Chocolate Dairy-Free Cupcakes Recipe

These delicious chocolate dairy-free cupcakes are perfect for anyone who has dairy allergies. I used this recipe frequently when my son was little. 

He couldn’t tolerate dairy, so I made these chocolatey cupcakes with dairy-free milk for his birthday parties. His friends had no idea these weren’t made with regular milk since there is no difference in taste. 

Back then I used soy milk to make these cupcakes but now I prefer to use almond milk for baking. You can use your favorite plant-based milk in this recipe, although I find oat milk results in a denser cupcake.

No need to use a stand mixer for these delicious, moist cupcakes. All you need is one mixing bowl, muffin tin, whisk, measuring cup and spoons, and a cupcake pan.

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Substitutions and Suggestions for Chocolate Dairy-Free Cupcake Recipe

Sugar: You can substitute brown sugar, coconut sugar, cane sugar, or another sugar if you prefer. The type of sugar you use may alter the taste slightly and some sugars are sweeter than others.

Oil: You can use a regular vegetable oil like canola or substitute it with olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. 

You can also use vegan butter that has been softened to room temperature in place of the oil. It is best to beat the butter with the sugar until it is light and fluffy before adding the other ingredients.

Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar works best with this recipe but you can use lemon juice if you prefer. 

Flour: You can make these cupcakes gluten-free. Just substitute your favorite gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour.

Flavor: To make dairy-free vanilla cupcakes, omit the cocoa powder and add an extra 1/4 cup of flour and use dairy-free vanilla buttercream frosting. Really any flavor of frosting works well with vanilla cupcakes!

These delicious cupcakes are the perfect treat to enjoy with an afternoon cup of Earl Grey Tea.

How to Make Chocolate Dairy-Free Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 ½  cups of all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

⅓ cup of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 cup of dairy-free milk (such as soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. This helps the air circulate around the pan.

Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Add the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and milk to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth and combined.

Gently mix in the vinegar stirring until it is incorporated into the batter. Don’t over-mix! Stir only until the vinegar is mixed in. 

Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes before filling the cupcake liners. This allows the vinegar to react with the backing soda to help the cupcakes rise. It also gives you a more tender cupcake.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to fill the liners evenly.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean and the edges are just starting to crisp.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for about 5-10 minutes. Remove them from the tin and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cool, decorate them with dairy-free chocolate buttercream frosting or dairy-free whipped cream. These vegan chocolate cupcakes are also delicious topped with a scoop of vegan ice cream.

Cupcake Storage

The unfrosted cooled cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 3-4 days. Once they are frosted they should be kept in the refrigerator to keep the dairy-free frosting or whipped cream from softening.

Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen in a container or sealed freezer bag for up to 4 months. I don’t recommend freezing cupcakes made with gluten-free flour as I find that they don’t thaw well, but it may depend on the type of flour you use.

The frosting on frosted cupcakes tends to get a little soft when thawed so it may be a better option to freeze the cupcakes and frosting separately. Whip the frosting a little after it thaws to get a good consistency and then frost your cupcakes.