Iâm partnering with SilkÂŽ to bring you todayâs recipe! Iâm a huge fan of their products, especially their non-dairy milks and non-dairy yogurt alternatives. With many lactose-intolerant family members, Silkâs products are always a staple in my fridge!
One day last fall, I bumped into one of my neighbors on my way back from the mailbox, and we started talking as she unbuckled her almost three-year-old daughter from the backseat. With Halloween right around the corner, the little girl shyly showed me her tall black boots she planned to wear as part of her pop star costume. So cute!
As her daughter danced around the garage, practicing her moves for Halloween, the mom and I continued chatting. She mentioned she recently decided to switch from a vegetarian to a vegan diet, and she was trying to find a good yogurt substitute.
Somehow, my conversations with people always seem to meander their way to the topic of foodâŚ
âIâve seen almondmilk-based yogurts in grocery stores in my hometown,â I shared. âI havenât gotten a chance to explore places much since I moved, but it might be worth checking out!â
A few days later, she knocked on my door while holding a single-serving cup of Silkâs vanilla almondmilk yogurt alternative. âYou were right!â she exclaimed. âI bought one for you to try, too!â
I have the sweetest neighbors!
So a couple weeks ago, when that same neighbor mentioned her spouse was stressed over finishing report cards before the schoolâs Spring Break, I wanted to make something sweet for them to enjoy⌠And since her young daughter is a huge chocoholic, just like I am, I thought these small-batch Healthy Mini Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes would be perfect!
These cupcakes are moist and tender, and theyâre full of decadent chocolate flavor⌠But they contain no eggs, dairy, or refined flour â and theyâre just 46 calories, including the fudgy chocolate frosting!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Letâs go over how to make these low-calorie chocolate cupcakes! They start with white whole wheat flour (like this!) and cocoa powder (like this!) White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), and it has a lighter taste and texture than regular whole wheat flour, which comes from heartier red wheat. This makes white whole wheat flour perfect for these cupcakes because it lets the chocolate flavor really shine!
As for cocoa powder, you just need the regular unsweetened kind! Do not use dutched or special dark cocoa powder. Those actually have a different acidity level, which can affect the texture of your mini chocolate cupcakes. They also have a more muted flavor and donât taste nearly as rich or chocolaty in this recipe.
Remember to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale! (â Thatâs the one I have!) Too much of either will dry out your cupcake batter, and too much cocoa powder will also make your cupcakes taste bitter, rather than rich and decadent.
With just 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, the majority of these cupcakesâ tender texture comes from Silkâs vanilla almondmilk yogurt alternative! My neighbor and her daughter love eating it plain (or with some fresh fruit on top!), and Iâve found it works amazingly well in my baking recipes. And when we used Silkâs store locator, we realized lots of grocery stores near us stock it â a total win-win situation!
Instead of eggs, youâll use a special baking trick⌠Youâll mix in a tiny bit of vinegar! It reacts with the baking soda to help these cupcakes rise and give them a really tender texture. It completely fooled my neighbors â they were totally shocked these chocolate cupcakes were eggless!
Before putting your batter in the mini muffin pan, youâll use a second special baking trick of mine⌠Youâll coat the cupcake liners with cooking spray! Low-fat batters (like this one!) tend to stick to liners like superglue, but misting them with cooking spray first allows the liners to peel away much more easily.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, itâs time to top them with the fudgy chocolate frosting! Iâm not a big frosting fan⌠But I’ll actually eat this one straight from the bowl with a spoon. That’s how much I love it! đ
This chocolate frosting is so easy to make! You just stir together more cocoa powder (like this!), Silkâs unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a hint of vanilla extract, and some liquid stevia (like this!) for sweetness. Thatâs it! No butter or powdered sugar in this chocolate frosting, and no mixer required. Super simple!
I dropped off these cupcakes shortly before dinner, and although my neighbors tried to wait⌠Nobody could resist! All three of them sampled a chocolate cupcake before I left, and their eyes immediately lit up with their first bite. Everyone absolutely loved them!
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees Iâll see your picture! đ ) Iâd love to see your vegan chocolate cupcakes!
Healthy Mini Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
for the cupcakes
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 6 tbsp (45g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- â tsp salt
- 2 tsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 2 tbsp (28g) Silk vanilla almondmilk yogurt alternative (room temperature)
- 5 tbsp (75mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- Âź cup (60mL) Silk unsweetened vanilla almondmilk (room temperature)
for the frosting
- 6 tbsp (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- Âź cup (60mL) Silk unsweetened vanilla almondmilk
- ž tsp vanilla extract
- Âź tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)
Instructions
- To prepare the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 15 mini muffin cups with paper liners, and coat the liners with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Stir in the Silk vanilla almondmilk yogurt alternative. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the almondmilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners. Bake at 350°F for 15-17 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting. Add the cocoa powder, almondmilk, vanilla extract, and vanilla stevia to a bowl. Stir until smooth and creamy. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, spread the chocolate frosting on top just before serving.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
This post was sponsored by Silk. As always, all text, photographs, recipe, and opinions are my own. Get a coupon for Silk’s dairy-free yogurt alternatives here, and visit their store locator here to find their products near you! (You can find all of their dairy-free yogurt alternative flavors here!)
