Omnivores won’t detect the lack of animal products in this recipe and herbivores can rejoice in its simplicity. These cupcakes are great to whip up last minute for parties or as gifts because they’re affordable and easy to bake.

If you have only one Valentine this year, feel free to use this recipe to make a cake. Nothing says “I love you” like a healthy dessert that promotes longevity without the harming of any animals.

Most ingredients used can be found with a pantry raid or a trip to Target. I used Target’s mini baking cups in order to create more cupcakes, but regular sized baking cups or silicone cupcake holders can be used.

This recipe was adapted from instructables.com

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

1 ¼ cup flour

1 cup sugar

⅓ tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Vegan Icing

Ingredients

1 cup Earth Balance

1 small pinch of beet root powder

1 cup of powdered sugar

Supplies

Mini white baking cups

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray your silicone cupcake holders with Pam, or any other non-stick spray. If you are using cupcake liners, distribute them throughout the pan.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Stir with spoon, then add remaining ingredients. Mix until all clumps are gone.

If you want to use alternative ingredients, replace cocoa powder with hot chocolate powder, replace vanilla extract ingredient with Almond Breeze sweetened vanilla or Vanilla Silk soy milk, replace vegetable oil with canola oil and replace apple cider vinegar with any other citrus juice like lemon or lime juice.

Fill each baking cup with a spoonful of batter. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from oven. Let cool for 30 minutes.

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare icing by microwaving Earth Balance in separate bowl for 15 seconds.

Add beet root powder to softened butter, then slowly mix in powdered sugar. If the icing is not as thick as desired, freeze it for 10 minutes. Beet root powder provides a pink tint without artificial food colorings. To achieve a redder tint, add more powder. Beets are highly nutritious, rich in iron and help support a healthy immune system. The root powder is combined with sugar, masking the beet taste and enabling you to reap their benefits, even if generally you dislike beets. Pink coloring can also be achieved by crushing strawberries and mixing them with the Earth Balance and powdered sugar.

After cupcakes have cooled, decorate with icing and then place cupcakes in fridge.

Additionally, decorating cupcakes with personalized notes is another creative idea. To do this, attach small paper notes to toothpicks with tape and stick inside cupcakes.

Some alternative options for icing include peanut butter and soy-ingredient-based icing from grocery stores.

Ghirardelli has vegan chocolate products which can also be used to decorate the cupcakes. The company has an outlet store in Stockton. Their mini semi-sweet chocolate baking chips would be an excellent way to further decorate – just make sure to double check their ingredients for use of eggs, and dairy products.

While veganism may not be for everyone, these cupcakes might be. Anyone can relish in the moist chocolatey taste of these cupcakes contrasting against the natural sweetness of the icing. For those that are skeptical, I have used this recipe several times – and not once has a person found the taste odd. In high school, I prepared this recipe for classmates, not sharing that the dessert was vegan until after they finished eating. Not a single person could tell the difference.

Since the recipe is affordable and customizable it can accommodate a wide range of preferences. With fewer processed ingredients, calories and the absence of butter or eggs, these cupcakes are a way to anyone’s heart.

Hope Roberts can be reached at [email protected]