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.
Hanah says
Can you do 1 and 1/2 amount of this recipe to make 18 cupcakes?
Alison Andrews says
Sure!
kar says
does it have to be light brown sugar?
Alison Andrews says
You can use all white sugar if you prefer. 🙂
Jess says
Hi Alison,
Just wondering if I can use oat milk instead of soya or almond? Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Yes that’s fine. 🙂
Tracy says
I made these last week for my dad’s birthday. I went back and forth about just buying something, because I only had a few hours, but the recipe looked so easy I thought I would just make them. TOTALLY worth it! The cupcakes were so good. The frosting was delicious, too. I used Earth Balance Avocado Spread for the frosting when I realized I was out of vegan butter and I cut the recipe to just 1/3. I had the perfect amount for 12 cupcakes (not a big swirl like your photos, but a good dollop!). Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
Erin says
These were easy and so good!!
Sarah says
I want to make a smash cake for my sons birthday and cupcakes for the rest of us to enjoy. I’d prefer to use the same recipe for both the cupcakes and smash cake for simplicity. Could I use this recipe to make a cake as well?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Sarah, yes you can! This will adapt to a 3 layer 6-inch cake (bake 20 minutes), a 2 layer 7-inch cake (bake 25 minutes) or a single layer 9-inch cake (bake 30 minutes).
brenna says
I loved this recipe! It was very good quality. My only thing against it was the buttercream. It was not as good as i hoped it would be. But besides that i loved it! Thank you for this delicious recipe!!
Amanda says
Hi Allison,
I only have organic cane sugar would I still do this and the brown sugar? And is crisco butter flavoring sticks work as a vegan butter for the icing? Thanks so much!
Alison Andrews says
Organic cane sugar would work fine. I haven’t tried crisco so I’m not sure about that.
jackelin says
Hi, can I switch out the flour for gluten free flour?
Alison Andrews says
Yes you can do that in this recipe, or you can also check out our gluten free chocolate cupcakes. 🙂
Karen says
Have just started cooking/baking your recipes and very impressed! Made your banana bread tonight and my husband and I both agreed best ever! I have tried dozens of recipes looking for the perfect one. You win!!
Tso tofu tomorrow. Then chocolate cupcakes and frosting. Hope I can find a frosting bag. Any other suggestions for one? Thank you for great recipes and love all the additional info you provide. Nice touch.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Karen! Since posting this recipe we have started using the Wilton piping bags and tips and really enjoy them now! 🙂
Layla says
Quick question before I attempt to bake these cupcakes tonight. I do not have applesauce or flaxseed. Am I able to leave it out the recipe?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Layla, no it would be too dry if you left it out. You could use something else, like mashed banana if you like, though that would likely result in a banana flavor, which is why either a flax egg or applesauce are the best options.
Emily says
Made these cupcakes tonight and they are sooooo good. The icing was one of the best I’ve tried and my husband said it tasted like it came from a bakery. Took that as a compliment.
Alison Andrews says
That’s awesome! Thanks so much Emily!
Emily says
These came out sooo good. I really appreciate the measurements in grams. I got precise measurements for everything and the cupcakes turned out great (and I got exactly a dozen). Most recipes only use volume measurements which I always seem to mess it up. So thanks again
The frosting is also amazing but halved the recipe and it was more than enough.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that Emily! And yes baking with gram measures is so much more accurate, I wish everyone would do it! 🙂
Holly says
SO good! My daughter had some cute holiday sprinkles we wanted to use, so we decided to make cupcakes with frosting. Looked up vegan chocolate cupcakes, and so happy this also had a frosting recipe. Simple enough my 10 year old daughter could make it all. I was shocked how good they were, and you would never guess they’re vegan. Wow, that frosting is dangerous. Normally I don’t even eat the frosting, but this is really good! Also we didn’t have applesauce, but I know sometimes that’s used instead of eggs, so instead I told my daughter to make a “vegan egg” with 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed and 3 Tbsp water. Apparently that worked just fine! Thank you for sharing this!
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that Holly! And yes a flax egg is a perfect sub for the applesauce. Thanks for the great review! 🙂
Caitlin says
Taste delicious! Stays fresh for days
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Caitlin!
Jennifer says
Alison I have done so so many of your recipes now and every single one has turned put perfectly! I did these cupcakes exactly like the recipe back in the summer and they were amazing, today I’ve made them and changed the vanilla extract for orange extract to have a christmas twist and again they were amazing! I love how descriptive you are, it makes it so much easier for amature bakers, so thank you 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Jennifer, I’m so happy to hear that!