These Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are soft, fluffy & so chocolate-y! They take only 10 minutes of prep, use simple pantry ingredients and are so easy to make! One bite and they will become your go-to cupcake recipe for any occasion.
I’ve made more chocolate cupcakes than I can count thanks to my baking company days, so when I tell you that these are my favourite vegan chocolate cupcakes, you can believe it! I refined them quite a few times to ensure they were foolproof and only a few steps, so I can’t wait for you to try them. (Pro-tip: Try not to eat all the delicious frosting before it makes its way to the cupcakes!)
Why You’ll Love These Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Based on a reader favourite . This vegan chocolate cupcake recipe is based on my Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe and my Chocolate Cake recipe which have a total of 124 5-star reviews, so I KNOW you’re going to love these cupcakes too.
- Easy to make . Cupcakes are a lot less intimidating than a cake to make than layer cakes and great if you’re making them alone, with kids, or with friends and family.
- Everyone will love them . This isn’t a recipe that’s only for vegans. These vegan chocolate cupcakes are delicious enough that they’ll be a hit with everyone!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cupcakes:
- Apple cider vinegar – Adding this to vegan milk will curdle it to create vegan buttermilk. This aids in flavour, texture and helps the chocolate cupcakes to rise. You can also use regular white vinegar.
- Vegan milk – You can use soy milk or any vegan milk here. I recommend a thicker milk for richer results such as soy, oat or cashew milk.
- Brown sugar – You can also use cane sugar, white sugar or coconut sugar (although this may alter the texture slightly).
- All-purpose flour – This will give the cupcakes the right consistency. You can also use gluten-free flour, but it might change the texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I recommend using a high-quality one unsweetened cocoa powder. Don’t use Dutch processed since it will not react the same way to the baking soda and will affect the rise of the cupcakes.
- Baking powder and baking soda – This and baking soda help the cupcakes rise! Make sure to test that your baking powder is good. Learn how to test these ingredients here !
- Sea salt
- Oil – You can use any oil here.
- Vanilla extract
- Warm milk + instant coffee – This combo really boosts the chocolate flavour in these vegan chocolate cupcakes. The warm milk dissolves the coffee and helps the ingredients blend together at the end. You can also use espresso powder if you’d like, or decaf coffee if you don’t want the caffeine.
- Powdered sugar
- Vegan butter
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven and line muffin tins . Preheat oven to 350°F/230°C. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners or foil bake cups.
- Prep buttermilk . In a jar, add the vinegar and vegan milk together to curdle and form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients . In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Whisk all the ingredients together.
- Mix in oil and buttermilk . Add in the oil, the buttermilk, and the vanilla extract.
- Add instant coffee and warm milk . Heat up the additional milk and coffee mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 30 seconds.
- Mix it all together . Add the coffee mixture to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Add batter to muffin tin . Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners (about ¾ full with batter). You can use an ice cream scoop to help! Tap the cupcake pan on the counter three times to remove any excess air bubbles before baking.
- Bake the cupcakes . Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow your vegan chocolate cupcakes to cool completely.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- Make the frosting. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, sea salt and half of the vegan milk to your electric stand mixer or a hand mixer . Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Frost and add sprinkles . After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and add sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the vinegar . This is our key ingredient to helping these cupcakes rise alongside the baking soda! It reacts to it and also helps with the fluffiness. Don’t worry—you don’t taste it at all.
- Ensure ingredients are room temperature . This ensures that everything blends together properly. It also makes emulsion (such as for the buttermilk) easier, making the cupcakes fluffy, tender and soft.
- Weigh cocoa powder . I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results. Even if you don’t weigh the other ingredients, I recommend weighing your cocoa powder. It can get packed very easily and you can end up adding too much or too little, which will throw off the rest of the vegan chocolate cupcake recipe.
- Don’t over-mix the batter . Over-mixing the batter can make the cupcakes too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour. Just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Let the cupcakes cool before frosting . Always let your chocolate cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting. This way the frosting won’t slide off or melt.
- Sift your powdered sugar . Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- Adjust the thickness of the frostin g. You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it. Add your milk a little bit at a time.
How to Store Cupcakes
- Room temperature/refrigerator : You can leave these vegan chocolate cupcakes on the counter for about 1-2 days. After that, I would store in the fridge in an airtight container. If storing with frosting already on and you live in a hot area, you can refrigerate the cupcakes right away.
