This Quick Vegan Chocolate Bread is the best ever! It’s moist, tender and so easy to make! It’s delicious for breakfast, great as a snack and irresistible for dessert.
This chocolate loaf cake is the vegan version of the classic chocolate bread. A simple and fuss-free treat made in one hour that keeps moist and fluffy for a week in the fridge.
The best part of this recipe is that you don’t need a mixer. It just requires a medium and a large mixing bowl, and a spatula to mix the batter.
Ingredients
Flour. Plain all-purpose flour is what I usually use here. To make it gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour for all-purpose gluten-free flour at a ratio of 1:1.
Cocoa Powder. I used dutch-processed cocoa for this recipe. It has a milder and less bitter flavor.
Brown sugar. You can either use brown or cane sugar. I love both. They’re less processed than white sugar and keep their molasses content. Molasses helps to retain moisture, what is great for this bread as it makes it moister.
Agave syrup. If agave syrup it’s not among your favorite sweeteners, there are other alternatives like maple syrup, rice syrup, molasses, or honey for vegetarians.
Plant-based milk. I used soya milk but almond milk or oat milk works great here too. Those are the vegan milks I most often use, they are thick enough and have a wonderful flavour.
Apple cider vinegar. Don’t worry, you won’t notice it once the bread is baked. Apple cider vinegar serves both, to make vegan buttermilk and to substitute eggs and to help rise the bread.
Vegetable oil. Any mild vegetable oil will do: canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil.
Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract is the best option.
Chocolate chips. I used ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips to top the cake. If you’d like to add chocolate chips to the batter, you’ll need another ¾ cup.
How to make Vegan Chocolate Cake
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is just a summary of the process.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/ 180 ºC. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, pour the milk and the apple cider vinegar to prepare the vegan buttermilk. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes. It will soon curdle. Then add the agave syrup, oil and vanilla.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and the salt. Stir in the milk-vinegar mixture and mix everything with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure there is no unmixed dry flour left.
- At that point you can add the chocolate chips to the batter, if using them.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-55 minutes.
- Let cool completely in the pan. Then, use the overhanging parchment to remove the bread from the pan.
Tips for the Best Loaf Cake
- Measuring flour correctly. When measuring flour, don’t pack it into the measuring cup. This will add too much flour and the cake will be denser or drier.
- Don’t over-mix. You can use a mixer or mix it by hand. Either way, try not to over do it, just mix until combined. Over-mixing produces too much air and it may result in a dense cake.
- Don’t over-bake. Otherwise your cake will be dry. Start checking doneness after 45 minutes in the oven, by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. The cake is done when the toothpick comes out clean.
- Use room temperatura ingredients. Those mix better than cold ingredients.
How to Store and Freeze
To Store
Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool completely and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying. You can also slice it and wrap each slice with plastic. This way the slices will keep it moisture and they will be ready to just grab and eat on the go.
To Freeze
Allow the cake to cool completely. If you’re freezing the cake for a short time, a single layer of plastic is enough. If you’re freezing it for more than a week, double wrap it in plastic wrap.
When ready to use it, let it slowly to come to room temperature. Remove from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator one day before serving.
RECIPE
Quick Vegan Chocolate Bread
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 + ¼ cups plant-based milk almond, oat, soy, rice…
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup agave syrup
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chocolate chips to top
- ¼ cup chocolate chips optional, if adding them to the batter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/ 180 ºC. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. I prefer to line it than just grease it. The parchment paper will prevent the cake to stick to the pan once baked and will help to remove the cake from the pan.
- Next, prepare the buttermilk. In a medium bowl, pour the milk and the apple cider vinegar. Stir a bit and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will soon curdle. Then add the agave syrup, oil and vanilla.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and the salt.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the wet ingredients and combine all the ingredients. Be careful no to over-mix. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined.
- I didn’t add chocolate chips to the batter. If you’d like to do so, you can add them now. Stir gently. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean
- Let cool completely in the pan. If transferring to a cooling rack too soon it will break. Then, use the overhanging parchment to remove the bread from the pan. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Additional Info
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Glad I found this recipe- it’s delicious! I just turned vegan after being a vegetarian for decades. I needed a sweet fix and this is perfect!
Hi Jen! I’m super excited to hear that you love this chocolate bread. Thanks for letting me know
This bread was so yummy and chocolatey. My family loved it! Thanks for sharing this gem.
That’s so wonderful to hear, Dee!
This chocolate bread looks really moist. Love that you don’t need any dairy or eggs to make it. Definitely will try to make this for my son’s bday!
I hope you’ll enjoy it! Thanks for the comment!
This bread looks so moist and delicious! I can not wait to make it. I feel like I can already taste it!! And I love that it’s vegan.
I hope you’ll get to try it out and love it, Susan!
Oh my, this chocolate bread looks incredibly delicious! Kids will definitely love this. Plus it’s vegan which is very much appreciated by many! A perfect treat! Loved it!
Thanks for the kind words, Jamie. I really hope you’ll get to try this vegan chocolate bread!
This is a super good chocolate bread! I have a few vegan friends and it is great to make when they come over.
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your feedback!
I tried making this easy and delicious bread, and it was an instant hit with everyone who tasted it. The rich cocoa flavor and the moist texture create a heavenly combination.
Woohoo! That’s great to hear! I’m so glad that it was a hit, Sophie! Thanks for letting me know!