Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Ever had Mexican hot chocolate? It is rich, creamy, intensely chocolaty with hints of cinnamon and vanilla and a slow, latent hit of heat from the chili that sneaks up on you with a delightful surprise. It is indescribably delicious and the inspiration for this Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes recipe.

As amazing as these cupcakes are, not everyone in my family was an easy sell for a taste test. My son was game because he loves anything with spice. My dad was skeptical at first but in the end, his sweet tooth was stronger than his fear. Both of them declared the cupcakes winners. My husband, on the other hand, could not for the life of him think of why I would make such a thing as a spicy cupcake and stubbornly refused to try them for quite some time.  Wimpy Gringo!

In the end, he reluctantly took a tiny bite. Then another. And another. Then he polished off another couple cupcakes. I love it when haters become lovers!

The sneaky heat in these cupcakes comes from Chipotle Vegenaise. Vegenaise has long been my secret weapon to making moist, gluten free, vegan cupcakes and, since I was out of chipotle pepper but had a jar of Chipotle Vegenaise on hand, I thought – “Why not?” Ah, why not indeed! I will be willing to bet that the Vegenaise people didn’t think cupcakes when they dreamed up this spread but, as I said, “Why not?”

I wanted these cupcakes to have a big kick of spice, so I used all Chipotle Vegenaise in my recipe. If you are less daring, cut the amount of Chipotle Vegenaise in half (or more) and make up the difference with regular Vegenaise. And if you can’t find Chipotle Vegenaise, just mix some chipotle chili powder into the regular Vegenaise to taste.

To top these cupcakes off, I made a vegan cinnamon butter cream frosting. If you are not vegan or dairy free, some very lightly sweetened whipped cream is lovely as well.

So how about you? Are you game to try a spicy cupcake?

Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes
Print Recipe

Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Cooling time5 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 412kcal
Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

Chipotle Chocolate Cupcakes

  • *½ cup superfine white rice flour
  • *1/3 cup superfine brown rice flour
  • *1/3 cup superfine sweet rice flour
  • *1/3 cup tapioca starch *in place of the flours and starch you can use 1½ cups all-purpose gluten free flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unflavored rice milk
  • ½ cup Chipotle Vegenaise for less spicy cut half and half with regular Vegenaise
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Vegan Cinnamon Butter Cream Frosting

  • 1 cup all vegetable shortening
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 - 4 tablespoons rice milk

Instructions

Chipotle Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12" tin standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, rice milk, Chipotle Vegenaise and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir or whisk to combine. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about ¾ full.
  • Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the tops are slightly springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Prepare frosting while cupcakes cool.

Vegan Cinnamon Butter Cream Frosting

  • Combine the vegetable shortening, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and powdered sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Start on low and then gradually increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy. Add the rice milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat after each addition. Add just enough rice milk to make the frosting creamy and spreadable.
  • Frost the cooled cupcakes with the frosting.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 412 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Sodium 275mg11%
Potassium 36mg1%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 47g52%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owner’s. This blog accepts free manufacturers’ samples and forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. Affiliate links may be included in this post.

Disclaimer: All nutrition facts on Gluten Free & More are meant only as a guide and may differ depending on product brands used or ingredient substitutions. Some errors may occur, so you are encouraged to confirm the recipe’s ingredient and nutrition suitability for your own diet.
Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.
Tags: Buttercream Frosting Chipotle Chocolate Cinnamon Dairy Free Gluten-Free Gluten-Free Recipes Mexican
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  1. July 26, 2012

    I am betting these taste phenomenal!! I LOVE spice in just about anything. . . and really love it with anything chocolate. The vegenaise is brilliant! :)

    1. Gluten Free & More
      July 27, 2012

      Thanks Ricki, if you like spice and chocolate, you will like these :)

  2. July 27, 2012

    Those cupcakes look beautiful. I think you must be a genius to use the chipotle vegenaise!

    1. Gluten Free & More
      July 27, 2012

      Thank you so much Kim!

  3. July 27, 2012

    wow, what an interesting recipe, being in Oz I’ve never hear of this chipotle vegenaise but this recipe sounds like a left of spicy centre winner ;)

  4. July 27, 2012

    I am totally game Carol! Holy amazing. Such a creative idea – and they’re egg-free. Yay! Did the G-kids like them?

  5. July 27, 2012

    Carol, you are a genius. I would never have thought about using that Veganaise in a cupcake recipe. Now that I think about it, I’ve heard of mayo in chocolate cake, so why not – and I love spice in my chocolate dessert recipes! Gonna have to try this.

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  7. These sound amazing. I actually love chipotle flavor in just about anything…especially chocolate. So I am totally trying this recipe!
    xo

  8. August 1, 2012

    Another amazing recipe Carol! you have lots of great idea ever. Fabulous cupcake! I love and enjoy reading your awesome site wow! what an interesting and fantastic Gluten Free Summer Fruit Galette Recipe. I keep on reading…

    1. Gluten Free & More
      August 2, 2012

      Thank you so much Nancy!!! You made my day :)

  9. They sound great! Love how versatile this recipe is. You can serve it to anyone. I typically use almond milk but started using rice milk in the last few months and love the neutral flavor.

    1. Gluten Free & More
      August 5, 2012

      Thanks Amy. I used to use coconut milk for baking but then I started using rice milk also and like you like the fact it is so neutral.

  10. August 6, 2012

    Wow Carol, to die for! You are so creative.

    1. Gluten Free & More
      August 7, 2012

      Aww thanks Alisa!

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