Vegan Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe. This Chocolate Chip Quick Bread is super easy and popular to everyone. Add seasonal berries, make cupcakes, add a streusel for variation. Vegan Soyfree Nutfree Recipe. GF option Jump to Recipe
If you loved the Cinnamon Swirl Cake, you’ll love this simple chocolate chip cake as well!
A simple vanilla cake batter with chocolate chips or chunks mixed in. Whats not to love! Add berries, pineapple, apple, nuts or other additions. Swirl in some nut butter. Make it into cupcakes. Loads of variations. This cake is not too sweet and more a quick bread. Add a decadent chocolate frosting or icing for dessert!
Make this loaf your own for breakfast. See GF and no oil options in the recipe notes. This quick bread is Soft, Easy, uses few ingredients and is flexible.
Try more Baked Quick Breads and Cakes
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- 1 Bowl Banana Apple Bread. Can be made into muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Marble Cake
- Lemon blueberry pound cake
Gluten-free options
- GF Cashew Butter Chocolate Marble Cake.
- Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Bread yeast-free.
- GF Carrot Banana Bread – Also grain-free.
- Sweet Potato Crumb Cake. GF
For no oil and no refined sugar cake, try this Turmeric Coconut Loaf.
Slices after sitting for a day above.
Chocolate/cocoa industry is known for rampant child labor and slavery in cacao bean farms. Thankfully, brands have been recognizing this and offering fair trade and slavery free options. See Food empowerment project’s list of companies and brands here. Most vegan brands, not all, offer ethical cocoa products.
Tips to Bake Soft, moist Vegan Cake/bread Loafs
- When baking loafs or thicker cakes, you want a thicker batter compared to cupcakes or regular cake batter. The thinner batter takes much longer to cook the moisture out and might tend to be gummy at the bottom or fall in the center.
- Many factors determine the consistency of the batter. How the flour is measured, the kind of flour etc. Start with less flour when using whole grain flours and add more as needed. Too stiff a batter will dry out faster while baking.
- Let the cake cool lightly covered with a towel or a container so that all the moisture doesnt evaporate out. This is esp helpful when baking without oil or with whole grain flours. If baking with no or less oil, add more topping such as a streusel, oats, more chocolate chips or berries. The thicker topping allows more moisture to stay in the cake.
Recipe Card
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Wet:
- 1 cup (244 ml) non dairy milk , such as almond or soy
- 1 tbsp non dairy yogurt or applesauce or more non dairy milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or other vinegar
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) unrefined sugar , use 1 tbsp more for sweeter
- 1/4 cup (56 ml) oil (neutral such as organic safflower or canola) or use 3 tbsp applesauce to make oil-free
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a few drops of almond extract , optional but wonderful
Dry:
- 2 cups (250 g) of flour (I use a mix of unbleached all purpose(1.25 cups) and wheat(3/4 cup)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 cup (90 g) vegan chocolate chips , I like a mix of mini and regular size vegan chocolate chips/chunks/chopped up dark chocolate
Instructions
- Line a 9 by 5 inch or smaller loaf pan with parchment or grease well. Preheat the oven to 360 deg F (182 deg C). In a bowl, mix in the wet ingredients until the sugar is fully combined.
- In another bowl, whisk 1 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add spices of choice if you like. See GF option in Notes below. (Optional: Add 2 tbsp almond flour to the dry for additional texture). At this point you can also toss in seasonal berries of choice.
- Fold the dry into the wet until just about combined. Add more flour if needed 1 tbsp at a time to make just slightly thick batter (you might not need any depending on the flours used).
- Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips and mix in. Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. or top with a streusel of choice.
- Bake for 50 to 55 mins. Cool for 10 mins, then remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing. Store on the counter for upto 2 days, refrigerated for upto 7 days, freeze (slices) for upto a month. See Tips above for troubleshooting.
- To make cupcakes/muffins: Bake for 22 to 24 mins for regular size muffinsBake in a brownie pan, bake for 40 mins.
Notes
Nutrition
Donna
We have an ALL nuts anaphylactic allergy (along with eggs & gluten) in our house – so can’t use almond flour. Do you think just a store bought GF blend could work?
Richa
It might. Add a struesel topping to keep the cake moist
Lauren Liddle
Hi! I want to try this recipe out but have to sub out a few things. Could I use coconut oil for the oil, brown sugar, and almond flour instead?? I have a few gluten free family members.
Richa
Yes to first 2. See notes for using almond flour in notes section. You need to add starch witb almond flour as otherwise cake won’t rise
Lisa
Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Vegan Richa Support
🙂 always here for you!
Linda Eissler
Loved it! Will add extra chips & walnuts next time. We made it last night and ate the whole loaf in less than 24 hours (2 people) great recipe! Shared with friends & family
Vegan Richa Support
yum! glad you loved it. thank you!
Sharon
It’s a delicious cake. Easy to follow instructions. It looks like a lot of ingredients but it is not at all complicated to make (it’s actually quite quick and easy!). I add the Almond flour and essence too. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Vegan Richa Support
So glad you enjoy the recipe, Sharon!
carolyn
Do you think I could substitute date sugar? Also, would whole-wheat-pastry flour work as well or better than just regular whole-wheat flour? Thank you, can’t wait to make this.
