You won’t believe your eyes (or your taste buds)!! These might be the healthiest vegan chocolate cupcakes you’ll ever try. But they are nothing short of amazing!

Hand holding up a chocolate frosted chocolate cupcake.

I am beyond excited to share this one with you. It’s my first cupcake recipe on the blog.

While cakes and cupcakes don’t normally make their way into our healthy kitchen, these vegan chocolate cupcakes are ACTUALLY wholesome! (And yet, amazingly delicious!)

This was loosely inspired by my sweet potato muffins and I promise you will LOVE these! (My kids thoroughly enjoyed my testing.)

Jump to:

Why you’ll LOVE these!
Ingredients + Substitutions
Instructions
Storage
Expert Tips
More healthy vegan dessert recipes
📖 Recipe

Why you’ll LOVE these!

While these vegan chocolate cupcakes are indeed a dessert, they are made using wholesome and nutrient-dense ingredients like sweet potatoes and black beans!

PLUS:

They’re low in calories compared to most cupcake recipes out there, with about 200 calories per cupcake INCLUDING the frosting. (Most cupcake recipes exclude frosting from their nutritional information.)
Far lower in sugar than your average cupcake, and this one is refined sugar-free. (Again, including the frosting.)
Absolutely no oil or vegan butter (and of course no eggs) makes these lower in fat, too. While a good dessert needs SOME fat, almond flour does the trick here.
Zero highly processed ingredients. Just real, whole foods. How many cupcakes can claim the same? 😉

Some added bonuses include:

They’re gluten-free, making them suitable for most eaters.
No hand mixer or stand mixer is needed. Just stir everything together in ONE large bowl.
Great for different holidays: Add some orange sprinkles for Halloween, or strawberry slices for Valentine’s Day.
And of course, they are absolutely delicious, moist, sweet, and crave-worthy.

Side view of chocolate frosted cupcakes on cooling rack.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make these vegan chocolate cupcakes.

Bowls of flour, milk, sugar and other ingredients to make cupcakes. — *See recipe card for quantities.*

Sweet potato: Use one that’s long and narrow for quicker roasting time. Choose one that’s small to medium size with smooth skin, free from bruises and cracks. Roasting or air frying the potato whole with its skin on is best for natural sweetness.
Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup to sweeten the cupcakes using unrefined sugar. You may also use date syrup if you prefer.
Cocoa powder: Choose raw unsweetened cocoa powder to avoid adding refined sugar.
Almond flour: Use blanched almond flour for its fine texture and don’t sub or omit it. The almond flour adds tenderness and some necessary fat to these cupcakes.
Oat flour: Use store-bought, or you may also make your own if you have rolled oats and a strong blender. Choose certified gluten-free oat flour if needed.
Almond milk: I’m using almond milk, but you may use any unsweetened nut milk of your choice. I didn’t test these with soy milk or oat milk, but I suspect those will work as well.
Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is active and fresh for a maximum rising power.

Instructions

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Large glass bowl with milk and sweet potato puree inside.

Whisk together the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (photo 1)

Large bowl with flour, cocoa powder and baking powder inside.

Then add all the dry ingredients to the same bowl. (photo 2)

Chocolate cupcake batter in large glass bowl.

Stir until combined, but it doesn’t need to be perfect. (photo 3)

Raw cupcake batter in muffin pan before baking.

Divide the batter among your cupcake liners and bake. (photo 4)

NOTE: Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, approx. 20-22 minutes. Then set them aside to cool BEFORE frosting them.

For the vegan chocolate frosting

Here’s what you’ll need for what is likely the healthiest chocolate frosting ever! 😉

Bowls of black beans, cocoa powder and maple syrup on kitchen counter. — *See recipe card for quantities.*

I promise you won’t taste the beans! They just magically enhance the chocolate flavor.

Blender with black beans, cocoa powder and maple syrup inside.

Add all the frosting ingredients to your blender. (photo 5)

Blend until completely smooth. (photo 6)

Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, use a piping bag to frost them.

NOTE: If you want sky-high icing on your vegan chocolate cupcakes, double the frosting recipe.

Cooling rack with chocolate cupcakes on top and blue dishtowel beside it.

Storage

These vegan cupcakes taste best on days 1-2, but you may store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep them in a sealed container to preserve moisture.

You may freeze the cupcakes unfrosted in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months, but I recommend making the frosting fresh before serving.

Expert Tips

Weigh your flour for the most accurate results. I highly recommend that you do not rely on cup measurements when baking. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you may spoon the flour into your measuring cup and use a knife to scrape off the excess, with similar results. Do not scoop from the bag!
Use fresh and active baking powder. Baking powder that is open in your pantry for 6+ months can start to lose its effectiveness.
If possible, roast your sweet potato one day in advance, or several hours before you plan to bake the cupcakes.
Let your vegan chocolate cupcakes cool in the muffin pan for at least 10 minutes before handling them. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool BEFORE frosting them.

More healthy vegan dessert recipes

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito

Rosa

Healthy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes