These mint chocolate cupcakes have a soft and moist chocolate cupcake base and are frosted with mint buttercream! If you love thin mint cookies or Andes mints, then this is the cupcake recipe for you!
I never used to be a fan of the chocolate mint combo, but after making my peppermint bark cheesecake I can't get enough of it! These chocolate mint cupcakes are perfect for holidays like Christmas, but they would be super fun for St. Patrick's Day too!
The chocolate cupcakes are my favorite chocolate fudge cupcakes and the frosting is a classic American buttercream flavored with mint extract.
I added some chocolate shavings as decoration, but it would also be amazing to top with chocolate ganache, fun sprinkles, or mini chocolate chips!
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Why you'll love these mint chocolate cupcakes!
- Easy: This is an easy recipe using simple pantry ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Oil Based: The chocolate cupcakes are oil-based, making them super soft, fluffy and moist.
- Simple Frosting: The mint buttercream frosting is so easy to make since it's an American buttercream!
- Mint Flavor: I've only flavored the frosting with mint, but you could also add a drop of mint extract to the cupcakes to get double the mint flavor!
Ingredients Needed
- Oil: make sure to use a neutral oil for the cupcakes like vegetable oil, canola oil or sunflower seed oil. You don't want anything with a strong taste!
- Greek Yogurt: you can use greek yogurt or sour cream for the cupcakes, this will make them very moist.
- Flour: I've only tested this recipe with all purpose flour.
- Cocoa Powder: I'm using dutch process cocoa powder and not natural cocoa powder.
- Espresso Powder: this is totally optional, but it is going to deepen the chocolate taste!
- Food Gel: my favorite food gel brand is Americolor! I used the color Mint Green for the frosting.
- Mint Extract: use mint extract and not peppermint extract, which might make the frosting taste like toothpaste!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºFarenheit and line a cupcake pan with liners. In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together for the cupcakes.
Step 2: In another medium bowl or in a large jug, add hot water to the espresso powder (if using). Then add the white sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold everything together until smooth.
Step 4: Pour the cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake liners and bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.
Step 5: To make the frosting, beat the room temperature butter with the confectioners' sugar on low speed. Once combined, beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the mint extract, salt and green food gel. Mix on medium speed until soft and fluffy. Add just a few drops of food gel until you have the shade you want! Then turn the speed to low and slowly pour in the heavy cream until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I always recommend using a kitchen scale and weighing out your ingredients! It's really easy to add too much flour and cocoa powder, giving you dry cupcakes.
- Only add a few drops of green food gel at a time, then you can adjust from there.
- Make these into mint Oreo cupcakes by adding crushed Oreo cookies to the frosting!
- Make these cupcakes more minty by adding a ½ teaspoon of mint extract to the cupcake batter instead of vanilla extract.
- Decorate the cupcakes with shaved chocolate, chocolate curls, mini chocolate chips, Oreo crumbs, fresh mint leaves, thin mints, or chocolate ganache!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Your frosting will be white or pale yellow but still be nice and minty!
There are a few reasons why your cupcakes ended up being dry. You may have added too much flour or cocoa powder. You also may have over-mixed the cupcake batter, which can give you dense or tough cupcakes. Finally, you may have over-baked the cupcakes!
Storage
Keep the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them come to room temperature before enjoying!
Try these cupcake recipes next!
If you've made this recipe, make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below! I love seeing when you make my recipes, so tag me on Instagram @alpineella so I can see! You can also follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok!
Recipe
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12 cup cupcake tray
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder dutch processed
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup greek yogurt room temperature
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 2 tablespoon hot water
- 2 teaspoon white vinegar
Frosting
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- kosher salt
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- mint extract
- green food gel
Instructions
Make cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in your muffin tray. This recipe makes about 14 cupcakes, so you will need to make these in two batches.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.¾ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a mug or cup, mix together the espresso powder and 2 tablespoons of hot water to make coffee. If not using espresso you can skip this step!1 teaspoon espresso powder, 2 tablespoon hot water
- In a large jug, whisk the eggs, coffee, greek yogurt, oil, vanilla extract, vinegar and two sugars until smooth2 large eggs, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup greek yogurt, 2 teaspoon white vinegar, ½ cup light brown sugar
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour, stirring until it is just about smooth - we don't want to over mix the batter!
- Fill the cupcake liners ¾ of the way and bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool for 15 minutes in the tray, then take them out and place on a cooling rack. Bake the last two cupcakes.
Make Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together on low speed until well combined.2 sticks unsalted butter, 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes until it becomes very thick.
- Stop the mixer and add the salt, food gel, and mint extract. Beat on medium-high speed for another 2 minutes.kosher salt, mint extract
- Turn the mixer to your lowest speed and pour in the heavy cream. Beat until it becomes very creamy and spreadable.¼ cup heavy cream
- Frost your cupcakes! I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to frost my cupcakes.
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