- Freezing Your Cupcakes: You can freeze your cupcakes frosted or unfrosted. Allow them to cool completely and then put them in a freezer-safe airtight container. This is great if you’re making them in advance. If you know you plan to freeze these, I would freeze them unfrosted, and freeze the frosting separately. To thaw, allow to come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour, or overnight in your fridge.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Vanilla Cake (Vegan)
- Vegan Brownies
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or regular vinegar
- ½ cup soy milk , or other vegan milk ( 120 mL) (room temperature)
- 1 cup brown sugar , or cane sugar ( 200 g)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour , ( 180 g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , ( 40 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup oil , ( 66 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup warm milk , + 1 teaspoon instant coffee mixed in until dissolved. Stir these together right before you need it so it’s still warm
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter , (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk , (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Equipment
- Oven
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line muffin cups with cupcake liners or foil bake cups.
- In a jar, add the vinegar and vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing and clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk and coffee mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 30 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Divide the battery evenly between 12 cupcake liners (about ¾ full with batter). You can use an ice cream scoop to help! Tap the cupcake pan on the counter three times (lift and tap down slightly) to remove any excess air bubbles before baking.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 18 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and with sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy!
For the Frosting:
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 ½ cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth.
- Add the ½ cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency.
- If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Notes
- Don’t Skip the Vinegar: This is our key ingredient to helping these cupcakes rise alongside the baking soda! It reacts to it and also helps with the fluffiness. Don’t worry – you don’t taste it at all.
- Ensure Ingredients are Room Temperature: This ensures that everything blends together properly. It also makes emulsion (such as for the buttermilk) easier, so aids in the end cupcakes being fluffy, tender and soft.
- The secondary ½ cup warm milk is crucial. It helps to dissolve the coffee which enhances the chocolate flavour. It also aids in helping the cupcakes to be soft. You want this to be warm, but not piping hot!
- Check Your Ingredients for Freshness: Always ensure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh! This will make or break your recipe, and its very easy to check with this tip .
- Weigh Cocoa Powder: I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results. Even if you don’t weigh the other ingredients, I highly recommend always weighing your cocoa powder. It can get packed very easily and you can end up adding too much or too little, which will throw off the rest of the recipe.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter : Over-mixing the batter can make the cupcakes too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour – just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Always let your chocolate cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting. This way the frosting won’t slide off or melt.
- Sift Your Powdered Sugar : Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- To Avoid Thick Frosting : You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it. Add your milk a little bit at a time.
These Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are soft, fluffy & so chocolate-y! They take only 10 minutes of prep, use simple pantry ingredients and are so easy to make! One bite and they will become your go-to cupcake recipe for any occasion.
I’ve made more chocolate cupcakes than I can count thanks to my baking company days, so when I tell you that these are my favourite vegan chocolate cupcakes, you can believe it! I refined them quite a few times to ensure they were foolproof and only a few steps, so I can’t wait for you to try them. (Pro-tip: Try not to eat all the delicious frosting before it makes its way to the cupcakes!)
Why You’ll Love These Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Based on a reader favourite . This vegan chocolate cupcake recipe is based on my Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe and my Chocolate Cake recipe which have a total of 124 5-star reviews, so I KNOW you’re going to love these cupcakes too.
- Easy to make . Cupcakes are a lot less intimidating than a cake to make than layer cakes and great if you’re making them alone, with kids, or with friends and family.
- Everyone will love them . This isn’t a recipe that’s only for vegans. These vegan chocolate cupcakes are delicious enough that they’ll be a hit with everyone!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cupcakes:
- Apple cider vinegar – Adding this to vegan milk will curdle it to create vegan buttermilk. This aids in flavour, texture and helps the chocolate cupcakes to rise. You can also use regular white vinegar.
- Vegan milk – You can use soy milk or any vegan milk here. I recommend a thicker milk for richer results such as soy, oat or cashew milk.
- Brown sugar – You can also use cane sugar, white sugar or coconut sugar (although this may alter the texture slightly).
- All-purpose flour – This will give the cupcakes the right consistency. You can also use gluten-free flour, but it might change the texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I recommend using a high-quality one unsweetened cocoa powder. Don’t use Dutch processed since it will not react the same way to the baking soda and will affect the rise of the cupcakes.
- Baking powder and baking soda – This and baking soda help the cupcakes rise! Make sure to test that your baking powder is good. Learn how to test these ingredients here !
- Sea salt
- Oil – You can use any oil here.
