Easy Gingerbread Cupcakes No Eggs 10 Min Prep

I love cupcakes like my Easy Vanilla Cupcakes, Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes, or Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes, but for the Christmas season, I love to make Vegan Gingerbread Cookies. Today I wanted to combine both of these – easy healthy plant-based cupcakes but with a classic gingerbread flavor.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a few wholesome ingredients for this delicious recipe.

Self-Rising Flour – Self-rising flour makes the cupcakes rise well. If you just have regular flour, mix 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour with 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free option, use 1 cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour, ¾ cup almond flour, and 2 ½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder. You can’t use just almond flour (too moist) or just gluten-free flour (too dry). Light Olive Oil – Olive oil adds moisture without overpowering the dough. You can replace it with sunflower oil or melted vegan butter. Avoid coconut oil, which can solidify when mixed with cold ingredients. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk – Almond milk adds moisture and a subtle vanilla note. Substitute with oat milk, soy milk, or any dairy-free milk. If using plain milk, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for flavor. Soft Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds sweetness with some moisture and enhances the deep, molasses-like flavor. Coconut sugar or muscovado sugar work as alternatives, though they may darken the batter further. Molasses – Molasses add moisture and the classic gingerbread flavor. If unavailable, substitute with maple syrup, coconut nectar, or an extra ¼ cup of brown sugar. Vanilla Extract – Vanilla boosts the flavors of the spices. It’s optional if using vanilla-flavored milk. Ginger – Ginger brings some zing to the batter. You can also use fresh grated ginger. Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds a sweet Christmassy flavor that balances the spiciness of the ginger. Swap with pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg for a variation.

How to Make Easy Gingerbread Cupcakes

This recipe is really easy to make. Here’s how in pictures.

Frosting Options

These cupcakes are, of course, even better when loaded with frosting. I have many healthy frosting options, all dairy-free and egg-free:

Vegan Vanilla Frosting – This classic vanilla frosting is made with just 4 plant-based ingredients. 3-Ingredient Vegan Coconut Cream Frosting – This slightly healthier frosting is even simpler, with just 3 ingredients. Vegan Chocolate Frosting – If you want a chocolate version of my vanilla frosting, this is the one! Protein Powder Frosting – This frosting adds 3g of protein per slice and tastes just like classic frosting. Cashew Frosting – This frosting is made without any plant-based butter. Vegan Royal Icing – While it’s not quite frosting, adding my royal icing makes these cupcakes amazing. Vegan Ganache – This is another slightly left-field option, but a little chocolate ganache on the top is delicious!