Vegan Richa Support
Date sugar will work well, but slightly alter the flavor. You can use pastry flour but then should omit the baking powder and baking soda. I hope you enjoy!
Victoria
I’ve made this many times and it’s delicious. We love it.
Vegan Richa Support
I’m so glad to hear 🙂
Elizabeth
Can you make this into a round layer cake? Is it sturdy enough to stack?
Vegan Richa Support
I think so ~ esp. if layered with icing
Aquila
Any advice on baking this in a bundt cake pan?
Richa
Yes bake it and check at 35 mins mark
Diane
Super easy to make and the kids loved it. used 1/2 white flour but somehow they were fooled into thinking it was all white. 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
nice trick
Suz
I made this as a loaf cake and it was gorgeous! I’m going to try this as muffins tonight. How many muffins would this make if I follow the recipe exactly?
Thank you! ❤️
Vegan Richa Support
thanks Suz, a dozen, reg. muffin pan
Jen
Help! I don’t know what happened when making this bread, but it overbaked and had a really dark exterior after 45 minutes of baking. I used Lactaid milk, applesauce, and 2 cups of sifted regular flour. The texture of the loaf seemed nice and spongy and it tasted good in the middle, but the edges are definitely way too well done. Want to make again successfully!
Richa
It’s either the milk, or oven heating too much. Try baking at 10-15 deg lower temp and cover the pan with parchment. No need to seal it. The parchment will reduce the top getting brown.
Sony
Hi, I made this. It was breaking on making slices. So made big slices. Why? TY! Will try with whole wheat flour next time like people in comments. Ur thoughts?
Richa
Cool it completely and use a sharp serrated knife. Cake breaks when warm as it’s very soft then. Soft is better than hard and dry 🙂
Rosa Beagle
Mmm, so yummy! Love this recipe, always turns out perfectly. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Ben
I’ve made this before and it is delicious. I am looking to make this again to be gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and stevia instead of sugar. For gluten free, would it work to use the 1:1 flours that is gluten free.
https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Baking-Gluten/dp/B07FW7SCB2/ref=asc_df_B07FW7SCB2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309769273892&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12085928990183985606&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031113&hvtargid=pla-644947750009&psc=1
Richa
I’ve never had good luck with the 1:1 flours. You can try a small batch. Try add a few tbsp of stevia sweetened club soda to help leaven the batter as the rice flour batters can bake dry and dense, so the aeration from the soda will help
Priya
Hi Richa,
I love your recipes – you totally inspire me!
This particular recipe has been a complete game changer in my household, everyone loves it.
I did amend it slightly – I use one and a quarter cup plain flour and three quarter ground almonds.
I also use homemade cashew milk and quarter cup cane sugar.
I’ve tried it with chocolate chips but also raisins and both are divine.
The addition of the ground almonds gives the loaf a light airy texture and it really is quite heavenly to eat.
Thank you for all your recipes Richa. Your website is my “go to” place when I’m feeling a little blue -you always put a smile on my face. 😊
Richa
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Yamuna
I tried it. It was so good. I used monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar.
Richa
Awesome
Rachna
Hi
Looks so delicious. For the gluten free option, can I use Eno salt instead of the Citric acid?
Thanks.
Richa
Yes use eno
Jay
Another delicious winner. Soft, great flavour, and not too sweet at all. I used whole wheat flour and needed about 2 T shy of the full 2 cups of flour. I will absolutely make this cake again. It was just what I was looking for.
Vegan Richa Support
perfect thank you for stopping in!
Emi
Do you think it can be made with a mix of gluten free flour or whole wheat flour?
Vegan Richa Support
you can use up to 3/4 cup WW in this
Taylor
I made this in muffin tins and they’re soooo sooo good!
Vegan Richa Support
wow – cool
Grace
I thought I saw a comment about using aquafaba instead of citric acid with the gf version but now I can’t find it! Can/should we use aquafaba to make it fluffier? Thanks!
Richa
Yes use whipped up aquafaba. 1/4 cub for 1.5 cups flour
Paige
Wow, this recipe turned out AMAZING. It’s so soft, the cake is not too sweet, and the crust is so crispy. It was also super easy to make. I added orange extract instead of almond and subbed in a touch of OJ in place of some of the almond milk. This will definitely be a recipe to revisit over and over.
Vegan Richa Support
oooo – nice twist. thanks for popping in!
Kristen
This was SO GOOD. I used whole wheat flour, half the sugar and salt, and double the chocolate chips and it was perfect. The batter was a bit thick so I added a little more milk and it came out great. Not too sweet at all.
Vegan Richa Support
sounds great. thanks for your reply!!
Rachel
This was awesome!! I added the extra sugar. Came out perfectly and was a win with the whole family
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome everyon’es winning
chloe
Fab vegan cake recipe. Made a delicious, not crazy sweet cake. I used a cake pan and cooked it for 40 mins. Turned out perfectly.
Thankyou
Richa
Awesome
Laurie
I don’t have yogurt. Can I just use more milk and add more flour? How much more flour would you use? Thanks!!