Best Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes are perfect for birthdays, weddings, holidays, and any other special occasion you can think of. Believe it or not, they can even be made completely refined sugar-free!
These vegan cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream! Not only is the cake-part chocolate but the frosting is a chocolatey wonder itself. Even more amazing is that they can be made completely refined sugar-free if you choose. That makes them one of the most wholesome vegan chocolate desserts you could ever ask for!
We have some other delicious vegan chocolate cakes on this website like this dairy-free fudge cake, my chocolate sugar-free cake, and my amazing crockpot vegan lava cake. If you are in a hurry or just want one serving, a single serving of this chocolate vegan mug cake can be made in about 5 minutes!
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Perfectly sweet- For those trying to keep the sugar low, this cupcake recipe can be made with dried dates. If you like it a little sweeter, use pure cane sugar or date sugar.
- Special Occasions- These cupcakes are terrific for birthdays, parties, or desserts.
- Cupcakes or Cake- This recipe is for cupcakes, but you can easily change to a cake pan and make a birthday or other holiday cake.
Ingredients you will need
- Flour- Whole wheat flour provides a denser texture and a slightly nutty flavor, enhancing the overall taste and making the cake more filling and satisfying.
- Cocoa powder- It imparts a deep, rich chocolate flavor without the need for added fats or dairy. It blends seamlessly into the cake batter, ensuring a smooth texture and intense cocoa taste.
- Dates- They provide natural sweetness without refined sugars, helping to maintain a healthier profile. They also add moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor that enhances the overall taste and texture of the cake.
- Applesauce- It acts as a natural fat replacer, adding moisture and a tender crumb without the need for added oils. It also provides a subtle sweetness and a slight fruitiness that complements the chocolate flavor.
- Plant milk- Provides the necessary liquid to blend ingredients smoothly and achieve a desirable cake texture without dairy.
- Sweet potatoes- Using sweet potatoes to make the frosting provides a naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture without the need for added sugars or oils.
- Almond butter- Creates a rich, nutty flavor and a creamy texture, enhancing the overall taste and consistency of the frosting.
How to make vegan chocolate cupcakes
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and make some date paste. If you’re using dry granular sweetener for the cupcakes, you can skip this part. For the cake part, I actually prefer to use granular sugar such as date sugar, maple sugar, or pure cane.
If you’re going to use date paste, it is super simple to make in a blender or food processor. One great thing is that once you make it, any leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
I have written an entire article–How to Make Date Paste–if you want to take a look, but it is super easy. Just add dates and water to a blender or food processor and mix well. One cup of tightly-packed dates + 2/3 cup of water is what you need.
Once the date paste is ready, set it to the side to be added to the wet ingredients shortly.
STEP #2: Place all of the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder–in a large mixing bowl and whisk together well.
STEP #3: In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar, date paste–and whisk together thoroughly.
STEP #4: Next, pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk together well. It should be nice and thick as pictured above.
STEP #5: Line your muffin pans with paper muffin cups, if you are using regular pans. Paper cups tend to stick to the cupcakes too much for my preference. Personally, I like to use non-stick silicone baking pans because they don’t require any oil and work perfectly for baking. Though the muffin tins do make a prettier picture as evidenced by the photo above.
This recipe can easily be turned into a cake instead of cupcakes. Baking it as a chocolate vegan sugar-free cake is great for a birthday cake or other special occasions.
STEP #6: Bake at 350°F for approximately 25 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so around the 20-minute mark, remove the cupcakes from the oven and test for doneness. To do this, insert a toothpick into the center point. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done, otherwise, place it back into the oven and test again in a few minutes.
Once the cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting.
STEP #7: I like to take the easy way out and cook my sweet potato quickly by poking a few holes in it with a knife, wrapping it in a wet paper towel, and placing it in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the potato. Once it’s done, remove the peelings and use the potato flesh in this frosting recipe.
STEP #8: Place all the frosting ingredients–including the cooked sweet potato– in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
I use my Vitamix blender, and it works like a charm because it has a tamper that allows for keeping the ingredients moving in thick recipes like this vegan chocolate icing. However, if you have a less powerful machine, you’ll need to stop, scrape the sides down, and continue to blend until smooth.
STEP #9: Once the cake and/or cupcakes have fully cooled, it’s time to frost and serve!
Tips & Suggestions
- Make Cake-This recipe is very versatile and can be made into a dairy-free, sugar-free, vegan cake.
