Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes | It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Fudgy, wealthy, and completely chocolatey, these vegan chocolate cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and filled with deep cocoa taste. Made with easy pantry substances, they’re straightforward to make and topped with the dreamiest chocolate buttercream. Excellent for birthdays, holidays, or any time you are craving a basic chocolate deal with.

These straightforward vegan chocolate cupcakes are primarily based on my longtime fan-favorite vegan chocolate cake recipe, simply scaled down into cupcake kind and topped with a fluffy chocolate buttercream. They’re mushy, moist, and intensely chocolatey, made with easy pantry substances and 0 fuss. The batter mixes up in minutes, the cupcakes bake evenly each time, they usually’re excellent for birthdays, holidays, bake gross sales, or anytime you need a basic chocolate cupcake second… and immediately you are everybody’s favourite individual.

When you’d relatively bake this as a full cake as an alternative, you may love my vegan chocolate cake. It is the identical wealthy, moist recipe, simply baked in cake kind.

Overhead view of vegan chocolate cupcakes on plate and countertop.

Why You may Love These Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Moist & fluffy (each time): The combo of plant-based milk, oil, and vinegar makes a young crumb that stays mushy for days.
Deep chocolate taste: Cocoa powder brings that daring, bakery-style chocolate vibe. (Dutch-process is additional dreamy when you’ve got it.)
Easy pantry substances: No flax eggs, no egg replacers, simply straightforward substances you in all probability have already got in your kitchen.
Excellent for adorning: Preserve them easy or go full celebration-mode with sprinkles, berries, sweet, cookie crumbs… you get the thought.

Ingredients for vegan chocolate cupcakes with labels.

Elements for Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Dry substances: All-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Moist substances: Plant-based milk, gentle oil, apple cider vinegar (you will not style it, nevertheless it reacts with the baking soda for a fluffy rise!), and vanilla.
Chocolate buttercream: Agency vegan butter (necessary for construction), powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a splash of plant milk to get it completely spreadable.

Methods to Make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Whisk in bowl of dry ingredients for vegan chocolate cupcakes.

Combine the dry substances: Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl.

Whisk in liquid measuring cup with wet ingredients for cupcakes.

Combine moist substances: Whisk the plant-based milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla; I like to make use of a liquid measuring cup.

Vegan chocolate cupcake batter in bowl with rubber spatula.

Mix: Stir the moist substances into the dry substances simply till combined.

Bake: Divide the batter evenly right into a muffin pan and bake at 350ºF for 20 – 24 minutes, till a toothpick comes out clear.

Vegan chocolate frosting in mixing bowl.

Make the frosting: Beat the vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla till fluffy, about 1 minute, adjusting the consistency as wanted.

Chocolate cupcakes with vegan chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

Frost: After the cupcakes cool utterly, frost them and adorn as desired.

Suggestions & Variations

Use vegan butter formulated for baking: Firmer vegan butter creates a frosting that holds its form higher than mushy spreads meant for toast. My go-to is at all times Earth Balance.
Repair mushy frosting: If the frosting is simply too mushy to pipe, chill it within the fridge till it corporations up.
Gluten-free possibility: Swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix with xanthan gum akin to Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1, for greatest outcomes.
Attempt one other frosting: I’ve a whole lot of choices in my publish on Vegan Buttercream Frosting.

Frosted vegan chocolate cupcakes on wire rack.

Ornament and Topping Concepts

Preserve it basic, go full birthday-party chaos, or make them additional fancy. Listed below are a number of straightforward topping concepts:

Vegan sprinkles
Chopped nuts
Chocolate shavings
Vegan candies
Raspberries or strawberries (be certain they’re very dry earlier than you add them!)
Chocolate cookie crumbs
A drizzle of vegan caramel
Flaky sea salt

Storage

Room temperature: Retailer these vegan chocolate cupcakes in an hermetic container on the counter for as much as 2 days.
Fridge: Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze frosted or unfrosted cupcakes for as much as 1 month; thaw at room temperature earlier than serving.

Hand holding vegan chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and bite taken out of it showing fluffy and moist inside.

Extra Vegan Chocolate Recipes

When you do this vegan chocolate cupcake recipe, tell us by leaving a remark, ranking it, and do not forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.