Cupcakes come in an almost endless variety of versions and flavors. We have quite a few cupcake recipes here on the blog, too. Today, we’re adding a new one to the mix: delicious Vegan Matcha Cupcakes. They might be a bit of an acquired taste for some, but we really love these little treats. You could almost say it was love at first bite!

Many people still believe that »vegan« and »baking« don’t really go together. That might be because they associate vegan baked goods with the »healthy organic« niche. I mean those Baked goods were along with animal products plenty of other things get left out, too. Sugar, flavor, and texture are just a few of the things often missing in those cases.
Sorry, that was only a joke, of course. Being healthy, vegan, and sugar-free doesn’t automatically mean something won’t taste good. Quite the opposite. It can be a bit trickier when you’re trying to achieve all those things at once, though. But simply baking vegan – meaning skipping butter, eggs, and milk – is usually no problem at all.

I used to serve my vegan baked goods to friends and immediately mention that they were vegan. The reaction was typically something like, »Hmm… really? Why vegan? Does it actually taste good?« I’m not exaggerating here. Nowadays, I just serve everything without saying a word. I might ask if anyone has allergies – I’ve had some bad experiences there – but whether something is vegan? Nope. Hardly anyone notices it anyway.
I might occasionally ask afterwards if they enjoyed it. If I know someone likes to complain about vegan diets (yes, there are a few of those people), that’s when I reveal that the treat they just happily devoured was actually vegan. Surprise! That’s how I’ve managed to silence quite a few skeptics. You just have to know how…

I am definitely not the type of person who wants to convert others to cooking and baking exclusively vegan. My goal is simply to show people that vegan food can be just as good and delicious as the meals our (non-vegan) grandparents or parents used to serve. Ultimately, the reasons why someone chooses a vegan diet are entirely up to them. I just think it’s best to approach the subject without prejudice.
So, these cupcakes are vegan and packed with Matcha, as the title suggests. Some people are a bit sensitive when it comes to the taste of green tea. Most are fine with a mild Matcha flavor, even those new to it, but things can get tricky when the flavor is more intense. That’s something to keep in mind with this recipe.
If you love Matcha, feel free to use the full amount listed in the recipe. Otherwise, you might want to ease into it more cautiously. The frosting, in particular, requires a lot of Matcha powder to achieve that vibrant green color, which inevitably results in a very strong green tea flavor. If that’s too intense for your taste, you can boost the green color with a few drops of Pandan paste* instead of using a lot of Matcha powder.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(9 cupcakes)
For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cup (160g) all-purpose flour*
1/2 cup (120g) brown sugar*
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
3/4 cup (175ml) coconut rice milk* (or soy milk)
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar*
1-2 tsp. Matcha powder (organic)* (or more if you like)
For the Matcha buttercream:
5.3 oz. (150g) vegan butter*, at room temperature
10.5 oz. (300g) confectioners’ sugar*
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1-3 tsp. Matcha powder (organic)* (depends on how green you want it)
(9 Cupcakes)
Für die Cupcakes:
160g Mehl (Type 405)*
120g brauner Zucker*
2 TL Backpulver
1 Prise Salz
175ml Kokosnuss-Reis Drink* (oder Sojadrink)
60ml Pflanzenöl
1 TL Vanille Extrakt*
1 EL Apfelessig*
1-2 TL (Bio) Matcha Pulver* (oder mehr, wenn man mag)
Für die Matcha Buttercreme:
150g vegane Butter*, Zimmertemperatur
300g Puderzucker*
1 TL Vanille Extrakt*
1-3 TL (Bio) Matcha Pulver* (je nachdem, wie grün man es mag)



DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Prepare a muffin tin* with cupcake paper liners* and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the flour with the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the coconut rice milk, oil, vanilla extract, vinegar and Matcha. Mix until all is well combined. The batter will be quite runny, but that is fine. Fill the paper liners about 2/3 full and bake the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Take them out of the oven and let them cool down in the muffin tin for several minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool down completely.
3. For the buttercream add the vegan butter to a mixing bowl and mix on high speed until very light and fluffy – this normall takes about 5-8 Minutes. Add the confectioner’s sugar in three batches and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and 1-2 teaspoons of Matcha and mix well. Fill about 2/3 of the frosting into a piping bag with a star tip and decorate the cupcakes with a first swirl. Add another teaspoon of Matcha to the remaining frosting and mix again until well combined. Fill that into the piping bag as well (you should wash it before) and pipe another swirl on top of each cupcake. Dust with some Matcha powder to your liking to decorate the cupcakes further (optional).
1. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Muffinblech* mit Papierförmchen* bestücken und zur Seite stellen.
2. Das Mehl mit braunem Zucker, Backpulver und Salz in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Kokosmuss-Reis Drink, Öl, Vanille Extrakt, Essig und Matcha zugeben und alles gut verrühren. Der Teig wird recht flüssig sein, aber das ist ok. Die Förmchen jeweils zu etwa 2/3 füllen und dann für etwa 18-20 Minuten im vorgeheizten Ofen backen. Mit einem Zahnstocher testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt, und die Cupcakes erst herausnehmen, wenn der Zahnstocher sauber herauskommt. Die Cupcakes kurz in der Form und dann auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
3. Für die Buttercreme die vegane Butter in eine Rührschüssel geben und auf höchster Stufe hell und luftig aufschlagen – das dauert meist etwa 5-8 Minuten. Den Puderzucker in drei Portionen zugeben und gut unterrühren. Den Vanille Extrakt und 1-2 TL Matcha zugeben und ebenfalls gut unterrühren. Etwa 2/3 des Frostings in einen Spritzbeutel mit Sterntülle füllen und damit eine erste Schicht auf die Cupcakes aufspritzen. Zum restlichen Frosting noch einmal einen Teelöffel Matcha zugeben und wieder gut unterrühren. In den (ausgewaschenen) Spritzbeutel füllen und eine zweite Schicht auf die Cupcakes aufspritzen. Für die Dekoration nach Belieben noch mit etwas Matcha Pulver bestäuben (optional).

