Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

I feel like we are always in a season of TREATS. It's like there's always a reason to celebrate something and treats are always a MUST.  I have a long list of favorites and go-to recipes when these occasions arise but when I needed a dairy free recipe last month for a preschool birthday celebration, I was up for the challenge.

This is a first for me- these cupcakes are completely vegan! We aren't going vegan in this house but I've never made a vegan dessert before and this recipe is too good not to share. 
I made this recipe for Will's class to accommodate some allergies and will definitely keep this recipe as my go to next time I need something allergy friendly! 

The key to the frosting is letting the dairy free butter come to room temperature. DO NOT MELT IT. I have a little trick of microwaving dairy butter in 5 second increments to get it to room temperature quickly, but do not do this with the vegan butter. It melts quickly and then your frosting will be toast. Trust me when I say to take the time and let it come to room temperature on it's own. Your frosting will be creamy and dreamy- pinky swear! 

The texture of the cake is rich and dense and since the amount of vanilla in the recipe is on the larger side, the flavor is super vanilla-y! Classic vanilla cupcakes with a vegan twist- you won't even miss the dairy 

P.S. Don't skimp on the sprinkles! (to keep these 100% vegan, make sure you are using sprinkles that don't contain dairy- check the ingredients list)

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
recipe adapted from Babble

Makes 10-12 cupcakes

1 cup Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flavorless oil (I used canola- grapeseed or safflower would work, too)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used Ripple plant based milk)
1 Tbsp. vanilla 
1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 365 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with 10-12 liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and mix until combined. Add remaining ingredients (oil, non dairy milk, vanilla and apple cider vinegar) and beat on medium speed until no clumps remain. 

Fill the cupcake liners with batter 3/4 to the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick/cake tester comes out clean. The cupcakes should bounce back slightly when pressed. 

Let cool completely before frosting.

Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter, room temperature (I used Earth's Balance brand)
2 tsp. vanilla 

in the bowl of an electric mixer using a paddle attachment, beat butter until soft and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Turn speed down to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, another 2-3 minutes. If the mixture seems too wet, add in a little more powdered sugar as needed. Transfer frosting to piping bag and frost!

Vanilla Almond Granola

I'm on a granola kick and I just can't quit. Granola may just be one of the most overpriced things at the grocery store and lately, I started making it myself. It couldn't be easier and the options and mix-ins are endless. I experimented with a few recipes and ultimately came up with my own concoction that has become a favorite in our house. I love it sprinkled on berries for a snack or on top of a bowl of green yogurt. My kids also eat it by the handful and LOVE it. For another treat, warm up some apple slices on the stove with a little cinnamon and top with the granola and some coconut cream...BRB I think I'm going to do that now! 

Give your breakfast bowl a makeover with this healthy granola recipe. The key here is to let the granola sit and cool completely once it comes out of the oven- don't mix it or move it- just let it be. This allows it to "set". This recipe is as easily halved as it is doubled. One batch makes a bunch. The other best part is that you can totally make this your own. Add cacao nibs, mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, honey instead of the maple syrup- whatever your little hearts desire. It's simple and delicious. 

Oats + almonds + coconut + chia seeds + cinnamon + maple syrup + coconut oil + vanilla + almond extract = Never buying granola from the grocery store again.

Almond Coconut Granola

4 cups old fashioned gluten free oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup chia seeds
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon (I add a little more because cinnamon is my fave)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil (you can also use olive oil but I have done both and like coconut the best)
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt. 

In another mixing bowl, mix together the oil, maple syrup and almond and vanilla extracts. 

Pour the liquid mixture into the oats mixture and mix until combined. Spread it all out evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

Transfer baking sheet to a wire baking rack and cool approximately two hours without touching. 

Stir in any fruit or other mix ins and store in an airtight container! Mason jars work perfectly for this. 

Vanilla Bean Scones

I won't even try to take credit for these perfectly, super vanilla-y breakfast slash really more like a not too sweet dessert pastry treats. When she's not busy being a PA and saving the children of Charlotte, Andi has been quite the baker over the past few weeks. It seems as though she's arriving at our doorstep everyday with treats of all kinds. I have begged, and begged, but since my sweet sister is too shy to share this herself, and three batches of these babies later, I'm doing it for her.

These scones are nothing short of melt in your mouth magic. They are light, fluffy, and when glazed on all sides, the freshness stays in, keeping these just as good on day five as they are on day one. We love them with coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon or a sweet treat before bed. These would be the perfect addition to your Christmas baking day.

This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman and I highly recommend it. Andi and I are already thinking of ways that we can experiment with different scones. Cinnamon chips anyone!?

You can find the recipe for these Petite Vanilla Bean Scones HERE. 

Note: Andi uses vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla beans.

Rainbow Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream

I don't think I have ever mentioned this on the blog, but aside from my lovies I have another "little sister". Late last fall, Mark and I decided to both become volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters. It's been a wonderful experience so far and I would highly recommend it to anyone. If you want to give back, but are struggling to figure out how, I would love to talk to you more about this fantastic organization. I got paired with the sweetest 10 year old girl and we have play dates about twice a month. It's been so much fun to make memories and provide a constant presence in this little girl's life that she will hopefully look back on in the future and smile. If just one action or one thing I say makes a positive impact on her, I will have made a difference.

I have to admit, it's fun having a 10 year old around. I am always looking for excuses to act like a kid so having an accomplice is a win in my book! We sing Justin Bieber at the top of our lungs in the car and don't care if we are putting on a show for our neighboring drivers at stoplights. Sometimes we do homework, but mostly we play. Our time together is supposed to be fun and spent doing something we can enjoy together. Like making friendship bracelets or Watching Glee in 3-D.

And making rainbow cupcakes.

Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes with Marshmallow Almond Buttercream Frosting

cupcakes adapted from Baking Bites, frosting adapted from Baked Bree

Cupcakes:

1 cup all purpose flour (I used pastry flour)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup canola (or vegetable) oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

food coloring (red, yellow, green & blue)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 10 cups of a muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour in dry ingredients and mix until completely combined.

Divide cupcake batter into 5 bowls. Each bowl should have about 1/3 cup of batter. Using about 1/2 tsp. of food coloring, color each bowl, making red, orange, yellow, green and blue batter. Add more coloring for brighter, richer color.

Start with the blue batter, and add a small spoonful (a little over a teaspoon) to each cup. Continue with the rest of the colors in this order; green, yellow, orange red. Spoon each color on top of the other. Do not try to spread the layers, just let them be where they drop.

Bake for 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out dry. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.

NOTE: this recipe makes 10 cupcakes. We doubled it, making 22 cupcakes.

Frosting:

1 cup room temperature butter

7 ounces marshmallow fluff

1 tsp. almond extract

Cream the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow fluff and almond extract. Whip for two minutes.