Vegan Chocolate Cupcake Recipe (Gluten Free)

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You need these Classic Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes in your life. They're easy to make, decadent and topped with a rich vanilla buttercream frosting. Plus, they're gluten free. You won't be able to stop at just one!

side view of vegan chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla frosting with bite taken out.

Why we love this recipe

Vegan and gluten free: These vegan chocolate cupcakes strike a happy medium by being egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free (yet super flavorful!) so everyone can enjoy.
Much easier than making cake: all of the deliciousness of cake in portable form. Plus, you don't need any fancy piping skills to frost these!
Rich, chocolatey and delicious: these vegan cupcakes are packed with rich dark chocolate and have an extra hit of flavor from espresso! Our whole family LOVED these, even my notoriously picky husband.
Perfect for birthdays, holidays or weekend baking: let's be honest, you don't need a special occasion to bake cupcakes, but this classic recipe is perfect for just about any event!

close up overhead view of vegan chocolate cupcake sliced in half with vanilla frosting.

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make these vegan chocolate cupcakes:

For the cupcakes

overhead view of ingredients to make vegan chocolate cake, including flour, vegan butter, applesauce, chocolate, cocoa powder.

For the frosting

overhead view of ingredients to make vegan frosting, including vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.

Ingredient Notes

Vegan butter: make sure to soften the butter to room temperature before using in both the cupcakes and the frosting. If it's not softened, it won't incorporate well with the other ingredients.
Espresso: espresso enhances the dark chocolate for extra rich, delicious cupcakes. We prefer freshly brewed espresso in these vegan chocolate cupcakes, but if you don't have access to an espresso machine, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.
Gluten free all purpose flour: we always use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in our baking recipes and highly recommend it. It's available at most grocery stores and online.
Nondairy milk: we prefer using oat milk in this recipe for its creamy texture and mild flavor. You can also use cashew, almond or soy milk.
Dark chocolate: any dark chocolate will do, but we prefer something around 70-80%. Note that dark chocolate is NOT the same as unsweetened chocolate.
Cocoa powder: we use unsweetened cacao powder. You can also use regular baking cocoa, but be sure to opt for unsweetened.
Unsweetened applesauce acts as a binder in place of eggs to keep these chocolate cupcakes fully vegan. It's an essential ingredient in this recipe (but don't worry – you can't taste it!).

Step-by-step instructions

Here's how to make these vegan chocolate cupcakes in a few easy steps:

Prep: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin/cupcake tin with liners.

Melt chocolate in the microwave 30 second intervals until fully melted and set aside to cool slightly while you make the batter.

Dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

before and after whisking together dry ingredients for vegan chocolate cupcakes.

Wet ingredients: Beat butter using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue mixing until incorporated.

Add in applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla and espresso and continue mixing at a medium-low speed.

on the left: creamed vegan butter and sugar in mixing bowl. On the right, chocolate cupcake batter in bowl.

Incorporate dry and wet: Slowly mix about half of the dry mixture into the wet, then slowly stream in half of the milk until incorporated. Repeat until all of the dry mixture and the remaining milk is incorporated. The batter should be thick, but pretty smooth.

Add in melted chocolate and continue mixing until smooth and creamy.

before and after mixing melted dark chocolate into cupcake batter.

Prep and bake: Use a cookie scoop to transfer batter to muffin tins. Fill about ¾ of each tin.

vegan chocolate cupcake batter in muffin tins.

Bake for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

close up side view of vegan chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla frosting and chocolate shavings.

Make the frosting: Make sure butter is completely softened. Cream butter in stand mixer or in a mixing bowl with hand mixer. When light and fluffy, slowly incorporate powdered sugar (about ½ cup at a time).

When fully incorporated, add remaining ingredients and mix at medium-high speed for about 30 seconds, until super light and fluffy.

close up overhead view of vegan vanilla buttercream frosting in bowl.

To frost cupcakes, use a piping bag or simply use a knife or spatula. Optional: sprinkle frosting with chocolate shavings. Voilà! Perfect vegan chocolate cupcakes.

Expert Tips & FAQs

Storage: since these vegan chocolate cupcakes don't contain any dairy products, you can store them covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store in the refrigerator if preferred (or if you live somewhere very warm).
Make sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting, otherwise the buttercream will melt.
Topping ideas: we love simple chocolate shavings, but you can also top these vegan chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles (perfect for a birthday!), fresh raspberries, mini chocolate chips or crushed cookies.
These cupcakes would also be fantastic with a raspberry, peanut butter or chocolate buttercream!

close up side view of vegan chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles and candle with smoke coming from top.

How do you soften vegan butter quickly?

If you forget to soften your vegan butter ahead of time, unwrap and heat in the microwave in 5 second intervals until softened to the touch. Be careful not to melt it – it should only take a few seconds to get to the right softness.

How do you make chocolate shavings?

You'll need a bar of dark chocolate and a vegetable peeler. Use the vegetable peeler to shave thin curls from a room-temperature bar of chocolate. The longer the stroke, the larger the chocolate shaving.

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