Say cheers to the summer with these sweet, tangy, and festive Margarita Dairy Free Cupcakes! You will instantly fall in love when you bite into this tender and moist cocktail-inspired confection that comes with the ultimate surprise. You can have your favorite summertime drink, and eat it too!
It’s officially a fiesta when tequila comes to play and the tequila-kissed lime buttercream frosting along with the fun shot of tequila in these cupcakes makes these a party for the senses. Whether you’re looking for the perfect dessert to serve after your Sheet Pan Taco feast or just a fun dessert to treat your girlfriends too, this is it.
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Why you will love these gluten and dairy free cupcakes
Easy Process - Skip the box mix and make these lime dairy free vanilla cupcakes! With just a few simple steps these come together effortlessly while giving you total control of all of the ingredients.
Make Ahead - If you’re looking for a fun dessert to serve at your next party, these cupcakes are perfect. You can make them a day in advance and then add your tequila pipettes before serving.
Party Ready - Nothing says fun like tequila! Not only are these cupcakes incredibly delicious but they’re also an instant conversation piece with their cute and festive tequila-filled pipettes.
Texture - These margarita cupcakes are incredibly tender and moist. No one will realize they’re gluten-free.
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Flour - Use high-quality one-to-one flour. This makes it easy to measure without having to add any additional ingredients. Also, make sure to check your labels as some contain milk powder.
Salt - Enhances all of the flavors of the ingredients. Plus, what goes better with a margarita than a little salt?
Almond Milk - This is combined with vinegar to create buttermilk for the cake and also thin out the creamy margarita buttercream frosting.
White Vinegar - Combined with the almond milk to create buttermilk. This helps tenderize the cake while also giving it a little tang.
Limes - You will want fresh limes for this recipe as you need both juice and zest.
Eggs - Use large eggs for this recipe.
Dairy Free Butter - Adds richness to the cupcakes while also keeping them moist.
Vegetable Oil - This keeps the cupcakes exceptionally moist without adding any additional flavor.
Sugar - White sugar is used for the lime cupcakes while powdered sugar is used for the margarita buttercream frosting.
Tequila - What is a margarita without tequila? Use your favorite. This is added to both the buttercream frosting and also in pipettes.
Vanilla Extract - The higher the quality of the vanilla extract, the more pronounced the flavor. This adds floral sweetness.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside. This recipe makes 16 cupcakes.
- Add the almond milk and vinegar to a bowl and stir together. Allow it to sit for five minutes until it begins to curdle.
- Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl add half of the sugar and the butter. Mix on high for 90 seconds.
- Add the remaining sugar and the oil and mix for 20 seconds on medium-high. It should be a little light and fluffy.
- Next, add in both eggs and the vanilla extract and mix until the eggs are just incorporated.
- Carefully add half of the dry ingredients and mix until they are just combined.
- Pour in the almond milk mixture and lime juice and zest. Mix for 10-15 seconds until incorporated.
- Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix them until they’re just combined into the batter. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
- Use a cookie scoop or measuring cup to fill the cupcake liners ⅔ way full.
- Allow the cupcakes to bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- To make your margarita buttercream frosting add the room-temperature butter to a bowl and mix on high until creamy and slightly fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and carefully add a cup of powdered sugar. You can increase the speed of the mixer as it incorporates back to high. Add the second cup of powdered sugar along with the remaining ingredients and mix on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer your margarita buttercream to a piping bag and pipe onto your cooled cupcakes.
- Add your tequila to a shot glass. To fill the pipette, pour tequila into a very small bowl. Squeeze the pipette, place the tip into the bowl, release it, and allow it to fill with tequila. Insert into the frosted cupcakes. Cheers!
Equipment
Measuring Cups/Spoons
Top tips
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature including your eggs. This will allow everything to mix together smoothly without over-mixing.
- Always start your mixer on low when adding your powdered sugar to make your buttercream frosting. You want the powdered sugar in the bowl, not all over your counter.
- Use a cookie scoop to make it easy to equally portion out your cake batter. This will allow them to all bake evenly.
- Pick a tequila that you enjoy drinking for this recipe. These are alcohol-infused cupcakes so you want something with great flavor.
- Use organic limes if possible. Much citrus has a waxy coating on the outside to make it more shelf stable both for shipping and also at the store. Since you are using the zest of lime also, organic citrus doesn’t have this coating.
FAQ
Can I leave the tequila out of the recipe to make this kid-friendly?
Absolutely! You may need to add a little additional almond milk to thin out the buttercream frosting. And then simply leave the pipettes off.
Can I use different milk to create the buttermilk for this recipe?
Yes! This works with other types of dairy-free milk like oat milk. It also works with regular milk.
Can this recipe be used to make a cake?
You can use this same recipe to make a cake instead of cupcakes. You could even brush the layers with tequila if desired.
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📖 Recipe
Margarita Dairy Free Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Gluten Free 1:1 Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup almond milk plus 3 tablespoon almond milk - room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ stick dairy free butter
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Frosting
- 1 stick dairy free butter
- 1 tablespoon tequila
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon almond milk
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 ℉. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside. This recipe makes 16 cupcakes.
- Add the almond milk and vinegar to a bowl and stir together. Allow it to sit for five minutes until it begins to curdle.
- Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl add half of the sugar and the butter. Mix on high for 90 seconds.
- Add the remaining sugar and the oil and mix for 20 seconds on medium high. It should be a little light and fluffy.
- Next add in both eggs and the vanilla extract and mix until the eggs are just incorporated.
- Carefully add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until they are just combined.
- Pour in the almond milk mixture and lime juice and zest. Mix for 10-15 seconds until incorporated.
- Finally add the remaining dry ingredients and mix them until they’re just combined into the batter. Be careful not to over mix the batter.
- Use a cookie scoop or measuring cup to fill the cupcake liners ⅔ way full.
- Allow the cupcakes to bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- To make your margarita buttercream frosting add the room temperature butter to a bowl and mix on high until creamy and slightly fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and carefully add a cup of powdered sugar. You can increase the speed of the mixer as it incorporates back to high.
- Add the second cup of powdered sugar along with the remaining ingredients and mix on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer your margarita buttercream to a piping bag and pipe onto your cooled cupcakes.
- Add your tequila to a shot glass. To fill the pipette, pour tequila into a very small bowl. Squeeze the pipette, place the tip into the bowl, release it, and allow it to fill with tequila. Insert into the frosted cupcakes. Cheers!
Notes
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature including your eggs. This will allow everything to mix together smoothly without over-mixing.
- Always start your mixer on low when adding your powdered sugar to make your buttercream frosting. You want the powdered sugar in the bowl, not all over your counter.
- Use a cookie scoop to make it easy to equally portion out your cake batter. This will allow them to all bake evenly.
- Pick a tequila that you enjoy drinking for this recipe. These are alcohol-infused cupcakes so you want something with great flavor.
- Use organic limes if possible. Much citrus has a waxy coating on the outside to make it more shelf stable both for shipping and also at the store. Since you are using the zest of lime also, organic citrus doesn’t have this coating.
Agnieszka says
These cupcakes really do taste like margarita! Turned out great.
NKendrick says
Thank you, I am so glad you enjoyed them!
JC Phelps says
The perfect recipe for the summer -- and loved that it was dairy free. Thank you! Margaritas in cupcake form? Yes, please.
Kit says
I love this idea!! So fun for summer!
Liz McCray says
I've never tried dairy free butter but this recipe looks like the perfect time to try it out!