These classic vegan chocolate cupcakes are moist, fluffy, mega-chocolatey, and topped with the smoothest, silkiest vegan chocolate buttercream.
These vegan chocolate cupcakes are ultimately moist, fluffy and topped with the most deliciously rich smooth and silky vegan chocolate buttercream you’ve ever tasted.
I decided to call this a ‘classic’ vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe because this is really a classic recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
They are super simple to make, using very simple ingredients but the results will shock and astound you because no one in the world will be able to tell these are vegan cupcakes by the taste.
They are every bit as good as any cupcake you’ve ever had, likely better.
I hope this doesn’t come off as braggy, but the reason I’m so confident about this is because I bake A LOT, and I really know a great cupcake from one that is just adequate these days and these are definitely in the category of great.
This vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe is based on our recipes for vegan chocolate cupcakes with mint buttercream frosting and our gluten-free chocolate cupcakes.
But I wanted to make these even easier (if possible) and just go for the really classic version which is chocolate buttercream frosting on a classic chocolate cupcake.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
I don’t use an electric mixer for the cupcakes themselves, but I do use it for the frosting.
So the cupcakes are just a simple case of throwing everything into a mixing bowl and whisking it up with a hand whisk. You only need to mix until everything is just mixed, there might be tiny lumps and that’s okay, you just want to be rid of any big lumps.
Then I transfer the batter to my measuring jug that has an easy pouring nozzle (half the batter at a time as my jug is not super large) and then use the jug to pour the batter into the cupcake liners.
Bake for 20 minutes!
You can make the frosting while the cupcakes are baking, so you don’t add extra time to the recipe.
When the cupcakes are baked, remove them from the cupcake tray and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool and when completely cooled, pipe on your frosting.
Top with grated vegan chocolate.
Top Tips For The Best Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Don’t overmix. You just need to give it a quick whisk with your hand whisk until well combined. I don’t mean you can’t mix it properly, I just mean you don’t want to keep whisking way past the point when everything is properly combined.
Weigh your flour. If you weigh your flour you will have the best chance of a fail proof recipe.
Flour measures are very easy to go wrong, through no fault of yours, flour is just tricky!
I have been baking for a long time and I still test myself sometimes doing the spoon and level method which is the most accurate way to measure without weighing. You spoon the flour into the cup and then level off with a knife.
And then I weigh it and see how close I got. And it’s usually close but not exact. Baking is very precise so weighing your flour is your best bet for a perfect result.
I usually weigh other ingredients like sugar and cocoa as well, but these are less crucial. If you use a tiny bit more sugar than needed it’s unlikely to mess up your recipe.
But where there are weights given in the recipe, and you have a food scale (I recommend a food scale!) then you might as well weigh them for perfect accuracy.
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe Q&A
Can I use almond milk instead of soy milk? Yes you definitely can. I reckon you can use any non-dairy milk, but the ones I’ve tested are almond and soy.
Can I use a different vegetable oil? Yes, you can use any vegetable oil you like. If you want to use coconut oil then make sure it’s melted first. I used canola oil in this recipe but any vegetable oil will do the job.
Why is there vinegar in this recipe? The vinegar reacts with the baking soda and causes a wonderful baking reaction that works fantastically in vegan recipes. Don’t skip it. You can use distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Don’t worry you will not taste vinegar in the end result.
Where is the egg replacer in this recipe? I used some applesauce instead of a flax egg as an egg replacer in this recipe. If you happen to have ground flaxseed meal on hand and no applesauce, you can switch the applesauce for 1 flax egg.
Funnily enough though I don’t always find an egg replacer to be necessary at all, if you look at our vegan vanilla cupcakes, those work great without it.
Can I make these cupcakes gluten-free? We have an amazing gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe that you will absolutely love, I recommend you try that one.
Can I use rice flour, almond flour, coconut flour in these cupcakes? No, if you want to make these cupcakes gluten-free then see the answer above. Single types of flour will not work in this recipe, it needs to be a gluten-free all purpose flour blend and the recipe needs some small adjustments to make it work perfectly. Our recipe linked above will surprise and delight you! 🙂
How do I store these vegan chocolate cupcakes? You can store them at room temperature (covered) for a few days or store them (also covered) in the fridge where they will last for up to a week.
The Frosting
What kind of vegan butter do you use in the frosting? I don’t often mention brands because we have a very global audience of readers, so what I use may not be applicable to you.
