Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

12 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are rich and moist with melty chocolate mints and fresh minty icing. They’re easy to make in just 30 minutes!

If you like this recipe for Grasshopper Cake, then you’re sure to love this perfect chocolate cupcake version of it. Make it into mini cakes for a great Dessert to serve at a party, bake sale, or get-together with no worry about slicing the cake for the crowd.

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes on a platter

Any fan of chocolate and mint is sure to love these homemade chocolate cupcakes! Between the fresh mint frosting and deep chocolate flavor, the recipe’s chocolate to mint ratio is perfectly balanced.

There are a few key components to take regular chocolate cake to the next level for this dessert. Firstly, the frosting is made with a Classic Vanilla Buttercream Recipe, except the vanilla is swapped for mint. It’s an easy change that makes a huge difference in taste. The minty flavor doesn’t stop there because you’ll also mix chocolate mint candies throughout the batter for ultimate mint chocolate deliciousness.

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes collage

Another important component in the best chocolate cake recipe is to mix in espresso powder. The coffee flavor enhances the taste of the chocolate for an extra rich base. Then the combination of oil and melted butter makes it rich, buttery, and so moist.

Classic Chocolate Mint Cupcakes are perfect to serve for St. Patrick’s Day. The green food coloring in the frosting makes them adorable and festive. They’re sure to be a huge hit with kids and adults alike! Serve them up with mint chocolate chip ice cream for even more green theme fun.

More Cupcake Recipes 

Tips for Making Mint Chocolate Cupcakes 

  • Prep: To start, preheat the oven and line the muffin tin with cupcake liners, so they’re ready to go once you combine the ingredients.
  • Batter: Chop the mint candies into pieces, and set them to the side. Then melt the butter in the microwave. Add the all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, melted butter, canola oil, and water to your stand mixer. Turn the electric mixer on until it’s combined into one cocoa mixture. Be careful not to overmix the oil and flour mixture. Only stir until the dry ingredients are just combined into the wet ingredients. Mix in the eggs, then the vanilla and milk. Beat until the batter is smooth. Then stir in the chopped Andes mints.
  • Bake: Use an ice cream scoop to scoop cake batter into muffin cups so that they’re each 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick or butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool while you make the frosting.
  • Frosting: Add powdered sugar, butter, and mint extract to the mixing bowl. Stir at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the milk in 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to add milk until it reaches a nice spreadable consistency. Add 1 drop of food coloring at a time until you achieve the desired color. Transfer the icing into a piping bag and frost the cupcakes.

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes frosting collage

Variations on Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Frostings: There are different kinds of frostings you can use on the rich chocolate cake. Instead of buttercream frosting, try a more Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting with cream cheese and sour cream.
  • Sugars: If you don’t want to bake with granulated sugar you can use other kinds of sugars like brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
  • Toppings: You can add crushed candy mints, mini chocolate chips, Oreo crumbs, sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or large grain sugar for decorative toppings.
  • Chocolate: If you don’t have Andes mints, you can use regular semisweet chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips in the recipe. To make it so they are still a nice mint flavor, add a couple of drops of mint extract to the cupcake batter.
  • Peppermint Cupcakes: To make a more seasonal recipe during the holidays, exchange the mints for peppermint. Use 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and red food coloring in the icing. You can also replace the Andes mints with crushed candy canes.

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes on cooling rack

More Mint Desserts 

How to Store Mint Chocolate Cupcakes 

  • Serve: You can leave these rich chocolate cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 days.
  • Store: To extend the shelf-life, put them in an airtight container to keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • Freeze: You can also seal and freeze them for up to 3 months.

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes on the inside

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Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are rich and moist with melty chocolate mints and fresh minty icing. They're easy to make in just 30 minutes!
Yield 12 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

Chocolate Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mint chocolate candies , chopped

Mint Buttercream Frosting:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cups unsalted butter , softened
  • 1 teaspoon mint extract
  • 4-6 drops green food coloring
  • 1/4 cup whole milk , additional if necessary

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tray with liner cups.
  • Add to a stand mixer the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, melted butter, canola oil, water and turn on the beater until just combined.
  • Add in the eggs until just combined, then add in the milk and vanilla beating until smooth.
  • Stir in mint chocolate candies.
  • Using an ice cream scoop fill the cups 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool completely.

Mint Buttercream Frosting:

  • To your stand mixer add the powdered sugar, butter and mint extract on medium speed until light and fluffy then add in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting can be spread easily with a spatula.
  • Add in the color until it reaches the color green you like, one drop at a time while on medium speed.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword: Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes fcollage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

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