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Vegan Lemon Cupcakes

Moist, fluffy, and made in a bowl, these vegan lemon cupcakes are the perfect weekend dessert! They are also gluten-free and feature a dairy-free creamy lemon buttercream frosting.

 

INGREDIENTS

Wet:

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1-2 tbsp lemon zest
  • ¾ cup granulated cane sugar
  • ⅓ cup oil (vegetable or avocado)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Dry:

  • ¾ cup blanched almond flour (not meal)
  • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour gluten free (regular will work too!)
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt

Lemon Buttercream:

  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) dairy free butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1-2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk

 

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a muffin/cupcake tin with liners and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients.

Whisk in all dry ingredients, sifting the almond flour if it seems a little lumpy. Be sure to spoon and level the flours.

Whisk together just until combined. Taste and make sure the lemon flavor is strong enough for you. Keep in mind the buttercream will also add lots of flavor!

Fill each cupcake tin about ¾ of the way up.

Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. They take 18 minutes in my oven, but all ovens are different.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the tray for about 10-15 minutes, then careful remove and let cool on a cooling rack. They'll still be delicate when they're warm, so I like to tip the cupcake tin on its side slightly and carefully pull them out by twisting gently so I don't leave any indents with my fingers. 

For the Buttercream:

Add the room temperature butter to large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy.

Beat in the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. You will need about 3 cups of sugar, but more or less depending on how thick you like it.

Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice and milk.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Top them off with fresh lemon zest and enjoy! 

NOTES

The buttercream will make enough for one layer of frosting on each cupcake, but not enough to pipe each cupcake. If you want more frosting, I suggest doubling the recipe.

I do not recommend subbing the almond flour for any other flours.

Keep enjoying healthy options and see our meal plans here! Eat Clean, Live Lean, Clean Meals Miami.