These Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes are the perfect small-batch chocolate dessert with a soft and fudgy texture and a rich chocolate glaze. You only need 10 ingredients, they’re dairy-free, and sweetened with just maple syrup and chocolate chips.
Why you’ll love these mini chocolate cakes
- You don’t need an electric mixer, just a bowl, whisk and spatula.
- It’s a small-batch recipe, making just four individual-sized bundt cakes.
- If you don’t have mini bundt cake pans, you can use a muffin pan to make cupcakes.
- They’re dairy-free and vegan, made without butter, milk or sour cream.
- Except for the chocolate chips, the recipe is refined sugar-free.
Details on the ingredients
Whole wheat flour – This is usually my flour of choice for baking. It’s more absorbent than white flour so it works well with the wet ingredients in this recipe to create a fudgy texture.
Cocoa – I used unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa. It’s darker in colour compared to natural cocoa, so it produces a rich and dark chocolate cake.
Nut milk – You can use almond or cashew milk, just make sure it’s unsweetened. You can also use cow’s milk if you don’t need this recipe to be dairy-free or vegan.
Maple syrup – This naturally sweetens the bundt cakes. I haven’t tested this recipe with another sweetener, but honey and agave syrup are usually good substitutes for maple syrup. (Just note that honey will make these cakes non-vegan).
Extra virgin olive oil – Just a little for added moisture.
Vanilla extract – Enhances the flavour. Make sure you use real extract and not artificial.
Baking soda – For leavening.
Kosher salt – It also enhances the flavour of the other ingredients.
Chocolate chips – I added vegan mini chocolate chips to the batter and used them for the glaze too. Feel free to use full-sized chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
Almond butter – Not pictured above, but I like to add a tablespoon to the melted chocolate glaze to thicken it up. It also helps it not fully harden so the glaze is easy to cut into. If you don’t have almond butter, you can use another type of nut or seed butter.
Sprinkles – Also not pictured above and completely optional. To keep this dessert vegan, use vegan sprinkles.
How to make mini chocolate bundt cakes
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. If your cocoa is lumpy, sift it into the other ingredients.
Add the nut milk, maple syrup, oil and vanilla, and stir until combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter into four greased mini bundt pans. Bake on 350F for 16-18 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the chocolate bundt cake glaze, heat some chocolate chips and almond butter in the microwave and stir until smooth. Pour over the cooled cakes and top with sprinkles (optional).
What size is a mini bundt pan?
Mini bundt pans come in different sizes. You can also buy them individually, as a quartet pan, as a 6-cavity pan or even a 12-cavity pan.
The pans I used for this recipe came in a 4-pack but were detached. They each measure 4-inches in diameter and 1.5-inches high. If your mini-bundt pans are smaller, you will get more cakes out of the recipe and you will likely need to reduce the bake time. If they’re larger, you will get fewer cakes and you will likely need to increase the bake time.
Just remember to fill your pans about two-thirds full and test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done.
What can you use in place of mini bundt pans?
If you don’t have mini-bundt pans, you can use a muffin pan to make cupcakes. You will get about 8 cupcakes from the recipe and they will need to be baked for about 15-17 minutes.
The recipe does not make enough batter to make one large bundt cake so I would not use a full-sized bundt pan as a substitute.
If you’re looking for full-sized bundt cake recipes, check out this cranberry chocolate bundt cake or this chocolate pumpkin bundt cake.
How do you prevent mini bundt cakes from sticking?
- Make sure you grease your bundt pans thoroughly, especially in all the creases of the pans. (This is particularly important for pans with detailed designs).
- I find non-stick cooking spray is easy and works well, but you can also grease the pans with butter and a light dusting of flour.
- Let the cakes cool slightly in the pan before turning them out onto a wire rack. This helps them firm up and release from the pans easily.
Can you use another type of flour for this recipe?
I’ve only tested this recipe with whole wheat flour, so I can’t say for certain how other flours will work.
All-purpose white flour isn’t as absorbent as whole wheat flour, so I would caution against a 1:1 substitution in this recipe. If white flour is your preference, you will likely need to adjust the quantity of flour used.
Storage and freezing
With or without the glaze, these cakes are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. However, if you live in a warm environment, I suggest storing the glazed cakes in the fridge.
If stored properly, they should last for 4-5 days.
If you’d like to freeze these mini bundt cakes, I would do so without the glaze and sprinkles. Just let the cakes cool completely, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and add the chocolate glaze and sprinkles when ready to eat.
Key recipe tips and substitutions
- Be careful not to overfill the cake pans with batter. I usually fill them about two-thirds full.
- The cake batter will be thick. Use a spatula to spread it out in each pan and tap the filled pans on a hard surface to release any air bubbles.
- The chocolate glaze is optional. If you opt for it, you can either pour the chocolate glaze over the mini cakes and let it set up, or you can add it to the cakes just before serving for a warm and gooey chocolate dessert.
- Instead of the glaze and sprinkles, you can top the cakes with chocolate frosting, whipped cream or an icing sugar glaze.
More chocolate cake recipes
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Blood Orange Chocolate Cake
- Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Air Fryer Chocolate Cake
- Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
If you make these mini chocolate bundt cakes, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.
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PrintMini Chocolate Bundt Cakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 mini cakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes are the perfect small-batch chocolate dessert with a soft and fudgy texture and a rich chocolate glaze. You only need 10 ingredients, they’re dairy-free, and sweetened with just maple syrup and chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (Dutch-processed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or cashew milk)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup vegan mini chocolate chips
- For the topping:
- 1/2 cup vegan mini chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon natural almond butter
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease 4 mini bundt pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk (or sift) together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
- Pour in the milk, maple syrup, oil and vanilla, and stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Fold in the 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and divide the batter into the prepared pans. They should be two-thirds full.
- Tap the filled pans on a hard surface to release any air bubbles and ensure the batter fills in all the creases in the pans.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the topping, add the chocolate chips and almond butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for two 30-second intervals, stirring in between and after until smooth. Pour over the cakes, top with sprinkles and serve immediately, or let the chocolate set and serve later.
- Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container and enjoy within 4-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (without the chocolate glaze).
Notes
- If you don’t have mini-bundt pans, you can use a muffin pan to make cupcakes. The recipe will yield about 8 cupcakes, baked at 350F for 15-17 minutes.
- Make sure you grease your bundt pans thoroughly, especially in all the creases of pans that have detailed designs.
- The mini bundt pans used in this recipe measured 4-inches in diameter and 1.5-inches high. If your mini-bundt pans are smaller, you will get more cakes out of the recipe and you will likely need to reduce the bake time. If they’re larger, you will get fewer cakes and you will likely need to increase the bake time.
- The total time noted in the recipe card includes time for the cakes to cool.
- Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
2pots2cook says
Beautiful, simple and healthy ! Ticks all the boxes ! 🙂
Leanne says
Thank you!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
These look wonderful, Leanne! Cutest little cakes! I love that they’re made with whole wheat flour. And I definitely wouldn’t be leaving the sprinkles off!
Leanne says
Thanks Katherine! I feel the same way about sprinkles!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
These mini bund cakes look adorable! (Aren’t miniature desserts always look elegant?) I love the fact that they don’t appear to be overly sweet. And this glaze looks do luscious, too!
Leanne says
Thanks Ben! Yes, they’re not overly sweet but still taste a little decadent!