To most people, the idea of veganism seems like it would be incompatible with delicious desserts, but that’s not the case at all!
Some of the best desserts are vegan and made from whole foods like fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
Here are ten of the best whole foods vegan cupcakes you can find in almost any city across the United States.
10 Best Whole Foods Vegan Cupcakes
1) Coconut Chocolate Cupcake
This rich, dense chocolate cupcake is topped with a smooth dark chocolate ganache that’s so luscious you might want to just eat it by itself.
Because each serving is only 240 calories, you can enjoy more than one! Top off your treat with some roasted coconut flakes for a real tropical feel. (Via The Oh She Glows Cookbook)
In addition to being incredibly tasty and packed with nutrients, these moist, flavourful cupcakes are also dairy-free and egg-free.
That means they’re suitable for vegans or anyone who’s lactose intolerant or allergic to eggs. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another recipe that’s both vegan and gluten-free, but these little treats deliver on both counts!
The key ingredient here is aquafaba: an ingenious substitution made from bean liquid (in this case chickpeas).
While aquafaba lacks most of the protein found in egg whites, it has similar leavening properties when whipped up properly—meaning these cupcakes rise nice and fluffy while keeping their shape.
2) Classic Vanilla Cupcake
Nothing says traditional baking quite like a good old cupcake. It’s hard to beat a vanilla cupcake, and it’ll never fail you.
For an easy vegan cupcake that tastes great, try using Silk’s Vanilla Soymilk in place of heavy cream. Not only is soy protein-rich, but its low calories mean you can have just one cupcake—not three!
3) Pumpkin Spice Latte
Organic coffee, organic brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree combine for a pumpkin pie-in-cupcake.
This is an easily veganized recipe with just two ingredients: Pumpkin Spice Latte K cups and Earth Balance Margarine.
Make sure to select plain pumpkin spice coffee and regular (vegan) butter—anything with cream or milk will not be vegan.
To bake: These cupcakes were made with Bette Hagman’s Recipes, who also has many other great recipes on her website that are easy to adapt.
The whole recipe is on her site along with a video of how to frost these cupcakes properly—her suggestion is to place one large dollop of frosting in between layers, then spread some around the edges for decorative purposes.
4) Apple Pie Cheesecake
This treat comes with a healthy dose of fiber and protein, not to mention a whopping 400 milligrams of calcium.
That’s important because calcium is needed for bone health, muscle contraction, and nerve signaling.
Add some walnuts or pecans to your diet by topping these cupcakes with a few nuts after baking. No need to wait until you’re done baking — they’re so good, you can’t resist!
A serving has more than 20 percent of your daily iron requirement, too. Iron helps deliver oxygen to cells all over your body, including those working hard in your brain and muscles. They have only 4 grams of sugar and 160 calories per serving.
5) Lemon Buttermilk
This vegan cupcake recipe is light and lemony, with a bit of tang from fresh lemon juice. The buttermilk in these vegan cupcakes makes them moist and keeps them that way.
Topped with a fluffy lemon buttercream frosting, they’re just as delicious as traditional cake—without any dairy.
It’s one of our top 10 best whole foods vegan cupcakes! And we have plenty more where that came from.
6) Lavender Vanilla
Lavender, vanilla, and almond make for a wonderful combination in these moist and delicious cupcakes.
The flavor combinations are not overly flowery or too sweet; these are truly satisfying treats that work great with a cold glass of soy milk on warm summer nights.
These cupcakes are part of an easy-baked goods recipe collection developed by chef Mark Reinfeld. He is known for creating healthy recipes without sacrificing taste or nutritional value, and his baked goods recipes collection includes everything from whole foods cookies to muffins.
These vegan cupcake recipes are highly recommended if you want to switch things up with your baked goods!
7) Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
Though you could buy a vegan cake mix to whip up something similar, it’s much healthier (and tastier) to bake from scratch.
You’ll have more control over what goes into your treatment, and with these ingredients—like whole wheat pastry flour, Greek yogurt, and coconut oil—you’re doing your body a favor by swapping in wholesome ingredients for additives like white flour and sugar.
And even though you’re going dairy-free here, you won’t miss it. Not when there are so many yummy options for non-dairy milk (almond milk is my personal favorite).
But if vanilla is your thing, feel free to swap out plain non-dairy milk for that instead.
8) Blueberry Lemonade
This blueberry lemonade vegan cupcake recipe is light and bright, a perfect way to enjoy both of these summertime flavors.
If you’re making these for a party, you can bake them in advance and keep them frozen; they thaw quickly at room temperature.
Since each one has only 100 calories and 1 gram of fat, it’s easy to indulge without feeling guilty! And if you use vanilla non-dairy yogurt instead of regular, you’ll have a gluten-free treat on your hands. Top with fresh berries when serving for an extra burst of sweetness.
9) Carrot Cake Blondie with Cream Cheese Frosting
With vegan and gluten-free options, Blondie’s carrot cake cupcake is a treat for those with dietary restrictions.
This cupcake recipe uses real carrots to give it an authentic texture and taste. Gluten-free and vegan diets have never been more popular, and tasty desserts can easily be made without sacrificing taste.
By using fresh ingredients like brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, raisins, and cream cheese frosting on top of a moist carrot cake bottom, Blondie’s carrot cake makes a flavourful dessert option that will satisfy even your pickiest eaters.
With just over 350 calories per cupcake, you can indulge without overdoing it. Top your favorite vegan or gluten-free cupcake with freshly whipped cream for extra decadence!
10) Black Cherry Chocolate Chip
This frosting is made from almonds, coconut oil, and pure maple syrup. The whole thing is held together with an almond butter base that gives it a rich flavor.
In addition to cocoa powder, you’ll add dried cherries for texture and extra fruitiness. This vegan dessert recipe calls for a homemade chocolate cupcake recipe that comes from Life Is NOYOKE.
Want to try your hand at baking something from scratch? Start by making our Chocolate Birthday Cake or Chocolate Wacky Cake Recipes!
Not a fan of coconut or almonds? Make sure to check out these 15 Deliciously Easy Keto Desserts – All Under 5 Grams of Net Carbs!