• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Green Smoothie Gourmet
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Spring Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Free eCourses
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Spring Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Free eCourses
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home / Recipes / Cakes & Cupcakes

    Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes

    Nov 5, 2021 · Updated: Mar 29, 2023 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe
    a cupcake with a spoon scooped out

    These healthy chocolate cupcakes are fluffy and lighter thanks to veggie puree instead of eggs and oil found in traditional cupcakes. The easy one bowl recipe is perfect for kid's who like to bake. The perfect healthy cupcake from scratch.
    Chocolate Cupcakes

    When you think of making a healthy chocolate cupcake recipe from scratch, rarely does the word "healthy" pop into your mind. But what makes my easy chocolate cupcakes healthy is the use of pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree, instead of eggs and oil. And no, you will not taste vegetables. One bite of a fluffy cupcake, and you will only taste moist fluffy dark chocolate cake.

    Like my other cupcake recipes, these are free of many things, free of oil, gluten, nuts, dairy, and eggs. If you are searching for refined-sugar-free as well, try my brownie recipes, most use date paste as a sweetener.

    Jump to:
    • You'll Love This Healthy Cupcake
    • Ingredients
    • Steps To Bake
    • How Are These Cupcakes Healthy?
    • Variations & Substitutions
    • Recipe Tips
    • FAQS
    • Other Healthy Cupcakes & Cakes
    • 📖 Recipe

    You'll Love This Healthy Cupcake

    This fluffy gourmet chocolate cupcake is so easy to make, just toss ingredients in a bowl, bake and frost. I share my awesome chocolate buttercream frosting recipe in this post, or you can use my super healthy 2-ingredient sweet potato chocolate frosting, my white frosting, or my buttercream frosting recipe which provides healthier ways to color frosting.

    These cupcakes are lighter in texture, and perfect for anyone wanting a fancy chocolate cupcake that is healthier. The recipe is also suitable for vegans, and those on a dairy free or gluten free diet. 
    Fruit-Colored Vegan Buttercream Icing (dairy-free, 4-ingredients)

    Ingredients

    These cupcakes are moist with a soft tender crumb, and a deep chocolate flavor that you can even eat them without a frosting, muffin style. And they are easy to customize into a peppermint cupcake by adding extract to both the batter and frosting. You probably have the ingredients right now. Take a look:

    • All-purpose flour. Or use gluten-free baking flour. My chocolate fudge cake uses oat flour if you'd prefer to try that recipe.
    • Unsweetened cocoa powder. Use unsweetened and the higher the quality, the better the cupcake. Dutch-processed works well.
    • Organic cane sugar. Regular cane sugar works but this tastes better.
    • Almond milk + lemon juice. Helps with leavening.
    • Pumpkin puree. Works to provide support an egg would and replaces oil.
    • Aquafaba or apple sauce. Either works as an egg replacer.
    • Leaveners & flavorings: baking powder, baking soda, coffee, vanilla extract, salt

    ingredients for chocolate cupcakes

    Healthier Chocolate Cupcakes

    Steps To Bake

    1. Line your cupcake pans with paper liners and preheat your oven to 350 F.

    2. Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with hand-mixer or spoon until combined.

    3. Add dry ingredients and stir or mix just enough to combine. Don't over-stir or you'll create a "tough" cupcake.

    4. Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full and bake for 18 minutes at 350 F.

    5. Let them cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to rack to cool.

    Pro-tip: Scoop using a medium-sized ice cream scoop for the perfect amount per cupcake liner. That way you avoid adding too little which results in a dry cupcake, or too much which spills over and sticks to the pan.

    Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

    How Are These Cupcakes Healthy?

    It's easy to make cupcakes healthier. Here is how:

    1. Be sure to make your cupcakes from scratch. From scratch baking is easy, just combine ingredients, bake and eat. Just as easy as a box mix and far healthier because you can control the ingredients and vastly reduce processed additions.

    2. Use a vegetable puree such as pumpkin or sweet potato instead of processed oil. I also use aquafaba or unsweetened apple sauce instead of eggs. Eggs are not unhealthy but they are not vegan and all my recipes are vegan so I never use eggs.

