with vegan buttercream and sprinkles.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Holding a Vegan Funfetti Cupcake topped with frosting and rainbow sprinkles
4.54 from 393 votes
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 (cupcakes)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 3 Days

Ingredients

CUPCAKES:

  • 1 scant cup non-dairy milk (we used unsweetened plain almond milk)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (such as avocado)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 scant cup organic cane sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles* (plus more for topping)

FROSTING:

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter (SOFTENED // 1 stick yields 1/2 cup – we like Earth Balance and Miyoko's brands)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar (SIFTED)
  • 1 splash non-dairy milk (optional // almond and coconut are best!)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard muffin holder with 12 paper liners (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
  • Add non-dairy milk and vinegar or lemon juice to a large mixing bowl and let set a few minutes to curdle/activate. Then add oil and vanilla and whisk or use a hand mixer to beat vigorously to combine. Then add sugar and whisk or use a hand mixer to beat to combine/dissolve. It may splash so be careful!
  • Add dry ingredients (omitting sprinkles) to a sifter in this order: two-thirds of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and then the remaining third of the flour.
  • Sift over wet ingredients and use a whisk or hand mixer to blend until well incorporated and no large lumps remain. The texture should be somewhere between thick and thin. Not liquidy, but not scoopable (rather, pourable). Somewhere near a buttermilk pancake batter consistency. We had to add another 1-2 Tbsp flour to thicken slightly.
  • Add sprinkles and gently fold/stir with a rubber spatula or mixing spoon. Then divide batter evenly among cupcake holders making sure NOT to overfill. These do best at 3/4 of the way up.
  • Bake on a center rack for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. They will only have a very, very slight golden brown color.
  • Let cool completely on a cooling rack. In the meantime, prepare frosting (optional). Wipe clean your mixing bowl and add softened butter. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla and mix once more.
  • Add SIFTED powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Scrape down sides as needed. If it gets too thick or crumbly, add a splash non-dairy milk to thin (optional). You want this frosting to be very thick so it will hold its shape once on the cupcakes. If it gets too thin, thicken with more powdered sugar.
  • Once cooled, frost cupcakes and top with sprinkles. Serve immediately. Store leftovers covered at room temperature or refrigerated up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

*Some brands of sprinkles aren’t vegan friendly, so be sure to check!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with frosting.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 cupcake Calories: 380 Carbohydrates: 56 g Protein: 1.7 g Fat: 17.4 g Saturated Fat: 6.4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 276 mg Fiber: 0.5 g Sugar: 42.1 g

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  1. Catherine says

    Very successful! Five out of five rating from me. lovely texture, glossy tops, no sinking. Will be making this regularly. I’m not a vegan but no longer use animal products in baking as with recipes like this there’s just no need to.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Erin, A 9-inch pan should work. We aren’t sure on exact timing, but we’d suggest increasing it a little. Just watch and when it’s lightly golden brown you’ll know it’s done. Good luck!

  2. Lauren says

    Best vegan cupcake recipe. I have also tried them without sprinkles as both plain vanilla cupcakes and cake. They are the lightest, fluffiest vegan cupcake recipe I have tried.

    • Sarah says

      Yum! My daughter has an egg and milk allergy and we used ripple milk as the milk alternative. I also didn’t have baking soda and had to triple the baking powder so I was really worried they were going to turn out wonky. But they’re perfect! They’re super fluffy and spot on!

  3. Kristen says

    I’ve made this recipe twice so far, and I have to say it may be the best vegan cake recipe out there. Several people who I gave these to commented how they would not have known they were vegan if i hadn’t told them! I ended up adding a few extra tablespoons of flour in addition to the 1 1/2 cups. I also added more vanilla the second time (close to 1 1/2 tablespoons to really get that vanilla flavor that was hard to pick up on the first time), and a bit of lemon juice to the frosting which gave it a subtle lift. Oh, and the first time I missed the baking soda, and they still turned out delicious!

  4. Brooke R. says

    Just want to say I don’t use a sifter or blender, just a cheap whisk and fork and these cupcakes come out perfect every. single. time. Frosting is absolutely addictive. Thank you sooo much for this easy and delicious recipe (:

  5. Brittany says

    Mine turned out pretty good! I could definitely taste the flour tho! Is that normal for vegan cupcakes? I’m not vegan but I’m making them for a vegan friend for her Bachelorette. I put the dry ingredients in the sifter together but it in the right order so maybe I’ll add less flour and more sugar next time! I used vegetable oil as my oil and almond milk as my non dairy milk! The cupcakes were perfectly moist and the frosting was the best part!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Brittany, hmm, they shouldn’t taste floury. Less flour/more sugar might help. Or perhaps try a different oil. Let us know how it goes!

  6. Kim says

    Just made these for my son’s 4th birthday! They’re delicious!!! I reduced the sugar down to 100g in the cake part and I think it was still plenty sweet enough! Such a classic childhood dessert 🎂

  7. Paula K Nelson says

    I have made this recipe many times, exactly as written, and the cupcakes have been perfect every time. My kids loved Funfetti cake when they were young and it has been so much fun to create a vegan version for them as adults! They are a family birthday favorite. I always look for your recipes when making something new and have never been disappointed. Thanks!