You may also like Amy’s other recipesâŚ
⥠The Ultimate Healthy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
⥠Healthy Mini Dark Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
⥠Healthy Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
⥠Healthier Funfetti Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
⥠Healthy Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
These cupcakes look SO CHOCOLATEY AND PERFECT!! Especially the way you spread the frosting on the top- these look like something you would buy at a fancy coffee shop to go with your espresso, but look like they also taste like home. Growing up, my Mom’s favorite cake recipe was a deep chocolate cake recipe she called “Wackey Cake.” It was “wackey” because it contained no eggs- I have a feeling it rose using the same vinegar and baking soda trick you’re using here! Yum. Your neighbors are so lucky to have you!! <3
Thank you so much Andrea! That means the world to me — you’re such a sweetheart!! ⥠I think I’ve tried a similar wacky cake recipe before too! I first came across it in college, and I actually remembered that after I made these. Too funny! đ
No doubt these cupcakes were a hit! đ
Thanks so much Liz!! đ
Amy;
Hi your mini chocolate cupcakes look so good and tasty and I am going to make your cupcakes as soon as I buy six of your ingredients at Safeway on March 26,I have four ingredients here at home but I need the other six ingredients to make your chocolate mini cupcakes.i will let you know how much my family and I love and enjoy eating your cupcakes after I make them in my mini muffin tin and all five of us and my brother’s new wife and her son also love anything chocolate.my mom’s birthday is March 27 and my birthday is on April St,mom will be 79 and I will be 53.
Have a nice day today and a nice evening and I hope to hear from you soon.
Kim
I can’t wait to hear how your cupcakes turn out Kim! Happy early birthday to you and your mom!! đ
That frosting looks so good! Whenever I have cake or cupcakes, I always want a piece with a lot of frosting lol. And I love how dark chocolatey the cupcakes themselves look.
Thanks so much! I’m a huge dark chocoholic… I’m guessing you’ve noticed? đ
Amy, these look divine. I really want to try them. I’m currently off any form of sugar, for health reasons. Maple syrup is one of the ingredients on my off limits list. Is there a substitute you might recommend?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Maria! Are you allowed to have the vanilla stevia that I use in the frosting? If so, you could easily use that in the cupcakes! You’ll need 1 Âź teaspoons of vanilla stevia + 5 tablespoons additional milk to replace the maple syrup. As another option, if you’re okay with granulated Splenda (that’s what my diabetic relatives prefer!), then you can use 5 tablespoons of granulated Splenda + 3-4 tablespoons of additional milk to replace the maple syrup. If neither of those options work for your diet, then let me know what sweeteners you’re allowed to have, and we can modify this recipe to use one of those instead! đ
There are several “mini muffin” sizes. I myself have two different mini muffin pans. I might be the only fuzzy head who doesn’t understand, but it surely would be helpful to know what mini muffin size (ounces? inches?) you used in this recipe. I’m looking forward to making these. I’ve made several of your recipes, and I’ve never been disappointed.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes Linda! That means so much to me! đ This is the exact mini muffin pan that I use. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cupcakes!
Oh my goodness these were the best chocolate cupcakes Iâve ever had!! Love the texture. I made 6 normal size cupcakes from this recipe and they turned out perfectly! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cupcakes Lexi! That means the world to me that you’d call them the best chocolate cupcakes you’ve ever made — what a huge compliment! Thank you so much! đ
How many calories would be in a normal size cupcake then?
This is the free nutrition calculator that I use, if you’d like to know Melissa! It’s really easy to use, especially if you’re on a regular computer. đ I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cupcakes!
I must have done something wrong, my cupcakes are depressing looking. All sunk down in the middle. I didnât have white vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar, is that my problem?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Melissa! We’ll get this sorted out. đ Just to confirm — you made mini cupcakes, correct? Not full-sized? Also, did you make any substitutions besides the apple cider vinegar (including the substitutions listed in the Notes section)? Finally, are the cupcakes fully baked through without raw middles? The more detailed info you can give me, the better I’ll be able to solve the issue you saw! đ
Hi Amy,
Your recipes are fantastic, but this one caught my attention..this mini cupcakes is what I am looking for this past few days..I need to make this one for an occasion…
I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cupcakes Anna! đ
Amy, these look deeelish!! Can the yogurt possibly be substituted with applesauce? Although I am vegan I rarely buy the yogurt substitutes.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Alison! I think applesauce should work. The texture may be slightly denser, but the cupcakes should still turn out nice and chocolaty. đ I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
Could I substitute the maple syrup for coconut sugar. If so, how much?
Yes! To replace the maple syrup, you’ll need 5 tablespoons (60g) of coconut sugar + 3 tablespoons (45mL) of milk. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cupcakes Chloe! đ