Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

How to make velvety, fluffy, flavorful vegan chocolate cupcakes that require just one bowl, 8 ingredients, no dairy or eggs, and plenty of flavor and ingredient adaptability. Guaranteed to impress vegans and non-vegans alike!

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

When it comes to vegan bakes, put me in the kitchen, and I’ll turn out batches of Easy Vegan Apple Muffins, Vegan Blueberry Zucchini Muffins, and Peanut Butter Blondies like it’s no one’s business. Unfortunately, getting vegan cupcakes ‘just right’ has been trickier. I have previously shared a recipe for Vegan Blackberry Orange Cupcakes, but now—after plenty of recipe testing- it’s time the share my ultimate vegan chocolate cupcake recipe!

Whereas muffins are moist and denser, cupcakes should be soft, spongy, fluffy, and light. Well, it turns out that you can achieve a batch of perfect dairy-free chocolate cupcakes with just a handful of pantry staples (no ‘odd’ or ‘hard to find’ ingredients here!). What’s the secret? Baking soda and vinegar! This dynamic duo reacts on contact and bubble and fizz to create a fluffy batter that turns into wonderfully fluffy eggless chocolate cupcakes. No one would guess they’re vegan!

Even better, this recipe is so easy to prepare that you can feel comfortable with kiddos making it! Plus, this recipe is adaptable in several ways way. Not only are there several ingredient substitutes you can choose from, including gluten-free flour and unrefined sugar, but this recipe is also really easy to adjust flavor-wise with different extracts and fillings.

For example, for this batch, I added peppermint extract and vegan chocolate peppermint buttercream to make delicious vegan mint chocolate cupcakes that are perfect for Christmas and special occasions (or just a peckish Tuesday). Keep reading for my other favorite flavor variations.

Best of all, not only are these vegan cupcakes great for home, but they’ll also impress at potlucks, birthday parties, and other special events (like Valentine’s day). They are freezer-friendly, too, for whenever you want a quick treat!

The Ingredients

8 simple and inexpensive pantry ingredients are all you require to whip up a batch of these fluffy and delicious chocolate vegan cupcakes in no time.

• Flour: Basic all-purpose flour works perfectly for these easy vegan chocolate cupcakes. However, feel free to combine regular and whole wheat flour or use spelt flour. Check the FAQs for gluten-free options.

When changing the flour, the density, lift, and flavor of these vegan cupcakes will vary.

• Cocoa powder: Use high-quality cocoa powder for the best flavor. You could even use a few spoonfuls of Dutch-processed cocoa instead of regular cocoa for extra depth to the flavor and richer color (the cocoa used to make Oreos).
• Baking Soda: This will provide lift and a fluffy texture.
• Vinegar: This reacts with baking soda to create spongy, fluffy eggless chocolate cupcakes. Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Sugar: Regular white sugar is all you need for this chocolate eggless cupcake recipe, though you can use an unrefined sugar like coconut sugar if preferred.
• Salt: Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
• Oil: I.e., vegetable oil, canola oil, or coconut oil (the latter adds flavor, too) for a super tender crumb. I don’t recommend using dairy-free margarine; the added water throws off the balance in the batter.
• Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla extract or paste to avoid an artificial aftertaste.
• Peppermint Extract: (optional) One of the easiest ways to enhance the flavor of these cupcakes is with natural flavor extracts. My current obsession is mint, so I’ve made vegan chocolate peppermint cupcakes (perfect for the holidays!) this time.
• Water: To bring the batter to the correct consistency. Unsweetened dairy-free milk (like oat milk, almond milk, etc.) will also work but will affect the flavor.

I also like to use a batch of my homemade vegan chocolate buttercream frosting (available in several flavors, including chocolate peppermint frosting for vegan mint chocolate cupcakes).

You could also use vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, coffee, caramel, etc. Alternatively, you can use some sweetened vegan whipped cream.

What Can I Change/Add to the Recipe?

Once you’ve got the base vegan chocolate cupcake recipe sorted, the sky is the limit when adapting this recipe to different vegan flavors. Here are just a few of my favorites.

