Fluffy peppermint vanilla cupcakes with a peppermint buttercream. These gluten free vegan candy cane cupcakes really do taste just like a candy cane!
I can remember my grandma buying all of her grandkids one of those GINORMOUS candy cane sticks every year for Christmas. Always. She would even wrap them up and give them to us with our other gifts. It was exciting at first, but then we realized…this is going to take me way too long to eat!
I prefer the mini candy canes. They are tiny {so of course I love them} and are just the right amount of candy cane goodness. Also, if you eat two you don’t feel nearly as bad because they are teeny-tiny.
As much as I adore chocolate and peppermint together, like in this dark chocolate peppermint pudding, sometimes I just want that pure peppermint flavor. That’s what inspired me to make these gluten free vegan candy cane cupcakes. A peppermint vanilla cupcake with light and fluffy peppermint buttercream. I made sure to go easy on the peppermint extract. I like the peppermint to be subtle and compliment the other flavors of the cupcake.
Was there a type of candy that you always received on Christmas? Maybe it was those chocolate gold coins or the book of assorted Life Savers candies. Remember those? It’s funny how even something as simple as a giant candy cane can bring back childhood memories.
I hope you enjoy these gluten free vegan candy cane cupcakes as much as I do. They really are the perfect Christmas cupcake!
- 1 3/4 cups Sarah’s gluten free flour blend
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy free milk, such as almond or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup sunflower seed oil or grape seed oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons dairy free milk or creamer
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2-3 tablespoons crushed candy canes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
- Sift together flour blend, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In medium bowl, stir together almond milk and vinegar. Add water, oil, vanilla and peppermint extract. Mix well. Slowly add to flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Place cupcakes on cooling rack and cool completely.
- To make buttercream, beat shortening for 1 minute in large bowl of standing mixer. Add powdered sugar, creamer, vanilla and peppermint extract. Beat for an additional 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Place buttercream in piping bag with large star tip and frost cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Best served within 1-2 days.
OMG! These are amazing!
Thank you! I’m vegan and me and my daughter (she is veggie) both got coeliac disease. I be trying out heaps more of your delishious recipes.
Happy holidays!
Can this also be used to make a cake?
Sure! You can bake in a 9×13 inch baking dish for a rectangle cake or a 9-inch cake pan for a round cake. The baking time will need to be increased to 28-32 minutes, checking with toothpick to see when cake is baked through.