  8. Marina says

    Hi all. I made these delicious cupcakes this morning. I substituted the sugar for coconut sugar and it was a success. The only problem I had is that they were a little too soft at the bottom, not sure why. Other than recipe.
    Thank you!
    M~

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing, Marina! Maybe they needed just a bit more flour? Did you make any subs to the flour type?

      • Marina says

        I totally messed up the measurements. I added 2/3 with the dry ingredients and 1/3 after. That’s what it was. They were soo good otherwise:)
        Thank you!
        M~

  9. Laura B. says

    These cupcakes turned out amazingly fluffy! I follow the recipe exactly; I only cut it in half since just wanted 12 mini cupcakes (had a little left over batter so I put it in a small ramekin and baked extra 8 minutes.) I used canola oil, regular soy milk (silk brand), and apple cider vinegar. It only took 20 minutes for the mini cupcakes to be done (I cooked them in a dark tin.) I usually buy the pre-made cake mix, but this tasted so much better, and only took a few extra minutes. Thank you so much for the recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Laura. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

      • Erin says

        I’ve made these 3x now and they are PERFECT! Going to attempt to adapt to a layer cake for my husbands birthday. He just loves this recipe!! And I love that it’s one bowl

  10. Nishi Bolakee says

    Hello, we don’t use cups in the UK, could you post the measurements in grams?

    That would be really helpful.

    Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nishi, you can find the metric measurements for our recipes by clicking “metric” beneath the ingredients header. Hope that helps!

  11. Carli says

    Hi there just wondering how these cupcakes hold up to freezing? I have a party on Saturday and won’t have time to make them before hand!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Carli, that should work, but we haven’t tried it. Just cool completely before freezing. Let us know how it goes!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Jennifer, did you modify anything about the recipe? Others have had such success with these so I’m not sure what went wrong. They should not have been extremely liquidy, but more of a pourable batter.

    • Kate says

      Third time making these now and they are always fabulous! Non vegans and vegans both love these! I switched it up this time and made them with coconut sugar which changed the taste a little but they were still super delicious. 10/10 would recommend.

  12. Alexa says

    Worked really well! Followed the recipe as written. Used Miyoko cultured butter for the frosting. They look great and taste pretty good!

  13. Shekinah says

    I have made this recipe serval times and love it! I used sunflower oil as my oil of choice. If I want to use this exact recipe and change it to a chocolate cupcake what changes would I need to make? Would adding 1/4 cup of cacao powder work? Any suggestions. I would love to stick to this recipe because I love the outcome for vanilla cupcakes.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Shekinah, we haven’t tried that, so we’re not certain. But maybe reducing the flour and subbing cacao powder in its place. 1/4 cup would probably not be very chocolatey- maybe 1/3-1/2 cup? Let us know if you try it!

  14. Carly says

    These turned out amazing! I didn’t have any avocado oil so I used 1/2 cup of melted vegan butter and the cake turned out great (not crumbly!). I used the Earth Balance brand for the butter for both the icing and the cake. I also cooked down some frozen red sour cherries and used the juice as the liquid in the icing to give it some colour and it turned out a lovely pink colour. I don’t have a hand mixer so had to mix everything by hand and it still turned out great.

  15. Chloe says

    I think to add more sprinkles to this you could make a whole in the center and put sprinkles in it so that it is like a pinata cupcake.

  16. Eryn says

    Amazing! I made these for my friend’s birthday, and I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great. I struggled with overfilling the cupcake tins, but once I got that under control everything was great. This is one of the few baking/cupcake/cookie recipes I’ve made that actually made the amount it said would, exactly.

  17. Holly says

    Where do u get ur sprinkles from/ any recommendations – I am not strict vegan so any help would be great

  18. Maggie says

    These were so fun and delicious. I made them into mini cup cakes, the standard batter made about 26-30 minis, depending on how full you fill the cups. I used grape seed oil and found I needed a little less than the recipe calls for, maybe minus 1 tablespoon. Also added one extra tablespoon of flour and baked for 18 minutes in a silicone mould. Absolutely delicious. Kids and adults loved them.

  19. berta arzate says

    Just made these. I’ve never had a problem with one of your recipes but the cupcakes came out as though they did not have enough flour. I used a full 1-5 cups with the additional 2 tbsp but they still taste a bit off. The frosting is amazing!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Berta, sorry to hear that! Did it look like a pourable cake batter? What type of dairy-free milk and oil did you use?

  20. Katiecaper says

    One question: if you want baking soda added before baking powder how come you list it after? We were able to make a quick rescue scoop removal.
    Also miyoko’s has an “i” after the “m”.
    We baked this recipe as an 8” springform cake. 35 min exactly came out perfect. Now for frosting and eating.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing! We’ve corrected the Miyokos spelling. For the baking soda and powder, you can add them in either order. But we’ve corrected it for clarity sake. Thanks!

  21. Kay says

    Hi, these look amazing! What brand of sprinkles did you use? I’ve tried to bake with Sprinkles before and they never keep the colour once baked – they turn yellow. i used supermarket own brand sprinkles. Would love to try this soon!

