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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Sweet Treats

    Tahini Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

    Published: Feb 7, 2017 · Modified: Aug 28, 2020 by Jenn Sebestyen

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    recipe image for Pinterest

    These Chocolate Chip Cupcakes w/ Cocoa & Tahini are adorable little mini cupcakes perfect for Valentine’s Day. Treat your sweetie…or your kids…or yourself…to some chocolate indulgence made healthier with no dairy, no eggs, no oil, and no refined sugar.

    Overhead view of a stack of Tahini Chocolate Chip Cupcakes drizzled with pink hued icing.

    We’re only a week away from Valentine’s Day. While I’m not big on a showy celebration, I do enjoy eating sweets!

    It doesn’t have to be a holiday for me to indulge in some decadent chocolate, but it is probably the only time you’ll see me busting out the heart shaped cupcake pan. And who can resist little chocolate heart shaped cupcakes? Not my kids, that’s for sure. I lost count of how many they have eaten.

    Ok, I’ll admit, I lost count on how many I have eaten! And you will too!

    Heart shaped cupcake pan filled with chocolate cupcakes. One cavity has fresh strawberries in it instead of a cupcake.

    As far as cupcakes go, these Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are pretty healthy. You don’t need eggs, dairy, oil, or refined sugar to make a delicious, melt in your mouth treat. And there’s only ½ cup of flour in the whole recipe too. What you will find is:

    • luscious deep chocolate flavor
    • vitamin and mineral rich tahini, which balances out the sweetness perfectly
    • little bites of chocolate chips – heaven!
    • healthy plant protein
    • healthy unsaturated fats
    Overhead view of a Tahini Chocolate Chip Cupcake drizzled in pink icing. Fresh strawberries and chocolate chips nearby.

    Icing

    I drizzled on some lightly hued pink icing, mostly for my girls’ benefit.

    I had a bottle of cran-apple juice in the fridge and used that instead of non-dairy milk to mix with the powdered sugar.

    You can use anything red – beet juice would make a gorgeous color.

    As much as we loved the addition of the icing, it’s absolutely not necessary.

    One Tahini Chocolate Chip Cupcake with a bite taken out. Stack of cupcakes behind and chocolate chips scattered about.

    Check out the soft, fluffy texture of the inside of the cupcake above. These mini Tahini Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are so light and moist. No one will know these are dairy free, oil free, egg free, and refined sugar free!

    Bonus – they are nut free too, so feel free to pack one in your kids’ lunch to show them how much you love them!

    Happy Valentine’s Day!

    A small pink cup of fresh strawberries, with a Happy Valentine's Day cupcake topper sticking out of the top, surrounded by tahini chocolate chip cupcakes. Pink flowers in the background.

    I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

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    For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!

    Tahini Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

    Tahini Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (Vegan, Oil Free)

    These adorable little mini cupcakes are perfect for Valentine's Day. Treat your sweetie…or your kids…or yourself…to some chocolate indulgence made healthier with no dairy, no eggs, no oil, and no refined sugar.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Course: Desserts & Sweet Treats
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 people
    Calories: 136kcal
    Author: Jenn Sebestyen

    Recommended Equipment

    • 12-cavity hearty shaped mini muffin pan

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup white whole wheat flour
    • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ¾ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar or organic cane sugar)
    • ½ cup tahini
    • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or plant milk of choice)
    • ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips

    Icing, optional

    • â…“ cup organic powdered sugar
    • 1 ½ tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or red juice if you want a pink hue; I used Cran-Apple juice I happened to have in the fridge)

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
    • Lightly spray a 12-cavity heart shaped mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
    • In a medium mxing bowl, whisk together the tahini, vanilla, and non-dairy milk.
    • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until combined.
    • Mix in the chocolate chips.
    • Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cavity no more than half way.
    • Bake 23-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes** before removing from the pan.
    • Drizzle icing, if using, over the top of the cupcakes before serving.

    Notes

    *If you don’t have a heart shaped mini muffin pan, a regular mini muffin pan will work just fine, you just obviously won’t have heart shaped cupcakes. Alternately, a regular size muffin pan may be used. Fill each cavity about ¾ of the way full. Bake 25-28 minutes. You should get about 8 cupcakes.
    **These cupcakes are soft, fluffy and delicate. Make sure you let them cool in the pan before removing them or you may have cupcake crumbles instead.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.9mg

    Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Veggie_Inspired or tag #VeggieInspired!

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    Comments

    1. Ceara says

      February 11, 2017 at 11:45 am

      I can’t wait to try this recipe, Jenn. These muffins sound fabulous!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 11, 2017 at 4:46 pm

        Thanks, Ceara! Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Cadry says

      February 10, 2017 at 12:14 pm

      Such cute little cupcakes! I can’t think of a better way to get in the Valentine’s Day spirit. And tahini is so great with chocolate! I always forget about that, but I appreciate this heart-shaped reminder. 🙂

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 10, 2017 at 12:57 pm

        Haha, you’re welcome! It’s definitely a great combo! Thanks, Cadry!

