If you love the idea of a cupcake with lots of chocolatey flavor, mounds of fluffy frosting and a touch of booze, these vegan Irish cream cupcakes are the dessert for you! The cupcakes have all the delicious elements of a vegan Irish cream: coffee, vanilla, chocolate and Irish whiskey (an ingredient that’s seriously great in cakes, like this vegan chocolate whiskey cake). When I’d make these cupcakes before we had a kid among us I’d add a teaspoon of Irish whiskey to the frosting and it was a showstopper. I don’t now because I don’t want to get my teenager drunk. You can certainly add the whiskey to the frosting if you are either cooking this for grown-ups only or don’t mind getting your kids drunk. 😉 The alcohol in the cupcake cooks off, leaving only wonderful flavor behind.

Why you will love these cupcakes

So scrumptious! Cupcakes are yummy, but these are yummier than most, and I don’t make that claim lightly. The wonderfully flavored cupcakes are moist and soft and topped with the coffee buttercream they are beyond delicious. Easy to make. The recipe is quite simple and quite foolproof if you follow instructions. Soy-free, nut-free and vegan. The cupcakes are friendly to most diets, and you can use gluten-free all-purpose flour to make them gluten-free.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

All-purpose flour Cornstarch. This helps with binding and with making the cupcakes extra tender. Leavening: baking soda and baking powder. Cocoa powder Instant coffee granules Sugar. I used turbinado sugar. Use any granulated sugar of your choice. Neutral oil. I used sunflower oil. Safflower oil, avocado oil and grape seed oil are all good choices. Non-dairy milk. I used oat milk. Use any non-dairy milk of your choice, including soy milk, almond milk and cashew milk. Irish whiskey. According to Barnivore, all Irish whiskey is vegan, so no worries there. Pure vanilla extract

For the frosting

Vegan butter. Any brand vegan butter sticks are fine, including my homemade vegan butter. Vegan cream or non-dairy milk of choice. The cream adds an extra layer of richness but if you don’t want to use it a creamy non-dairy milk like oat milk or soy milk is just fine. Powdered sugar Pure vanilla extract

Storage instructions

Refrigerate: Store the cupcakes in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze: Store the baked and frosted cupcakes in a single layer in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw the cupcakes thoroughly before serving.

More yummy vegan cupcake recipes

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Recipe card

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