Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

Last Updated on April 4, 2025 by becky

Eggless chocolate cupcakes with swirls of chocolate buttercream frosting. This easy eggless chocolate cake recipe offers a “no egg” dessert option when eggs are expensive, scarce, or just plain unavailable.

What Inspired These Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes?

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you’ve probably heard about the egg shortage currently plaguing the United States. In some places, eggs have doubled or tripled in price. In others, the shelves are completely bare.

If you’re accustomed to picking up a carton of eggs whenever you need them, you might not have much experience with eggless baking, and now find yourself scrambling for alternate ways to bake up your favorite treats. (These cupcakes are just one of many eggless dessert recipes I’m turning to at the moment—scroll down to see some of my other suggestions, like chocolate orange shortbread cookies, eggless s’mores ice cream, and chewy fruit-and-nut florentine biscuits.) Amidst supply shortages and price gouging, it’s good to have an eggless chocolate cake recipe like this one at the ready.

Made with simple pantry staples like flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and vinegar, my “no egg” cupcakes are great if you’re in the mood to bake but can’t find eggs, or just don’t have time for a trip to the supermarket. Instead of eggs, these moist chocolate cupcakes get their rise from a chemical reaction produced by the combination of white vinegar and baking soda, while cocoa powder and instant espresso create the deep chocolate flavor. To finish, I’ve piped each cupcake with a thick swirl of homemade chocolate buttercream frosting, and garnished with a handful of chocolate sprinkles.

In addition to offering a reliable option for those dealing with supply shortages, these eggless cupcakes work nicely for allergies and dietary restrictions. They’re also completely vegan if you skip the buttercream!

Eggless Cupcake Recipe Ingredients

To make these eggless chocolate cupcakes, start by gathering the following ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour – Brands like Gold Medal and Pillsbury are good choices for US bakers; in the UK I recommend McDougall’s plain flour in the red-and-white striped bag.
• Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the cupcakes, and adds moisture. You can substitute caster sugar or superfine sugar, measured by weight rather than volume.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – You’ll need unsweetened cocoa powder for the cupcake batter, as well as the buttercream. Do not use Dutch processed cocoa powder.
  
• Instant Espresso Powder – A touch of instant espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor, without making the cupcakes taste like coffee.

• Baking Soda and White Vinegar – In this recipe, basic baking soda reacts with acidic white vinegar, producing the chemical reaction that causes the cakes to rise.
• Fine Sea Salt – I developed this recipe with fine sea salt; kosher salt will also work.
• Vegetable Oil – To make the batter, you’ll need vegetable oil, or another neutral oil such as canola oil.
• Vanilla Extract – Like instant espresso, vanilla extract enhances the chocolate flavor and balances the acidity of the chocolate.
• Unsalted Butter – You’ll need softened, unsalted butter to make the chocolate buttercream.
• Confectioner’s Sugar – Also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar, confectioner’s sugar blends with unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, and butter to make the creamy frosting.
  
• Whole Milk – For adjusting the consistency of the buttercream.

Why Make Eggless Cupcakes?

I developed this recipe as an option for bakers dealing with egg shortages and price gouging, or those living in places where eggs simply aren’t available for purchase. However, this cupcake recipe also makes a good choice for friends and family with egg allergies, those who need to avoid eggs for health reasons, and anyone who abstains from eggs for religious reasons.

While the chocolate buttercream contains dairy, the cake itself is both dairy free and vegan. If you skip the buttercream, these eggless cupcakes work for dairy-free and vegan diners, too. In lieu of frosting, top your eggless cupcakes with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, or dust liberally with confectioner’s sugar.

Even if you don’t have any dietary restrictions, these eggless chocolate cupcakes will 100% satisfy a craving when you’ve run out of eggs, but don’t have the time (or motivation) for a trip to the supermarket. (Speaking from experience on this one!)

Tips and Tricks for Making This Cupcake Recipe Without Eggs

A few things to keep in mind when making and baking these chocolate “no egg” cupcakes:

Don’t overmix the batter. Stir the batter until just barely combined, with no dry spots or pockets of flour remaining. It’s okay if the batter seems a bit lumpy—overmixing creates dense, tough, gummy cupcakes.

Use a spouted measuring cup. In testing, I found it easiest to scoop the cupcake batter into a large spouted measuring cup, rather than spooning it directly from the bowl. A spouted measuring cup allows for mess-free pouring, and makes it easier to evenly distribute the batter between the cups.

Allow plenty of time to cool. Don’t pipe the frosting until the cupcakes feel completely cool to the touch. If the cake is still warm, the buttercream will melt.

Express your creativity. I used chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles, but you can decorate these cupcakes any way you’d like. Top with rainbow buttercream, mint chocolate chip buttercream, or an elegant Earl Grey and white chocolate ganache. Or skip the chocolate sprinkles and garnish your eggless cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles, rainbow nonpareils, or homemade sprinkles instead.

Tools for Making No Egg Cupcakes

This eggless chocolate cupcake recipe doesn’t require many fancy tools, but you’ll find it helpful to have the following available:

• Piping Bag – For easy cleanup, I prefer to use disposable piping bags. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a small stepped palette knife to spread the chocolate buttercream.
• Piping Tip – You can use an open star, closed star, or other decorative piping tip for finishing the cupcakes with the chocolate buttercream.
• Muffin Tin – You’ll need a standard 12-cup muffin tin for baking the cupcakes.
• Flexible Rubber Spatula – A flexible rubber spatula will come in handy both for mixing the eggless chocolate cupcake batter, and for scooping the buttercream into a piping bag.
• Cupcake Liners – It’s important to prepare your tin with paper cupcake liners or reusable silicone cupcake liners. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble removing the cupcakes after baking.
• Electric Mixer – While you can use a wire hand whisk to combine the ingredients for the cupcake batter, you’ll need a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the chocolate buttercream.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Other eggless dessert recipes you might enjoy:

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
Nutella Rice Krispie Treats
Chocolate Chai Pudding
Earl Grey Cookies
Vanilla Peach Granita
Florentine Biscuits
Toasted Coconut Oreo Truffles
Lemon Posset
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Apple Date Bars
S’mores Ice Cream
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Coconut White Chocolate Truffles with Basil

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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