Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
These Ultimate Easy Chocolate Cupcakes are rich, moist, and bursting with chocolatey goodness. They're also dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan-friendly. They're a breeze to make, requiring just two bowls and a whisk—no mixer needed!
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 220kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup (210 g) all-purpose flour sifted
- 5 tablespoons (37 g) cocoa powder sifted
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (225 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon (6 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoons (2 g) salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (270 ml) milk (non-dairy or dairy milk work)
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vinegar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) neutral-tasting oil
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Line a 12- cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, vinegar, vanilla, oil and espresso powder.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix to combine.
- Fill cupcake liners with the batter about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 20 – 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire racks for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan, place them back on the rack, and cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
- Decorate as your heart desires. I used chocolate frosting and chocolate jimmies.
Notes
Store: Frosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months; defrost at room temperature before frosting and serving. However, if refrigerated or frozen, the cupcakes lose some of their fluffiness.
Freeze: Let cupcakes cool completely before freezing. Then, wrap the unfrosted cupcakes individually in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to two months. I recommend adding the frosting right before serving for the best taste. Thaw at room temperature before frosting and serving.
Cupcakes Chocolate Frosting: This time, I decorated the cupcakes with my favorite Chocolate frosting and sprinkles. The only change I made to my frosting recipe was using dairy-free butter and dairy-free chocolate. But feel free to use your other decoration ideas to create your own unique cupcakes!
Mini Cupcakes: Fill mini liners only halfway and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350° F (180° C).
Food Allergy Swaps
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend.
- Experiment with different flavored extracts like almond or peppermint for a unique twist.
- Add chopped nuts or Oreos to the batter for a fun and festive touch.
- Mini Cupcakes - Fill mini liners only halfway and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350° F (180° C).
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Make sure to sift the flour and cocoa to avoid any lumps in the batter.
- Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you start to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Instead, mix just until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.
- Use a cookie scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake liners for uniform cupcakes.
- Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. If you overfill the liners, they won't rise properly.
- Bake the cupcakes as soon as the batter is ready.
- Don't open the oven door until the cupcakes have set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe.
- Every oven is different, so baking times must always be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, affecting baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cupcake without frosting | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg