Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are:

• moist and fluffy
• sweet and fruity 
• slathered in a delicious “cream cheese” frosting!

My Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe has been so popular that I decided to make a cupcake version too. Here are some advantages of cupcakes over cakes:

• you get a higher frosting:cake ratio 
• you can eat them without a plate or cutlery  
• they can easily be frozen individually (without the frosting!) to be enjoyed at a later date
• they look cute and pretty
• making a load of cupcakes for an event or occasion can be easier than making one giant cake! 

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The cake batter for these cupcakes is made using my go-to sponge cake recipe: it requires just a handful of simple ingredients, one bowl, and is easily customisable. You can use any type of oil, any type of liquid sweetener, and any type of plant-based milk. It’s honestly undetectably vegan and gluten-free, and is refined sugar free and relatively healthy too.

The batter is enhanced by zippy lemon juice and zest, as well as a generous amount of blueberries. The recipe calls for fresh blueberries, but frozen blueberries work well too. 

For the frosting, you can use a cashew-based buttercream, but my favourite choice for these cupcakes is a vegan “cream cheese” frosting. 

My fool-proof vegan cream cheese frosting is made using coconut whipped cream, tart and tangy lemon juice and maple syrup for sweetness. 

This frosting recipe yields a medium-sized amount of frosting per cupcake. However, if you do want to apply a more generous amount of frosting (like in my photos), I’d recommend doubling the amount of frosting that I’ve listed in the recipe.

These lemon blueberry cupcakes look pretty but are also delicious, so they’d be great not only for everyday eating, but also for all sorts of occasions like:

• birthdays 
• brunches 
• baby showers
• weddings
• Easter 
• summer BBQs
• or anything else!

For more blueberry desserts, check out my: 

• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Blueberry Banana Bread
• Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake
• Blueberry Muffins
• Blueberry Pie
• Lemon Blueberry Cake

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Helpful tools to make these Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes:

For the cupcakes:

glass mixing bowl

measuring jug

muffin/cupcake tin

For the frosting:

electric whisk

5 from 4 votes

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Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are moist and fluffy, and slathered in a delicious “cream cheese” frosting!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten-free lemon blueberry cupcakes, gluten-free vegan cupcakes, vegan lemon blueberry cupcakes

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Calories: 235 kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 200 ml (4/5 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds* (almond meal)
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking power (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 100 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries

For the frosting**:

• 400 g (14oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk***
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate (optional):

• Lemon wedges
• Fresh blueberries

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)


2. Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)


3. Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds

4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
5. Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
6. Add the fresh blueberries and fold in gently, to make sure you don’t crush them
7. Transfer mixture between 12 cupcake cases in a cupcake tin

8. Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean


9. Once out the oven, transfer cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely before applying the frosting

For the frosting:

1. You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full-fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
2. Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
3. Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
4. Add the lemon juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract
5. Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy

To frost and decorate the cupcakes:

1. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a knife, spatula or piping bag to apply an even amount of frosting to each of the cupcakes

2. Decorate with lemon wedges and fresh blueberries, if desired
3. Best when fresh, but keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Recipe Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour

**This frosting recipe yields a medium-sized amount of frosting per cupcake. However, if you do want to apply a generous amount of frosting (like in my photos), I’d recommend doubling the amount of frosting. 

***You can alternatively use 200g (70z) thick coconut yogurt

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 235

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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