  22. Hannah says

    This recipe is AMAZING! By far the best vegan vanilla cupcakes I’ve ever made. Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great.

  23. Ivana says

    Bit of a question mark when avo oil was recommended based on past uses (only have Primal Avocado oil available), but went with it anyway. It was a mistake. The taste of oil was overwhelming. Someone before mentioned using earth balance vegan butter instead, and I think that might work better – we’ve had that and the taste is very much like butter. Added chocolate chips to the batter in an effort offset the avocado oil taste. Will be making coconut whipped cream to top, again in an effort to offset the strong taste of the oil. I was going to make the frosting with Miyokos butter as recommended in the recipe – but there’s a strong tang to the butter which I think would be ok for cooking, but not baking. We’ll see how it goes….

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that was your experience, Ivana! We find avocado oil to have a very mild flavor, but perhaps it varies by brand? We typically use Chosen Foods brand. Vegan butter is also an option.

  24. Maria K says

    Love them they taste AMAZING. However I tried to bake this as a cake and discovered that it is very crumbly and almost falls apart when trying to take it out of the tin, decorate and whilst serving. What could I do to stop this from happening ?

  25. Leigh C Lawrence says

    The cupcakes are delicious. I am interested in using this recipe for a cake–what would be the measurements?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Leigh, we haven’t tried it, so we’re not certain. But perhaps a 9 inch cake pan?

      • Alexandra says

        Fantastic! I had some leftover buttercream from another recipe and just wanted a small cake. I cut the recipe in half and used a 6″ pan. It had to bake a little longer, but came out with the most perfect texture! A little sweet for me, but it’s a special-occasion thing and the rest of my (non-vegan) family loves it.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Yay! We’re so glad it turned out well, Alexandra! Thanks so much for sharing!

  26. Karina says

    Hey! If I would like to make this as a cake for my daughter’s birthday, any suggestion on the change in ingredient quantities?
    Thank you!!

      • Karina says

        Thanks for the help!! I did it and made a 3 layer cake. I used the quantities for the cupcake recipe and would fill one medium sized cake pan, I did have to increase the time in the oven by several minutes, but I would just keep checking on it.

        Needless to say it worked and everyone loved the cake!! Even the non- dairy free folks.

        Thanks again:)

  27. michelle says

    I’ve made these cupcakes 3 or 4 times now and they are delicious! made some for a work baby shower recently and noone even knew they were vegan. The cupcakes are moist, decadent and very addictive. always eaten in a day or two .. whoops :) one of my favourite desserts on this website.

  28. Bella says

    I tried making these a little differently. Here is what I did. I used the earth balance vegan butter instead of avocado oil (old recipe). Then I used half regular flour and half King Arthur gluten free flour. I used xylitol instead of sugar (1 for 1 swap). I kept everything else the same. They taste just like the original, except a little less sugary. I also noticed that they came out of the cupcake liners a lot easier.

    As for the frosting. I subbed the sugar with confectioners swerve. It almost has a strawberry aftertaste. But still good.

  29. Katie says

    I love your blog and get a lot of recipes from here for my daughter with allergies to dairy & eggs. Thank you! I made these for my son’s 1st birthday and they totally flopped! Literally! The tops didn’t rise and stuck to the pan and they crumbled and fell apart. Any ideas on what happened? I used vegetable oil and followed the recipe as written. I added a bit of flour at the end to make the batter a little thicker.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Katie, so strange! Sorry to hear that happened. Was your baking powder fresh? Are you baking at elevation?

      • Katie says

        Hi – thanks for the response. Fresh baking powder (I just panic bought a huge one online) and we are at 670′ elevation.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hmm! We’d suggest using parchment liners to prevent sticking. Our only other guess on the crumbly texture is the vegetable oil? We’ve only tried this one with avocado oil.

    • Beatrice says

      I had the same thing happen the first batch I made, and I also used vegetable oil. The problem I had was that I never added the remaining 1/3 of flour, I skipped over that part accidentally, and I thought the 1/3 cup was for thickening if needed. Perhaps you did the same thing?

      • Jackie says

        What kind of dairy free milk should I use? If I use almond milk should I do sweetened or unsweetened? Can I use soy milk?

  30. BeeH says

    I made these cupcakes for my sister’s birthday last weekend.. They were peeeeerfect!!! delicious, fluffy and tasty. I get extremely happy when I get a recipe and is a success, why?. I’m not a good baker. I’m, if I may say so myself, a very good cook, baker? Nope. I have made your recipes before and never, never failed. Your “best dammed Vegan biscuits”. your “Orange cranberry scones”. Your”One Bowl Chocolate cake” and many of your Vegan recipes. I followed the recipe to the tee, they were not oily, you were right the batter was pourable and baking time was on point. The only change I made was I did not put 1/3 of a cup of sprinkles. I put 1/6 of a cup, after I decorated them they look exactly as your pictures.
    I’ve been à Vegan for 18 years and always looking for Vegan baking easy recipes.. You have always been the answer to my prayers.. I’ve tried other bakers’ recipes but failed … Thank you so much!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo

      • BeeH says

        Correction, your scones are the “Coconut Oil Blueberry” the ones I mentioned are from other website…sorry

  31. Ekaterina says

    They are great ! I made them without sprinkles, but with lemon zest. The best vegan cupcakes I’ve had, fluffy and moist !

