An easy recipe for moist Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes that are refined sugar-free and can be made gluten-free too! Perfect as a simple snack between meals or for dessert.
Moist Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
I love baking with pumpkin because pumpkin purée is a great egg substitute and makes any cake or bread wonderfully moist! If you’ve already tried my chocolate marbled pumpkin cake or pumpkin bread and loved them, you’ll love these easy vegan pumpkin cupcakes too!
The great thing about cupcakes or muffins is that everyone loves them, both kids and adults alike! They’re easy-to-eat on the go and perfect for sharing with friends. You can eat them straight out of your hand – no plates and forks needed! And not forget to mention that they’re also quicker done than a traditional cake or loaf!
Simple recipe with few ingredients
For this recipe, you only need a few simple ingredients. Furthermore, the recipe is very versatile because you can try other flours and plant milks. Plus, you can also make pumpkin chocolate muffins from this recipe. Simply replace 3-4 tablespoons of flour with cocoa powder.
If you don’t have vegan chocolate chips, you can also use chocolate chunks or chopped dark chocolate. Or you can omit the chocolate completely if you want to save some calories.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Flour: all-purpose or spelt flour or gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon: or pumpkin spice
- Raw cane sugar: or other sugar
- Pumpkin puree: use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. You’ll need approx. 14.8 oz (420 g) raw pumpkin or squash to get 10.5 oz (300 g) pumpkin puree.
- Oil: e.g. rapeseed or sunflower oil
- Dairy-free milk: e.g. soy, almond, oat or cashew milk
- Orange juice: or grapefruit juice, mandarin juice or a little more plant milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Vanilla extract: or ground bourbon vanilla
- Chocolate chips: optional
How to make vegan pumpkin cupcakes
As always, I recommend checking out this step-by-step instruction and the recipe video first. Then you can find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Make the batter
First, sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl. Then add baking soda, salt and sugar and whisk together. Next, stir together all the wet ingredients in a measuring cup, then pour it into the flour mixture. Stir everything until just combined, then stir in some chocolate chips.
Step 2: Pour the batter into muffin cups and bake
Now divide the batter evenly into muffin cups and sprinkle some more chocolate chips on top. Bake the pumpkin muffins at 356 °F (180 °C) for about 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Then let cool completely. Done!
How to store pumpkin cupcakes
Generally, it’s best to store cupcakes in an airtight container and in a cool place. At room temperature or in the pantry, they will stay fresh and moist for about 3 days. In the refrigerator, they will keep for up to a week.
Before eating, you can heat them in the microwave for a few seconds. This will make them super soft and fluffy again and they will taste just like freshly baked again!
How to freeze cupcakes
Place the cupcakes in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Then seal carefully and freeze for up to 3 months. If needed, you can separate each muffin with a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap so they don’t freeze together.
This recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes is:
- Dairy-free, egg-less
- Succeeds gluten-free and soy-free
- Quick and easy to make
- Soft and fluffy
- Moist
- Not overly sweet
- With melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips
- Healthier than traditional cupcakes or muffins
- Totally delicious!
- Perfect to make ahead!
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
If you love baking with pumpkin, feel free to check out these cake and pie recipes too!
- Best Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Cinnamon Streusel
- Pumpkin Cake with Cheesecake Swirl
- Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Doughnuts
- … or try my easy Vanilla Cupcakes or my moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes!
If you try this easy vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you share a photo of your delicious dessert on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your creations! Happy baking! 🙂
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Author:You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (220 g) all-purpose or spelt flour or gluten-free flour (*see note)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- ¾ cup (150 g) raw cane sugar or other sugar
- 10.5 oz (300 g) pumpkin puree canned or homemade
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) oil e.g. canola or sunflower oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) plant milk e.g. soy, almond, oat, or cashew milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice or grapefruit juice, mandarin juice or more plant milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (120 g) chocolate chips optional
Instructions
*Note: Check out the recipe video + step-by-step pictures in the blog post above!
- Preheat the oven to 356 °F (180 °C) and line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin tray with paper cups.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Then add baking soda, salt and sugar and whisk everything together.
- In a measuring cup, stir together pumpkin puree, oil, plant milk, orange juice and vanilla extract.
- Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined. Lastly, stir in ⅔ amount of the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly into the paper cups. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top and bake the cupcakes for about 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes. Then place on a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: you can also use gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour.
- Chocolate cupcakes: Simply replace 3-4 tbsp of flour with cocoa powder.
- Storage: The cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days and in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Warm them briefly in the microwave before eating, and they will become nice and fluffy again. You can also freeze them.
- Check out the blog post above for more information and tips, as well as step-by-step pictures and the recipe video!
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Made double batch of these. Really impressive results!!! I was pureeing an enormous carving pumpkin rather than sweet small one(s) so I upped the (golden caster) sugar to 1 cup per dozen. And of the 3.5 cups of flour for 2 dozen I subbed as follows: 2.5 cups fine wholemeal plain four, 3/4 cup SR flour and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. And I reduced baking powder/soda by 1/4 teaspoon each. I had a bit of mix left and experimentally plopped it in a mug and microwaved at 700 for 2 mins and it made a fantastic mug of cake too! Who knew!? All 24 cupcakes sold out at the son’s bake sale so am making again this weekend for family and work colleagues. A definite keeper recipe!
Thank you so much, Amanda. That’s super cool. ❤️
Made these today and they are absolutely delicious. Had to make Pumpkin puree because its not sold in a can here in South Africa. But they turned out great regardless xx
I am very glad to hear this. Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂
Excellent recipe
Thank you so much! 🙂