- Vanilla extract
- Warm milk + instant coffee – This combo really boosts the chocolate flavour in these vegan chocolate cupcakes. The warm milk dissolves the coffee and helps the ingredients blend together at the end. You can also use espresso powder if you’d like, or decaf coffee if you don’t want the caffeine.
- Powdered sugar
- Vegan butter
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven and line muffin tins . Preheat oven to 350°F/230°C. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners or foil bake cups.
- Prep buttermilk . In a jar, add the vinegar and vegan milk together to curdle and form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients . In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Whisk all the ingredients together.
- Mix in oil and buttermilk . Add in the oil, the buttermilk, and the vanilla extract.
- Add instant coffee and warm milk . Heat up the additional milk and coffee mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 30 seconds.
- Mix it all together . Add the coffee mixture to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Add batter to muffin tin . Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners (about ¾ full with batter). You can use an ice cream scoop to help! Tap the cupcake pan on the counter three times to remove any excess air bubbles before baking.
- Bake the cupcakes . Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow your vegan chocolate cupcakes to cool completely.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- Make the frosting. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, sea salt and half of the vegan milk to your electric stand mixer or a hand mixer . Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Frost and add sprinkles . After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and add sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the vinegar . This is our key ingredient to helping these cupcakes rise alongside the baking soda! It reacts to it and also helps with the fluffiness. Don’t worry—you don’t taste it at all.
- Ensure ingredients are room temperature . This ensures that everything blends together properly. It also makes emulsion (such as for the buttermilk) easier, making the cupcakes fluffy, tender and soft.
- Weigh cocoa powder . I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results. Even if you don’t weigh the other ingredients, I recommend weighing your cocoa powder. It can get packed very easily and you can end up adding too much or too little, which will throw off the rest of the vegan chocolate cupcake recipe.
- Don’t over-mix the batter . Over-mixing the batter can make the cupcakes too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour. Just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Let the cupcakes cool before frosting . Always let your chocolate cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting. This way the frosting won’t slide off or melt.
- Sift your powdered sugar . Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- Adjust the thickness of the frostin g. You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it. Add your milk a little bit at a time.
How to Store Cupcakes
- Room temperature/refrigerator : You can leave these vegan chocolate cupcakes on the counter for about 1-2 days. After that, I would store in the fridge in an airtight container. If storing with frosting already on and you live in a hot area, you can refrigerate the cupcakes right away.
- Freezing Your Cupcakes: You can freeze your cupcakes frosted or unfrosted. Allow them to cool completely and then put them in a freezer-safe airtight container. This is great if you’re making them in advance. If you know you plan to freeze these, I would freeze them unfrosted, and freeze the frosting separately. To thaw, allow to come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour, or overnight in your fridge.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Vanilla Cake (Vegan)
- Vegan Brownies
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or regular vinegar
- ½ cup soy milk , or other vegan milk ( 120 mL) (room temperature)
- 1 cup brown sugar , or cane sugar ( 200 g)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour , ( 180 g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , ( 40 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup oil , ( 66 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup warm milk , + 1 teaspoon instant coffee mixed in until dissolved. Stir these together right before you need it so it’s still warm
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter , (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk , (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Equipment
- Oven
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line muffin cups with cupcake liners or foil bake cups.
- In a jar, add the vinegar and vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing and clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk and coffee mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 30 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Divide the battery evenly between 12 cupcake liners (about ¾ full with batter). You can use an ice cream scoop to help! Tap the cupcake pan on the counter three times (lift and tap down slightly) to remove any excess air bubbles before baking.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 18 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and with sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy!
For the Frosting:
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 ½ cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth.
- Add the ½ cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency.
- If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Notes
- Don’t Skip the Vinegar: This is our key ingredient to helping these cupcakes rise alongside the baking soda! It reacts to it and also helps with the fluffiness. Don’t worry – you don’t taste it at all.
- Ensure Ingredients are Room Temperature: This ensures that everything blends together properly. It also makes emulsion (such as for the buttermilk) easier, so aids in the end cupcakes being fluffy, tender and soft.
- The secondary ½ cup warm milk is crucial. It helps to dissolve the coffee which enhances the chocolate flavour. It also aids in helping the cupcakes to be soft. You want this to be warm, but not piping hot!
- Check Your Ingredients for Freshness: Always ensure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh! This will make or break your recipe, and its very easy to check with this tip .
- Weigh Cocoa Powder: I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results. Even if you don’t weigh the other ingredients, I highly recommend always weighing your cocoa powder. It can get packed very easily and you can end up adding too much or too little, which will throw off the rest of the recipe.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter : Over-mixing the batter can make the cupcakes too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour – just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Always let your chocolate cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting. This way the frosting won’t slide off or melt.