        Reply
    3. Edwina | The Induction Cook says

      February 09, 2017 at 7:11 pm

      I love the heart shapes, just gorgeous. I’ve never baked with tahini before but it sounds like a great idea so I’ll have to try it. I’m also thinking these might be healthy enough to add to the children’s lunch boxes. I know they’d love them but I’m sure I’ll be eating a lot of them first.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 09, 2017 at 8:45 pm

        Hi, Edwina! You can use tahini like any nut butter and I just love the flavor it lends to chocolate. Perfect for the lunchbox as they are nut-free (if you use soy milk). Let me know if you make them!

        Reply
    4. Linda - Veganosity says

      February 08, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      Pretty and good for you, what’s not to like? These sounds delicious, Jenn. I’ll have to make them for the hubby on V Day morning.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 08, 2017 at 2:56 pm

        Thanks, Linda! I hope you both love them! I’ve been eating cupcakes for breakfast for days. LOL!

        Reply
    5. Starr says

      February 08, 2017 at 11:54 am

      These sound amazing, I adore chocolate and tahini together! And how cute is that muffin tin?!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 08, 2017 at 12:18 pm

        It’s totally worth it to have a pan you only use once a year, right?! Ha!! Thanks, Starr!

        Reply
    6. Agness of Run Agness Run says

      February 08, 2017 at 11:48 am

      I love this heart shaped cupcakes, Jenn. They would be a great idea for Valentine”s Day!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 08, 2017 at 12:18 pm

        Thanks, Agness! Definitely a fun festive treat!

        Reply
    7. Michelle says

      February 07, 2017 at 6:09 pm

      OMG, that pan! These are darling– and I absolutely love that photo with one cake removed and the strawberries in place. I’ve been having a love affair with tahini lately, so am definitely going to try these!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 6:11 pm

        Thank you so much, Michelle! I needed a little pop of color in that photo. 🙂 The pan is darling, isn’t it…even if I do only use it once a year. LOL!

        Reply
    8. Sarah says

      February 07, 2017 at 3:58 pm

      These look and sound absolutely delightful! I’m loving that they’re vegan and the addition of tahini is amazing!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 4:51 pm

        Thank you, Sarah! I really loved the way the tahini balances the sweetness. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Lisa Bryan | Downshiftology says

      February 07, 2017 at 3:29 pm

      I love tahini and the heart shaped pan – so cute!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 3:51 pm

        Thanks, Lisa! I really love the tahini in this recipe too! Such a great balance of flavors!

        Reply
    10. Vanessa Croessmann says

      February 07, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      How cute are these? Extra brownie, wait nevermind! Extra Chocolate Chip Cupcake Points for making these healthy! Pinning them 😉

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 3:50 pm

        HaHa! Thanks, Vanessa! Enjoy!

        Reply
    11. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

      February 07, 2017 at 11:58 am

      These are the cutest, that’s the kind of pan I wish I could just rent for 2 weeks a year 😀 I love the tahini addition too, so yummy with chocolate!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 1:04 pm

        HaHa, I know!Sometimes I just can’t resist the cuteness. This is only the second time I’ve used it (well, I made this recipe 3 times to get them perfect, but you know) ….and the first time was an utter failure. Must have been last year’s attempt at a Valentine’s Day recipe, but I can’t remember. LOL!

        Reply
    12. Becky Striepe says

      February 07, 2017 at 10:34 am

      These look so amazing! Darrol and I are on a baking kick right now. Maybe we’ll do these next!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 1:02 pm

        Perfect! My girls helped me make these! I let them pour everything in…except for the arrowroot because that stuff can get quite messy! 🙂 Hope you guys love them!

        Reply
    13. Mary Ellen - VNutrition says

      February 07, 2017 at 10:23 am

      These look amazing! I’ll have to make these for the hubs for Valentine’s Day!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 10:25 am

        Thank you, Mary Ellen! You might want to make a double batch – ours didn’t last very long!! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Dreena says

      February 07, 2017 at 9:44 am

      These are adorable! Not sure the icing would be optional for me. 😉 Linking through to those chocolate truffles too, they caught my eye.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 10:08 am

        Thank you, Dreena! My girls would say the icing is not optional either. 🙂 It honestly doesn’t bring much as way of flavor or sweetness…unless you really drench them…but it does look pretty! 🙂 Enjoy the truffles too!

        Reply
    15. Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says

      February 07, 2017 at 9:17 am

      This look so tasty, and they’re perfect for Valentine’s Day! I love that they’re made with tahini!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2017 at 9:39 am

        Thanks, Dianne! I love tahini and it really balances the sweetness so well. 🙂

        Reply
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    Jenn Sebestyen of Veggie Inspired

    Hi, I'm Jenn! This is where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

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