These vegan chocolate cupcakes are deep, dark, rich, moist, and fudgy, with no dairy and no eggs required for the recipe!
Chocolate cupcakes without eggs
Do you know the simple secret to making cupcakes rise without eggs?
The answer is sitting in your kitchen.
This basic chocolate cupcake recipe combines common kitchen pantry ingredients, vinegar and baking soda, to create a bubble forming acid-base reaction.
The bubbles cause the cupcakes to rise beautifully as they bake in the oven.
Remember that famous volcano experiment from elementary school?
Unlike many other vegan chocolate cupcake recipes, this one does not include tofu, black beans, avocado, or flax eggs.
In fact, it calls for just a few basic ingredients you might already have at home.
This has been my foolproof chocolate cupcake recipe for over three years now, and it is incredibly versatile.
Every time I serve the cupcakes, they are always completely devoured by vegans and meat eaters alike!
Also try these Vegan Brownies
The best vegan chocolate cupcakes
These classic chocolate cupcakes will take you right back to childhood.
Irresistibly light and fluffy, they hold their own against any box of Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker cake mix, with none of the unhealthy corn syrup or artificial ingredients.
And even if you are not a vegan, it is a good idea for everyone to have a go to vegan cupcake recipe. You never know when you will need it!
For example, have you ever been asked to make a last minute dessert for a potluck, party, or school bake sale when you had no eggs on hand?
Or maybe you needed a recipe suitable for a child with dairy allergies or a surprise vegan guest.
Perhaps you just want a basic one bowl cupcake recipe that is super quick, easy to make, and turns out perfectly every single time.
Trending now: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients for the recipe
You need cocoa powder, flour, sugar, water, applesauce, oil, pure vanilla extract, vinegar, salt, baking soda, and optional mini chocolate chips.
Cocoa powder – To achieve the best results (i.e. the richest, most chocolatey cupcakes that taste like they came from a bakery), use both Dutch cocoa powder and regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
If you only have regular cocoa at home and do not wish to make a trip to the store, you may replace the Dutch processed cocoa with additional unsweetened.
Flour – I recommend either spelt flour, white flour, or Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour. I also give a keto option for those eating low carb and vegan.
Use whole wheat flour, almond flour, coconut flour, or any other option not listed here at your own risk, because I have not tried these substitutions.
Sugar – The recipe asks for three fourths cup of sugar. This can be plain white sugar, unrefined coconut sugar, or granulated xylitol for sugar free cupcakes.
You can technically go with pure maple syrup or agave. The cupcakes will just have a gummy texture and will not rise as much.
Applesauce – This ingredient adds moisture and structure to the vegan cupcakes.
Instead of applesauce, you may choose an equal amount of plant based yogurt, pumpkin puree, or sweet potato puree.
Oil – My favorite option is melted coconut oil. However, vegetable oil works as well.
For oil free chocolate cupcakes, use softened peanut butter or almond butter.
Chocolate chips – These are optional. I often like to include them, turning the recipe into double chocolate cupcakes, or triple chocolate cupcakes once you add frosting.
Mini chocolate chips give you more chocolate in each bite.
Salt – Just a pinch of salt balances the sweetness and heightens the chocolate flavor.
Also make Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes or Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe video
Above – Watch the video how to make vegan cupcakes
How to make dairy free cupcakes
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a typical cupcake pan or muffin pan with liners, or grease each tin well.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the water, applesauce, oil, vanilla extract, and white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Optionally, sift the flour to ensure it is free of lumps. Then add the flour, cocoa powders, sugar, salt, baking soda, and optional chocolate chips to the bowl.
Stir until just evenly mixed. It is important to not overmix the batter, because overmixed cupcakes may yield a tough texture, or they can deflate in the oven.
Tip: If your cupcakes do sink in the middles for any reason, just hide the undomed tops with frosting or nondairy Coconut Whipped Cream.
Fill up each lined cupcake tin about two thirds of the way, leaving space for the chocolate cakes to rise.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for twenty minutes or until fully cooked in the centers. A toothpick inserted into the center of a cake should come out mostly clean.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and let the vegan dessert cool.
If you can wait, the dark chocolate flavor is much bolder and the cupcakes are even more delicious after sitting on the counter overnight, very loosely covered with a cloth.
Liners should peel off easily after sitting for a day as well.
Chocolate frosting and flavor ideas
Once cooled, ice the recipe with store bought or homemade chocolate or vanilla frosting. Or spread them with a layer of peanut butter or almond butter, or dust with powdered sugar.
Garnish with raspberries, sliced strawberries, cherries, or bananas.
A great vegan frosting hack is that many brands of store bought frosting are accidentally vegan. This includes some milk chocolate and cream cheese frostings as well as more traditional frosting flavors. Check the Pillsbury containers at the grocery store, and you might be surprised!
If you feel fancy, pipe the frosting through a pastry bag fitted with a 1M star tip, effortlessly turning the cupcakes into a culinary work of tasty art.
You can easily turn the basic chocolate cupcake into new flavors by using different extracts, fillings, or frostings.
Try peppermint extract to make mint chocolate cupcakes, or replace the applesauce with banana for chocolate banana cupcakes.
A few drops of maple extract or almond extract are also wonderful variations.
*For the recipe in the photos, I used my vegan Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
The recipe was adapted from this classic Vegan Chocolate Cake.
