MOIST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe - So easy! (2024)

Based off of my award winning vegan chocolate cake, these vegan chocolate cupcakes are moist, rich, tender, and topped with a silky chocolate frosting that’s unbelievably dairy free!

MOIST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe - So easy! (1)

The only chocolate cupcake recipe you need:

These are truly the ultimate chocolate cupcake recipe, not just vegan chocolate cupcake recipe. And I’m prepared to back that statement up.

We’re talking incredibly moist, rich, full of robust chocolatey flavor with a tender crumb (that’s ANYTHING but dry) and just overall drool-worthy.

Based off my best vegan chocolate cake recipe, these vegan chocolate cupcakes areincredibly rich, yet sweet,light and fluffyyet full of rich chocolate, and topped with the absolutebest vegan chocolate buttercream frosting you’ve ever had.

Sure, the fun and fancy flavored vegan cupcakes (like the ones in my cookbook!) are super delicious, but nothing beats this classic vegan chocolate cupcake recipe (and they pair great with my vegan vanilla cupcake recipe!).

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Need other veganized versions of classic base recipes? Check them out:

  • Small vegan chocolate cake
  • Vegan vanilla cake and vegan vanilla cupcakes
  • Fudgy vegan brownies
  • Vegan red velvet cake and red velvet cupcakes
  • My crowd-favorite vegan chocolate chip cookies

I just know that you’re going to absolutely love these undetectably eggless dairy free chocolate cupcakes!

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Overview: How to make vegan chocolate cupcakes from scratch

I’ve outlined how to make these vegan chocolate cupcakes all in the YouTube video and recipe card below. You’ll find the full written instructions there, along with ingredient measurements in both cups and grams.

Watch how to make vegan chocolate cupcakes:

The written instructions just also outline how to make these cupcakes in a stand mixer.

To make these easy vegan chocolate cupcakes:

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.This is an important step to make sure that the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  2. Whisk the wet ingredients: Add the oil, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and vegan buttermilk into a bowl, and whisk until combined.
  3. Add in the dry ingredients and whisk while you pour in the coffee. It’s imperative to notover mix the cupcake batter, as then your cupcakes will turn out more rubbery and lose their lift.
  4. Pour the batter into the cupcake tin and bake!I usually yield between 10-12 cupcakes and aim to fill them up about 3/4 of the way. Use thetoothpick testto ensure that your cupcakes are completely done (and not over-baked!).
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TIP: How to perfectly frost a cupcake

I totally get it. It might seem intimidating to actually pipe the vegan frosting onto the vegan chocolate cupcakes. But not to worry, it’s actually quite simple!

I go overhow to pipe the frosting onto these cupcakesin my YouTube video. Once you’ve made the vegan chocolate buttercream frosting, let’s perfectly fost a cupcake:

  1. Start by squirting a bit of the vegan chocolate buttercreamfrosting into the middle of the cupcake.
  2. Then start spiraling out, twirling the cupcake or your piping tip as you go, laying the frosting to create the height of the frosting.
  3. Slightly dip the frosting tip down as you finish the frosting to create the perfect point.

Then repeat for the remaining cupcakes!

How to store leftover cupcakes

If you have any leftovers from this vegan chocolate cupcake recipe, simplystore the cupcakes in a cupcake containeror lightly cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Make ahead option:to make these vegan chocolate cupcakes ahead of time, simply make the chocolate cupcakes, and allow them to cool fully. Store them in an airtight container and freeze for 2 days. When ready to serve, allow the cupcakes to sit at room temperature for 4-5 hours, and then prepare the vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. Pipe and frost, then serve!

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Why do I need to add hot water to chocolate cupcake batter?

This is a great question, as it goes against all advice of using “room temperature ingredients.” I totally get it! This is the one ingredient that you’re allowed and able to have not at room temperature.

The reason being is that adding hot water to the cocoa powder helps tobloom the cocoa powder. In other words, the cocoa powder will release more chocolate flavor throughout the cupcakes, yielding a much richer chocolate cupcake.

Can I make these vegan cupcakes gluten free as well?

Absolutely! I’ve only tested this recipe usinggluten free 1:1 baking flour, and you’ll use the same amount as you would regular all purpose flour.

