These moist and rich vegan chocolate cupcakes are topped with a creamy, sweet chocolate buttercream frosting for a deliciously decadent dessert. They truly are a chocolate lover's dream! These egg-free and dairy-free cupcakes are gluten-free too.
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If you're looking to indulge in a tasty treat that's sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings, then you've come to the right place!
And if you love cupcakes as much as you love chocolate, then you've got to check out these vegan vanilla cupcakes next.
This recipe features a totally dreamy vegan chocolate buttercream frosting...but if you want to change things up, you can try topping them with my vegan vanilla buttercream or vegan cream cheese frosting instead.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
For the cupcakes you'll need:
- Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
- Xanthan Gum (omit if your flour blend already contains)
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Boiling Water
- Almond Milk
- Flax Eggs
- Vegetable or Canola Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Vanilla Extract
For the frosting
For the frosting you'll need:
- Vegan Butter
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Organic Powdered Sugar
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make vegan chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting - step by step
For the cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350° F and line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Sift the cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl and add the boiling water.
Mix well until smooth and shiny.
Add flax eggs, milk, oil, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla extract and mix with an electric hand mixer until combined.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum.
Sift the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients
Stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture to your cupcake liners. Each should be between ⅔-3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
For the frosting
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric hand mixer until just smooth.
Sift in the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder a little at a time, mixing with the electric mixer after each addition until combined and scraping down the sides as needed.
Once all the sugar and cocoa powder has been added, beat with the electric hand mixer on high speed for about a minute until the frosting is extra smooth.
When the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe swirls of frosting on top of each.
Substitutions
- Soy-Free - Be sure to use canola oil instead of vegetable oil for the cupcakes and soy-free vegan butter for the frosting.
- Nut-Free - Use nut-free plant-based milk such as oat instead of almond.
Equipment
To make these cupcakes, you'll need a 12-count muffin pan, cupcake liners, mixing bowls, a fine mesh sifter, and an electric hand mixer.
Storage
Unfrosted cupcakes are best stored in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days as this will keep them moist.
However, they can also be refrigerated this way for 3-4 days, but note that they won't be as moist.
It’s best to ice the cupcakes right before you are ready to serve them, but you can store them with the frosting if needed.
They are best used within 3 days if refrigerated but just be sure that your airtight container is deep enough so that the frosting doesn't get squished when you close the lid.
The frosting can be stored by itself in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Be sure to stir before using.
If it is too thick after being refrigerated, you can leave it out at room temperature for a few minutes.
Top tips
- Use the spoon and level method for measuring. Use a spoon to gather the flour and place it in the measuring cup, filling the cup all the way to the top and allowing it to overflow. Then, use the back of a knife to level the top off.
- Allow the cupcakes to first cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
- Be sure to wait until the cupcakes have cooled completely before topping with frosting.
- For the frosting, be sure to use vegan butter in stick form, not the spreadable kind in the tub. My favorite is Country Crock but you can use your favorite brand. Add this frosting to these Vegan Cupcakes too!
- Be sure the butter is at room temperature as it will be hard to mix if the butter is too cold and will not whip up properly if the butter is melted.
- For the full cake version, make this Chocolate Vegan Cake!
More Chocolate Recipes
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 5 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoon boiling water
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp. flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp. water and left to sit for 15 minutes)
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant based milk
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter, at room temperature
- 3-3 ½ cups organic powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a standard size 12-count muffin/cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- Sift the cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl and add the boiling water. Mix well until smooth and shiny.
- Add the flax eggs, milk, oil, sugar, vinegar and vanilla extract and mix with an electric hand mixer until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum.
- Sift the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to your cupcake liners. Each should be between ⅔-3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Leave the cupcakes in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric hand mixer until just smooth, but do not overbeat.
- Sift in 3 cups of the powdered sugar and all of the cocoa powder a little at a time, mixing with the electric mixer after each addition until combined and scraping down the sides as needed. Add up to ½ cup more powdered sugar if needed to achieve desired consistency, mixing after adding.
- Once all the sugar and cocoa powder has been added, beat with the electric hand mixer on high speed for about a minute until the frosting is extra smooth.
- When the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe swirls of frosting on top of each.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
Nutrition
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