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5 from 1 vote

Dairy-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

These dairy-free vanilla cupcakes are made with walnut milk. Nut milks are pretty different than dairy milks nutrition wise, but they are a nice alternative for drinking and for recipes. Any type of raw nuts (or seeds) can be used to make nut milks. Almond milk is a classic, but delicious milks can be made from pecans, Brazil nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and more. This recipe features walnuts, which are high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, one of the fatty acids in the omega-3 family). A nut milk bag will come in handy for this recipe.
Servings: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the walnut milk:

  • 1 1/4 cup walnuts soaked overnight in enough water to cover the nuts by 1 in/2.5 cm
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of fine sea salt

For the cupcakes:

  • 1 cup walnut milk or use a different homemade or store-bought nut milk or coconut milk, or regular milk if not vegan
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice or use white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy butter softened (or use butter if not vegan)
  • 1/2 cup sugar I used organic sugar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour for gluten-free baking, I like Pamela's Artisan flour blend and King Arthur gluten-free multi-purpose flour blend, or use unbleached all-purpose pastry flour if you are not gluten free
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

For the dairy-free buttercream frosting:

  • 1/2 cup dairy-free butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • splash of walnut milk or other milk alternative or milk

Instructions

For the walnut milk:

  • Drain the walnuts and rinse thoroughly. Combine with the water in a blender and blend for several minutes. You want the nuts to be thoroughly pulverized.
  • Pour through a nut milk bag or a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth to strain out the nut pulp (I compost mine). Return the strained liquid to the blender and add the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Blend until thoroughly combined. Drink immediately. Leftover milk will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days (shake well before serving).

For the cupcakes:

  • Heat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
  • Whisk together the nut milk and lemon juice in a large bowl, then set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Mix in the flax seeds.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the Earth Balance with the sugar until creamy. Add vanilla extract and walnut milk mixture and beat until well blended.
  • Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl with a fork and then add to the wet ingredients. Beat until all of the ingredients are blended.
  • Fill cupcake liners with batter (about 3/4 way of the way full). Bake for about 19-22 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Allow cupcakes to cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. When cool, frost and decorate the cupcakes as desired.

For the dairy-free buttercream frosting:

  • While the cupcakes are chilling, beat the butter until fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Add the splash of milk if the frosting seems too thick. You can color the frosting if you like, or leave it white like I did.
  • Decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles, colored sugar, or candied violets, if desired.

Notes

You won't need to make the walnut milk if you are making the recipe with a store-bought milk alternative or regular milk.