- Sift Your Powdered Sugar : Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- To Avoid Thick Frosting : You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it. Add your milk a little bit at a time.
These Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are soft, fluffy & so chocolate-y! They take only 10 minutes of prep, use simple pantry ingredients and are so easy to make! One bite and they will become your go-to cupcake recipe for any occasion.
I’ve made more chocolate cupcakes than I can count thanks to my baking company days, so when I tell you that these are my favourite vegan chocolate cupcakes, you can believe it! I refined them quite a few times to ensure they were foolproof and only a few steps, so I can’t wait for you to try them. (Pro-tip: Try not to eat all the delicious frosting before it makes its way to the cupcakes!)
Why You’ll Love These Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Based on a reader favourite . This vegan chocolate cupcake recipe is based on my Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe and my Chocolate Cake recipe which have a total of 124 5-star reviews, so I KNOW you’re going to love these cupcakes too.
- Easy to make . Cupcakes are a lot less intimidating than a cake to make than layer cakes and great if you’re making them alone, with kids, or with friends and family.
- Everyone will love them . This isn’t a recipe that’s only for vegans. These vegan chocolate cupcakes are delicious enough that they’ll be a hit with everyone!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cupcakes:
- Apple cider vinegar – Adding this to vegan milk will curdle it to create vegan buttermilk. This aids in flavour, texture and helps the chocolate cupcakes to rise. You can also use regular white vinegar.
- Vegan milk – You can use soy milk or any vegan milk here. I recommend a thicker milk for richer results such as soy, oat or cashew milk.
- Brown sugar – You can also use cane sugar, white sugar or coconut sugar (although this may alter the texture slightly).
- All-purpose flour – This will give the cupcakes the right consistency. You can also use gluten-free flour, but it might change the texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I recommend using a high-quality one unsweetened cocoa powder. Don’t use Dutch processed since it will not react the same way to the baking soda and will affect the rise of the cupcakes.
- Baking powder and baking soda – This and baking soda help the cupcakes rise! Make sure to test that your baking powder is good. Learn how to test these ingredients here !
- Sea salt
- Oil – You can use any oil here.
- Vanilla extract
- Warm milk + instant coffee – This combo really boosts the chocolate flavour in these vegan chocolate cupcakes. The warm milk dissolves the coffee and helps the ingredients blend together at the end. You can also use espresso powder if you’d like, or decaf coffee if you don’t want the caffeine.
- Powdered sugar
- Vegan butter
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven and line muffin tins . Preheat oven to 350°F/230°C. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners or foil bake cups.
- Prep buttermilk . In a jar, add the vinegar and vegan milk together to curdle and form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients . In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Whisk all the ingredients together.
- Mix in oil and buttermilk . Add in the oil, the buttermilk, and the vanilla extract.
- Add instant coffee and warm milk . Heat up the additional milk and coffee mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 30 seconds.
- Mix it all together . Add the coffee mixture to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Add batter to muffin tin . Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners (about ¾ full with batter). You can use an ice cream scoop to help! Tap the cupcake pan on the counter three times to remove any excess air bubbles before baking.
- Bake the cupcakes . Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow your vegan chocolate cupcakes to cool completely.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- Make the frosting. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, sea salt and half of the vegan milk to your electric stand mixer or a hand mixer . Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Frost and add sprinkles . After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and add sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the vinegar . This is our key ingredient to helping these cupcakes rise alongside the baking soda! It reacts to it and also helps with the fluffiness. Don’t worry—you don’t taste it at all.
- Ensure ingredients are room temperature . This ensures that everything blends together properly. It also makes emulsion (such as for the buttermilk) easier, making the cupcakes fluffy, tender and soft.
- Weigh cocoa powder . I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results. Even if you don’t weigh the other ingredients, I recommend weighing your cocoa powder. It can get packed very easily and you can end up adding too much or too little, which will throw off the rest of the vegan chocolate cupcake recipe.
- Don’t over-mix the batter . Over-mixing the batter can make the cupcakes too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour. Just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Let the cupcakes cool before frosting . Always let your chocolate cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting. This way the frosting won’t slide off or melt.
- Sift your powdered sugar . Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- Adjust the thickness of the frostin g. You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it. Add your milk a little bit at a time.
