The BEST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes! Moist, light, fluffy cupcakes with a mouthwatering chocolate frosting. Plus they’re made in 1 bowl!
Get ready to try the best moist chocolate cupcake you’ve ever tasted! No one will ever guess they’re vegan. They are the perfect thing to pair with Vegan Chocolate Frosting, Vegan Vanilla Frosting or Vegan Chocolate Ganache.
I adapted these cupcakes from my popular Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe. And sure, you could just make cupcakes instead of cake from that recipe, but you’ll end up with a ton of cupcakes!
This recipe makes a smaller batch (about 12 cupcakes) and I’ve made them so easy to make in just 1 bowl. Plus you can make the cupcakes with just a whisk and a spoon, no hand mixer required. You will need a mixer for the frosting, unless you go with the ganache. Of course, feel free to double or triple the recipe as needed for birthday parties and other occasions that call for a lot of cupcakes.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Soy milk – May use any kind of non-dairy milk, such as almond, oat, coconut or hemp milk. Use unsweetened if possible, but sweetened is okay if it’s all you have.
- Apple cider vinegar – This is to make vegan buttermilk. Sub white vinegar or lemon juice.
- All purpose flour – For gluten free, may use a gluten free all purpose mix, such as King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
- Sugar
- Cocoa powder – I used natural cocoa powder, but dutch processed works as well. The cupcakes will be darker in color.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Oil – I used canola oil here, but you could sub melted coconut oil or another neutral flavored oil.
- Unsweetened applesauce – This is your egg replacer. You could substitute one flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 2.5 tablespoons water) if needed, or probably another egg substitute.
- Vanilla extract
How to make vegan chocolate cupcakes
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. I also like to lightly spray the liners with oil for easy cupcake removal. Next, measure your soy milk in a glass measuring cup, then add the apple cider vinegar to it and let that sit for a few minutes to curdle. This is your “buttermilk”.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and “buttermilk” and stir well to combine. The batter should be fairly runny, and not too thick.
Fill the paper liners 1/2 full. ONLY HALF FULL! You do not need to fill more than that, they will rise to the top but not over the top this way, which is perfect. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. That’s it!
Make a batch of Vegan Chocolate Frosting while they cool, or whatever frosting you want to use. Once cooled completely and not before, frost generously. I used a Wilton 1M tip and a piping bag for these cupcakes; so pretty right?
If you only want a little spread of frosting on the cupcakes, you can cut the chocolate frosting recipe in half. But if you want to pipe it on thick, you will probably need the entire recipe.
How to store leftover cupcakes
If you have leftover, frosted cupcakes, store them in the refrigerator for about 5 days. A covered container of some kind is preferred, or a plate covered with plastic wrap would work. You can also freeze frosted cupcakes to enjoy later.
Make ahead: You can also make the cupcakes in advance and then frost the day of serving. Cupcakes can be frozen, then thawed and frosted, or made a day or two ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to frost and serve.
Can I use this cupcake recipe to make a cake?
Yes, you can turn this into a cake easily. The batter will translate to one 8-inch square cake, or a 9-inch round cake. If you want more than that, I suggest just making the Best Vegan Chocolate Cake instead.
If you make the recipe as a cake, it will need to bake longer in the oven, 30-35 minutes. Watch it carefully, and check with a toothpick or sharp knife you make sure it’s done in the middle.
Can I make mini cupcakes?
Sure! Use a mini cupcake/muffin pan with liners or simply grease the pan well. Fill half full and bake for 10-12 minutes.
More cupcake and cake recipes you will love!
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- 1 Bowl Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
- Vegan Mint Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes
The Best Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 Recipe Vegan Chocolate Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Spray the liners with a little oil to prevent sticking.
- In a measuring cup, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit a few minutes until it curdles (this is your vegan buttermilk).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
- To the bowl with the mixed dry ingredients, add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and milk/vinegar mixture. Stir well with a large spoon or spatula until smooth and well combined. The batter should be fairly thin and smooth, not too thick. (see photos in post above for reference)
- Fill the liners only half full. Do not overfill or the cupcakes will rise out of the liners and spill over. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Cool completely, then pipe or spread on frosting as desired with Vegan Chocolate Frosting.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute almond, cashew, coconut or hemp milk for the soy milk. Any plant based milk will work here.
- You can substitute coconut oil or even melted vegan butter for the canola oil if you want.Â
- If you only want a little bit of frosting on each cupcake, you can cut the frosting recipe in half. But if you want it piped on like I did, you will need the full recipe.
