Without a doubt the BEST vegan chocolate cupcakes! These cupcakes are so easy to make and produce a soft and tender cake with rich chocolatey flavour, best finished off with a swirl of my favourite fudgy vegan chocolate buttercream.
I know everyone on the internet says their recipe is THE BEST, but I don’t use that statement lightly when I talk about these vegan chocolate cupcakes. They are one of my favourites to make and this is a tried and true recipe in my house. I’ve literally lost count of how many times I’ve made them and they come out perfectly every single time!
They are so soft and tender and yes, moist (we do not like a dry cake!). These cupcakes have a rich and chocolatey flavour without being too sweet that balances the rich and creamy chocolate buttercream that I swear tastes like milk chocolate fudge despite being completely dairy free and using only cocoa powder.
Whether you’re wanting to make these for a birthday, an office potluck, or to take to a friends house, these vegan chocolate cupcakes will be a hit with everyone!
If you like these simple vegan chocolate cupcakes then you should definitely try my vegan vanilla cupcakes recipe or my black velvet cupcakes. Or if you really can’t decide between vanilla or chocolate, try these vegan red velvet cupcakes!
Key Ingredients
This chocolate cupcake recipe is both dairy free and egg free without using any hard to find ingredients, meaning most ingredients are probably in your pantry already!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dairy free milk + white vinegar – this combination is going to create a vegan buttermilk substitute that helps create the soft and tender cake crumb that makes these cupcakes so good. I usually use either almond milk or oat milk but any dairy free milk will work.
- Canola oil – using oil instead of a butter substitute helps make these cupcakes so soft and moist. Use any flavourless oil for the best results. You can use coconut oil however your cupcakes will have a coconut flavour to them.
- White sugar – the sugar not only makes these cupcakes sweet and therefore delicious, but it also helps with keeping them moist so don’t be tempted to reduce the amount as your results will not be the same.
- Vanilla – enhances the chocolate flavour.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Cocoa powder – always use a good quality cocoa powder for the best, rich, chocolate flavour. I’ve used Cadbury Bournville cocoa powder my entire life because it’s made from the same beans Cadbury uses to make their chocolate so you know it’s going to taste good. For those in the US, this is a Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Bicarbonate of soda – also known as baking soda in the US, this is going to react with the vinegar to help create a light and soft cupcake.
- Baking powder – helps the cupcakes rise, especially important without any eggs in this recipe.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the ingredients needed for the frosting or read the full post for the vegan chocolate buttercream which includes a more detailed breakdown and step-by-step photos and instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is one of those baking recipes that is actually quick and easy. This is the recipe you need to bookmark for those days you forgot you said you’d bring dessert and are just so tired but you don’t want it to look like you went with a low effort option.
You don’t even need a electric mixer for the cupcakes. Yes you need one for the buttercream but if you have a stand mixer then that does all the work for you so it’s still low key.
The first thing you need to do is make the vegan buttermilk substitute by combining your dairy free milk with the vinegar.
Next in one bowl whisk together the canola oil, sugar and vanilla, while in another mix together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and baking powder.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the oil and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk mixture. Mix everything together until you have a smooth batter.
Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the mixture evenly between your 12 cupcake cases and bake for about 20 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before frosting.
Decorating the cupcakes
Once you make a batch of buttercream you’re free to decorate the cupcakes as you like. My go to is using the Wilton 1M open star piping tip as it produces the most professional looking cupcakes with ease.
Then you can finish the cupcakes with a sprinkle of grated chocolate or some sprinkles of your choosing. You can also drizzle some chocolate ganache over the top if you want to make these extra special (see below for details)!
For a different flavour combination, you can finish off your vegan chocolate cupcakes with vegan vanilla buttercream instead!
Chocolate Ganache: To make chocolate ganache to drizzle over the frosting, chop up ¼ cup of vegan dark chocolate into small pieces (think the size of chocolate chips) and place it in a small bowl. Heat up ¼ cup of coconut milk in the microwave or on the stove until warm (not too hot!). Add to the bowl with the chocolate pieces and let sit for a couple of minutes. The heat from the milk will melt the chocolate. Mix together using a spoon or whisk until glossy and all the chocolate has melted. Let cool before drizzling over the top of the cupcakes.
How to store cupcakes
These cupcakes will be fine covered at room temperature for about 2 days, or in the fridge for about 5 days. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes ahead of time and let thaw overnight at room temperature before frosting on the day of serving.
Cupcakes are the perfect dessert to make when you want something pretty but with minimal effort. They store and travel much easier than a full size cake and take a fraction of the time to make so are a great option if you need to whip something up after work one day.
More vegan cupcake recipes:
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan ‘Snickers’ Cupcakes
Vegan Chocolate Rose Cupcakes
Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Lamington Cupcakes (Vegan)
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the vegan chocolate cupcakes:
- 1 cup dairy free milk such as almond milk or oat milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup plain flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
For the vegan chocolate buttercream:
- 125 grams dairy free butter
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 3 ½ cups icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons dairy free milk such as almond milk or oat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl combine white vinegar and dairy free milk. The milk may split which is fine. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the canola oil, white sugar and vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to oil and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk mixture, whisking until the cupcake batter comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffins tin, ensuring they are only ¾ full before placing them in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the vegan chocolate buttercream. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, beat dairy free butter and vanilla extract for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add in 3 cups of the icing sugar and the cocoa powder and beat on medium until combined. As mixture thickens, add in the dairy free milk a tablespoon at a time. If frosting is too thin, add in an extra ½ icing sugar until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. If the mixture is too thick, add in more dairy free milk. Add a pinch of salt to taste if frosting is too sweet.
- Place the chocolate buttercream into a piping bag with your favourite tip and pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This post was originally published on the 30th July 2020. It has been republished to include better instructions, more helpful information and new photos.
Sarah says
Oh my these look delicious, hard to believe they are vegan! Great for kids with allergies or dietary restrictions to, these would get hovered up at mothers group!
Sally says
Exactly, such a good option for bringing to groups to cater for allergies!
Andrea says
These cupcakes look so pretty and super soft! I love making vegan recipes for my kids and this recipe is so simple, we can’t wait to try them!
Sally says
Thanks Andrea, hope you and the kids enjoy them!
Rachi says
These cupcakes looks so moist. They look perfect and I am sure it’s delicious as well
Sally says
Thanks Rachi!
Sylvie says
How decadent do these cupcakes look – I can’t believe they are vegan!! The chocolate cakes look so moist and that chocolate buttercream… perfection!!
Sally says
Never too much chocolate right?!