These vegan Snickers cupcakes capture the flavours of the classic chocolate bar in cupcake form. A rich chocolate base is topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, a drizzle of vegan caramel, and finished with chopped dark chocolate and crushed peanuts. They’re indulgent, decadent, and completely dairy- and egg-free—no one will know they’re vegan.
I hadn’t made these cupcakes in a while, but when I revisited the recipe the flavours and textures all came back—these are everything. They’re rich, indulgent and remain my favourite cupcake recipe on the site. The peanut butter frosting, homemade caramel and a reliable vegan chocolate cupcake base come together perfectly.
If you love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, these cupcakes are for you. Snickers were my favourite chocolate bar growing up and, after giving up dairy, I missed that trio of peanut, caramel and chocolate. These cupcakes recreate that familiar pairing perfectly.
Key Ingredients
This recipe has three main components: the cupcakes, the peanut butter frosting, and the vegan caramel. Below are the main ingredients for the cupcakes; full quantities are listed in the recipe card at the end.
Note: full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Almond milk – my preferred dairy-free milk for baking; oat or soy work well too.
- White vinegar – combined with the dairy-free milk to make a vegan “buttermilk” that reacts with bicarbonate of soda to help the cupcakes rise light and fluffy.
- Canola oil – a neutral oil that keeps the crumb tender. You can substitute light-flavoured vegetable oil if preferred.
- White sugar
- Vanilla – enhances chocolate flavour in the cake.
- Plain flour + Self-raising flour – the combination gives a great texture; you can use all plain (all-purpose) flour and add ½ teaspoon baking powder if you don’t have self-raising flour.
- Cocoa powder – use a good-quality cocoa for best chocolate flavour.
- Baking powder + Bicarbonate of soda – both work together here to ensure proper rise and a light texture.
Equipment & Tools
You’ll only need basic tools: mixing bowls, whisk, spatula and a muffin tin. Use light-coloured pans for even baking and paper liners for easy removal.
- Cupcake / muffin tin
- Paper muffin liners
- Piping bags and tip – optional, for decorating the frosting.
Step-By-Step Instructions
The cupcakes are straightforward to make. You’ll need a small bowl to make the vegan “buttermilk”, a medium bowl for dry ingredients, and a large bowl for wet ingredients.
Begin by mixing the white vinegar into the almond milk. It will curdle—this is expected and forms your buttermilk.
Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl to aerate and evenly distribute the leavening agents. In a large bowl, whisk together the canola oil, sugar and vanilla until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the oil mixture, alternating with the milk until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cupcakes light.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and spoon the batter so each liner is about ¾ full. Bake in a preheated oven for 18–20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
Remove the cupcakes from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Cooling in the pan can allow residual heat to continue cooking them.
Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Frosting
The frosting is a highlight—creamy and rich with a clear peanut butter flavour that isn’t overly sweet. It’s based on a vegan buttercream with some vegan spread replaced by smooth peanut butter.
Beat dairy-free spread and peanut butter until creamy, add icing sugar, then vanilla and almond milk until you reach piping consistency. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Vegan Caramel Sauce
The cupcakes are finished with a drizzle of vegan caramel. A store-bought sauce will work, but homemade caramel is worth the effort. Heat sugar slowly until it melts to a golden syrup, then whisk in dairy-free spread and canned coconut milk. Simmer until thickened and amber in colour, then season with salt to taste. Cool before using—the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Top the frosted cupcakes with the caramel, then scatter chopped dark chocolate and roasted peanuts for texture and extra flavour.
If you make these cupcakes, please leave a rating and a comment — I’d love to know how they turned out.
More vegan cupcake recipes:
Vegan Chocolate Rose Cupcakes
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan ‘Snickers’ Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ¾ cup plain flour/all purpose flour
- ½ cup self raising flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup white sugar/granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- ¼ cup (60 grams) dairy-free spread
- ½ cup (125 grams) smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- pinch salt optional
For the Vegan Caramel:
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons dairy-free spread
- 200 ml coconut milk canned
- salt to taste
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
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Preheat oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
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In a small bowl, combine white vinegar and almond milk; it will curdle—set aside.
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Whisk together plain flour, self-raising flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
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In a large bowl, whisk canola oil, sugar and vanilla until combined.
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Add dry ingredients to the oil mixture, alternating with the milk until just combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
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Spoon batter into liners (¾ full) and bake for 18 minutes or until they spring back when touched. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
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Beat dairy-free spread and peanut butter until smooth, then add 2 cups icing sugar and beat until combined. Add vanilla and almond milk, adjusting icing sugar or milk to reach desired consistency. Add salt if needed.
For the Vegan Caramel
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Heat sugar in a small saucepan, stirring and scraping the bottom as it melts. Reduce heat if the sugar darkens too quickly. Once melted and golden, whisk in dairy-free spread until melted, then add canned coconut milk and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook 5–10 minutes until thickened and amber. Season with salt.
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Remove from heat and cool—the caramel will thicken as it cools. Store extras in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Assemble the cupcakes.
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Pipe or spread a swirl of peanut butter frosting onto each cooled cupcake. Drizzle with vegan caramel and finish with chopped dark chocolate and roasted peanuts.
Notes
Use canned coconut milk for the caramel for best texture.
Nutritional information excludes the caramel sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is a guide only and is automatically calculated; results may vary depending on ingredients used.
Not from Australia? Check conversions
This recipe was originally published in July 2018 and has been updated with new photos and a small tweak to improve the cupcakes.