How to Store Cupcakes
- Room temperature/refrigerator : You can leave these vegan chocolate cupcakes on the counter for about 1-2 days. After that, I would store in the fridge in an airtight container. If storing with frosting already on and you live in a hot area, you can refrigerate the cupcakes right away.
- Freezing Your Cupcakes: You can freeze your cupcakes frosted or unfrosted. Allow them to cool completely and then put them in a freezer-safe airtight container. This is great if you’re making them in advance. If you know you plan to freeze these, I would freeze them unfrosted, and freeze the frosting separately. To thaw, allow to come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour, or overnight in your fridge.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Vanilla Cake (Vegan)
- Vegan Brownies
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or regular vinegar
- ½ cup soy milk , or other vegan milk ( 120 mL) (room temperature)
- 1 cup brown sugar , or cane sugar ( 200 g)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour , ( 180 g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , ( 40 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup oil , ( 66 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup warm milk , + 1 teaspoon instant coffee mixed in until dissolved. Stir these together right before you need it so it’s still warm
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter , (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk , (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Equipment
- Oven
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line muffin cups with cupcake liners or foil bake cups.
- In a jar, add the vinegar and vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing and clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk and coffee mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 30 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Divide the battery evenly between 12 cupcake liners (about ¾ full with batter). You can use an ice cream scoop to help! Tap the cupcake pan on the counter three times (lift and tap down slightly) to remove any excess air bubbles before baking.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 18 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and with sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy!
For the Frosting:
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 ½ cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth.
- Add the ½ cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency.
- If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Notes
- Don’t Skip the Vinegar: This is our key ingredient to helping these cupcakes rise alongside the baking soda! It reacts to it and also helps with the fluffiness. Don’t worry – you don’t taste it at all.
- Ensure Ingredients are Room Temperature: This ensures that everything blends together properly. It also makes emulsion (such as for the buttermilk) easier, so aids in the end cupcakes being fluffy, tender and soft.
- The secondary ½ cup warm milk is crucial. It helps to dissolve the coffee which enhances the chocolate flavour. It also aids in helping the cupcakes to be soft. You want this to be warm, but not piping hot!
- Check Your Ingredients for Freshness: Always ensure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh! This will make or break your recipe, and its very easy to check with this tip .
- Weigh Cocoa Powder: I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results. Even if you don’t weigh the other ingredients, I highly recommend always weighing your cocoa powder. It can get packed very easily and you can end up adding too much or too little, which will throw off the rest of the recipe.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter : Over-mixing the batter can make the cupcakes too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour – just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Always let your chocolate cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting. This way the frosting won’t slide off or melt.
- Sift Your Powdered Sugar : Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- To Avoid Thick Frosting : You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it. Add your milk a little bit at a time.
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar
- ½ cup soy milk or other vegan milk ( 120 mL) (room temperature)
- 1 cup brown sugar or cane sugar ( 200 g)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ( 180 g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( 40 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup oil ( 66 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup warm milk + 1 teaspoon instant coffee mixed in until dissolved. Stir these together right before you need it so it’s still warm
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line muffin cups with cupcake liners or foil bake cups.
- In a jar, add the vinegar and vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing and clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk and coffee mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 30 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Divide the battery evenly between 12 cupcake liners (about ¾ full with batter). You can use an ice cream scoop to help! Tap the cupcake pan on the counter three times (lift and tap down slightly) to remove any excess air bubbles before baking.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 18 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and with sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy!
For the Frosting:
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 ½ cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth.
- Add the ½ cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency.
- If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Video
Notes
- Don’t Skip the Vinegar: This is our key ingredient to helping these cupcakes rise alongside the baking soda! It reacts to it and also helps with the fluffiness. Don’t worry - you don’t taste it at all.
- Ensure Ingredients are Room Temperature: This ensures that everything blends together properly. It also makes emulsion (such as for the buttermilk) easier, so aids in the end cupcakes being fluffy, tender and soft.
- The secondary ½ cup warm milk is crucial. It helps to dissolve the coffee which enhances the chocolate flavour. It also aids in helping the cupcakes to be soft. You want this to be warm, but not piping hot!
- Check Your Ingredients for Freshness: Always ensure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh! This will make or break your recipe, and its very easy to check with this tip .
- Weigh Cocoa Powder: I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results. Even if you don’t weigh the other ingredients, I highly recommend always weighing your cocoa powder. It can get packed very easily and you can end up adding too much or too little, which will throw off the rest of the recipe.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter : Over-mixing the batter can make the cupcakes too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour – just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Always let your chocolate cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting. This way the frosting won’t slide off or melt.
