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    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts

    Vegan Chocolate Heart Shaped Cupcakes (Gluten-Free)

    Modified: Jul 2, 2025 · Published: Feb 2, 2017 by Shelby Stover · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Pinterest image with text: vegan chocolate cupcake with pink frosting torn in half and held up by fingers with more heart-shaped cupcakes behind it
    Pinterest image with text: vegan chocolate cupcake with pink frosting torn in half and held up by fingers with more heart-shaped cupcakes behind it
    Pinterest image with text: heart-shaped chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting and chocolate chips on a cooling rack with one cupcake in a muffin tin in front of them
    Pinterest image with text: heart-shaped chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting and chocolate chips on a cooling rack
    Pinterest image with text: two images of heart-shaped chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting on a cooling rack with chocolate chips around them
    Pinterest image with text: two images of Valentine's chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting, the top of the vegan cupcake split in hald close up the bottom of the cupcakes on a cooling rack
    Pinterest image with text: two images of Valentine's chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting, the top of the vegan cupcake split in hald close up the bottom of the cupcakes on a cooling rack
    Two images of chocolate hearts shaped cupcakes with pink icing the top image a close up of one cupcake bit in half.
    Two images of chocolate hearts shaped cupcakes with pink icing the bottom image a close up of one cupcake bit in half.

    Light, soft, and irresistible these heart-shaped cupcakes make the perfect dessert! Top them with an easy buttercream icing or a dairy-free cream cheese frosting. Either way, this vegan chocolate cupcake recipe is worth having on hand!

    Heart shaped chocolate cupcakes topped with pink icing and chocolate chips on a cooling rack with one cupcake in front.

    These vegan Valentine's cupcakes will be a house favorite in no time!

    Sweetened with coconut palm sugar they taste good enough to sell and they're easy to whip up.

    Though they make a great Valentine's cupcake, they actually work for just about any occasion.

    As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I don't eat sugar-loaded sweets often, but these heart-shaped cupcakes are a treat even I can't say no to as they make Valentine's just so special for the kiddos- here's some great Valentine's photoshoot ideas too if you really want to capture moments.

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, and vegan
    • easy to make
    • a hit with kids
    • approved by people who don't care that they're vegan and gluten-free

    Ingredients You Need For The Heart Cupcakes

    Gluten-free flour: make sure to use Bobs Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour for the light, soft texture. Not all gluten-free flours are the same blend and thus each one can absorb liquid differently.

    Coconut oil: measure your coconut oil solid but then make sure to melt it before mixing it into the cake batter.

    Coconut milk: you want to use the thick, white, coconut cream from canned coconut milk. Make sure to drain any water. This is meant to give the gluten-free chocolate cupcakes a rich and indulgent feel. excessive water will change the texture.

    Coconut palm sugar: this sugar is approved on the paleo diet if that's a thing for you. If not, regular cane sugar works well for the heart-shaped cupcakes too.

    Cacao powder: not to be confused with cocoa powder, cacao has a lot more nutrients in it and gives a much darker chocolate flavor (learn the difference between cacao and cocoa powder).

    Baking powder: Needed to give some air to the cake batter so that the cupcakes fluff up nicely.

    Chocolate chips: make sure to use allergy-friendly chocolate chips if you need the heart-shaped cupcakes to be dairy-free and vegan.

    Step By Step Photos

    A metal bowl with flour, cacao powder and baking powder mixed together with a fork
    Almond milk being poured into a steel bowl of batter from a yellow measuring cup
    Heart-shaped cupcake batter being portioned into a red heart silicone mold
    Steep bowl with icing ingredients in it and a handheld mixer beside it

    How To Make Heart Shaped Cupcakes

    1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
    2. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl except the chocolate chips.
    3. Melt the coconut oil and whisk the wet ingredients together in another bowl before pouring them into the dry mixture and stirring..
    4. Mix in the chocolate chips and spoon batter into your silicone mold.
    5. Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the mold fully so that they can firm up.
    6. Transfer the heart cupcakes to a cooling rack after mostly cooled.
    7. Whip up the dairy-free frosting and pipe it onto the cool cupcakes.

    Easy, Dairy-Free Buttercream Icing

    Icing will be the death of me, it's something I simply don't excel at. However, the pink icing for these heart-shaped cupcakes is pretty damn awesome.

    Thus, this pink frosting is:

    • vegan
    • colored without the use of dyes
    • very sweet
    • made from a Nuts For Cheese butter which means other butters may come out with a different texture.

    The icing uses cane sugar and butter to get it's texture and beet powder to color it.

    Fact: no, the beet powder will not affect the taste of the vegan frosting.