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup applesauce or nondairy yogurt
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup flour (Spelt, white, or Bob’s gf flour) (For low carb: Keto Chocolate Cupcakes)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder or additional unsweetened
- 3/4 cup sugar or coconut sugar or xylitol
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt (just over level)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- *I've included a few of my favorite vegan frosting recipes earlier in this post, or use your own favorite frosting.To make vegan chocolate cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners. In a large bowl, whisk liquid ingredients. Let sit at least ten minutes, then stir in remaining ingredients until just evenly mixed. Smooth into the liners, filling each cupcake tin about two thirds of the way to the top. Bake twenty minutes on the oven's center rack. Let cool. If you very loosely cover cooled cupcakes with a cloth and let them sit on the counter overnight, these taste even richer the next day. Liners peel off easily after a day as well. View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
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More Vegan Chocolate Recipes
Em says
So perfect and no adjustments needed at altitude! I keep some in the freezer for when my son needs a dessert for a bday party!
Thank you!
CCK Media Team says
Thank YOU for trying them 🙂
Momof4 says
Another lovely recipe. I used chocolate protein powder instead of the Dutch cocoa. I cut the sugar in half and used monk sugar. I also used my husbands gf flour mix…otherwise I followed the recipe. I did a ganache on top. They turned out divine. So thankful to have yummy treats to be able to make for my 9 year old who has so many allergies.
CCK Media Team says
Your high protein version sounds wonderful!
Jacqui says
A previous comment indicated that plain flour is fine, but if it only has half a teaspoon of baking soda surely I will need to use self raising (gf) flour? Please advise. Thank you
Helen M Milchling says
Hi, just made them today. I used regular flour and 1/2 t baking soda worked great. I did use plain vegan yogurt instead of the applesauce. I had 1 open. I use it in salad dressing.They are super dark but are amazing. Sometimes really dark is bitter. They were fluffy and did not taste of vinegar or baking soda. Some recipes that use more you can taste them.
Lynda Taschek says
I love this recipe! It is so easy and very delicious. I subbed pumpkin puree since I didn’t have applesauce but had some pumpkin leftover from making pumpkin bread. Can’t tell there’s pumpkin in it. Great recipe for my daughter with dairy and nut allergies.
CCK Media Team says
This makes us so happy 🙂
Zoe says
OMG. How have I never made these before?!
This recipe is AH-MAZING! I could not believe the rise on these cupcakes, even with GF flour. I manage my DS’s multiple food allergies and these are my new go-to cupcakes. DS is one happy birthday boy! THANK YOU, CKC!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them 🙂
Sheryl says
Beyond amazingly delicious!
James says
Thanks for sharing a great recipe. I made these (without Dutch cocoa) 3x, once with oat flour instead of flour, and they came out great each time. I work with a professional baker and even she approved. I topped with a vanilla buttercream each time, which really adds to the chunky chocolate chips.
Jennie says
These are super delicious! I’m not vegan, but some of the doctors I work with are and these are for a birthday celebration! I’m just curious though, I read that it says the cupcake paper liners come off better after a day. I tried one today (I made them earlier) and they are sticking really bad, the bottom half of the cupcake is sticking to the paper. Is this normal? Maybe I did something wrong?
Suzanne says
These are amazing. Great recipe, I doubled the batch and made 19.
Michelle Elbert says
**THIS IS THE ONE**
I’ve been vegan for 7 years and have tried many cupcake/cake recipes in that time. Followed all the specific directions to the letter but none of them came out the way I’d hoped. This cake….this cake is perfect. Perfect rise, perfect density, perfect taste. You’re my hero. I finally feel prepared for any birthday or event that I could make cake for! Thank you!!!!
Larissa M. says
I made these last night and h!vent frosted them yet but tried one without frosting as this was the first time I’m making them. I Used yogurt and didn’t have Dutch cocoa only regular unsweetened. Also used small chocolate chunks instead of the mini chips option. They are so moist and soft. They did not rise past the tops of the liners but have a nice gentle mound shape (no sinking).they smell like ho-ho’s and taste lovely, not overly sweet. I am deciding now whether to ice with ganache and a curly white line across the top or buttercream. I made these for a friends birthday and am excited for her to try them. They also cooked perfectly in the time given in the recipe which is not always the case. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for posting it Katie!
Giovina says
These were amazing and as directed, don’t skip the Dutch cocoa. Fudgy Chocolate deliciousness.
Carla says
I think I am missing something. There’s milk in the video but no milk in the instructions or list of ingredients.
CCK Media Team says
The video was from an earlier version of the recipe, and it’s been updated/improved since first posting. The cupcakes will be lighter made with water (as written in the instructions) instead of milk 🙂
Villarreal says
Best chocolate cupcakes! Whether you’re eating vegan or otherwise, you will love them!! Thank you Katie♥️
Trinette Targett says
These are my new go to chocolate cupcake even though I don’t need dairy free! So moist and amazing flavour.
Isabela says
Oh man! Absolutely delicious. I wouldn’t even know they were vegan if I didn’t make them. They held together beautifully and puffed up just like a regular cupcake! I used the applesauce binder and ACV for my cupcakes. Also didn’t do the Dutch because I didn’t have any, will try next time! Thank you for the recipe!! My new go-to!
Robin says
If using coconut oil, is it 1.4 cup solid or 1/4 cup after melting it? Thank you.
CCK Media Team says
Hi, it’s a fourth cup liquid or melted 🙂
Robin says
Thank you! Looking forward to trying this.
Julie Hogan says
These are absolutely the best cupcakes I have ever made. My son has allergies and these are the best, hands down that I have ever tried. Thanks soooo much!