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Recipes

Surprisingly Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Wake Forest chapter.

Being allergic to dairy can often hinder my dessert options, so I decided to make one of my all time favorite desserts completely dairy-free. With substitutions for milk and butter, these dairy-free chocolate cupcakes have creamy icing that anyone can enjoy. 

Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 18 minutesTotal time: 38 minutesServings:30 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Allison Curley

    Preheat oven to 350° F and line a cupcake pan with liners.

  2. Allison Curley

    Cream Crisco, water, and sugar together until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.

  3. Allison Curley

    Add eggs, one at a time, to the bowl.

  4. Allison Curley

    Stir in vanilla and Lactaid (or other dairy-free milk alternative).

  5. Allison Curley

    Slowly add the dry ingredients until the batter is blended together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and salt.

  6. Allison Curley

    Once batter is fully combined, use an ice cream scoop or large tablespoon to carefully add the batter to each cupcake tray.

  7. Allison Curley

    Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, and let cool for at least 15 minutes before frosting.

#SpoonTip: For future dairy-free substitutions, 1 cup of Crisco + 2 tablespoons of water is equal to 1 cup of butter. The amounts in this recipe are adjusted to 3 tablespoons of Crisco and 1 teaspoon of water to substitute for butter.

#SpoonTip: Lactaid is the best milk option for this recipe, as it bears the closest resemblance to real milk. Coconut milk also works, but will make the cupcakes have a coconut flavor. Almond milk is a bit too watery to work well here. 

Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: minutesTotal time: 15 minutesServings:30 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Allison Curley

    Cream the butter flavored Crisco, water, vanilla, and Lactaid milk together.

  2. Allison Curley

    Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully combined and creamy.

  3. Allison Curley

    Add the frosting to a piping bag and top each cupcake, or spread on top using a knife. Decorate with dairy-free chocolate chips or sprinkles if desired.

Having food restrictions does not mean that you have to eat boring or bland foods. Substitutions in baking can be tricky, but they allow us to eat our favorite foods again if we have restrictions. Enjoy these rich, chocolatey cupcakes without any risks of eating dairy thanks to the wonders of Crisco.

Allison Curley

Wake Forest '20

I am a water-skier, runner, and writer. My favorite tv shows of all time are Friends, Seinfeld, and Gilmore Girls. My idol is Audrey Hepburn, and my dream job is to write books all day while sitting on the deck of my Paris apartment.