    3. I keep sugar low in all my recipes, and I use organic cane sugar which has no bone char and is fair trade which means workers who package the product are treated fairly.
    healthy chocolate cupcakes

    Variations & Substitutions

    1.The veggie puree can be pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, butternut squash puree or even zucchini puree. You can get quality versions of most of these canned, or if you don't mind the extra step, use fresh by steaming the vegetable and pureeing in a food processor.

    2. Flavors can be added to these cupcakes via extract. For instance, I frost these with white frosting during the holidays and add peppermint extract in both the batter and the frosting to make festive peppermint cupcakes.

    Recipe Tips

    1.Be sure all your ingredients are at room temperature to start. Anything hot or cold can change the texture of your healthy chocolate cupcake.

    2.When you are dissolving the sugar, mix and mix until you are sure the sugar has dissolved - there will be a minimal crunch when you press your spoon against the bowl. Dissolved sugar helps keep the healthy cupcake light.

    3.Don’t over. Don't over stir, don't over bake, and don't leave the cupcakes too long in the hot pan to cool.

    chocolate cupcake with white frosting and candy cane

    FAQS

    How to make homemade buttermilk for cake recipes

    You don't need to buy buttermilk for this chocolate cupcake recipe. Just add lemon or apple cider vinegar to milk and wait a few minutes. That is a healthy vegan form of homemade buttermilk.

    Can I make these cupcakes as a cake?

    A similar recipes for a chocolate fudge cake can be found here.

    Can I make these cupcakes gluten-free?

    Yes, use a gluten free baking flour and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot to help stabilize them.

    Is there an egg substitute for these health cupcakes?

    Yes, this recipe uses pumpkin puree instead of eggs and oil.

    How do I prevent my cupcakes from sticking to the cupcake liners?

    Use parchment baking cups, and rub a bit of coconut oil into each liner, or spray with a little cooking spray. Let your cupcakes cool before peeling them off.

    healthy chocolate cupcakes

    Other Healthy Cupcakes & Cakes

    • Chocolate Dipped Cupcakes (hi tops)
    • Healthier Lemon Cupcakes
    • Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
    • Fluffy Vegan Vanilla Cake

    I'd like to invite you to sign up for my free chocolate course. Five lessons hit your inbox with detail on how to create your own simple healthy chocolate desserts.

     

    If you try my recipes, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me on your Instagram post with @greensmoothiegourmet so I can see and share your remakes!!

    I invite you to keep up with me on:
    Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

    Subscribe HERE to get recipes delivered to your inbox! or Facebook post with @greensmoothiegourmet and #greensmoothiegourmet so I can see and share your remakes!!

    📖 Recipe

    Chocolate Cupcakes

    Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes

    Created by Dee Dine
    These healthy chocolate cupcakes are fluffy and lighter thanks to veggie puree instead of eggs and oil found in traditional cupcakes. The easy one bowl recipe is perfect for kid's who like to bake. The perfect healthy cupcake from scratch.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved! Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 33 mins
    Total Time 43 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 126 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Cupcake Dry Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or a GF baking flour
    • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder use dutch processed for darker color
    • 1 cup organic cane sugar
    • 1 tablespoon coffee use instant granules or fresh brewed
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Cupcake Wet Ingredients

    • 1 cup dairy-free milk
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, canned (Or sweet potato puree)
    • 3 tablespoon aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas or apple sauce
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Chocolate Frosting:

    • 4 cups organic powdered sugar
    • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder dutch processed cocoa for darker color
    • 1 ½ sticks vegan butter
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 5 tablespoon dairy free milk

    Useful Equipment

    • medium sized ice cream scoop
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Prep

    • Preheat your oven to 350 F.
    • Measure out aquafaba (liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas or garbanzo beans) OR use unsweetened apple sauce.
      Chocolate Fudge Cake
    • Line cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
    • Activate your milk by adding lemon juice to it and let it sit for 5 minutes.

