Amazing 12 Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla

Red velvet has always been my comfort zone—that gorgeous, deep crimson paired with a tangy, sweet frosting just sings, right? But making it completely plant-based sometimes means losing that signature rich crumb. Well, friends, I cracked the code! After way too many batches that ended up crumbly or too dense, I perfected the technique for truly moist, decadent Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream.

The real trick was getting the vinegar and plant milk to react just right, giving us that famous fluff without any eggs in sight. And the frosting? Oh, that bourbon vanilla note cuts through the sweetness beautifully. If you love creamy frosting, you’ll want to check out my guide to making my favorite buttercream frosting recipe! Seriously, these are the best egg-free cupcakes I’ve ever made. You simply have to try this recipe!

Why You Will Love These Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

Folks, these aren’t your grandma’s dry, crumbly vegan substitutes; these are showstoppers! Seriously, if you thought going vegan meant ditching that classic velvet experience, wait until you try these beauties. They are tender, perfectly flavored, and honestly, the bourbon frosting is next level.

• The crumb is unbelievably moist, thanks to our little vinegar trick blending with the plant milk.
• That sophisticated bourbon vanilla flavor in the buttercream just sings against the cocoa.
• Perfectly suitable for anyone avoiding dairy or eggs—no one will ever guess they are vegan!
• Easy to whip up, making them ideal for last-minute baking projects.

You absolutely need to bookmark this recipe for the ultimate Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream experience. You can see how I incorporate simple frosting techniques in my guide here: Vegan Funfetti Cake!

Essential Ingredients for Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

When you make something special like these vegan red velvets, you can’t skimp on quality, especially with the substitutes we’re using! Getting your ingredients prepped right before you start is half the battle. Trust me, having everything measured out makes the mixing process fly by, and that’s what keeps our cakes moist!

I’m linking to my favorite vegan chocolate bourbon banana bread post if you want to see how I use vegan butter in other recipes! Let’s look at exactly what you need for both the cake bombs and that gorgeous bourbon swirl on top.

For the Moist Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

For the cake part, we need structure and moisture, and that means paying close attention to the fats and liquids. Make sure you grab a good quality, neutral-flavored oil like vegetable oil.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (Don’t skip this, it helps the vinegar bubble!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon rich cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar (This is key for reacting with the baking soda!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring (Gel is always better for that deep, vibrant color.)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk (Soy or almond works wonderfully in this recipe.)

For the Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

This frosting relies on the vegan butter being truly softened—not melted, just soft like well-worn clay. The bourbon extract brings that mature note we’re looking for!

• 1/4 cup vegan butter, softened to true room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar (Sifted if you have time!)
• 1 teaspoon bourbon extract (Or 1/2 teaspoon of actual bourbon, see my tips below!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

A little expert knowledge for you: when it comes to the color, using a concentrated gel food coloring instead of liquid means you add less extra liquid to the batter, keeping those cupcakes perfectly tender!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

Okay, get your apron on! Now that we have our gorgeous ingredients ready, let’s get these beauties into the oven. Don’t rush the waiting time, especially for the cooling part—that’s where many people mess up their buttercream tops. I’m sharing a link to my easy vegan chocolate bread recipe if you have extra time later, but for now, focus here!

Preparing the Cupcake Batter and Baking

First things first: preheat your oven to a steady 350°F (175°C). Line your 12-cup muffin tin with those cute paper liners so we don’t have to scrub later! In your big bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar. Just get them evenly distributed.

In a separate bowl, mix up all the wet stuff: the oil, that crucial vinegar, vanilla, the red food coloring (make sure it’s vibrant!), and your plant milk. Now comes the moment of truth! Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. And here’s my expert tip: mix it quickly until *just combined*. Seriously, stop mixing when you still see tiny streaks of flour. Overmixing is what makes egg-free cakes tough, and we want tender velvet, right?

Divide the batter evenly across your 12 cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake these gorgeous things for about 18 to 20 minutes. Test them with a toothpick—when it comes out clean, they’re done! Let them chill in the pan for just five minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. They MUST be totally cool before frosting time.