      • Ekaterina says

        I`d say one more time: the are literally THE BEST. This time i made them with vanilla soy milk, vanilla sugar and sprinkled with brown sugar mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg. Next time I`ll try to sub 1 tbsp of flour for 1 tbsp of cocoa and add some berries. I make them as muffins, without any frosting. By the way, I use EVOO and it`s ok.

  32. Desiree Wilson says

    Hi,

    Made these cupcakes with coconut sugar and cassava flour, and they came out oily. Usually, I use a little less cassava, but I kept adding more this time. My son wanted blueberries, so I added those too The consistency still seemed right, but they were still oily. It’s probably something I did, so I don’t want to rank these low. Maybe less oil next time?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Desiree, we haven’t tried making these gluten-free, so we aren’t sure what to recommend! You could try reducing the oil next time, perhaps? Let us know how it goes!

  33. Amber says

    I tried making this with gluten free flour mix but it didn’t work out. The batter was super thick so I added more milk. However, the cupcake was baking really weird. Crispy at the top and still raw in the middle. I guess I had to use regular flour.

  34. Debbie Gall says

    Wow! These cupcakes were super delicious! I felt like eating some cupcakes one night and these certainly hit the spot! My husband didn’t even realize they were vegan! The frosting was also rich and creamy! Its hard to find moist vegan cupcakes but these are a winner!

  35. Moe says

    I’m normally very pleased (and impressed!) with MB recipes, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. They were intended to be a birthday treat, but were a bit too oily, and a bit too sweet for my taste. Something about the icing ratio resulted in very firm, difficult to spread icing that wouldn’t ‘accept’ the sprinkles on top. Oh well!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Moe, sorry to hear that! What type of oil and vegan butter did you use? We’d say these definitely are one of our sweeter recipes.

  36. Riley says

    Loved this Recipe my cousin has really bad allergies and this recipe allowed him to try his first cupcake.

  37. Liomarys says

    Perfect!!!! I followed the directions exactly kid approved!!! My first began cupcakes! No one could tell they were vegan.

  38. Molly says

    These turned out fabulous! I swapped in applesauce instead of the oil and reduced the sugar by a 1/3 and they turned out great- good consistency, very moist, good rise.

  39. Jemma says

    These cupcakes are my absolute go to. I have made them for birthdays many times since published with Coconut oil and brown sugar and they have turned out perfectly each time!
    I usually only make 1/2 the quantity of frosting and find that it’s plenty for the 12 cupcakes.

  40. Tiffany says

    I made these cupcakes for my gender reveal! Followed the recipe without modifications.

    Cupcakes: my batter was a bit too watery even after adding a little more flour, as recommended. I was hesitant to keep adding, so I went ahead and let it bake. The tops spilled over the sides but spread and were flat rather than forming nice peaks. The cupcakes also seemed too oily – I might try reducing the oil if I made this again. The taste was really good, and the tops were a bit crispy which was also good but unintentional.

    Frosting: I followed the recipe, but then the frosting became too thick and clumpy. I added a bit of almond milk, and then it seemed to slide too much. I wasn’t sure if it would stay on the cupcakes. The end result of trying to change the consistency resulted in a frosting that was very difficult to spread on the cupcakes, which wanted to fall apart under the pressure of application.

    The cupcakes tasted good and worked perfectly for my gender reveal. I left the frosting on top uncolored and the colored portion was hidden in the middle of the cupcakes. Cons: too oily; frosting was difficult to work with. Luckily, the sprinkles on top helped to disguise my unattractive frosting AND the reveal was virtual.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Tiffany, sorry to hear you had some issues with these! A couple suggestions if you try them again- we’d say add even more flour (see photo for reference on batter consistency). For the frosting, we’d suggest trying Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Miyokos. Hope that helps!

  41. Annejet says

    Hi! I made these cupcakes, they’re delicious and the texture is great, only they have this ”egg-like” aftertaste. Do you know how I can fix this by maybe swapping an ingredient?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm! We’re not sure what would cause that- is it possible one of your ingredients (such as the non-dairy milk) wasn’t fresh?

  42. Melissa says

    I made these as written for 12 cupcakes and they were delicious! I want to make them for my daughters first birthday this Saturday as a two layer cake (Using two 8 inch round pans). Do you think that would work if I double the recipe? Any thoughts on adjusting the baking time? Thank you! Love all your recipes!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Melissa, we haven’t tried making this recipe as a cake, but it might work! We’d recommend scanning the comments as it looks like other readers have tried it. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.

  43. Mark says

    Has the recipe changed? Made this many times a few months ago but I don’t recall vinegar. Made it again today and it came out deflated and tasting weird. I don’t recall using vinegar a few months back

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Mark, sorry to hear that was your experience! The vinegar has always been there. We did update the recipe 3/20/19 to address crumbly texture and flat tops- we swapped the vegan butter for oil and it worked much better. What type of oil did you use?