    Make cake

    • To the large mixing bowl, add wet ingredients and sugar, and mix until combined.
      1 cup dairy-free milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, canned, 3 tablespoon aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup organic cane sugar
    • Then add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
      1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon coffee, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
      Chocolate Fudge Cake
    • Distribute the batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners using a medium cookie scoop.
      Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
    • Bake cupcakes for 18 minutes. Or until tester comes out clean for all of them.
      baked chocolate cupcakes
    • Let them cool for a ten minutes in pans, then put cupcakes on cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
      healthy chocolate cupcakes

    Make frosting

    • Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vegan butter, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon of the milk to a large mixing bowl. If butter is cold, microwave it for 10 seconds to soften.
      4 cups organic powdered sugar, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ sticks vegan butter, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 tablespoon dairy free milk
      Chocolate Fudge Cake
    • Use a hand-mixer or an electric mixer to combine. Add the remaining milk gradually until you have a creamy consistency. You can add more or less milk, but be careful, it can turn too liquidy very fast.
    • Add frosting to a frosting bag with your chosen tip.
      Chocolate Fudge Cake
    • Frost cupcakes
      Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

    Store

    • To store cupcakes in the freezer for a month, pack them unfrosted in a sealed container.
      Once frosted, the cupcakes are fine at room temperature for about 3 days and then they begin to dry out.

    Video

    Notes

    1.Since veggie puree is lighter than oil, it is much easier to get those air bubbles in your batter creating a moist fluffy texture.
    2.You will not taste any veggie puree.
    3.The veggie puree can be pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, butternut squash puree or even zucchini puree. You can get quality versions of these canned, or if you don't mind the extra step, use fresh by steaming the vegetable and pureeing in a food processor.
    4. To make Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract to the batter and and ⅛ teaspoon to the frosting to make festive peppermint cupcakes. Taste-test both to be sure the flavor is pepperminty enough for you. Frost with white and top with peppermint candy.
    5.Nutrition is per unfrosted cupcake.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 217mgPotassium: 126mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 1059IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword healthy chocolate cupcakes, healthy cupcakes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Cakes & Cupcakes

    • Hostess Cupcake Recipe
      Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
    • Vanilla vegan cake sliced with cake in background.ound.
      Fluffy Vegan Vanilla Cake
    • Baked Powdered Donuts
      Baked Powdered Donuts
    • hot chocolate cupcakes
      Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    Feel Great in 2023

    1. Ginger Shots
    2. Ginger Juice
    3. Celery Juice
    4. Turmeric Shots
    5. How to Make Ginger Tea

    Buy My Two Cookbooks

    4-Ingredient Dessert Cookbook 4-Ingredient Smoothie CookBook

    About GSG

    Welcome to GSG, a healthy food blog sharing plant based recipes for healthy desserts and recipes, making clean eating easy!

    About Dee

    Chocolate and ginger enthusiast. Animal lover, a nutritional juicing aficionado, and probably chopping chocolate in my Washington DC kitchen right now. Read about Dee → »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
    Dee Dine of Green Smoothie Gourmet

    I'm Dee! Welcome to GSG! I make classic desserts and meals healthier and lighter, drawing on my science background to balance the nutrition in each recipe. Everyone will love them, whether following a plant based diet or not.  About Dee →

    Spring Holidays

    • overhead view of two chocolate bars
      How to Make Chocolate (Dark or Milk)
    • Fudge filled eggs with one broken open.
      Chocolate Easter Eggs
    • chocolate sauce dripping down a jar of vanilla ice cream
      Chocolate Sauce Recipe (3-Ingredients)
    • chocolate avocado mousse overhead view with sprinkles
      Chocolate Avocado Mousse

    Popular

    • glass of peanut butter smoothie with a bottle next to it
      Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
    • a chocolate chip cookie with a bite out of it and a stack behind it.
      Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • frothed apple cider vinegar drink in glass with apple slices and lemons
      Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon Juice
    • overhead of 7 overnight oats recipes topped with carrots, chocolate chips and zucchini
      Easy Overnight Oats (7 flavors)
    logos of publications that shared green smoothie gourmet content

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About the Author
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Newsletter
    • Cookbooks

    Follow

    • Instagram
    • TikTok

    an amazon associate member

    Copyright © 2023

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest