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Home » Desserts » Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes

Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes

April 3, 2015 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 13 Comments

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Oh avocados, what can’t you do? Aside from putting avocado on sandwiches, salads, and lunch bowls, I’ve also used it in soft pretzels, key lime pie, and potstickers. But probably my all-time favorite avocado trick is substituting them for oil or margarine in cupcakes! Today I’m sharing my avocado chocolate cupcakes recipe.

Moist and decadent vegan cupcakes made with avocado puree and whole grain flour. | yupitsvegan.com

These are my favorite vegan chocolate cupcakes, period. They are nice and moist and just a bit fudgy, and they’re sooooorta healthy. Sorta. So it’s the best of both worlds!

Four oil free healthy vegan avocado chocolate cupcakes frosted with a rich gooey peanut butter chocolate ganache and a bite taken

You can even make these cupcakes completely oil-free if you fancy – though, I do recommend adding just a touch of oil for the best possible texture. I’ve prepared them both ways with successful results. They’re also whole grain and modern wheat-free thanks to the use of spelt flour. (That does NOT mean they are gluten-free, but some people have a sensitivity specifically to wheat so these may be appropriate for those folks). You can use all-purpose flour instead if you want.

To top them off I sprinkled more vegan chocolate chips – I cannot get enough of the Enjoy Life chocolate chips. I feel like I steal a few from the bag to munch on every time I walk past the kitchen… and I also frosted the cupcakes with a peanut butter chocolate ganache that I’ve been playing with. If you really want an airy topping then I would stick with your favorite vegan frosting/buttercream recipe, but I am more than happy with a layer of rich, peanut buttery chocolate.

Easy, moist, and fudgy chocolate cupcakes with avocado replacing oil, whole grain spelt flour, rich intense coffee, and fluffy baking soda for rise

I actually shared this recipe back in the dark early days of my blog, aka 2013. I’ve come a long way since then, in many aspects of blogging ranging from photography to recipe writing. But seriously, those pictures though.. *Shudder*. I have disappeared them from the internet forever and don’t regret my decision. These days I still find chocolate exceedingly difficult to photograph nicely. The updated pictures were a still struggle, BUT, at least now (unlike in that old post) you can get a basic sense of the appearance and texture of the cupcakes.

Over time I have also made a few more tweaks to the recipe, including reducing the baking powder, measuring the volume of the avocado, specifying temperatures of certain things, and changing the way the batter is mixed. These things lead to a slightly more delicious avocado chocolate cupcake than ever before, which is saying a lot because I already loved them.

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5 from 2 votes

Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes

Moist, fudgy avocado chocolate cupcakes, with avocado replacing the butter or oil. Easy vegan recipe.
Course Dessert
Cuisine oil-free, vegan
Keyword avocado chocolate cupcakes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 117kcal

Ingredients

Wet ingredients:

  • 3/4 cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy milk is preferred)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brewed coffee room temperature
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar (I used Florida Crystals brand)
  • 1/3 cup avocado puree or very well-mashed avocado room temperature (about 1/2 large or 1 medium avocado)
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp neutral oil (or substitute applesauce or additional avocado; I used sunflower seed oil)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract

Dry ingredients:

  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp spelt flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Other ingredients:

  • frosting or icing of choice (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line or grease a cupcake tin.
  • Stir together the nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit while you mix the dry ingredients.
  • Sift together all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl until fully combined.
  • In a blender, combine the milk and vinegar with the rest of the wet ingredients and blend until smooth. Alternately, mix the ingredients together with a fork or whisk until very smooth.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
  • Fill the cupcake slots most of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes before frosting them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Sweet cupcakes with intense chocolate flavor, creamy avocado puree, rich nut butter ganache or fluffy light buttercream, and enjoy life chocolate chips. A perfect healthy dessert for a plant based sweet tooth!

Avocado chocolate cupcakes adapted from my previous recipe and Isa’s basic chocolate cake.

Have a great weekend!

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: baking, chocolate, nut-free, oil-free, soy-free

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Comments

  1. Kirsten says

    November 10, 2020 at 16:23

    I truly love the simplicity of this recipe and am making it now for the second time this week! My avocado ended up not being ripe, so I made it without. I also used Bob’s GF flour. They were almost like Chocolate mochi. The cocoa I used is divine, so they were amazing. I did not have chips or frosting and they were super yummy! Whipped up some coconut cream as well for the last few. I am newly GF, Dairy free. This helped me know I Can Do This! Thank you :))) xx

    Reply
    • Kirsten says

      November 10, 2020 at 16:34

      5 stars
      PS I used oat milk, walnut oil, coconut sugar and did not sift (actually never saw that part until rereading – ha!) Today, I will try with coconut flour and I still don’t have a ripe avocado. One of these days! 😉 It’s fun to dance in the kitchen with y’all!

      Reply
  2. Patricia says

    July 8, 2020 at 15:16

    Hey! my muffins didnt grow 🙁 I followed everything correctly, what could I be possibly doing wrong ? 😅
    I find that baking vegan is a bit tricky
    this recipe is amazing tho 💜

    Reply
  3. Danni says

    July 24, 2017 at 05:50

    5 stars
    I think I prefer a traditional frosting over the ganache but these were really surprisingly good! I would love it if you would update the recipe to include weights.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      July 26, 2017 at 05:38

      Hi Danni, thanks for the feedback, it’s on my list!

      Reply
  4. Little Vegan Bear says

    April 6, 2015 at 00:47

    I’ve been seeing avocado incorporated in cupcakes around town, but have yet to try it. I imagine the texture is amazing! They look delicious too 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 14, 2015 at 09:00

      I promise it is!! You really can’t taste the avocado, just chocolatey deliciousness 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Mihl says

    April 4, 2015 at 05:38

    Isn’t it amazing how much we learn through blogging? I love all the practice I get on mine when it comes to photography and writing. Your pictures look amazing!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 14, 2015 at 09:00

      Thanks so much! And absolutely. I don’t do much writing for my day job so I’m really glad that blogging gives me the chance to work on that skill.

      Reply
  6. Robyn says

    April 3, 2015 at 14:23

    looks amazing!

    FYI, spelt is actually a form of wheat — it’s definitely not wheat-free! However, it is more easily digested than other forms of wheat, so sometimes people who are sensitive to gluten can tolerate spelt.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 3, 2015 at 14:28

      Thanks, Robyn! I guess I should have specified that they’re free of common wheat 🙂

      Reply
  7. June Burns says

    April 3, 2015 at 12:52

    What a cool idea, avocados in cupcakes! That ganache frosting sounds delicious, so creamy and rich 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 3, 2015 at 14:28

      Thank you June! I could definitely eat the ganache by itself =]

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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