- Calories are an estimate only, and will vary greatly on how much frosting you put on each cupcake.Â
- Cupcakes can be frozen, unfrosted, for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature and then frost. Leftover frosted cupcakes are best stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days.
- Gluten free - Use a quality all purpose gluten free flour.
- Mini cupcakes - Use a mini muffin pan, fill half full and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Can also make one 8-inch square or a round 9 inch cake out of this recipe. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published in July 2019, and has been updated with improved writing, instructions and substitutions.
I really appreciate the metric measurements, thank you for that 🙂
I doubled the recipe and these cupcakes are really really good! I frosted with the vegan vanilla buttercream frosting and they were even better than I could have imagined!! Very very moist. I probably could have left them in the oven another 2 mins but I didn’t want to take the chance!!
I’m a fan for sure!
I’m glad the information on my site is helpful for you, Vivan! How fabulous you loved the cupcakes! Thank you for your fantastic feedback and review!
My sister made me the cake version of this recipe for my birthday and it was quite literally the best cake I’ve ever had. I’m having a party tomorrow and decided to make the mini cupcakes. I didn’t listen to you when you said to leave out the boiling water and when a did a few test cupcakes, baking for ten minutes, they sank in the middle. So I added some flour to the batter, reduced the cooking spray, and baked an extra two minutes. And they came out beautiful!! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
You’re so welcome, Kara! I’m thrilled you loved the cake and cupcakes 🙂 Thanks for your fantastic review and feedback!
I would like to put a cherry perserve in the middle of the cupcakes. Would this work? Do I have to make any changes to the recipe?
You could do that, I don’t think you need to make any other changes.
I made these chocolate cupcakes and the vanilla cupcakes for a kids birthday party and they both are super yummy! I put a little less sugar and used coconut oil and they turned out very moist. Will be using these in the future for sure! Thank you for the yummy recipe!
I’m thrilled they were a hit! Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback!
Amazing! I subbed the applesauce for 5 tablespoons of soy yogurt as that was all I had, and reduced the sugar by 10% because I prefer my bakes to be less sweet. The recipe yielded moist and fluffy cupcakes – probably the best cupcake recipe I’ve ever tried! Thank you!!
I only have self raising flour can I use that and not put baking powder in?
I have tried it with self rising flour, however, I think it would work. Happy baking!
I’m a long time vegan chef since early 2000 … this chocolate cake recipe was full proof
It came out super moist and rose up beautifully .. I made cupcakes and a cake doubled the recipe
I made some minor flavor adjustments but followed the recipe to the T
Thanks Nora for your guidance
I appreciate your efforts 🙂
You are welcome, Joseph! I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! Thanks for sharing your great review and feedback!
Hi Nora,
Should the cupcake batter use the boiling water just as the cake?
I don’t use the boiling water here so the cupcakes aren’t overly moist. It’s fine if you want to use it, but it will make cupcakes a bit more moist and they tend to be harder to hold in your hand. Not a problem if you use a plate and a fork! But I prefer cupcakes without the added water. Hope that helps!
Hi Nora, I made these per the recipe but used dairy milk as I only need to make egg-free not vegan. The batter was very thick and not runny at all! Is the milk the problem?
Thanks!
I don’t think that would have been a problem. Did you measure everything correctly, and not accidentally forget an ingredient or add too much flour?
Correct, I followed everything. Is it really only 1/2 cup of milk? All your other cupcake recipes have more. They turned out ok when I used a cup of milk. Thank you for your help!
Yes, it’s only 1/2 cup. That’s strange, I have made these many times and haven’t had issues. It’s a very similar recipe to my vegan chocolate cake, but scaled down. The proportions are similar to other recipes on my site, but many others call for more milk + more flour and dry ingredients, making more cupcakes overall. Anyhow, glad they worked okay with more milk for you.
Soooo delicious but slightly crumbly and delicate. I used King Arthur’s GF all purpose flour. I only baked for 18 mins so next time I think I’ll give them a couple more mins to prevent sinking. My question is why the cupcake paper and part of the cupcake kind of fell away or separated from the rest of the cupcake. Did I spray them with too much oil? Have you ever seen this? Seriously divine flavor though- thank you!!
Maybe a bit too much oil, or it could have something to do with the GF flour, I’m not sure exactly. Glad you enjoyed them though!
These tasted great but crumbled into a mess once I picked them up. I couldn’t even frost them. What could have caused this? I used all purpose flour.
It’s hard to say exactly without being there, but perhaps the measurements were off somewhere. Like, too little flour or cocoa? Or maybe they didn’t bake long enough. It could also be that you picked them up and handled them when they were still warm, which is when they are more fragile. Wait until they are cool to handle and frost them. Hopefully I can help!
We had so much fun eating these that it removed all the calories 😉
Hi Nora, my batter was bit tight so I added 3TBSP of soy milk more to the mix. Cupcakes turned out perfectly yummy and didn’t go flat on me 🙂
That is fabulous! I’m so glad they turned out perfect! Thanks for sharing your experience and great feedback!
Just tried it with oat milk and it didn’t curdle with the vinegar at all! Just a warning if anyone else wants to try it. I made this recipe successfully at least 5 times already, but this is the first time I ever tried oat milk.
Delicious! Made them GF and they were fabulous!
These were fantastic and very easy to make. Every one sunk in the middle but I assume it was because the cups were filled just a tad too much. I got 14 cupcakes out of the batch and will try 15 next time (my muffin tins seem to be a tad smaller than the standard because I always get more than a recipe calls for).
Hi Nora, today I made your vanilla cupcakes and these chocolate cupcakes. The vanilla came out beautifully, but the chocolate failed completely. They collapsed as soon as they were out of the oven, and when I tried to take them out of the pan, they crumbled completely! I did use gluten free flour (King Arthur) and melted butter instead of oil. Would either of those cause this? They taste great otherwise, but these will become cake pops instead of cupcakes lol.
Hi Jay. While gluten free flour works for this recipe, it may be the reason why the cupcakes are sinking. I would try adding an extra 1/4 cup of flour (cupcakes sink from too little flour often) to see if that helps. You might also try making my Gluten Free Chocolate Cake, but as cupcakes. I adjusted the recipe to be much better for gluten free. Hope this helps!
Hi Nora, have you tried using aquafaba instead of applesauce as an egg replacement for these cupcakes? Your vanilla cake recipe with aquafaba turned out so well, I was wondering if it would work here too. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it but it should work just fine. Thanks!
Hi Nora, I want to get this recipe to work maybe you can help me? I made this 4 times and the cupcakes rise then they fall flat? The cupcake is delicious though… I have made sure oven temp is correct, levening agents are new, the correct cocoa, but I am thinking the applesauce?? Please help friend!
Hmm I’m not sure about the applesauce, I don’t think that would have anything to do with it. Usually cupcakes will sink for a few reasons: not enough flour or cocoa (measurements are a bit off) or they just didn’t bake for long enough to get cooked all the way. Did you make any substitutions at all?
Mine fell flat also! I followed the recipe to a T.
Super yummy! Paired with your Vanilla Buttercream to make the cutest ghost cupcakes for Halloween!
This recipe is a keeper for sure! I used this recipe to make mini chocolate bundt cakes for my wedding reception last Thursday – they were such a hit! I substituted King Arthur’s gluten-free measure-for-measure all purpose flour to make sure they were both vegan and GF. I followed the advice of someone in the comments who made mini-cupcakes and filled my mini-bundt pans halfway up with batter. I was able to get about 22 mini bundts from 1 batter batch, and they didn’t overflow. (I cooked them on the middle rack, convection oven at 350 for 15 minutes.) The texture is so nice on these, very light and springy – but they have a rich chocolate flavor that is very similar to a brownie. Thank you so much Nora! Will be trying lots of your recipes 🙂
Hi Mimi. Wow, congratulations to you! Your mini bundt cakes sound fabulous! I love that you shared your helpful experience with baking these. I’m thrilled that you will be trying out my other recipes! Enjoy your journey through them, as well as your new life journey! Please reach out with any recipe questions you may have! Happy cooking!
Hello can I use cake flour for this instead of regular flour ?
Hi Corina. I would not use cake flour for this particular cake, as it would be to light. I hope this helps!
These cupcakes are astonishingly good.
I was baking for a vegan friend, and resigned myself to a disappointing flavor, as most vegan baking tastes vaguely of baking powder. These are so good that I would bake them for non-vegans, they taste just as good as any other chocolate cupcake.
I don’t have access to soy milk, so I had to use coconut milk instead. I think that inhibited the rise, so if anyone reading needs to use coconut milk, fill the mold 3/4 full instead of 1/2.
Thanks Nora!
Hi Lauren. You are welcome! How wonderful that the cupcakes were delicious for you! Thank you for your positive feedback and tips!
I don’t have any apple sauce could I sub a flax egg? Thank you!Â
Hi Jamie. You could use 2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax + 5 tbs water), JUST egg or another egg sub. Hope this helps!