The Best Vegan Hummingbird Cupcakes

Unbelievably moist, vegan hummingbird cupcakes, flavored with banana, pineapple and cinnamon. Topped with fluffy frosting & pineapple flowers ….. these are divine!

What are Hummingbird Cupcakes?

For those of you outside of the South, Hummingbird Cake is a southern classic, typically made with pineapple chunks, banana, coconut and pecans or walnuts. The cake’s roots are in Jamaica , and essentially is a tropical version of a carrot cake with warm notes of pineapple and banana.

Some say this dessert earned its name because each bite makes you hum with delight. Others say it’s because the cake is sweet enough to attract hummingbirds. No matter how it got its name, one thing is certain – these hummingbird cupcakes are delicious and make the most beautiful springtime treat.

How are these made Vegan & nut-free?

This tropical dessert is one of my favorites and I was thrilled to share it on Allergic Living Magazine first! Because their readers have a lot more allergies than we do, I had to modify this be vegan and Top 9 allergen-free, without compromising the flavor. Quite a task when I absolutely LOVE using coconut! But with a few easy substitutions (substituting neutral oil for butter and and mashed banana in place of eggs) these hummingbird cupcakes are bright, sweet, tropical, and each bite is a welcoming burst of sunshine.

Important Ingredients To Make Hummingbird Cupcakes

• All-purpose flour – Plain white flour gives stability and the best results in this recipe so don’t be tempted to use cake flour.
• Sugar – Vegan cane sugar for sweetness and structure and adding moisture.
• Baking Powder, baking soda and apple cider vinegar – It’s hard to replace the leavening that eggs would provide so when making eggless hummingbird cupcakes so you’ll have to make up for that by using extra baking powder and also baking soda which reacts with the pineapple juice (an acid) to create lift and lightness.
• Vanilla and ground cinnamon – This combination pairs beautifully with the banana and pineapple. You can also add a pinch of allspice or nutmeg because it’s super delicious with the fruit.
• Banana and pineapple – Both essential ingredients in hummingbird cake. This is an incredibly moist and flavorful cake and the combination of fruit and sugars make it hummingbird sweet!
• Liquid Oil of choice – Avocado oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, light olive oil (not extra-virgin), or even melted coconut oil are all fine. It does need to be oil and not vegan butter though. Oil is important for moistness in the finished cake.
• Pineapple juice – Use pineapple juice from the can. The juice is for flavor and also for acidity so if you don’t use it it will affect how the recipe turns out.
• Frosting – My homemade, pineapple infused recipe is my first choice (found in the recipe card below). However, when in a pinch, feel free to use an allergy-safe store-bought brand, like cream cheese.

How to make Vegan Hummingbird Cupcakes

(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).

Despite how it may look, this vegan hummingbird cupcake recipe is pretty simple to make.

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Mash the banana.
3. Add crushed pineapple & liquid ingredients to the mashed banana and mix them up.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix gently together.
5. Pour batter into cupcake tins, bake then allow to cool.
6. Then make the creamy pineapple frosting and pipe onto cooled cupcakes,
7. If decorating with pineapple flowers, I’ve included the steps in the recipe card.

Adjust Recipe to Make Vegan Hummingbird Cake

While the instructions that follow are for cupcakes, you can totally make this recipe into a layered cake by doubling the ingredients!

Hummingbird cupcakes are sweet enough on their own, but adding a swirl of velvety smooth pineapple frosting will take these cupcakes over the top! Try topping these bad boys off with dried pineapple flowers for a show-stopping finish.

Hungry for more?

Looking for more great vegan cakes? You might also enjoy my:

• Banana Bundt Cake |vegan, glutenfree
• The Best Vegan Hummingbird Cake
• Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread | How to Make
• Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes with Molasses Buttercream (gluten free option)

You Gotta Make This Tropical Dessert

After trying these Vegan Hummingbird cupcakes, come back and leave a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I always appreciate your feedback! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, and Pinterest for recipes and baking videos.

Last but not least, a huge thank you to everyone who continues to support this blog and to Feedspot for selecting Allergylicious as one of the Top 25 Allergy Mom Blogs on the web.