Creating the Rich Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

While those are cooling down (impatiently, I know!), let’s tackle the star: the frosting. Take that 1/4 cup of softened vegan butter and beat it until it looks creamy and light—this starts the aeration process.

Now, you add the powdered sugar gradually. Don’t dump it all in at once, or you’ll have a sugar cloud filling your kitchen! Alternate adding the sugar with tiny splashes of plant milk, only adding milk if the mixer seems to be struggling, until you get that perfect, spreadable texture. Finally, mix in that 1/4 teaspoon of salt and that wonderful bourbon extract until everything is perfectly smooth and smelling fantastic!

Assembling Your Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

This is the easiest step, provided you followed my cooling rules! If the cupcakes are even a little warm, the buttercream will melt right off the top, and you’ll have a soupy mess on your hands. So, wait until they are completely room temperature.

Once cooled, you can either scoop the frosting on with a spoon for a rustic look, or use a piping bag if you’re feeling fancy! Swirl it high and admire your work. Now you officially have the best Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream on the block!

Expert Tips for the Best Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

Baking vegan sometimes feels like walking a tightrope, I know! But trust me, a few little tricks can bump these from ‘pretty good’ to ‘OMG, is this really vegan?’ territory. We want fantastic flavor and texture every single time we make these Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream. These tips have saved me from disaster more times than I can count!

Flavor Adjustments for Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

The bourbon flavor is subtle in the standard measure, which I love because it complements the red velvet without overpowering it. But maybe you want a bolder kick—I totally get it!

If you want that flavor to really punch through, you can totally up the bourbon extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Don’t be shy! Now, if you are using actual bourbon instead of the extract (which smells amazing, by the way), be careful. Real alcohol is thinner than extract, so use only 1/2 teaspoon of the liquid bourbon. If your frosting looks a bit thin after adding it, just add a tablespoon more powdered sugar until it firms up. You are the boss of your buttercream!

Achieving the Perfect Cupcake Texture

Texture is everything in a cupcake, especially when we aren’t using eggs to help structure everything. My main rule here is temperature control. Make sure that vegan butter for the frosting is at *true* room temperature—soft enough for an indent, but not greasy or melty. If it’s too cold, your frosting will be lumpy. If it’s too warm, it’ll turn into soup!

For the actual cupcakes, the plant milk temperature matters too. If you chill your milk, let it sit out with the oil for five minutes before mixing. And please, please, please stick to my rule about the wet and dry ingredients:

• Mix the dry ingredients a bit first.
• Mix the wet ingredients separately.
• Combine gently until *just* mixed.

Honestly, that’s where the magic happens. Overmixing develops gluten, and gluten is the enemy of a light, vegan red velvet. If you stick to that, you can find more helpful pairing ideas in my favorite buttercream frosting guide!

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

The best part about these gorgeous cupcakes is that they taste even better the next day! If you’re not serving all 12 right away, keep the components separate until the last minute. Frosting the cupcakes first is fine, but if the weather is warm or humid, leave the bourbon vanilla buttercream on the side.

Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container. At room temperature, they’ll stay perfectly fresh for about two days—thanks to the oil keeping them moist! If you need them to last longer, pop them in the fridge, though you’ll definitely want to let them warm up for 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens up again. If you’re looking for other frosting ideas, I have a great easy whipped cream recipe you might like too!

Serving Suggestions for Your Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

So, you’ve got these beautiful, deeply flavored vegan red velvet cupcakes with that grown-up bourbon vanilla buttercream. What do you serve them with? That rich cocoa and the hint of oaky bourbon flavor call for some equally classic, comforting pairings. You don’t want anything too light that gets totally lost!

First up, a steaming mug of black coffee is perfection. The slight bitterness and warmth of the coffee honestly cuts through the sweetness of the frosting and bounces right off that subtle bourbon note. It’s like they were made for each other!

