While working on my dairy free cupcake recipe early this year, I also tested out a recipe for egg free cupcakes.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love baking with eggs. They help add so much structure and flavor to baked goods! But some recipes can be formulated in a way where they don’t need eggs to bake up properly.

This recipe is one of those! I was so blown away by this eggless variation of my dairy free cupcake recipe, I felt like it deserved its own post.

What is Used in Place of Eggs In This Recipe??

What I love the most about this egg free cupcake recipe is its simplicity. It doesn’t use any crazy ingredients or egg replacement products.

I simply swapped in some apple sauce for the egg that I’d usually add into my cupcake recipes.

It sounds almost too easy, right? But the apple sauce adds a ton of moisture and makes the cupcakes surprisingly tender.

It does leave a slight hint of apple at the end of each bite, but I honestly loved that about this recipe!!

It tastes naturally sweet, and I was obsessed with the way these cupcakes tasted.

Why is Applesauce a Good Substitute for Eggs?

Applesauce is a good substitute for eggs because it helps bind together the other ingredients in this recipe, just like an egg would.

It also helps prevent gluten from developing, which is why it makes such tender baked goods.

While applesauce creates a wonderful texture in these cupcakes, it does cause them to rise a tiny bit less.

To help counteract this, I’ve included an additional 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe.

Making These Egg Free Cupcakes Gluten Free

While this recipe doesn’t have to be gluten free, you can definitely use gluten free flour in place of the all-purpose flour if you need them to be.

You can swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend cup for cup in this recipe!

I personally prefer King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend, and find that 1 1/4 cups of GF flour weigh about 150 grams.

In addition to swapping the flour, there are two additional steps you need to take when making these cupcakes gluten free.

Gluten Free Baking Tip #1: Over-Mix the Batter

The first step is to vigorously whisk your batter for a few minutes once it’s made to help give it structure.

I know this goes against everything you’ve ever heard about baking, but over mixing your batter is key when making anything gluten free.

It helps cupcakes rise better as they bake, and gives the cake a more tender crumb.

Gluten Free Baking Tip #2: Let the Batter Rest

The second step I recommend is letting your batter rest for about 30 minutes before baking your cupcakes.

Gluten free flour blends can have a hard time absorbing moisture and fats. Letting the batter sit before baking it gives the flour more time to absorb all that goodness.

This helps thicken the batter, and prevents your cupcakes from having a gritty texture.

Egg Free Buttercream Frosting

If you’re used to making American buttercream, you might laugh at me calling it egg free buttercream!! I admit, I chuckled a little bit as I wrote that paragraph heading.

But pretty much all other types of buttercream use egg whites or egg yolks!

Swiss meringue, Italian meringue, French buttercream, Ermine frosting, German buttercream…you name it!

That’s the beauty of American buttercream! It’s pretty much just butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and some heavy cream.

Another eggless frosting you can use if you think American buttercream is too sweet is my Russian buttercream recipe.

It’s a bit richer and has almost a caramel flavor from the sweetened condensed milk that’s used to sweeten it.

My Russian buttercream is silky smooth, and so light and fluffy! I think the caramel notes from this frosting would taste incredible with the hints of apple in these eggless cupcakes.

My Recommendation: Use Vanilla Bean Paste

To give this egg free buttercream a more intense vanilla flavor, I like to use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract works if you don’t have vanilla bean paste on hand, but the flavor isn’t quite as strong.

I also love being able to see those tiny little vanilla bean specks!! Aren’t they pretty?

Tips for Making The Best Egg Free Cupcakes:

• Use a cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners.
• Be sure to use unsweetened, unflavored applesauce!!
• To make gluten free dairy free cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for. Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
• Ingredients at room temp mix together better, so be sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Bang your cupcake pan on the counter before putting it in the oven, to bring any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.

Making These Egg Free Cupcakes In Advance & Storage Tips:

• Make your cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temp, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
• Frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature overnight in an airtight container, but I find frosting them right before serving is best.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for egg free cupcakes or any variation of it, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Also don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media!

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