    Tip: because the icing uses cane sugar, you'll want to grind the sugar down before mixing it into the butter. Cane sugar naturally comes in larger granules and I've found that it doesn't quite dissolve during the aeration process of the icing (notice in the picture below). So, use a coffee grinder to grind it down.

    Likewise, without grinding it you'll notice (in the picture below) that the icing looks textured/chunky on the heart-shaped cupcakes. It tastes fine but grinding down the sugar will make the cupcakes more aesthetically pleasing.

    The icing is extremely sweet, and it can be piped (as you see in the video). However, it is a bit thicker than traditional icing. This means, if you're piping it onto the heart-shaped cupcakes you'll want a very large hole on your instrument as you'll notice it gum up. In the video you'll see that I don't even use a piping tip, I simply use the bag.

    Another option would be to use this dairy-free cream cheese icing in its place. Or this high-protein, dairy-free buttercream frosting. Equally delicious (especially on chocolate protein powder cupcakes) and you can top with pink sprinkles too!

    Note: Want to change the color of the icing? I use acai powder for purple, spirulina for a blue-ish hue, and chlorella for green 😉

    Another Icing Option

    Another option to ice these heart cupcakes is to use coconut whip cream. Coconut whip is lighter, normally less sugar-filled, and absolutely delicious. It's actually what I used for my girl's sugar-free 1st birthday smash cake.

    That said if you've ever used coconut whip before you'll know it melts pretty quickly out of the fridge- something to keep in mind.

    Gluten-free chocolate cupcake topped with pink dairy-free icing up close with a bite take out.

    Cupcake Liners Or A Muffin Tin

    You'll want to use a silicone muffin mold for the heart-shaped cupcakes. Partially because you can't get heart-shaped cupcake liners.

    But also because these cupcakes tend to stick to cupcake liners and peeling them off ruins the cupcakes.

    How To Store Valentine's Cupcakes

    These heart-shaped cupcakes are best stored are room temperature and thus best eaten within a day or two. Though they can be stored in the fridge, the cupcakes will lose their softness and instead firm up.

    Placing them back at room temperature will make them soften up again after an hour or two but not to the extent that they were.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Valentine's Cupcakes

    Do vegan cupcakes taste different?

    While some gluten-free and vegan cupcakes will taste different, these heart-shaped cupcakes taste eerily similar to "the real thing". They're super light, moist, and very sweet.

    Do I need to make these cupcakes heart-shaped?

    Nope! The heart-shaped cupcakes are very cute for Holidays like Valentine's Day. But you can use any mold you like. I would advise a silicone mold though over cupcake liners because they pop out easier.

    Heart shaped chocolate cupcakes topped with pink icing and chocolate chips on a cooling rack.

    Other Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes You'll Love

    • Chocolate peanut butter protein cups
    • Chocolate dairy-free frosting
    • Paleo chocolate chip cookies
    • Protein truffles
    • Vanilla protein ice cream
    • Dairy-free S'mores cups
    • Candy cane fudge
    • The BEST dairy-free brownies
    • White chocolate fudge
    • Peppermint patty bars
    • Fudgy protein brownies
    • Chocolate frosted cashew cookies
    • Sugar-free pudding
    • Healthy chocolate pudding
    • Peanut butter thumbprint cookies
    • High protein snack ideas
    • Healthy dessert recipes

    Heart shaped chocolate cupcakes topped with pink icing and chocolate chips on a cooling rack with one cupcake in front.

    Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten-Free)

    Shelby Stover
    Soft, sweet, and moist these make fun Valentine cupcakes! They come out extremely light and even people who don't follow a gluten-free diet find them irrisistable.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 cupcakes
    Calories 326 kcal

    Video

    Equipment

    • 1 Heart Shaped Silicone Mold

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup almond milk
    • ⅓ cup coconut oil measured solid
    • 3 tbs coconut cream cream from the can
    • 1 cup coconut palm sugar
    • 0.5 cups gluten-free baking flour
    • ⅓ cups cacao powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 4 tbs Mini chocolate chips + more for topping

    Frosting Ingredients

    • ⅔ cups Vegan softened Butter softened (Nuts For Cheese was used)
    • 1.5 cups cane sugar then ground into a flour
    • 1 teaspoon beet powder or fresh strawberries
    • 2 tbs coconut cream from the can
    • 2 tbs almond milk
    • 2 teaspoon almond milk

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl except chocolate chips in one bowl.
      A metal bowl with flour, cacao powder and baking powder mixed together with a fork
    • Melt the coconut oil and whisk the wet ingredients in another. Make sure the almond milk is room temperature so the coconut oil doesn't solidify.
    • Mix the wet into the dry ingredients until fully combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop the batter into the silicone mold (not cupcake liners).
      Almond milk being poured into a steel bowl of batter from a yellow measuring cup
    • Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes. remove from the oven and let cool in the molds fully so they set.
      Heart-shaped cupcake batter being portioned into a red heart silicone mold

    Make the frosting

    • Use electric beaters to whip butter, sugar, beet powder, and coconut cream together. Slowly add in the almond milk and beat for another 3-5 minutes.
      Steep bowl with icing ingredients in it and a handheld mixer beside it
    • Scoop the icing into a piping bag or ziplock with a large hole. Remove the cupcakes from the silicone molds and place on a cooling rack.
    • Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with more chocolate chips if desired.

    Notes

    • Don't forget to read through the blog post as there are a lot of special notes on the cupcakes.
    • Make sure to use a heart shape silicone mold in place of cupcake liners as they pop out far easier.
    • Let the vegan chocolate cupcakes cool completely before icing them so that the icing doesn't melt.
    • You can grab the ingredients you need from my Pantry Staples.
    Disclaimer:

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"

    Nutrition

    Calories: 326kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 1gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1285mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 635mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword dairy free cupcakes, valentines day, vegan chocolate cupcakes, vegan cupcakes
    Have You Tried This Recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment below. Mention @fitasamamabear or tag #fitasamamabear!

    Indulgent, soft, and perfect for Valentine's Day (just like this chocolate, honey, Whinnie The Pooh cake!).

    These heart-shaped cupcakes make the perfect treat for absolutely everyone (just like this heart-shaped, homemade chocolate bark!)! Even those following a typical diet will fall in love with these vegan cupcakes!

    More Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts

    • Black berry popsicle sticks with black berries spread around them.
      Dairy-Free Blackberry Popsicles
    • A bowl of cherry crisp with a scoop of ice cream.
      Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp
    • Peanut butter chocolate date bark on top of a wooden board.
      Date Bark Recipe [Dairy-Free]
    • Chocolate cookie being dipped into a bowl of homemade protein cookie butter.
      Homemade Protein Cookie Butter

    Comments

    1. Nelly says

      February 14, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      5 cups of flour???? There’s not enough liquid

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        February 14, 2020 at 10:11 pm

        Hi Nelly,

        My apologies! In converting the recipe to a recipe card there was a typo. The original recipe is 1.5 cups of flour. I'm off to update the recipe card now but truly, I'm sorry.

        Reply
        • Glenda says

          January 20, 2022 at 12:34 am

          5 stars
          Thanks for sharing your recipe! I'm always glad to have another gluten free one in my collection!

          Reply
          • fitasamamabear says

            January 20, 2022 at 12:57 am

            Yay!

            Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 14, 2023 at 7:42 pm

        The recipe says .5 cups of flour. Is it supposed to be 1.5?

        Reply
        • fitasamamabear says

          February 16, 2023 at 9:50 am

          Sure is, thanks for the catch and fixing now. Really appreciate you letting me know!

          Reply
          • fitasamamabear says

            February 16, 2023 at 9:54 am

            Hey! Double checked my written notes, it is only 1/2 cup flour. Gluten-free flour absorbs like crazy so you only need a little bit for this recipe so that they come out light and not dense 🙂

            Reply
    2. Roxanne says

      January 14, 2022 at 11:09 am

      5 stars
      This so cute and looks delicious. It's perfect for gift too.

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        January 16, 2022 at 11:34 am

        I didn't even think of gifts, but yes!

        Reply
    3. Scarlet says

      January 14, 2022 at 1:05 pm

      5 stars
      These heart shaped cupcakes taste as good as they look. So chocolately and the beet powder is a great idea to get that natural pink icing. I am going to make these again for Valentine's day!

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        January 16, 2022 at 11:35 am

        Beet crystals are a winning secret hehe glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    4. Allyssa says

      January 17, 2022 at 11:31 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for sharing this amazing vegan heart shaped cupcakes recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        January 20, 2022 at 12:55 am

        They're definitely a fun one! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂

        Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        January 27, 2022 at 11:14 pm

        Glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    5. Raquel says

      January 20, 2022 at 2:19 am

      5 stars
      These are so cute! Cannot wait to make these.

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        January 22, 2022 at 2:34 pm

        They're a fun one!

        Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        January 27, 2022 at 11:14 pm

        Enjoy them! The kiddos loved them 🙂

        Reply
    6. Anne says

      January 20, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      These are awesome and chocolatey. I love that they are heart shaped too!

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        January 22, 2022 at 2:34 pm

        Chocolate is a life staple hehe

        Reply
    5 from 6 votes

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    I'm Shelby, a Certified Strength & Nutrition Coach who has spent the last 10 years helping women feel more comfortable in their skin though home strength training and healthy food- no diets, no shortcuts

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