Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten-Free Option)

Really light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes studded with white chocolate chips, topped with a rich and creamy chocolate buttercream and decorated with more white chocolate. These decadent cupcakes are easy to make and are naturally vegan with GF options.

In the last couple of months, I have made more cupcakes than I have for a long time and I am not complaining! I really love cupcakes but sometimes I find them far too sweet with too much frosting. Now, these are pretty rich and special, but they are just the right level of sweetness. Sure, they are cake after all, so they are sweet but not excessively so. The cacao powder and the low sugar white chocolate (I use the Crunchy Nougat one from The Nu Company which is also refined sugar free, plastic free and they plant a tree for every bar sold!) keep these chocolatey and rich without the sugar rush!

These Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes are my favourite cupcakes I’ve made, maybe ever! They are so light and fluffy, it’s like eating a chocolate cloud – one that’s topped with rich and indulgent buttercream and studded with chunks of chocolate.

What makes these Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, triple chocolate?

• A rich cacao powder chocolate batter
• White chocolate chunks inside and on top
• A rich and creamy chocolate buttercream

And yes, they’re fully vegan with GF options, too! Depending on the chocolate you use, the base of the cupcakes is also refined sugar free, although the buttercream does use standard white icing/powdered sugar. For a completely refined sugar free option, I’d use my protein-yoghurt mousse frosting from my Peanut Butter Protein Cookie Cups and use chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla.

The ingredients for these Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes are pretty basic, you probably have them all in your cupboards already:

• Plant-based milk: any will do, I like oat, almond or coconut.
• Lemon juice: this curdles the milk to make a vegan buttermilk to bind the cakes.
• Sunflower oil: the liquid nature of the oil is key to keeping the texture so light and fluffy. You could also try olive oil or something similar.
• Coconut sugar: or another sugar like caster would also work.
• Vanilla essence: for flavour.
• Plain or GF plain flour: if using the GF one, make sure it’s a recommended GF blend with xantham gum to act as a binder. I can imagine these would also work with light spelt or half wholemeal flour, although the texture will not be quite as light.
• Cacao powder: for the first chocolate element! Or you can use cocoa powder interchangeably.
• Espresso powder: this really adds to the chocolate flavour and adds richness to the bakes. But you can leave it out.
• Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: for rise!
• Salt: for flavour.
• White chocolate: as mentioned before, I love The Nu Company one, but any dairy-free white chocolate will work. Or you can use dairy-free milk or dark chocolate, too.

That’s all that we need for these Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, they’re really easy and come together in 10 minutes. Once baked, allow them to cool fully before piping or spreading with the vegan chocolate buttercream. Like any good buttercream, this is simply beaten vegan butter with cacao powder, icing sugar and a splash of plant-based milk to create a really rich and luscious texture.

The decoration of these Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes is up to you – as Valentine’s Day is coming up, I went for a love theme with some heart-shaped Linzer cookies (recipe coming soon, but for now, use this Sugar Cookie Recipe), some extra white chocolate and dusty rose sprinkles.

I hope you will love these super light and fluffy, rich and indulgent Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes that are naturally vegan with GF options. They come together in no time at all and are so delicious with a cup of tea or coffee.

If you are looking for more bakes, how about my:

• Snickers Banana Bread
• Dirty Chai Raisin Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
• Vegan Chocolate Star Bread
• Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
• Cinnamon Apple Streusel Muffins

Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten-Free Option)

• Servings: 8-9
• Time: 40 minutes plus cooling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Really light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes studded with white chocolate chips, topped with a rich and creamy chocolate buttercream and decorated with more white chocolate. These decadent cupcakes are easy and are naturally vegan with GF options.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
• 180ml plant-based milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 80ml sunflower oil
• 70g coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 140g plain or GF plain flour
• 40g cacao powder
• 2 tsp espresso powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• A pinch of salt
• 60g white chocolate, chopped small (or dark chocolate)
Chocolate Frosting:
• 100g vegan butter
• 25g cacao powder
• 150g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp plant-based milk
Topping:
• 9 squares/triangles white chocolate
• Optional: mini cookies, sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and place 8 or 9 cupcake cases into a cupcake tray.
2. Stir together the plant-based milk and lemon juice and leave to curdle for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk in the sunflower oil, coconut sugar and vanilla essence.
4. To a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, cacao powder, espresso powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda with a pinch of salt. Pour in the wet mixture and whisk to a smooth batter.
5. Stir through the chopped chocolate and fill each cupcake case to about ¾ full.
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes until springy and risen, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then cool fully on a wire rack.
7. Make the frosting by beating the butter until soft and then gradually beating in the cacao powder, icing sugar and plant-based milk until really creamy and smooth.
8. Pipe or spoon onto the cooled cupcakes and top with a triangle of chocolate. Decorate with extra mini cookies and sprinkles, if desired. Store cupcakes in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes so please leave your comments below and tag me in your cupcakes, I love seeing them! I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With triple chocolate love x

This recipe was originally created with The Nu Company but this post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.