  44. Christine says

    I just made these cupcakes following the recipe, but with gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour instead of regular flour.

    They turned out perfectly fluffy and delicious! I baked for 21 minutes.

    I followed a few steps very carefully that I think helped these turn out so well. First, I made sure to fully sift the dry ingredients in the order written. I also needed to add an additional .5t lemon juice and ~3T almond milk to get the consistency written in the recipe. (I think this is because the GF flour, although it is supposed to be 1:1, significantly thickens my recipes.)

    It is my friend’s birthday tomorrow and I can’t wait to drop these off at his place for a surprise. He is going to love them. Thank you for the recipe!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Such a kind birthday surprise! We’re so glad they turned out well. Thanks for sharing, Christine!

    • L says

      I made them exactly as the recipe instructs and they fell apart. Total waste, unfortunately. They taste ok though.

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Oh no! So sorry to hear that! Did you make any modifications? What type of oil did you use?

  45. MJ says

    Disappointed. Not what i was aiming for.

    Texture/flavor: Texture and flavor wise… dense and heavy. More like cornbread than cupcakes. (Cupcakes being brighter, lighter, spongier, taller.)

    Appearance: Each dimpled/fell-in in the middle. A few of them even bubbled over the sides of cupcake molds. Was making them for someone but I can’t seem to present these as birthday cupcakes. :-/

    Modifications: I used *refined* coconut oil (melted) in lieu of avocado oil. I omitted sprinkles because I was aiming for simple vanilla cupcakes.

    On a positive note, all is *not* lost. They remind me of cornbread and I truly enjoy cornbread. I’ve already eaten two while composing this feedback post! :-)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi MJ, so sorry to hear these didn’t turn out as expected! We haven’t tried them with coconut oil and wonder if that might have made a difference?

  46. Bee says

    Hello I am wondering what the measurements would be for the frosting if I just want to make some flowers around a 6” carrot cake. I don’t want to use the sugary frosting for the whole cake (going to use your cashew frosting recipe for the whole cake) I just want the flowers to be sweeter. I doNt really bake So that’s why I have no idea how to adjust the recipe. Thanks so much.

  47. Elizabeth says

    I made these and went off of some of the comments here so wanted to share how it went!

    I used melted butter instead of the oil. I tried to fill liners 3/4 full as instructed, but think I should have done even less. They rise A LOT!

    The batter was perfect–tasted just like a “regular” funfetti cake. The cake and frosting tasted delicious as well. I did experience the crumbly top as others mentioned. It was worse on those that were too full and made it harder to ice the cupcakes. I opted to pipe the frosting and that worked great.

    I also had issues with the cupcake liners, not sure if it’s the liners I used, but mine split with the cupcake almost eating them.

    Overall they were still delicious but I did have some hiccups along the way. Appreciate the great recipes MB as always!

  48. Adrienne says

    These look delicious! I’m making them on Sunday when my muffin pan arrives. Can I use unsweetened apple sauce instead of oil?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Adrienne, we haven’t tried that and aren’t sure it would work. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  49. Rachel says

    I had made a cake using this recipe and decided to try them as cupcakes this time. They turned out perfect! I only had to bake for 19 minutes. The non dairy milk I used was almond. Type of oil was canola. Unfortunately, I didn’t have organic cane sugar, so I had to use regular. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!!

  50. Jessica says

    Made this today and they came out perfect! I omitted sprinkles and used Oatmilk. They are perfectly moist and easy to make! I found 23 minutes to be the perfect mark on baking.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jessica. We are so glad they turned out well! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  51. Rachel says

    I will be using this recipe from now on! Instead of making cupcakes, I used an 8 inch round cake pan and baked for around 35 minutes. Next time, I will try the 9 inch because I think it was a bit full for the 8. It did collapse a bit in the center and just a bit crumbly but flavor made up for that!! Plus, it’s the most moist funfetti cake I’ve ever had!

  52. Abby says

    We made these cupcakes with gluten free flour and it was the worst nightmare. It rise and spilled all over in the oven leaving a mess.

  53. Pamela Yeo says

    Hallo! Excited to try this recipe out for my husband who is a vegan. Just had a few questions about substitutions for some of the ingredients.

    For the cupcake, is it possible to substitute xylintol or brown sugar or another sugar alternative for organic cane sugar? would the measurement still be the same?
    Also, would I be able to substitute the all-purpose flour for another type of flour?

    With the frosting, you mentioned using vegan butter, I have buttery spread (Nuttelex Buttery), would that work too?
    Also, I do not have powdered sugar, would I be able to use something else to replace this ingredient? or perhaps use your cashew buttercream frosting recipe (https://minimalistbaker.com/cashew-buttercream-frosting/) for the cupcakes instead?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Pamela, brown sugar should work, but the cupcakes will be a slightly darker color. We aren’t sure of a sub for the all purpose and aren’t familiar with that buttery spread, but it might work. The cashew buttercream would work! Let us know how it goes!

  54. MaryBeth says

    We love these cupcakes and were wondering if the same recipe could be used to make a cake. Please let us know!

    Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi MaryBeth, we haven’t tried it, but maybe! We’d recommend searching the comments to see what other readers have tried.

  55. Alli says

    Thanks for this awesome recipe! My toddler is allergic to eggs, but my preschooler loves cupcakes and sprinkles. We’ve made this several times now as written except with lf whole milk. They are beautiful and delicious.

  56. Shelby says

    My roommate and I just made these cupcakes and it was a bit of a disaster; they were collapsed on the top and pretty crumbly. They taste great and we are going to turn them into cake pops, but we were hoping you might have some ideas on how to fix it for when we make them again. We are cooking at altitude (Denver, CO) and we had to use a little bit of olive oil (less than 1/4 cup) In addition to canola oil because we didn’t have enough canola oil. Do you have any ideas? Thanks so much! ?

    • Shelby says

      Oh, never mind, they’re not crumbly; we ran out of cupcake liners and the cupcakes just got stuck to the pan so it was crumbly because of that. The middle is totally fine! And delicious ?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Shelby, sorry to hear that happened! Others at altitude seem to have a similar issue. Unfortunately, we haven’t baked at altitude and aren’t sure what changes to make. If you figure anything out, we would love to hear!

  57. Chili says

    Do you think there is any other oil i could use before avocado oil? such as olive, coconut, or canola oil?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Any should work! Just know that olive oil has a stronger flavor, especially if using extra virgin. Let us know how it goes!

  58. betsy says

    I’m hoping to make a gluten free version of this recipe and making it into a layer cake — if I doubled the measurements should it work okay? If so, what size cake rounds would you suggest?

    I’m planning on using the Bob’s Red Mill GF 1-to-1 Baking Flour since its worked seamlessly in other recipes before.

    Also thanks for making such amazing recipes! Can always rely on having great success with any one of these recipes.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Betsy, we haven’t experimented with making these gluten-free or making it into a cake. Just know that gluten-free flours tend to be less absorbent so you may need additional flour. Perhaps two 9×9 pans? Let us know how the experimenting goes!

    • Jojo says

      So I followed this recipe (using coconut oil instead of avocado, and Flora original for the butter …

      My cupcakes turned out super crispy on the outside.. I’m not sure Why 🤷🏼‍♀️

      They still taste great.. just wish they were fluffy.. any tips?

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Jojo, we think maybe it was the coconut oil. You could try cooking them at a slightly lower temperature for longer next time to see if that helps.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Taylar, we haven’t tried it, but it might work. Olive oil has a stronger flavor though, especially if using extra virgin. Light olive oil would work best. Let us know if you try it!

  59. Caitlin says

    I made these for my soon to be 6 year old’s birthday party because he really wanted funfetti, but I have a dairy allergy. They are phenomenal. The frosting is also delicious, and, if you have some left over and happen to have some of the MB peanut butter chocolate chip cookies lying around, you can make some wickedly delicious chipwhiches. :)

  60. Meredith says

    The most deliciously wonderful vegan dessert I have made yet. You just made kids birthday parties that much easier for my family. THANK YOU!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that, Ciara! Are you baking at altitude? If not, we wonder if maybe they needed additional flour?

  61. Rebecca says

    Just made this for some quarantine baking with my sister-in-law (she’s vegan.) This recipe is super easy to make, and I was pleasantly surprised with how the batter rose into fluffy, yummy cakes. The only modification I would suggest is more sugar and/or vanilla. These aren’t very sweet with the current amounts of sugar and vanilla.

  62. Hoku says

    I omitted the sprinkles and had to make it in a small round cake pan. The batter came out a tiny bit runny so I added a tablespoon more of flour as per instructions. It tastes great. I didn’t even put frosting on it. The only thing I am curious about is there is a little bit of an aftertaste. I’m not sure if I didn’t sift the baking soda/ powder well enough or what. It also had the consistency of a cookie or something more dense on the inside and crumbled easily. All of this could have easily been my fault with the pan I used or not sifting properly. I really enjoyed the level of sweetness this has though. It’s very mellow. The flavor is on point and I will definitely make this again but using a muffin pan next time. Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Hoku, is it possible you swapped the baking soda and baking powder amounts? Baking powder should have a more mild flavor. Let us know how it goes in the muffin pan!

    • Jason says

      I agree, I made these for Easter and found the same to be true from guest comments. I’d like to also get them sweeter and tasting more like an old-fashioned yellow cake. Did you try or any recommended modifications to enhance the sweetness?

    • Shannon says

      Just made these and they were a total fail, not sure what we did wrong. Bummed bc they were to be an Easter surprise for friends. They collapsed, and are a liquidity sticky mess. I just spent 30 minutes trying to salvage my muffin pan?

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Oh no! So sorry to hear that, Shannon! Did you make any modifications? It sounds like they needed additional flour.

  63. Bridget says

    This recipe is delicious! I made it today for my grandmother’s birthday and everyone loved them. They’re airy, moist, and super sweet. I’ll definitely make them again for another celebration!

  64. Amanda says

    “Recipe updated 3/20/19 to address crumbly texture and flat tops. We swapped the vegan butter for oil and it worked much better.”