I have lived in a few places since starting this blog and have used a variety of brands, vegan-made brands like Earth Balance and Nuttelex and other brands that are just ‘accidentally’ vegan and all have worked great in my frostings and baked goods.
The main difference I see is that different brands have slightly different water contents, a brand that is more firm at room temperature will have a lower water content than one that is always very spreadable. This can impact how much non-dairy milk you add to a recipe, so if you just keep that in mind, then you can adjust as needed.
Add your non-dairy milk in slowly and only use as much as needed to get to the right consistency, you might not need as much as I use or you might need a small bit more.
And for those who are newer to vegan baking, ‘vegan butter’ just refers to a vegan buttery spread, yes, like margarine – but not all margarine is vegan.
You can make your own homemade vegan butter, we have a great recipe for it, but it’s not my favorite for use in frostings, though it works great in other baked goods.
This is because it’s based on coconut oil so it can go very soft at room temperature especially if you’re having hot weather and very hard in the fridge. But it works in a pinch if you don’t have access to a vegan butter/margarine in your country.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
There are many reasons to love these classic vegan chocolate cupcakes, such as:
- Beautifully moist. Some people hate this word but I don’t know why and I use it all the time! But I’m a person who bakes, so moist is a great word. You definitely want your cupcakes to be moist and these definitely are.
- Classic. This is just a classic vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe that you will never go wrong with. It’s the basic, straightforward real deal that will totally delight your tastebuds.
- Light and fluffy. These are wonderfully light and fluffy, which we are absolutely going for here with a classic cupcake.
- Wonderfully chocolatey. It has to be chocolatey because it’s a chocolate cupcake. You need to taste that chocolate and oh my you definitely do.
- Super easy. This is such a simple recipe, requiring regular pantry staples for your ingredients and taking minimal time to prepare.
More Vegan Cupcake Recipes
- Our vegan lemon cupcakes are packed with all the lemon flavor you could want and are a gorgeous treat.
- Our vegan red velvet cupcakes have a beautiful red color and a velvety red velvet frosting too!
- Our vegan oreo cupcakes have whole oreos baked into the bases and are topped with vanilla frosting and crumbled oreos.
- Our vegan strawberry cupcakes and vegan funfetti cupcakes are divine too.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Classic Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour (188g)
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder (43g) Unsweetened
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar (100g)
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar (100g)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 3 Tbsp Applesauce
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- ¾ cup Vegan Butter (170g)
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar (360g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2-3 Tbsp Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk
Decoration:
- Vegan Chocolate Shavings Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and cocoa into a mixing bowl and add the white and brown sugar, baking soda and salt and mix together.
- Add the soy milk, vanilla, oil, applesauce and vinegar and mix in. Use a hand whisk to whisk out any big lumps.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
- Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Let cool for a few minutes and then remove the cupcakes from the cupcake tray and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare your frosting by adding the vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt to a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, start at slow speed, gradually increasing speed. Add in the soy milk slowly, only as much as needed to get the right consistency.
- When your cupcakes are cooled, pipe on the frosting and sprinkle with grated vegan chocolate shavings.
Video
Notes
- Weigh your flour for the most accurate results or use the spoon and level method: spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup.
- For the frosting, the amount of non-dairy milk you will need to add will depend on the water content of the brand of vegan butter you use. I used all 3 Tbsp of soy milk. You may need less (higher water content vegan butter) or more (lower water content vegan butter). So just be careful with the addition of the non-dairy milk, add it in slowly and as much as you need for the perfect thick frosting consistency for piping.
- This makes a good amount of frosting, enough to frost each cupcake quite liberally (as pictured).
- Nutritional information is for 1 cupcake of 12 including frosting and chocolate shavings.
Sophia says
These were DELICIOUS 🙂 moist, soft, fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness. I’m definitely going to make these again! Thanks for the recipe, it was worth making the applesauce for.
Alison Andrews says
So glad to hear they were a success! Thanks for the wonderful review Sophia! 🙂
Reason A Ali says
Hello! Question? Is there any way I could make the cupcake vanilla?
Thanks!
Reason A Ali says
Nvm found your vanilla cupcake recipe! Thanks! Super excited to make these for Thanksgiving tomorrow! 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Okay perfect! I was just about to suggest our vanilla cupcake recipe. 🙂
Jerica says
Hi there. I dont have vegan butter is there anything else I can use instead to replace the vegan butter. Thank you for your recipes!! You are amazing
Alison Andrews says
Hi Jerica! You can use a different frosting that doesn’t require butter like our vegan chocolate ganache frosting or you can even make your own homemade vegan butter. Some do use coconut oil instead of vegan butter in frostings as well but it’s not something I have tried.
