Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes From Scratch
The best vegan chocolate cupcakes from scratch that are rich and moist. You will love this decadent chocolate dessert!
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Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes From Scratch
Good morning everyone! Today, I am so excited to share a dessert recipe that I have been making on repeat for about three weeks straight now. I have been in a chocolate mood lately, so these vegan chocolate protein cupcakes have been hitting the spot. I honestly can’t believe how incredibly tasty they are with how simple and short the ingredients list is.
Today’s vegan chocolate cupcake recipe will give you cupcakes that are super moist, rich, sweet, and decadent. The chocolate flavor is so delicious, and the cupcakes also sneak in a bit of protein.
Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that I have been vegan for many years, so I have a bit of experience cooking and baking vegan foods that are just as delicious as their non-vegan counterparts.
One of my favorite baking tricks that I have been using recently is adding in some canned pumpkin to my baked goods. You don’t really taste it in chocolate desserts, but it adds so much moisture and fluffiness to your treats. I know it can be difficult to make vegan baked goods that are super moist, light, and fluffy, but simple add-ins like canned pumpkin definitely help.
I also wanted to note that you can add your favorite vegan chocolate frosting on top of these cupcakes if desired. They are definitely sweet enough without the frosting, but I know some people absolutely love cupcake frosting. I personally have always been a bigger fan of the cake itself over the frosting.
Anyway, enough on that. Let’s take a look at a few quick things to note for this recipe. Then, we will dive into the list of ingredients you will need to make this vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe a smashing success!
What’s the Difference Between Vegan Cupcakes and Regular Cupcakes?
There are a few key differences between vegan and regular cupcakes. Basically, vegan cupcakes do not contain animal products of any kind, including eggs, milk, butter, etc. Instead, I use subs such as nut milk, canned pumpkin for moisture, and baking powder/soda for fluffiness. In terms of taste, a good vegan cupcake will taste very similar to a non-vegan one. Now that we’ve covered a few quick things to note for this recipe, let’s take a look at the full ingredients list.
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes From Scratch – Ingredients
- Vegan Chocolate Protein Powder – The first ingredient you will need for this recipe is the vegan chocolate protein powder. I went with my go-to for this recipe, which is the Orgain Simple protein powder in the chocolate peanut butter cup flavor. I absolutely love the taste of this one, and I find that it bakes really well.
- Gluten Free Flour – The gluten free flour is the next essential ingredient you will need for this recipe. It combines perfectly with the other dry ingredients to form a cupcake batter base.
- Cocoa Powder – You absolutely cannot have a chocolate treat without some cocoa powder. I used the Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder in this recipe, as I really enjoy the rich flavor and deep brown color it gives the cupcakes. However, you can use any cocoa powder you have on hand or enjoy most.
- Coconut Sugar – The coconut sugar adds sweetness to these cupcakes.
- Baking Powder – The baking powder is the first key leavening agent used in this recipe to help the cupcakes rise.
- Baking Soda – The baking soda is the other essential leavening agent used in this recipe to ensure the cupcakes turn out light and fluffy.
- Nut Milk – You will also want nut milk for this recipe. It is the key source of liquid which adds flavor, moisture, and creaminess to your cupcake batter. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk for this recipe, but you can use whichever kind you have on hand or enjoy most.
- Canned Pumpkin – The canned pumpkin adds a ton of moisture to these vegan chocolate cupcakes.
- Pure Maple Syrup – The pure maple syrup adds even more sweetness and flavor to the cupcakes.
- Chocolate Chips – The chocolate chips provide the cupcakes with additional sweetness, richness, and flavor.
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Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes From Scratch
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp chocolate protein powder (I used Orgain Simple)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp measure for measure gluten free flour (I used King Arthur brand)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup nut milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the protein powder, gluten free flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add in the canned pumpkin, pure maple syrup, and nut milk.
- Mix everything well to form a smooth cupcake batter.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Evenly distribute the batter between 8 cavities of a lined or greased cupcake pan.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before removing them from the pan.
- Add optional vegan chocolate frosting of choice, then dig in and enjoy!
Notes
I hope you all enjoy this vegan chocolate protein cupcakes recipe. It is so incredibly sweet, moist, and delicious. I can’t wait for you guys to make them! Anyway, that’s it for this recipe. As per usual, I will be back with another blog post very soon!
-Alyssa 🙂
