Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (2024)

Home All Recipes Dessert Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless)

By Jess Smith

4.36

Published Apr 24, 2023Updated Jul 29, 2023

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Rich, moist, easy chocolate cupcakes come together fast with ingredients you likely already have on-hand. And because the cupcakes and the frosting are naturally eggless and dairy-free these cupcakes are perfect for serving anyone with food sensitivities.

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (2)

These chocolate cupcakes are as easy as it gets. I’ve been asked for years if my naturally dairy-free easy chocolate cake can be made into cupcakes, so I took the recipe into the kitchen to find out! The answer is yes, but they needed a few small tweaks to create light, fluffy, cupcakes in the recipe below.

As promised, these require no eggs, no dairy, no apple cider vinegar, and no almond milk or soy milk. All you need are a few simple pantry ingredients, and one bowl to make a batch of these gorgeous cupcakes that are guaranteed to be the star of your next party.

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (3)

What are vegan cupcakes?

Vegan cupcakes are cupcakes made without any animal products. This means that no eggs or dairy are used to make these tasty little cakes. Even if you don’t strictly follow a vegan diet, vegan cupcakes are a great choice for those who are lactose sensitive, or have an egg allergy.

How to make the easiest chocolate cupcakes

  1. Prep the muffin tin. Place cupcake liners in tin and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Add the wet ingredients. To the bowl of dry ingredients, add oil, water, and vanilla extract, and stir.
  4. Bake. Pour the batter into the muffin tin and bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes.
  5. Make the frosting. Cream the vegan butter until smooth, then add the maple syrup, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and water. Mix until combined.
  6. Frost the cupcakes. Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before frosting.
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (4)

Ingredients

  • All-Purpose Flour – Good old fashioned all-purpose flour gives the cupcakes their structure.
  • Sugar – Unsweetened cocoa powder lacks the distinct chocolate bar sweetness, so sugar is needed to sweeten things up.
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder, rather than Dutch-processed cocoa. Unsweetened natural cocoa produces a deep, rich, chocolate flavor in the cupcakes.
  • Baking Soda – The leavening agent that works with the cocoa to produce full, fluffy cupcakes.
  • Kosher Salt – To enhance the delicious fudginess.
  • Cooking Oil – Use a neutral oil like avocado for the best results.
  • Water – For just the right batter consistency.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract – Chocolate and vanilla go hand-in-hand.
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (5)

Make ahead

Chocolate cupcakes can be made 1 day in advance. A good rule of thumb is to frost the cupcakes when you’re ready to serve them, unless you have a cupcake container that will prevent the frosting from being squashed by the lid.

How to store cupcakes

Store the cupcakes unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze the cupcakes for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve, thaw at room temperature for about 12 hours.Add frosting just before serving.

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (6)

Tips

  • Don’t rush frosting the cupcakes. If the cupcakes aren’t totally, 100% cool, all of the delicious chocolate frosting will melt.
  • Fill the cupcake liners ¾ of the way full, to prevent the batter from overflowing.

Variations

  • Try a different frosting – When you work with chocolate, the flavor combinations are endless. If you don’t need the frosting to be dairy-free, try nutella frosting, vanilla whipped cream frosting, or chocolate whipped cream frosting.
  • Add toppings – Top the cupcakes with chopped nuts, vegan-friendly sprinkles, shaved chocolate, or toasted coconut.
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (7)

FAQs

Why is chocolate considered vegan?

The chocolate component in this recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes is unsweetened cocoa powder, which is made with only crushed cocoa beans, so it’s completely vegan. Milk chocolate, on the other hand, contains milk solids, which disqualifies that ingredient from being vegan.

Where is the egg replacer in this recipe?

One of the best things about this vegan chocolate cupcake recipe is that it doesn’t require the help of an egg substitute. The combination of cooking oil, flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder bind, lift, and produce a beautifully moist cupcake.

Unsweetened cocoa powder vs Dutch-processed cocoa

While these two chocolate ingredients may sound similar, there is one key difference between the two. Unsweetened cocoa powder is produced by turning unprocessed cocoa beans into a fine powder. Dutch-processed cocoa takes the same cocoa beans and treats them with an alkalizing agent to reduce the cocoa’s acidity.

You will usually find unsweetened cocoa powder in recipes that also use baking soda, because the two work together to help your baked goods rise.

More Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Recipes

  • Air Fryer Falafel
  • Vegetable and Rice Stuffed Peppers
  • Lentil Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Mango Chia Breakfast Bowls
  • Sesame Noodle Salad

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Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (8)

4.36 from 14 votes

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless)

These chocolate cupcakes are a decadent vegan dessert that is rich, chocolatey, and topped with a thick swirl of fudgy frosting. Serve with your favorite non-dairy ice cream at your next party.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 12

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Equipment

  • Muffin Tin

  • Mixing Bowls

  • Handheld Mixer

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
  • 3/4 cup sugar (150 grams)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40 grams) (not Dutch-process cocoa)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup cooking oil (use any neutral oil; I typically use avocado oil)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

  • 2 sticks vegan butter (16 Tablespoons; if you don't need these to be vegan / dairy-free, regular butter will work)
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40 grams) (not Dutch-process cocoa)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.

  • Line a muffin tin with liners and spray them lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

  • Add oil, water, and vanilla extract all at once and stir just until everything is combined and no dry spots remain.

  • Divide batter between spaces in the muffin tin.

  • Bake until the cupcakes are just set in the middle, 15 to 17 minutes.

  • Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

  • To make the frosting, beat the vegan butter on high until very creamy. Add the maple syrup, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and water and mix on low until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. Increase the speed and mix on high until the frosting is creamy and smooth.

  • Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost the cupcakes as desired. (Note: Be very sure that the cupcakes are completely cool or the frosting will melt as you add it.)

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $5.00

Calories: 294

Keyword: baking, easy dessert recipe, kid-friendly recipe, vegan recipe

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Categorized as:
Cakes, Dessert, Party and Entertaining, Vegan

About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

Read More About Me

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Easy Chocolate Cupcakes (dairy-free and eggless) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in just desserts vegan chocolate cupcakes? ›

Ingredients: vegan granulated sugar, vegan powdered sugar, unbleached flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, floic acid), water, canola oil, soy milk (filtered water, soybeans, salt, natural flavor, gellan gum, sunflower lecithin, gellan gum, natural flavor), unsweetened ...

What is the difference between a vegan cupcake and a regular cupcake? ›

Vegan cupcakes are animal product and dairy free. This means they contain no egg, butter, or dairy products. However, they do contain ingredients that are familiar to the baker such as flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, oil, and vanilla.

What are school safe cupcakes? ›

These cupcakes are peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free and nutritionally balanced. Put them in lunches, or have them as an on-the-go snack and at family dessert time. School Safe® is a registered trademark of Branson's Specialty Foods Ltd.

How do you store dairy free cupcakes? ›

Making These Dairy Free Cupcakes In Advance & Storage Tips

If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temp, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer. Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting!

Are just desserts cupcakes dairy free? ›

Just Desserts is meeting the challenge of producing premium quality, delicious Vegan baked goods by using a combination of premium, nut-free, plant-based ingredients, featuring a rich, sweet oat milk base that contains fiber, protein, and iron.

Are vegan cupcakes better for you? ›

Plant-based fats have no cholesterol which is much healthier for you. Vegan cakes replace traditional sweeteners, notorious for causing health problems like diabetes and obesity. Instead, vegan baking uses alternatives such as coconut cream, macadamia butter, etc., which are rich in proteins and fiber.

What unhealthy things are in cupcakes? ›

Cupcakes are high in sugar and saturated fat, two nutrients that should be consumed in moderation. Women should stay under 24 grams of added sugar per day, and men should aim for less than 36 grams per day. Added sugar is any sugar that's not found naturally in foods (like the natural sugar in fruit or milk).

Does School Safe have eggs? ›

Contains: Egg • Soy • Wheat. We do our best to be accurate with respect to the advertised ingredients, nutritional information, product images and descriptions listed on our app/website.

Are eggs dairy free? ›

Eggs are often mistakenly categorized as dairy, but eggs are not dairy products. Eggs are laid by birds, which do not have mammary glands. Dairy products are items like yogurt, cheese and milk. You can eat eggs if you follow a dairy-free diet or if you have lactose intolerance.

Does vegan mean dairy free? ›

Veganism is one of the strictest diet choices - no ingredients directly from animals or where animals are used or harmed in processing. This means no meat, fish, or dairy, but also no white cane sugar and no honey. For some vegans, even certain vegetables, fruits, and nuts are off-limits.

What does milk do in cupcakes? ›

One of the main roles of milk in baking is to provide moisture. It can help to keep baked goods from becoming too dry and crumbly, and can also add tenderness to the texture. In addition to adding moisture, milk can also help to create a softer crumb in breads and cakes.

What are vegan desserts made of? ›

In recipes, milk is replaced by plant milk (almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, soy milk and other plant milks) which can be also found with chocolate, vanilla and other flavors, butter is replaced by vegetable margarine (preferably non-hydrogenated) or oil, cow yogurt and cream are replaced by their plant-based ...

What is the difference between vegan and non vegan cake? ›

To put it simply, a vegan cake is a cake that doesn't contain any animal-derived ingredients, most notably eggs, milk, and other dairy products. In 'regular' cakes, eggs and dairy products are among the key ingredients used to create the sponge and icing, and often decorations, too.

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