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These Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream come true! They start with a chocolate base, and get topped off with a chocolate buttercream, and chocolate chips!

a marble cake stand with vegan chocolate cupcakes on it

The best vegan cupcakes

In the spirit of chocolate, I bring you these vegan triple chocolate cupcakes. Light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes topped with vegan chocolate buttercream, chocolate sprinkles and chocolate chips. Because when it’s a holiday to celebrate chocolate I don’t kid around.

And seriously guys, these vegan cupcakes are the best!

The base for these cupcakes is similar to my red velvet cupcakes (also a great v-day option!) but these ones have more cocoa powder, and the addition of instant espresso (which brings out even MORE rich chocolatey flavour!)

a vegan chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing and chocolate chips on top

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • These vegan cupcakes are healthier than a traditional cupcake, made with Spelt flour and organic cane sugar.
  • They’re made with coconut oil and have no eggs in them, but are still super light and fluffy!
  • They’ll last 3-4 days after baking them, though you’ll probably finish them within a day 😉
  • You don’t need a stand mixer to make these cupcakes. You can make them directly in a bowl.

How to make vegan chocolate cupcakes

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl.
  3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until smooth. The batter will be a bit liquidy.
  4. Divide into a cupcake pan with liners and fill 3/4 of the way full.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 17-19 minutes.
  6. To make the frosting, we mix together some icing sugar with vegan butter and more cocoa powder. (This part you’ll need a stand mixer for or hand beater.)
vegan chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting on a cake stand

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

  • Use high-quality cocoa powder for super delicious cupcakes.
  • Don’t skip out on the espresso and vanilla! These will enhance the flavour of the chocolate.
  • The batter will be quite liquidy. Don’t worry! The batter will set and turn into light and fluffy cupcakes in the oven.
  • Don’t overfill your cupcake mould. 3/4 of the way full is fine, otherwise you’re cupcakes may overflow.
  • You can also try topping these cupcakes with whipped coconut cream like I use on these Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes for a healthier alternative.
  • If you’d like to make these cupcakes gluten-free, substitute with a cup of 1-1 gluten-free flour blend. If you are using a different type of gluten-free flour blend, make sure to add in some xanthan gum so the cupcakes come out with a light and fluffy texture.
vegan triple chocolate cupcakes

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vegan triple chocolate cupcakes

Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Jess
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 17 minutes
  • Total Time: 47 mins
  • Yield: 8 cupcakes 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

A delicious vegan cupcake recipe that features chocolate cupcake, chocolate frosting, and chocolate toppings! 


Ingredients

Scale

Cupcakes

  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup spelt flour (can sub regular flour) 
  • 2 tsp instant espresso (can sub 2 tbsp brewed espresso)
  • 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
  • 5 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate frosting

  • 1 cup vegan butter
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt

Other

  • Sprinkles
  • Chocolate chips 

Instructions

Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners
  2. Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes to turn to “buttermilk.”
  3. Next, add the coconut oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until smooth.
  6. Spoon the batter into your pan, filling 3/4 of the way full.
  7. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
  8. To make the frosting, cream together the butter and cocoa powder until combined. Add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Then add the vanilla and salt and beat on high until light and fluffy.
  9. Use a piping bag to pipe icing onto the cupcakes.
  10. Top with sprinkles and chocolate chips  

Notes

Use high-quality cocoa powder for best results.

Don’t skip out on the espresso and vanilla! These will enhance the flavour of the chocolate.

The batter will be quite liquidy. Don’t worry, the batter will set and turn into light and fluffy cupcakes in the oven.

Don’t overfill your cupcake mould. Only fill 3/4 of the way otherwise the cupcakes can overflow.

You can also try topping these cupcakes with whipped coconut cream (recipe here) for a healthier alternative.

If you’d like to make these cupcakes gluten-free, substitute with a cup of 1-1 gluten-free flour blend. If you are using a different type of gluten-free flour blend, make sure to add in some xanthan gum so the cupcakes come out with a light and fluffy texture.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 350
  • Sugar: 35g
  • Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 13g
  • Carbohydrates: 55g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 3g

If you tried these Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on PinterestInstagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

Hi, I'm Jess!

Choosing Chia is a blog all about healthy vegetarian recipes that are easy to follow, taste delicious and focus on wholesome ingredients. I started the blog after a spontaneous trip to India where I studied the practice of yoga and wellness.

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53 Comments

  1. Cher says:

    These were the best cupcakes ever. I made them for my husband’s birthday and he was so pleased.  They were easy to make and so delicious. We are chocolate lovers in my house and these did not disappoint. Thank you for a great recipe.

    1. Jessica Hoffman says:

      So happy you both loved them Cher! 🙂

  2. Julia says:

    I love this recipe but I want to make it for my nephews fourth birthday, but I’m worried about the 2 tbsp of espresso. Will it have a big coffee taste? Do I have to add it? Could I substitute it for something else? 

    1. Jessica Hoffman says:

      Hi Julia, these cupcakes don’t taste at all like coffee. But you can simply leave it out

  3. Kallie Owens says:

    Hi! Have you made it as a cake or just cupcakes? If so, do there need to be any modifications and does it hold well?

    1. Jessica Hoffman says:

      Hi Kallie, I haven’t tested this out as a cake so I can’t say!

  4. Lauren says:

    This is a really lovely recipe. I did modify it a bit and added coffee into the frosting instead of almond milk and added crushed peppermint on top, making peppermint mocha. It was very good and not overwhelmingly sweet. definitely will be making this again!

    1. Jessica Hoffman says:

      Thanks Luaren! Sounds delicious with some mocha frosting added 🙂

  5. Cordelia says:

    Hi, my recipe wasn’t liquid at all and I made sure I used all the ingredients correct. Do you know what could be happening?

    1. Jessica Hoffman says:

      Hi Cordelia, If you followed the directions the batter should be rather thin. I can’t see your batter so I can’t say the texture! It’s possible that you measured the flour and added too much if your batter is thick.

  6. Melanie Pokos says:

    Hi 🙂

    Thank you for this great recipe. I am from Austria asking myself how many grams is 1 cup? I read different online pages and it´s supposed to be between 200 and 250 grams… so now I´m confused how much I should use? I´m looking forward to your answer 🙂
    Greets and hugs from Austria

    1. Jessica Hoffman says:

      Hi Melanie, I unfortuantely cannot say since in North America we use cup measurements. I’d recommend looking up a recipe converter online to get an accurate measurement!