• Other extracts: Play around with flavorings and extracts to find delicious combinations. I particularly like hazelnut extract, orange, peppermint, and coffee extracts with chocolate cupcakes.
• Espresso powder: Add ½ a teaspoon to enhance the chocolate flavor. Add more (1-2 tbsp) for chocolate espresso cupcakes.
• Vegan chocolate chips: Use dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks. Sugar-free vegan chocolate chips work too.
• Fillings: My favorite options for these chocolate dairy-free cupcakes include vegan ganache, nut butter, caramel sauce, or a fruit compote, i.e., cherry compote for cherry chocolate cupcakes.
• Chocolate orange cupcakes: Use orange extract in the cupcake batter and buttercream (about a teaspoon each) and optionally garnish with orange zest or candied orange peel.
• Chocolate coconut cupcakes: Add ½ -1 teaspoon of coconut extract (optional) and ⅓ cup of shredded coconut to batter. Then top with coconut buttercream sprinkled with toasted shredded coconut.
• Carmel chocolate cupcakes: Use salted caramel buttercream over the dairy-free chocolate cupcakes and drizzle or fill with caramel sauce.
• Peppermint mocha cupcakes: Add 1-2 tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the chocolate peppermint cupcake batter.
• Peanut butter chocolate cupcakes: Fill the cupcakes with nut butter and/or use peanut butter frosting.

What Could I use as Cupcake Toppings?

• Shaved vegan chocolate
• Chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, etc.
• Your favorite vegan sprinkles
• A vegan bonbon/truffle pressed into the frosting
• Vegan ganache in place of frosting
• Crushed candies (like candy canes for vegan chocolate mint cupcakes)

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes?

The reason I return to this vegan chocolate cupcake recipe time and time again is because of how simple it is. There’s no fuss at all and just 5 simple steps!

• 1) First, preheat the oven to 350F/176C and line a cupcake tin.
• 2) Then, in a large bowl, sift in the dry ingredients, add the remaining ingredients, and use an electric mixer (or a hand-held whisk) to mix until combined and smooth (a few small lumps are fine).

Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Otherwise, you risk overworking the gluten in the flour and ending up with dense, sunken cupcakes.

• 3) Pour or spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them ¾ full.

• 4) Then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

• 5) Finally, remove the vegan chocolate cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool.

If you want to frost the vegan cupcakes, prepare this creamy chocolate buttercream (or your frosting of choice) while the cupcakes cool and leave it to chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Pipe or use a spatula to add a swirl of frosting (I usually use the Wilton 1m star tip) over each cupcake, and enjoy!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Use the scoop and level method: To help you avoid dense bakes. Fluff up the flour in its bag/container with a spoon, then spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling that with the back of a knife. Never scoop the cup directly into the flour.
• Be careful not to over-mix: To avoid dense, rubbery bakes, mix the batter and only until well combined, but not overly so.
• When making flavored cupcakes: For this version, I made vegan mint chocolate cupcakes and added enough flavoring for a subtle yet noticeable minty flavor to enhance with the chocolate peppermint frosting. Increase/decrease the amount of extract used, though.
• Make sure the baking powder is fresh: Otherwise, it won’t react to the vinegar, and you’ll end up with dense, sunken bakes.
• To make mini cupcakes: No problem - use two trays and reduce the baking time. I recommend checking them at 10 minutes, to begin with.
• Only frost when the cupcakes have cooled: Otherwise, it’ll melt right off and create a mess.

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Make ahead: Prepare the batter (minus the baking soda and vinegar) 1-2 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge. Remove it from the fridge 20 minutes before baking, and add the remaining ingredients right before baking.

Store: You can store these dairy-free chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 5-6 days. Remove one 10-15 minutes before eating it, to take the chill off.

Freeze: I recommend freezing the cupcakes unfrosted. Wrap them individually and place them in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge (overnight), at room temperature (for 2-3 hours), or use a microwave to defrost them quickly.

More Vegan Desserts

• Easy Vegan Lemon Cake
• Vegan Coffee Nice Cream
• Healthy Apple Pie Baked Apples
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Easy Peach Crisp [With Fresh Peaches, Canned, or Frozen]
• Soft Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

If you try this easy vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe, I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla