Are Cupcake sprinkles vegan?

The easy answer is "generally, no, cake sprinkles are not vegan", but I do have some alternatives for you!

If you're planning to make vegan cupcakes, your sprinkles and pre-made decorations ingredients lists need to be examined to see if they contain animal products. Some are difficult to spot but I have some great alternatives to the normal range you'll find in the baking aisle. 

Before we start, here are some common ingredients to avoid:

Confectioners' Glaze - made from insects
Gelatine
Cochineal and Carmine (more bugs)
Certain colours (E20 is a common one)

What do I suggest instead to make your cupcakes look super fancy?

First, try Googling for inspiration. There are many companies (e.g. some small businesses on Etsy) who will post sprinkles to you.  Vegan Dollhouse has a huge list on her blog too - take a look here. 

Second, try thinking away from actual sprinkles for cake decorations. How about using...

   - fresh fruit - strawberries and raspberries work well, but use caution with softer berries like blackberries which might bleed into the buttercream. 

   - popcorn - super easy to pile up if you're using caramel sauce.

   - dark chocolate squares - a favourite of mine.

   - edible flower petals - I've used rose and lavender recently, a lovely finish and aroma. 

​   - freeze dried fruit - I love raspberries and strawberries here, again. 

   - biscuits like Lotus biscuits, Party Rings and Oreos​.

  - Sweets like Jelly Tots, Flying Saucers, Skittles - inject some colour into your cupcakes!

Don't forget cocoa powder too - a dusting of this over bright white buttercream looks great if the swirls are well defined.

And if you fancy making your own vegan sprinkles (who has THAT time??), take a look at this video I found on Youtube. 

Let me know if you give this tutorial a go, I'd love to see your resulting sprinkles!

Louise
280 Bakes
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