Delectably light, velvety and rich, these vegan chocolate cupcakes topped with a peanut butter-date caramel are a great way to bring in the new year. Moderately reminiscent of german chocolate cake, these little beauties have it all: texture, taste and pizzazz. The heavier and naturally sweet date topping compliments perfect the light chocolate cake underneath – a perfect bite of chocolate, peanut butter and toasty coconut and pecan. What more could you want from a cupcake, really?! Hasta la vista to 2021, and let the cupcakes fly in 2022!
There’s nothing a cupcake and coffee can’t solve.”
– Marie Williams Johnstone
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes: Shopping List
In terms of cupcakes, these vegan chocolate cupcakes are a bit more extensive than your average, run-of-the-mill cupcake, but they’re totally worth it all the same. Here’s what you’ll need to make the airiest, fluffiest vegan chocolate cupcakes you’ve ever had.
- Unsweetened soy milk (or your favorite plant-based milk)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Ground golden flaxseed
- Vegan butter
- White granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet non-dairy chocolate chips
- All natural dutch cocoa powder
- All-purpose flour
- All natural dutch cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
My grandmother used to tell me that cupcakes are good for the soul.”
– Anna Todd
Peanut Butter-Date Caramel: How To
This is one of those hacks that I discovered awhile back, one that allows me to have a caramel-y food thing without the teeth-adhering and bothersome-to-make creation that is caramel. I’ve used it on several occasions, like on top of this cinnamon rice pudding with salted date caramel.
- Remove the pits from the dates. This is important, as you don’t want to be chowing down on one of these tooth breakers.
- Chop the dates up well, and then add them to a food processor or blender, along with unsweetened plain coconut yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, or your favorite plant-based milk, warm water, ground cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Blend this together until very smooth. The reason I use unsweetened in this is because dates are inherently very sweet already.
- Combine 1 cup of the blended date caramel with peanut butter, pecans and lightly toasted (and unsweetened) coconut flakes.
Spread this peanut butter-date caramel atop your vegan chocolate cupcakes once they are cool for a kind of mock german chocolate cake effect.
Here’s a video detailing the process more!
I’ve never met a problem a proper cupcake couldn’t fix.”
– Sarah Ockler
Some More Vegan Baking Hacks!
How do you make a buttermilk?
This is a great hack for buttermilk based recipes, like pancakes or these vegan chocolate cupcakes. Really, all you have to do for a vegan buttermilk is mix some (preferably unsweetened) plant-based milk plus with an acid like lemon juice or vinegar. You combine the two together, mix well, and then let the milk curdle for about 5 minutes, and voilà: perfect vegan buttermilk for activating your baking soda and so helping your baked goodie get a beautiful rise.
Plant-based milk + acid, mix and let sit for 5 minutes = vegan butter milk
How do you make a vegan egg?
These vegan chocolate cupcakes don’t use this exact formula, but I do use flaxseed to hold my batter together better. But if you’re ever at a loss for how to substitute egg in a non-vegan baking recipe, then I have a quick and easy hack for you.
1 tablespoon golden ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons warm water, mix and let sit for 5 minutes = 1 vegan egg.
Flaxseed eggs work beautifully most of the time, but chia seed might also be an option, too.
What can I say? I’ve never met a cupcake I didn’t want to get to know better.”
– Jasinda Wilder
I hope that you enjoyed these vegan chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter caramel. If you did, consider leaving me a recipe rating and comment before you go!
Airy Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Caramel
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened or regular soy milk, or your favorite plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground golden flaxseed
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, slightly melted
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons boiling hot water
- ¼ cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
- ¼ tablespoons all natural dutch cocoa powder, divided in half (2 tablespoons each)
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Date Caramel
- 1 cup medjool dates, de-pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened plain coconut yogurt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, or your favorite plant-based milk
- 2 – 3 tablespoons warm water
- Dash of ground cinnamon
- Dash of salt
For the Peanut Butter Caramel
- 1 cup date caramel, (the recipe above this)
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut shreds, lightly toasted
- ½ cup pecans, roughly ground
- ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter, natural is best
- Some toasted coconut shreds, as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a 12-count cupcake tin with cupcake papers. Also, In a small bowl, whisk together the soy milk, apple cider vinegar and ground flaxseed, and set this aside.
- In large mixing bowl, whisk together the slightly melted vegan butter with the brown and white sugar until smooth and creamy. Whisk the vanilla extract into that afterwards.
- Once the oven is preheated, in another small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of boiling water with the ¼ cup of vegan chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Whisk this until the chocolate chips have melted and are smooth.
- Now, sift the all-purpose flour, the other 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into the large mixing bowl with the whipped butter, then add the soy milk and flaxseed mixture to that, as well as the melted chocolate mixture. Fold all the ingredients together with a spatula until lightly and fluffy and no flour remains. It should be very airy, almost like a mousse.
- Fill the muffin tins about ¾ of the way full with the light chocolate cupcake batter, and bake them for 20 – 25 minutes, until the tops touched bounce back and are firm but not hard.
- While the cupcakes are baking, make the date caramel. Combine the dates, warm water, coconut yogurt, almond milk, cinnamon and salt together in a food processor and process until very smooth. Next, lightly toast the coconut flakes in a pan over low-medium heat for about 3 – 5 minutes, until slightly golden brown.Then, take 1 cup of the date caramel, and combine that with the coconut shreds, ground pecans, and smooth peanut butter in a medium mixing bowl.
- Once the cupcakes have been removed from the oven, let them cool for 10 – 15 minutes before frosting with the peanut butter caramel. After frosting them with a generous heap of the peanut butter caramel, let them cool completely before serving, as the light and airy batter is very delicate when hot.
Nutrition
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
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