    I had to go back through the archives on a separate archival website to find the one with the vegan butter, as the updated recipe did not taste anywhere near the same to me. That said, I used real butter and dairy milk when I first made mine, as I didn’t have the vegan subs handy. Everyone raved about it so I stuck with the dairy.

    • Remi says

      Where did you find the vegan butter recipe? I am wondering for measurements with the vegan butter in the cake vs. the oil.

      • Amanda says

        https://minimalistbaker.com/one-bowl-vegan-funfetti-cupcakes

        Try this. :-)

        Failing that, recipe was:

        1 cup non-dairy milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
        1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), softened
        scant 1 cup granulated sugar
        1 tsp pure vanilla extract
        1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
        1 1/2 tsp baking powder
        1/2 tsp baking soda
        1/4 tsp salt
        1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles* + more for topping

        • Naomi says

          Mine completely went wrong! They are brownish and don’t look at all like the ones in the pictures (and for sure don’t taste like them). I used oat milk, cane sugar and as an oil I have used rapeseed oil. My batter was brownish and much thinner as the batter of the pictures. What can I change next time when I retry them? I was soooo looking forward to them, and now I am so dissapointed… Especially because everyone was so succesfull in making them!

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Hmm! We aren’t quite sure what would cause the discoloration? We wonder if maybe the oil was rancid? Did you make any modifications?

          • Naomi says

            The oil was oganic, cold pressed. They didn’t had avocado oil, so I thought this was the most neutral option. But I will definately try them again, because they look soooo good! Any suggestions for other oil? Or should I try vegan butter?

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            We’ve had better luck with avocado oil than vegan butter, but it should work! Let us know how it goes!

      • Kelsey Ledbetter says

        Hi, what type of oil do you recommend to substitute the vegan butter for less crumbly cupcakes? Any other modifications your recommend for baking at high altitude? (Boulder, CO). Thanks!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Kelsey, Avocado oil or melted coconut oil should work. Unfortunately, we haven’t baked at altitude and aren’t sure what changes to make. If you figure anything out, we would love to hear!

  65. Tiffany says

    Where can you buy vegan sprinkles? This is my first time making anything vegan, so any pointers would be great too. LOL

  66. Julie says

    This has become the go-to birthday cupcake recipe in our house! I was wondering if the recipe converts as-is to 9″ round cake pans? Would the amount of batter divide properly into two pans? I’m also assuming I’d need to adjust baking time but wasn’t sure if there were any other adjustments I’d need to take into account.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Julie, depending on how thick you want the cakes, you may need to double the recipe. And yes, we’d say same temperature, but bake a little longer. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  67. sbd says

    These cupcakes are absolutely amazing! I don’t even make the frosting! My family loves them so much we eat them without!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Cherise, we used unsweetened plain almond milk. But coconut milk should work. It will likely be more rich. We haven’t experimented with milk powder, but let us know if you try it!

      • Cherise Munnich says

        Hey guys. Some feedback………..I made the cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party today, and added powdered milk. They tasted delicious. The vegetarian mom really appreciated that I made them vegan. She didn’t mind about powdered milk. After I told her there were no eggs added, she encouraged her daughter to go & get a cupcake for herself. Thank you so much!!!!!!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          Thanks for sharing, Cherise! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo

  68. Caitlin says

    My daughter has a friend who is vegan, and I made these for my daughter’s 5th birthday so her friend could join in the cupcake fun. I substituted the cane sugar with coconut palm sugar since I also have a step-mom who can’t eat refined white sugar, and I substituted the all purpose flour with gluten free flour because I can’t have gluten. We’re a bundle of allergies and sensitivities here. They were amazing. Soooooo good. The substitutions didn’t seem to harm the cupcakes at all, though they were darker in color because of the darker coconut palm sugar. But still sooo tasty. I’m making them again for my son’s birthday tomorrow.

    I’m giving them 5 stars because they were delicious, even with my substitutions!

  69. Samantha Siman says

    These came out so great! My family didn’t know they were vegan until I told them. I used vegan butter instead of the oil after reading comments about it having a bad aftertaste. The vegan butter (Earth Balance sticks) worked really, really well.

    For me, they were a touch stickier than regular cupcakes. So, when doing the cupcake sandwich to eat them (you know, ripping off the bottom and putting it on the top of the icing like a bun), it stuck to my fingers a bit. The texture was still really good though.

    For the icing, I felt like I definitely couldn’t use the amount of powdered sugar recommended—even with a little almond milk to thin it. Maybe that was just a fluke though?

    I overfilled just slightly on a couple and I just picked the the “overhang”/muffin top off and hid it with the icing. The part I picked off tasted a lot like a sugar cookie, actually. So. Frickin’. Good.

    But seriously. These are were really good and I’ll absolutely make them again.

  70. Q says

    A lovely, light, delicate cake! Funfetti is my girlfriend’s favorite cake. I just used this recipe to make her mini cupcakes to boost her spirits before she takes the bar exam on Tuesday, and they turned out great. They’re still cooling, but I’ve already snuck a couple while I wait to frost them. They’re so tasty. Thank you for developing and sharing!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      So kind! Thanks so much for the lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  71. Sam says

    I made these for my birthday as I wanted homemade cupcakes but my hubby does not bake. First of a all, Ed recipe says to make the milk and vinegar off to the side but never explicitly says when to put it in so I would recommend making it obvious for those of us who really need our hands held. I also would like to know if sifting is after you measure the amount (I assumed so but would have been nice not to guess).

    I liked the icing but the cake part was bland and had a weird taste. I subbed vegan margarine for oil but still the cake taste was not sweet at all.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sam, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as expected! In step 2, we recommend making the milk/vinegar mixture in a large mixing bowl and then adding everything else to that bowl. This keeps it a 1 bowl recipe. The amount of flour before/after sifting should be very similar. Feel free to add additional sweetener next time to taste! Hope that helps!

  72. Lauren J. says

    I had one of THOSE days and needed to make cupcakes as soon as I got home. The first recipe I made turned out terrible—greasy and had a strong baking soda flavor. I was so disappointed, but decided I might as well give it another go with your recipe. These cupcakes turned out delicious! They satisfied my sweet tooth without being overly sweet.
    I made one modification, I used the reverse creaming method and vegetable shortening. I live at a high elevation (over 5,000 ft.) and I find that the reverse creaming method prevents cakes and cupcakes from sinking in the middle.
    Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

    • Danica says

      Hey Lauren! I’m new to vegan baking and live at high elevation and am curious what the reverse creaming method entails. I understand the process when using eggs and butter but am unsure about how it works when you are using a recipe like this. Thanks! Danica

  73. Ronda says

    I have found that if using GF flour, you should never pack it into the measuring cup. If it is scooped out or poured into the measuring cup, the recipe has the right amount of flour. If it is packed and shifted or not, it will come out too dense and the middles will not cook. I hope this helps some of your readers. I have had good success with Pillsbury GF flour. It is one to one ratio substitution.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nina, we aren’t sure that will work as oat flour is more dense. We would suggest trying a gluten-free all purpose blend for gluten-free.

  74. Brooke says

    I often use applesauce in the place of butter/oils…do you think that would work here? If not then would olive oil be okay instead of avacado? If not i’ll just use vegan butter like some of the others mention because I do have lots of that on hand!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Brooke, a couple readers mentioned replacing half of the butter with applesauce and had success. Let us know if you try it!

  75. Liz says

    Unfortunately these didn’t turn out well for me. The sprinkles dissolved as soon as they were added to the cake mix so there was no colourful effect to the bake – is there a certain brand that should be used? Also the cakes had a crackly/crumbly top. Tasted ok though, I think I’d use the batter mix again without the sprinkles.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Strange. Which brand did you use? There’s so many better brands now since we’ve shared this recipe years ago, including SuperNatural.

  76. Rose T. says

    My daughter went vegan at 16, she will be 20 this weekend. So this will be the fourth time! I do not change anything in the recipe. She looks forward to these every year!

  77. Lauren says

    This is the best vanilla cupcake recipe ever, seriously. I made it when you first published it and I have experimented with other recipes over the years (non-vegan as well) and nothing compares to the flavor and depth of this vanilla cupcake recipe. S

    Since you published this, has anybody said that it works well as a cake? if so, what size pan? I am in a birthday cake dilemma and I am about to throw everything out and buy a box cake instead. Please help!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lauren, to see what others have done, you can press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac and a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words (such as “pan”) in the post and comments. Hope that helps! Let us know how it turns out!

  78. Lisa says

    So I made this for a friend’s birthday party last night. I subbed melted vegan butter for the oil, brown sugar for the cane sugar and lemon instead of apple cider vinegar. They were super moist and delicious! First time ever making cupcakes ?❤️

  79. Jessie says

    Hey! I used to make this a lot with the vegan butter instead of oil and I’m making this today for my friends birthday. I already went to shoprite and got the butter not the oil! What were the measurements for the vegan butter in the cake before it was updated? Not sure if it was 1 stick of earth balance or 2….

  80. Lindsay S. says

    Made these today and they are fun & festive! That said, if I was trying to wow someone with how amazing vegan desserts can be, I’d probably choose another MB recipe. I followed the cupcake recipe exactly – though I would highly suggest Not using Avocado oil (in the future I’ll sub melted coconut oil as suggested – perhaps you could update the recipe as written to suggest coco or other ‘neutral’ oils?) because the avo oil leaves a distinct aftertaste in my opinion which overpowers the vanilla flavor.

    For frosting, I don’t like things super sweet so I made my own simple frosting with tahini, Forager cashew yogurt, vanilla & maple – and it’s perfect!

  81. Melissa says

    Hi there,

    I was wondering if I could pre make these and freeze them not frosted so that it can save time to prep for my daughters birthday party?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Melissa, that should work, but we haven’t tried it. Just cool completely before freezing. Let us know how it goes!

  82. Katie says

    Finally a friendly cupcake! I am going to try this and will let you know how it turns out. Would I be able to substitute Apple Cider Vinegar ?

    Thanks!

    Katie