- Sift Your Powdered Sugar : Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- To Avoid Thick Frosting : You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it. Add your milk a little bit at a time.
Nutrition
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-chocolate-cupcakes-recipe/ February 12, 2021
Here’s How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Tofu cooked in just 10 minutes! This tofu is delicious, easy to make and great for meal prep!
Here’s a fact of life, air fryer tofu is one of the easiest and delicious quick meals on this blog. Not only will it help you achieve your crispy tofu dreams, but also well seasoned and meal prepped tofu. Did I mention it takes 10 minutes of cooking time?!
What’s an air fryer?
We make everything from fries (that are crispy, delicious and take 20 minutes), to burgers, bagels, toast, crispy roasted breadfruit and even plantain. And today – tofu!
Notes on the Ingredients
extra firm tofu – ensure you’re buying the right tofu! If it says “silken” anywhere on it. that’s not the kind we want to use here. Watch my tofu 101 IG series if you want more details, or my Tofu 101 Blog post! Always press your tofu when using it in this way.
Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground black pepper and sea salt – these are a few simple seasonings that give your tofu incredible flavour. I’ll share some other seasonings ideas below.
cornstarch – our secret weapon for crispy tofu! Cornstarch helps to draw out excess liquid and gives the tofu a crispy exterior.
light soy sauce or liquid aminos – I prefer light soy sauce (or even liquid aminos) since it’s not as salty. You can also use coconut aminos .
sesame oil or any oil – even though you don’t technically need oil for an air fryer, I find a little bit goes a LONG way with aiding crispiness, texture and flavour.
How to make Air Fryer Tofu(Step by Step Instructions)
Making air fryer tofu is so easy and results in the crispest tofu in such a short time.
In a medium size bowl place the pressed and cubed tofu. Add in liquid aminos and toss to coat.
Add in all of the other seasoning ingredients and toss to thoroughly combine.
Place in your air fryer in a single row, so that all the tofu has a little bit of space around each piece.
Set your air fryer to 400°F. Cook for 10 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes, then continuing to cook.
Remove after tofu is cooked. Allow to cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy!
You can serve it alone or with a dip, or literally anything your heart desires.
- Make sure you’re not buying silken tofu! That will yield the wrong texture and will break apart if you try and press it. Check out my Tofu 101 post for more, or watch my tofu 101 IG series .
- If you have a smaller air fryer, you’re going to want to split this into two batches because you definitely don’t want your tofu to be crowded. Give them enough space. In my smaller air fryer, I need two batches.
- I’m sure all air fryers are different, so be sure to see if your tofu may need an extra 5 minutes. Mine was perfect after 10 minutes!
- How to press tofu: I cover this in detail in my How to Cook Tofu 101 post ! The prep time includes the time to press the tofu
- You can even switch up the seasoning mix . Here are some ideas as to how: Italian seasoning with dried parsley, oregano and dried basil Bbq seasoning Cajun seasoning The options are up to you!
Ingredients
- 1 lb block extra firm tofu , pressed for 30 minutes then cut into 1” cubes or tear into pieces for even more crisp, ( 16 oz.)
- ½ tablespoon light soy sauce , or liquid aminos
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch , up to 2 extra teaspoons for the best crisp
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil , or any oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl place the pressed and cubed tofu. Add in liquid aminos/soy sauce and toss to coat. Add in all of the other seasoning ingredients (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, cornstarch, sesame oil and ground black pepper) and toss to thoroughly combine.
- Place in your air fryer in a single row, so that all the tofu has a little bit of space around each piece. Set your air fryer to 400°F. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes, then continuing to cook.
- Remove after tofu is cooked. Allow to cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you’re not buying silken tofu! That will yield the wrong texture and will break apart if you try and press it. Check out my Tofu 101 post for more.
- If you have a smaller air fryer , you’re going to want to split this into two batches because you definitely don’t want your tofu to be crowded. Give them enough space. In my smaller air fryer, I need two batches.
- I’m sure all air fryers are different, so be sure to see if your tofu may need an extra 5 minutes. Mine was perfect after 10 minutes!
- How to press tofu: I cover this in detail in my How to Cook Tofu 101 post ! The prep time includes the time to press the tofu
- You can even switch up the seasoning mix . Here are some ideas as to how: Italian seasoning with dried parsley, oregano and dried basil Bbq seasoning Cajun seasoning The options are up to you!
