These Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes could quite possibly be the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever made. They are so light and fluffy with the most delicious chocolate and hazelnut flavours that you will find yourself craving another!
Do these cupcakes taste different because they are vegan?
As I have mentioned before, I used to naively think that all cakes needed eggs to actually taste nice. Oh how wrong I was.
These cupcakes are as light and fluffy as any I have eaten using eggs and I would definitely make these even if there is no need for vegan cake.
The idea for these Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes came when my friend Katie showed me she’d bought some hazelnut milk.
When I see hazelnuts I instantly think of Nutella, but the dairy free milk brought me back to a vegan train of thought.
I decided to adapt my Gluten Free & Vegan Chocolate Orange Cupcakes to make them taste as close to Nutella as I could but still keeping them vegan.
How to enhance the hazelnut flavour?
To help enhance the hazelnut flavour in the cupcakes and the frosting, I have used a sweet chocolate and hazelnut natural flavouring. The brand I use is by Foodie Flavours and it lasts a long time because you don’t use much of it at a time.
I have provided approximate quantities below in the recipe but it is quite hard to judge as the drops can come out quite quickly! I would always recommend to add fewer drops, then taste it and you can always add more.
The great thing about this recipe is you can taste the cake batter without worrying about raw eggs because there aren’t any eggs!
The roasted hazelnuts really add to the flavour so I would definitely recommend adding these.
They’re simple to do and roasting them does enhance their flavour and make them extra tasty. They also add a lovely crunch to the cupcakes.
Can these Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes be made gluten free?
You absolutely can make these gluten free by using gluten free flour and ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum. The xanthan gum helps act as a binding agent to stop the cupcakes crumbling.
The only thing worth mentioning is that if you do make these gluten free, then they really do need to be eaten the day you bake them or the next day.
Other recipes you might like
- Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake
- Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
- Small Chocolate Layer Cake
- Chocolate Orange Tray Bake
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Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes
These Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes could quite possibly be the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever made. They are so light and fluffy with the most delicious chocolate and hazelnut flavours that you will find yourself craving another!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 170 ml hazelnut milk
- 75 g non dairy margarine
- 1½ tbsp golden syrup
- ½ tsp coffee granules
- 140 g plain flour
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 90 g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 10 drops hazelnut & chocolate flavouring (approx)
For the frosting
- 75 g non dairy margarine
- 200 g icing sugar
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp hazelnut milk
- 15 drops hazelnut & chocolate flavouring (approx)
To decorate
- 2 tbsp roasted hazelnuts
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan assisted, 180°C non fan). Line a cupcake tin with 10 cases
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In a pan over a medium heat, gently melt the margarine, coffee and golden syrup. Once melted take off the heat and allow to cool slightly
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Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl before adding the milk and margarine mix. Stir well until the batter is smooth
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Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean
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Allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely
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Scatter the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and put in the oven to roast for approximately 10 minutes. Allow to cool before crushing
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Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, make the frosting. Add the margarine and icing sugar to the mixer and beat until combined
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Add the hazelnut milk and hazelnut and chocolate flavouring and beat until smooth and fluffy. Test and add more flavouring if you want a stronger flavour
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Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a nozzle and pipe onto each cupcake
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Finish by sprinkling with the crushed hazelnuts
Recipe Notes
Nutritional information is given as a guide only.
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
They look stunning! I could scoff a few of these right now please!
Cat says
Thanks. They were very dangerous to be near!x
[email protected] says
I love that you have taken the time to enhance the hazelnut flavor!!
Cat says
Thanks 🙂
Donna says
These look lovely. I adore the combination of chocolate and hazelnut, I’m one of those people that could eat Nutella with a spoon! #CookBlogShare
Cat says
Haha a woman after my own heart. I do that too, just not at the moment because I’ve given up chocolate for lent!x
Jenny Paulin says
wow Cat these look so delicious and chocolatey. Hazelnut and chocolate are always a winning taste combo too. You would even imagine that there could be Vega cupcakes! Yum!
Thank you for linking to #Bakeoftheweek x
Cat says
Thanks 🙂 I think these may be my new favourite cupcake, they are so tasty! You definitely can’t tell they are vegan x
Monika says
Great idea to add a bit of coffee flavour to these tasty cupcakes! They must be really good:) thanks for bringing them to #CookBlogShare:)
Cat says
I like to add coffee to chocolate cake to help bring out the chocolate flavour x
Lucy says
Yum that frosting really does look amazing! I really want to try vegan baking soon.
Cat says
I was a bit skeptical at first but really love vegan baking now. Using dairy free butter for the frosting makes it so smooth and silky x
Helen at Casa Costello says
I didn’t know that is what xantham gum is for. Love your explanation of the various ingredients that you have used. Thanks for joining in with #BakeoftheWeek
Cat says
It may have other uses too but that’s what I use it for.
Rebecca Smith says
Oh yes please! was drooling over this photo in #recipeoftheweek and then saw it was vegan too … over excited! defo giving this a go asap.
Cat says
Haha hope you enjoy them if you do make them 🙂
Choclette says
Oh they look so pretty Cat. And who doesn’t adore chocolate and hazelnut? I really need to learn proper piping skills. Thanks for sharing with #WeShouldCocoa.
Life Diet Health says
Cat these look so delicious. I’m going to make these for the boys and see if they can tell that they’re vegan! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday.
Cat says
Hopefully they don’t because when I’ve made them people don’t believe me when I say they’re vegan!
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
Wow – just wow…is it really bad that I just want to stuff a whole load of these in my face?? So impressed that you can make such good looking (and clearly good tasting) cupcakes without egg!! Eb x
Cat says
Thanks Eb 🙂 They really are very tasty, I had to bring them into work to stop myself eating them all!x
Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery says
Oooh yum! Send me one (or a few) over! Chocolate cake just tastes so much better when its made vegan & it really is so easy to bake without eggs, Im not sure why I ever used them!
Cat says
I’m quite new to vegan baking but I’m loving it. Vegan buttercream tastes amazing! x
Kat @ Kat's 9 Lives says
Yum! You can never go wrong with chocolate, especially when it is paired with some sort of nut!
Cat says
Chocolate and hazelnuts have to be my favourite!