Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

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These Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are moist, rich, and incredibly decadent! Paired together with a silky-smooth chocolate frosting, they are a chocolate lover's dream come true.

Batch of vegan chocolate cupcakes on a cooling rack.

These classic Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes are a crowd pleaser and are seriously addictive! Fluffy, tender, and perfectly sweetened, no one will guess that they are vegan.

Plus, they are easy to make and only require pantry staples that you might already have on hand.

I topped them with my Vegan Chocolate Frosting, but you can also use my Vegan Buttercream Frosting or Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients + Notes

️🌟 This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. For the complete ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Ingredients to make cupcakes on a marble table top

Soy Milk – it yields a consistency that is very similar to dairy buttermilk when an acid is added. If you can't have soy, you can use any non-dairy milk. It won't thicken or curdle much, but that's ok and the recipe will still work.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Lemon juice can be used instead.
Granulated Sugar – To keep these chocolate cupcakes vegan, use organic or unrefined sugar. Non-organic or refined sugar might be filtered using bone char.
Canola Oil – Any other neutral-tasting oil like sunflower seed or avocado oil will work, too. You can use coconut oil, but make sure it's measured in its liquid state. Also, it's imperative that all the ingredients are room temp or the oil will solidify when mixing.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder - It provides an intense dark chocolate flavor that is just heavenly. However, you can also use regular cocoa powder if you want and it'll still turn out chocolatey and delicious!

How to make Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

The batter will come together in just 4 easy steps. This is how it's done:

Four process photos of whisking cupcake batter.

In a mixing bowl, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to make vegan buttermilk. Let it rest for 10 minutes until it has thickened and curdled.
Whisk the buttermilk with the oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla.
In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 20-24 minutes.

Helpful Baking Tips

These vegan chocolate cupcakes will come out perfect every time as long as you follow the recipe very closely. Any small changes can alter the results. Here are some helpful tips for a successful experience.

For best results, avoid scooping flour directly from the container using a measuring cup. Instead, use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level excess off using a butter knife. Avoid packing or tapping flour into the cup.
Do not omit the apple cider vinegar. It helps to curdle soy milk to make vegan buttermilk and also reacts with baking soda to aid the rise of cupcakes. As mentioned above, lemon juice can be used in its place.
Be careful not to overmix the batter. The longer you mix it, the more the gluten will develop, resulting in dense and chewy cupcakes.
Avoid overfilling liners to prevent the batter from spilling over while baking. Fill each hole to no more than ⅔ of the way full.
Let cupcakes cool down for at least 30 minutes before frosting them. If your cupcakes are still warm, the frosting might melt and slip off.

If you would like to learn even more baking tips, here is a great article with 10 Tips for Baking the Best Cupcakes.

Cupcake Storing Tips

Although these vegan chocolate cupcakes are best enjoyed fresh, they store well and can even be frozen.

Room temperature – Unfrosted cupcakes will stay good at room temp. for 2-3 days in an airtight container. To prevent excess moisture, place a layer of paper towel on the bottom of the container, and another layer on the cupcakes before placing the lid on.
Frosted - although they can stay outside for quite a while, the frosting might soften if the weather is too warm. I recommend that you store decorated cupcakes in the fridge and take them out about an hour before serving.
Fridge – Both frosted and unfrosted cupcakes can be refrigerated for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
Freezer – they can be frozen for up to 3 months. For cupcakes without frosting, wrap them individually in wax paper and place them in an airtight container or Ziploc. For frosted cupcakes, place them on a tray and place them in the freezer, uncovered for at least an hour, or until the frosting has frozen. Then wrap them and store them the same way as the unfrosted cupcakes.

FAQs

Why did my cupcakes sink?

You may have overmixed which causes too much air to enter the batter and overdevelopment of the gluten. This can cause the cupcakes to sink and can yield a dense and chewy texture. Remember to mix the batter until just combined. A few lumps in the batter are fine.

Why are my cupcakes gummy?

You may have added too much flour or overmixed the batter. Make sure to measure the flour using the 'spoon & leveled' technique to avoid unsuccessful results.

Why are my cupcakes dry?

This is likely because too much flour was added. However, this can also happen if you left them in the oven for too long or if your oven is running too hot. Measure all ingredients accurately and check for doneness during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. I also recommend using an oven thermometer to detect the accuracy of your oven temperature.

Close up view of a vegan chocolate cupcake on a white plate.

More Vegan Cupcake Recipe to try

Want more vegan cupcake recipes? Here are some reader favorites to try out:

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