Super Simple Death by Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes

Let me let you in on a little secret: growing up I was never a chocolate person. M&M’s? Not a fan. Hershey bars? Underwhelming. I was always in to the fruitier side of life: strawberry ice cream, sour watermelon candy: now those are the things I can get down with. As I got older, however, my taste preferences changed and damn am I happy about it. While I’m still not in to milk chocolate, I love all things dark and delicious…which is where these chocolate vegan cupcakes come in. When I think of baked goods, decadent and rich flavors always come to mind.

These death by chocolate vegan cupcakes are rich, satisfying, and just the right amount of sweetness you need in your day. Their chocolate flavor is perfectly dark coming from cocoa powdered and melted chocolate chips. Naturally vegan, dairy free, and nut free, this recipe is great for your allergy-plagued friends (cough cough: me) & they can easily be made gluten-free by subbing out one flour for another. Since I myself follow a plant-based diet and know how frustrating it can be to have to make a million changes to a recipe, I try to make all of the recipes I share all inclusive so that they can work for any diet.

These babies are perfect for birthdays, holidays, or anything in between. They can also be made into a cake easily by doubling the recipe and simply cooking the batter in a cake pan. This chocolate vegan cupcake recipe has quickly become one of my favorites because of its versatility and fail-proof deliciousness. Hope you guys enjoy.

Yields: 12-14 cupcakes

Dry:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4th cup of cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet:

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (or regular, I use almond)
• 1/2 cup of cold coffee (can sub for more milk if you’d like, I just think the coffee adds a nice dimension to the recipe)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/4th cup melted earth balance
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/4th cup almond milk
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup melted chocolate (I prefer Earth Balance)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).
2. First, mix together all of your wet ingredients in a bowl. Let sit for a few minutes.
3. Next, mix together all of your dry ingredients in another large bowl. Once they’re mixed up, incorporate the wet and dry.
4. Beat the batter together with a mixer until there are no lumps.
5. Pour or spoon the batter into cupcake liners (this makes 12).
6. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, beat together your frosting ingredients in a bowl.
8. If the icing feels too thin, add some powdered sugar. If the icing feels too thick, add a bit of almond milk. I prefer it to have a thinner consistency so that the cupcakes are easy to ice (it firms up after a few hours).
9. Once the time is up, taking the cupcakes out of the oven and allow them to cool for 30 minutes or more. You’ll want them to be totally cool so that they ice easily.
10. Once you ice them, add sprinkles, and eat! They should keep for about a week.