- Scoop it- When making this into cupcakes, an ice cream scoop with a trigger is perfect for scooping into muffin cups without having to scrape a spoon or fingers.
- Baking Tip- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake or cupcake and remove it. When it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Toppings- I love to add a few strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or a combination of them to this cake because it makes a beautiful display.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
This cupcake recipe is not gluten-free, but Minimalist Baker has a great GF Baking Guide that can help convert these cupcakes. The frosting is already gluten-free.
No. 2/3 or 3/4 cup less refined sugar such as pure cane sugar or date sugar will work for the cake. Use another 3/4 cup in the frosting.
These cupcakes will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. They freeze well too.
More Chocolate Vegan Desserts
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Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup date paste 3/4 cup unrefined sugar for those not doing sugar-free
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1-1/4 cup plant milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Frosting
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato peeled
- 1/2 cup almond butter or cashew butter
- 3/4 cup dates pitted (3/4 cup unrefined sugar for those not doing sugar-free)
- 1/4 cup plant milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and make some date paste (if using). I personally prefer the less refined granular sugar such as date sugar, maple sugar, or pure cane for the cupcakes, but date paste works well too.
- Date paste is simply 1 cup pitted dates and 3/4 cup water blended well in a blender or food processor. For more instructions, please see notes in the article above. Once the date paste is ready, set it to the side to be added to the wet ingredients shortly.
- Place all of the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder–in a large mixing bowl and whisk together well. If you're using sugar instead of date paste, add the dry sugar in this step.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar, date paste (if using)–and whisk together thoroughly.
- Next, pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk together well.
- Pour the cake batter into silicone baking muffin cups (or line regular muffin cups with paper muffin cups to prevent sticking) and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
- Oven temperatures vary, so around the 20-minute mark, remove the cake from the oven and test for doneness. To do this, insert a toothpick into the highest center point. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Otherwise, place back into the oven and test again in 5-10 minutes.
- Once the cake or cupcakes are done, remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.
Frosting
- I like the take the easy way out and cook my sweet potato quickly by poking a few holes in it with a knife, wrapping it in a wet paper towel, and placing it in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
- Once it’s done, I simply remove the peelings and use the potato flesh in this frosting recipe.
- Simply place all the frosting ingredients–including the cooked sweet potato– in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. More frosting tips can be found in the article above.
- When the cake and/or cupcakes have cooled, frost and serve!
Video
Notes
- Sweetener- For the cake (not frosting), I actually like to use granular sugar such as maple sugar, date sugar, or pure cane, instead of date paste, but either way will work. Dates are perfect for the frosting.
- Make Cake-This recipe is very versatile and can be made into a dairy-free, sugar-free, vegan cake.
- Scoop it- When making this into cupcakes, an ice cream scoop with a trigger is perfect for scooping into muffin cups without having to scrape a spoon or fingers.
- Baking Tip- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake or cupcake and remove it. When it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Toppings- I love to add a few strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or a combination of them to this cake because it makes a beautiful display.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
This recipe sounds delicious. Do you know if the cupcakes and frosting will freeze well?
Hi Michelle- Yes, I think both should freeze just fine.
Would it work if I used cannelini beans in place of the nut butter in the frosting?
Hi LouAnn, I don’t think beans would be a good replacement for the nut butter. You can give it a try, but it would certainly change the texture and taste of this dessert.
Can you make these gluten free?
Hi Sandy- I haven’t made these gluten-free, but I would think using oat flour would be a good option for that. Also, this is a gluten-free baking guide from Minimalist Baker to help convert recipes. https://minimalistbaker.com/guide-to-gluten-free-flours/
Hi – I used sucanat (made the cupcakes). If I make them again I’ll add more applesauce. Thanks!
Hi Terri – I made these yesterday. The frosting was fabulous but the cake portion was dry; not moist at all. Is that how they are supposed to be? Not sure if I cooked them too long (22 mins but ovens vary!) or if they came out appropriately.
Hi Dorothy- They shouldn’t be dry. Did you use a dry sweetener or date paste? If using sugar or another dry sweetener, adding a little more applesauce should help with keeping them moist.
How much date sugar would I use instead of date paste? Would it be 3/4 cup like unrefined sugar?
Hi Diane- Yes, I think a 1:1 ratio of date sugar (3/4 cup) would work just fine.