Can I make these cupcakes into a vegan chocolate cake?

I actually already have adelicious vegan chocolate cakerecipe for you! These cupcakes are heavily based off of that recipe. If you want a true chocolate cake, I would just make my cake recipe. I also have a wonderful small batch chocolate cupcake recipe that uses oat flour, which I’ve linked below in the “more cupcakes” section.

Alternatively, you can try my single layer 6″ small chocolate cake!

However,you can also double this recipe for a 2 layer 8″ cake. The bake time for the cake layers will be about 32-35 minutes.

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Important final tips & tricks for this recipe:

  • Use either applesauce or dairy free yogurt- don’t swap in flaxseed:My favorite vegan egg replacement for cupcakes is yogurt. Many ask whether you can used ground flaxseed in place of the applesauce. For most recipes, you can, but I highly recommend against it for this particular recipe. The reason being is that the applesauce has a bit more moisture than flaxseed, and will more closely resemble the texture that you would achieve with using real eggs.
  • Don’t overfill the cupcake liner:I recommend filling the cupcakes about 3/4 of the way full. Any higher, and you’ll end up with a muffin top. Any lower, and your cupcakes won’t rise to the top of the muffin liner.
  • The final tip: Let the cupcakes cool in the cupcaketin for 10 minutes before cooling on a cooling rack! This makes sure that the liner comes off cleanly.
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You are just going to love these easy vegan chocolate cupcakes! They’re perfect for any party and will be absolutely loved by anyone who tries them, vegan or not! If you make this recipe,please be sure to leave a comment and a rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This helps others find the recipes!

As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations onInstagramandPinterest, so be sure to tag me there.

Happy chocolate cupcake baking!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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MOIST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe - So easy! (14)

MOIST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe – So easy!

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

Based off of my award winning vegan chocolate cake, these vegan chocolate cupcakes are moist, rich, tender, and topped with a silky chocolate frosting that’s unbelievably dairy free!

Ingredients

Scale

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes:

  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) vegan buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups (157 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • 3/4 cups (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) neutral oil
  • 2 tbsp (35 g) unsweetened applesauce or dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • 1/3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) hot water + 1 tsp dissolvable espresso powder

Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1 cup (226 grams) vegan butter, softened
  • 2 cups (260 grams) powdered sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 cup (100 grams) cocoa powder
  • 23 tbsp dairy free milk

Instructions

  1. Please read through all instructions. Measure out all ingredients before beginning.
  2. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with liners. Make sure for the vegan buttermilk, the dairy-free milk and lemon juice/ACV are mixed together and set aside to curdle.
  3. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
  4. Make the chocolate cupcakes batter:In a large bowl with a hand mixer or whisk, mix together the neutral oil, sugar, brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and buttermilk until combined. Carefully add in about half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and half of the coffee. Mix again lightly until almost all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, then add in the remaining dry mixture and coffee, being careful not to over mix the batter.
  5. Bake:Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling the liners about 3/4 of the way full. You should get about 10-12 cupcakes. Place the cupcakes into the over and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool:Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the cupcake tin. After 10 minutes, transfer the cupcakes to the cooling rack until they are fully cooled.
  7. Make the veganchocolate buttercream:Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, begin making the vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.To make thevegan chocolate buttercream frosting,beat the vegan butter until creamy. Sift in the cocoa powder and the powdered sugar (or coconut sugar). Continue to beat the frosting, adding in 2-3 tbsp of dairy free milk to help combine the sugar into the butter. The buttercream should be fluffy.
  8. Top the cupcakes:Fill a piping bag with a tip and pipe the vegan buttercream frosting onto the cool cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Gluten free:Swap in gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend.

Vegan Buttermilk: this is definitely a necessity for these cupcakes! Simply combine the dairy free milk and the apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice if you don’t have vinegar) and let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes to curdle. Then use immediately in the recipe.