If you’re looking for something non-alcoholic but still comforting, strong black tea or even a spiced chai works beautifully. The spices in the chai echo the background flavors you get in good bourbon. If you happen to be having a little party and want a fun cocktail pairing, I sometimes make a virgin version of the coconut lime daiquiri recipe I have here—the tartness is refreshing against the rich cake.

Honestly, these cakes are decadent enough to stand alone, maybe just with a glass of cold plant milk, but pairing them elevates them to a real dessert course. Enjoy every velvety bite!

Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

I get so many questions after people try this recipe, and honestly, those questions are the best part! It shows how much people love making these amazing Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream. Whether you’re worried about the texture or the color, I’ve got some quick answers for you gathered from all my baking attempts!

If you’re looking for other amazing desserts to try next, check out some of my other decadent dessert recipes!

Can I make Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes without food coloring?

You totally can! The food coloring is purely for that classic, vibrant red velvet look we all crave. Flavor-wise, the cupcakes will taste exactly the same without it because all that deep, rich flavor comes from the cocoa powder and the vinegar reaction. If coloring isn’t your thing, feel free to skip it! You’ll end up with a lovely, soft, cocoa-brown color instead of red, but they will still be delicious, moist, dairy-free red velvet treats!

What plant milk works best for the Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream?

This is a super important question for frosting stability! For the Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream, you want something with a decent amount of fat content to help keep the frosting firm, especially since we are using vegan butter. I find that soy milk generally works the best because it’s the creamiest. Almond milk is fine too, but you might need to add less of it or use a bit less milk overall. Avoid watery milks, like some rice milks, if you can, because they can make your buttercream too thin and droopy. We want stiff peaks, not soup!

How do I prevent the Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes from drying out?

If you’re worried about getting those dry, crumbly results that can sometimes happen with egg-free cupcakes, remember the golden rule: DO NOT OVERMIX! Seriously, this is the biggest culprit for tough or dry cakes.

When you combine the wet and dry ingredients, you are aiming for *just combined*. Stop mixing the second you don’t see large pockets of flour anymore. A few tiny lumps are totally fine, and those lumps disappear during the baking process. Overmixing develops the flour’s gluten structure too much, making your beautiful vegan red velvet cake tough instead of tender!

Nutritional Estimates for Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream

Now, I always say that if you’re making dessert, you shouldn’t worry too much about counting the calories, but if you’re curious, I pulled together my standard estimates for these gorgeous Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream. We don’t use any eggs or dairy, which knocks out the cholesterol entirely, which is a bonus for us!

Just remember what I always say: these are my best guesses based on standard pantry items. If you swap out the vegetable oil for coconut oil, or use a different brand of vegan butter, those numbers are going to shift a little. Think of this as a baseline guide, especially if you’re tracking carbs or fat intake. For a deeper dive into balancing sweetness, you might want to check out this fun read on the surprising sugar content of fruits!

Here is the estimated breakdown per single cupcake:

• Serving Size: 1 cupcake
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 40g
• Fat: 18g (Mostly unsaturated, which is great!)
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 3g

Honestly, for a cupcake topped with that rich bourbon vanilla buttercream, I think 350 calories is pretty reasonable! Enjoy them with confidence, knowing you made something totally plant-based and delicious!

Share Your Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream Creations

Well, that’s it! We’ve gone from flour to fantastic, frosted perfection. I truly hope you enjoyed the process of making these gorgeous cakes. They truly are a showstopper, and nothing makes me happier than seeing what you all create in your own kitchens!

I always love hearing back from you about how things turned out. Did the bourbon flavor hit just right for your crew? Did you use a piping bag or just swirl the frosting on with a spoon? Every little detail helps me, and it helps the next baker who tries this recipe for the first time.

If you followed this recipe for the Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream, please take a moment to leave a star rating right below the recipe card. And if you have any specific modifications that worked for you, drop them in the comments! I check in often, and I always love connecting with everyone who stops by my little corner of the internet. If you need to get in touch directly, you can always use my contact page, but comments are the best way to share your baking joy!

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