Break out the Christmas music, turn on the sparkly lights, and let’s get to baking these delicious dairy free gingerbread cupcakes! These are a perfect festive treat for this season, whether you’re making them for a party or you just want to do some holiday baking at home with the kiddos. The cupcakes have the flavors of warming aromatic spices and molasses, with a sweet cinnamon (dairy-free) cream cheese frosting to top ‘em off.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need for the cupcakes. It might look like a lot, but most of it is pantry staples!
And here’s what you’ll need for the frosting:
Here are some helpful selected ingredient notes:
- Oil – Vegetable oil or avocado oil are both great choices as they have a relatively neutral flavor profile.
- Molasses – Go with regular or light molasses for this recipe if possible. Blackstrap molasses is bitter, so it doesn’t work as well in this recipe.
- Dairy-free butter – Country Crock plant butter sticks work very well in frosting recipes. If you need a soy-free option, Earth Balance soy free sticks are a good choice.
- Dairy free cream cheese – I find Violife Just Like Cream Cheese Original works best in this recipe. Kite Hill Plain Cream Cheese is another option that will work.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.
Start by mixing together most of the dry ingredients – the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the oil, almond milk, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. It may look like it separates a little; that’s totally fine.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Portion out the batter into a 12-count cupcake tin (that’s either been greased or lined with cupcake liners). Each well should be about ⅔ of the way full. These are smaller cupcakes, not jumbo bakery styles ones.
Bake at 350 degrees for 13-17 minutes on the center rack. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick pulls clean from the center. Do not overcook these or they can dry out.
Let the cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then let them finish cooling on a wire rack while you make the frosting.
Making the frosting is easiest with a stand mixer that has a whisk attachment – however, a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer will work too.
Add the dairy-free cream cheese, dairy-free butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to the bowl. Start your mixer (stand or hand) on low speed – otherwise powdered sugar will fly everywhere, haha. Once you’ve incorporated the ingredients a bit, you can increase the speed and work your way to high speed. Once on high speed, continue to mix until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Wait for the cupcakes to cool completely, then add the frosting. You can either pipe it on or spread it on. Don’t try to add the frosting when the cupcakes are warm, or it will melt right off.
Now dig in and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:
If the cupcakes are already frosted, store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, as the frosting contains dairy-free cream cheese that must be refrigerated. If the cupcakes are unfrosted, store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Storing at room temperature will help prevent the cupcakes from drying out, as they can tend to do in the fridge. Frosting should be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes. Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container or ziptop bag. Use within 3 months for best quality. Thaw at room temperature and prepare frosting when ready to serve.
If you’d like, feel free to add a sprinkle of cinnamon, crushed gingerbread cookies or graham crackers, or a drizzle of dairy-free caramel over the frosting.
Allergens in this Recipe
Disclaimer: Always double check ingredients and labels yourself prior to making a recipe. While I try to check all ingredients for allergens, there’s always the chance I may miss something, or manufacturer formulations can change.
As written, this recipe is dairy free.
This recipe does contain wheat/gluten (in the flour), egg (in the egg), tree nuts (in the almond milk), and soy (in the dairy-free butter and also in the vegetable oil). Here are some suggested substitutions, though note that these have not been tested on this particular recipe:
- To make wheat/gluten free: Use a gluten-free flour blend that’s designed to be used in the same measurements as all-purpose flour.
- To make egg free: Increase baking soda to 1 teaspoon, and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the almond milk before mixing it into the wet ingredients (the acid will react with the baking soda to replace the leavening of the egg).
- To make tree nut free: Use oat milk instead of almond milk.
- To make soy free: Use Earth balance soy free sticks for your dairy-free butter, and use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil.
More Dairy Free Gingerbread Recipes
If you’re looking for more dairy free recipes with classic gingerbread flavor, be sure to give one of these a try:
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to try it, please leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Dairy Free Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or avocado oil, or another neutral oil)
- ½ cup almond milk (or any dairy-free milk)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 7-8 ounce container dairy-free cream cheese (recommend Violife)
- ½ cup dairy-free butter, softened (recommend Country Crock plant butter sticks)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-count cupcake tin, or line with paper cupcake liners.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
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In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, almond milk, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake tin, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-17 minutes, or until cupcakes are cooked through and a toothpick pulls clean from the center.
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Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and let finish cooling on a wire rack.
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Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Combine the dairy-free cream cheese, dairy-free butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer). Using the whisk attachment on the mixer, start on low speed until ingredients start to incorporate, then increase speed to high and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy.
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When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the frosting onto the cupcakes and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- The exact amount of dairy-free cream cheese in a container often varies between 7-8 ounces depending on the brand. Either will work fine in this recipe.
Nutrition analysis (approximate per cupcake, includes piped frosting): 435 calories, 21 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 285 mg sodium, 59.5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 43.5 g sugar, 2.5 g protein, Vitamin D: 1%, Calcium: 4%, Iron: 9%, Potassium: 4%
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