Jess says
WOW!!!!! You’ve done it again! I already made your German chocolate cake and had no doubt these would turn out just as good and they sure did! So light, moist and tender. A perfect chocolate cupcake. One to keep on hand for sure! Topped it with peanut butter frosting and it was so delicious. Delicious by itself too! Bringing these in for a coworkers birthday-can’t wait to share them! Thank you so much!
Alison Andrews says
Fantastic! So glad to hear Jess! Thanks for the wonderful rating! 🙂
Rebekah says
These cupcakes are light & fluffy rather than dense and heavy as is so often the case with vegan baking. They make the perfect treat for my egg-allergic son so that he doesn’t ‘miss out’. I used coconut oil and substituted the apple sauce for 1 flax egg and they turned out perfect. Also, I didn’t make the frosting and they are yum even without this!
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that Rebekah! Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review. 🙂
CASSANDRA LIM says
Hi, I don’t have access to applesauce. Can I omit it or replace it with something else pls?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Cassandra, you can’t omit it, but you can replace it with a flax egg. 🙂
Jenn says
This recipe is amazing!
I tested quite a lot of vegan recipes and this beats them all. My cupcakes were more like muffins domed and fluffy, but this could be because i accidentally used baking powder instead of soda, so i simply omitted the vinegar.
Can’t wait to test more of your great recipes.
Btw, I used whole wheat spelt flour, and it worked great!
Alison Andrews says
So glad it worked out great! Thanks so much for sharing Jenn! 🙂
Heather says
What kind of cocoa do you use? A Natural or Dutch based?
Alison Andrews says
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder, like Hershey’s. All the best! 🙂
vera says
Alison your choc cup cakes are amazing, i had to do dairy free cup cakes and they tasted so chocolatey and very moist, will be doing these cup cakes when called for dairy free.
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Vera! 🙂
Carylann Principal says
I have made a lot of cupcakes in my day and when I was asked to cater a Vegan party it was no problem because of your beautiful recipe! Perfect every time! Thank you for doing all the leg work for me : )
Alison Andrews says
SO happy to hear this, thanks for the wonderful review! xo
Lauren says
Can I use vegan butter in the batter instead of oil?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Lauren, oil is going to be best, it provides the perfect level of moisture for these cupcakes. But vegan butter (melted) will work in a pinch. 🙂
Aneesha says
Just made and ate one of these, yummy! I added orange zest to the frosting/drizzle that I made with icing sugar, almond milk, cocoa powder and orange zest ????
Alison Andrews says
Sounds delicious! So glad they’re a success! Thanks for the awesome review. xo
Molly says
Hi Alison,
I made these this afternoon, loved the flavour but they came out very heavy and doughy rather than light and fluffy – what could I be doing wrong? My oven often cooks things quicker than expected so I’m wondering if I should be turning down the temp a bit?
Thanks! 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Hi Molly, did you weigh the flour? Accidentally using too much flour can definitely cause this. If you don’t weigh the flour then the spoon and level method is a must for measuring flour. Regarding the oven temperature, I don’t know if this would cause excess doughiness, it feels more likely to be too much flour, but an oven thermometer is a good idea so you can check your oven temp and make sure it’s the same inside as what it is saying it is. All the best! 🙂
Barbara Carroll says
ANOTHER FABULOUS RECIPE ALISON! These cupcakes are moist, fluffy, chocolatey… simply awesome. The only variation for me is less baking time (just the way it is with my oven), 18 minutes and they were perfect. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipies.
Alison Andrews says
Brilliant! So glad they were a success! Thanks for sharing about the shorter baking time, it’s amazing how much ovens can vary. Thanks so much for the fantastic rating! 🙂
LynA says
These cupcakes are awesome! I made these exactly as written and they came out perfect. Everyone loved them and I will be making these again (and again, and again….LOL). Thank you for this awesome vegan cupcake recipe
Alison Andrews says
Fantastic! I’m so pleased to hear that, thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful rating! 🙂
Anne says
Can the frosting for these cupcakes be mixed by hand with a whisk since I don’t own a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Anne, it’s not something I’ve tried but I imagine with a bit of arm power (and letting the vegan butter soften) that it could work! 🙂