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Vegan Matcha Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 00:45
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: -
- Cuisine: United States
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you like to drink something with Matcha, you will certainly love these delicious Vegan Matcha Cupcakes with the distinct flavor of green tea. We love them!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cup (160g) all-purpose flour*
1/2 cup (120g) brown sugar*
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
3/4 cup (175ml) coconut rice milk* (or soy milk)
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar*
1-2 tsp. Matcha powder (organic)* (or more if you like)
For the Matcha buttercream:
5.3 oz. (150g) vegan butter*, at room temperature
10.5 oz. (300g) confectioners‘ sugar*
1 tsp. vanilla extract*
1-3 tsp. Matcha powder (organic)* (depends on how green you want it)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Prepare a muffin tin* with cupcake paper liners* and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the flour with the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the coconut rice milk, oil, vanilla extract, vinegar and Matcha. Mix until all is well combined. The batter will be quite runny, but that is fine. Fill the paper liners about 2/3 full and bake the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Take them out of the oven and let them cool down in the muffin tin for several minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool down completely.
3. For the buttercream add the vegan butter to a mixing bowl and mix on high speed until very light and fluffy – this normall takes about 5-8 Minutes. Add the confectioner’s sugar in three batches and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and 1-2 teaspoons of Matcha and mix well. Fill about 2/3 of the frosting into a piping bag with a star tip and decorate the cupcakes with a first swirl. Add another teaspoon of Matcha to the remaining frosting and mix again until well combined. Fill that into the piping bag as well (you should wash it before) and pipe another swirl on top of each cupcake. Dust with some Matcha powder to your liking to decorate the cupcakes further (optional).
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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Ever make it with gluten free all purpose flour? I have a wheat free, dairy free, egg free, and peanut free toddler. She rarely gets desserts but sometimes I’d like to give her treats.
Hi Keira,
I have never worked with gluten free flour but I wanted to try for quite some time already… maybe I should try some recipes :)
Cheers,
Marc
I did it with coconut flour as my Gluten Free alternative. It did not work we at all… to be continued
would it be okay to use almond milk or coconut milk? i’m asking out of convenience– i don’t have coconut rice milk or soy milk in the house, although they’d be a breeze to go purchase.
Hi Noelle,
almond milk would be totally fine. Coconut as well if you like that flavor.
Cheers,
Marc
I made those for my daughter’s birthday who recently became a vegan.
Those were moist and tasty with just the right amount of matcha flavor.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Yasmin,
happy to hear you liked the cupcakes! Getting the amount of matcha right is sometimes a bit tricky… I experienced that too ;)
Cheers,
Marc
Did you mean baking soda? I baked with baking powder and it did not rise at all. Baked again with soda and was lovely. I also used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour and it worked beautifully.
Hi Gena,
I meant baking powder and use baking powder for this recipe – works fine for me. Maybe it is better to use baking soda with gluten free flour – not very experienced in this area.
Cheers,
Marc
Oh gosh. Mine really didnt work but i think it was the coconut flour GF alternative. A few questions …i will try with regular flour…. for apple vinegar is that the same as apple cider vinegar? And when u talk about matcha to add to the cake mix. Do u mean the powder? Ill await feedback and try them again.
Hi Becky,
unfortunately, I have no experience with gluten-free flour – I only know it can be tricky to work with ;)
For the vinegar – yes, that is apple cider vinegar and for the matcha – it’s matcha powder, yes.
Cheers,
Marc
How can I adapt this recipe to make a 9 inch 2 layer cake?
Thanks!
Hi! How can this recipe be tweaked to be made into a cake?
Probably – haven’t tried though ;)
Cheers
Marc
Help! Mine were so thick and stodgy? Any tips to help.. thanks
Hi – sorry that happened but giving advice from afar not knowing how you actually baked them is a bit difficult ;)
Cheers, Marc
Ich bin eigentlich keine gute Bäckerin und habe mich mit diesem Rezept das erste Mal an Cupcakes gewagt und – sie wurden perfekt! Toll auch, dass das Rezept inkl. Zutaten auf Deutsch & Englisch zur Verfügung steht! Grosses Lob!
Das freut mich sehr zu lesen :)
Ich hoffe Du findest noch mehr zum Backen hier!
LG Marc