Hot coffee:If you don’t want to use coffee, you can simply use warm dairy free milk or sub in an herbal coffee, like Anima Mundi Herbals Happiness Powder.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 280
  • Sugar: 36.7 g
  • Sodium: 225.4 mg
  • Fat: 9.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 52.2 g
  • Fiber: 3.6 g
  • Protein: 3.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

More vegan cupcakes that you’ll love:

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Paleo Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes

Fluffy Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes

Amazing Vegan White Chocolate Cupcakes

Vegan Champagne Cupcakes

Small Batch Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes

Vegan S’mores Cupcakes

MOIST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe - So easy! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to moist cupcakes? ›

"Baking fluffy, moist cupcakes is all about creating air bubbles in your batter that expand in the oven," she says. "If you overmix your batter, you collapse those bubbles and end up with a brick-like cake." Always mix at a low speed to avoid this, stopping just as all ingredients blend.

What is the difference between a vegan cupcake and a regular cupcake? ›

Vegan cupcakes are animal product and dairy free. This means they contain no egg, butter, or dairy products. However, they do contain ingredients that are familiar to the baker such as flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, oil, and vanilla.

Why are my cupcakes not moist? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet.

What are the ingredients in just desserts vegan chocolate cupcakes? ›

Ingredients: vegan granulated sugar, vegan powdered sugar, unbleached flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, floic acid), water, canola oil, soy milk (filtered water, soybeans, salt, natural flavor, gellan gum, sunflower lecithin, gellan gum, natural flavor), unsweetened ...

How do bakeries get their cakes so moist? ›

Jump to:
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

What can I put on my cupcakes to keep them moist? ›

Add a frosting: Top them with frosting to make cupcakes moist like whipped chocolate ganache.

Why are my vegan cupcakes dense? ›

DENSE RESULT

This can be caused by not using the right egg replacer. Over mixing batter is another reason which causes over development of the gluten and a dense result. If your oven isn't heated to the correct temperature before you put your cake in, it can cause it to not bake properly.

Why are my vegan cupcakes gummy? ›

Dense/Gummy Cupcakes: This is likely due to overmixing the batter and forming too much gluten. It could also be due to expired baking powder/baking soda which are needed for the cupcakes to rise and become soft and fluffy.

Why are my vegan cupcakes sinking? ›

You used too much raising agent

This is probably the most common reason why vegan cakes sink in the middle.

Is it better to make cupcakes with water or milk? ›

It's much better to use milk rather than water when making cupcakes. The proteins in the milk have a big affect on the texture of the final cupcakes, helping to make them tender and moist.

Can I use both butter and oil in cake? ›

A blend of these two ingredients gives the cake the best possible flavor and texture. Butter provides flavor while oil adds moisture and keeps it from being too dry. A cake made with all oil would be moist but lacking in flavor, and an all-butter cake may have a more buttery taste, but would be more dry.

How do you reduce moisture in cupcakes? ›

You can also sprinkle some baking soda on a paper towel on the bottom of your container and then place your goods on top (just don't do that to bare bottomed muffins so they don't get baking soda on their bottoms, try to put them on a plate first. Lined cupcakes should be ok.) Baking soda naturally absorbs moisture.

Are vegan cupcakes healthier than regular? ›

Are vegan cakes healthier than non-vegan cakes, you may ask? For the most part, not really; while the removal of butter can mean less saturated fat, the vegan friendly replacement, often cocoa butter, can be similar in saturated fat levels.

How long do vegan cupcakes last? ›

These cupcakes keep very well in a covered container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. They can also be frozen (frosted or unfrosted, but don't add any fresh strawberry decoration if you're freezing them) for up to 3 months.

Which chocolate cake mixes are vegan? ›

Simple Mills sells plant-based Vanilla and Chocolate cake mixes that can both be made vegan using a vegan egg substitute in the recipe. The mixes themselves are already gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and made with no harmful chemicals or preservatives.

Are cupcakes better with milk or water? ›

Baking tip #2: adding milk to your box cake mix in place of water adds a dense texture to your dessert leaving it moist and flavorful like a homemade cake. Or, if you prefer, you can add buttermilk, giving your cake a tangy flavor to balance out the sweetness.

How do you get moisture out of cupcakes? ›

You can also sprinkle some baking soda on a paper towel on the bottom of your container and then place your goods on top (just don't do that to bare bottomed muffins so they don't get baking soda on their bottoms, try to put them on a plate first. Lined cupcakes should be ok.) Baking soda naturally absorbs moisture.

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