These easy mint chocolate cupcakes pair moist dark chocolate mint cupcakes with fluffy mint buttercream frosting and a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips. Built on my tried-and-true one-bowl chocolate cake base, the recipe is simple enough to pull off on a busy weeknight but impressive enough to bring to a St. Patrick's Day party, a holiday potluck, or any occasion that calls for something a little special.
Is mint chocolate chip ice cream your love language? Thin Mints your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? Then you're going to want to bookmark this recipe immediately!
These minty chocolate cupcakes are adapted from my super-simple one-bowl chocolate cupcakes (which are based on my popular chocolate cake recipe), so the batter comes together in one bowl and bakes up unbelievable soft, with cupcakes that stay moist and rich for days.
And wait until you taste what a hint of peppermint extract does to the deeply chocolatey batter! The mint flavor is subtle enough that the rich chocolate flavor stays front and center yet noticeable enough to give every bite a refreshing hint of mint.
The mint buttercream frosting is where the magic really happens. It's my classic American buttercream flavored with a touch of peppermint extract and tinted the most beautiful soft green color. And the mini chocolate chips on top? They add a delicate crunch that makes these cupcakes irresistible!
The festive green frosting makes these mint chocolate chip cupcakes ideal for St. Patrick's Day or Christmas, but don't let that stop you from enjoying them all year 'round! With a simple switch of the food coloring (or no food coloring at all) you can turn these into an everyday dessert to enjoy for any occasion.
And for a sheet pan version of these chocolate mint cupcakes that's perfect for Christmas, check out my chocolate peppermint cake recipe!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Cocoa Powder - I prefer Dutch processed cocoa powder for that smooth, dark chocolate flavor, but you can substitute natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for a classic chocolate taste.
Whole Milk - Whole milk adds moisture and richness to the cupcake batter and creaminess to the frosting. You can substitute a lowfat milk if you prefer.
Vegetable Oil - These cupcakes are incredibly moist and tender because they're made with vegetable oil rather than butter.
Sour Cream - Sour cream not only helps create a moist cake, its acidity also activates the baking soda, which helps give the cupcakes their rise.
Peppermint Extract - I love peppermint for its strong, cool mint flavor and the way it blends with the flavor of the chocolate. If you prefer its milder flavor, you can use regular mint extract instead.
Green Gel Food Coloring - You only need a drop of this... a little bit goes a long way! The food coloring is totally optional and you can skip it, if you prefer.
Mini Chocolate Chips - I used mini semisweet chips to top the cupcakes because I was aiming for mint chocolate chip ice cream vibes, but you can also use sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or crushed pieces of Andes mint candies to decorate your cupcakes.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A cupcake pan, for baking the cupcakes.
- A stand mixer or large bowl and electric hand mixer, for mixing the frosting.
- A pastry bag with piping tip and/or offset spatula, for piping or spreading the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the cupcake batter. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Add milk, oil, sour cream, egg, and both extracts and stir until well combined.
Step 3: Add boiling water to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended. The batter will be very thin.
Step 4: Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ⅔ full.
Step 5: Bake the cupcakes at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Step 6: Make the frosting. Beat butter, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Add sugar slowly, beating until fully combined. Add milk and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add food coloring and mix until blended.
Step 7: Decorate the cupcakes. Pipe or spread frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips onto the frosted cupcakes.
Allison's Top Tips
Since the batter is so thin, I find it easiest to use a large liquid measuring cup to pour the batter into the cupcake liners rather than trying to scoop the batter into the pan.
Be careful not to overfill the cupcake liners! I find that filling them ⅔ full works perfectly so that the cupcakes rise and bake with a domed top without overflowing.
I like to bake just 6 cupcakes in a pan at one time, filling every other well in the pan. This helps the tops to rise and gives more space so that they don't run into each other if they do overflow a bit. If you have just one pan and need to bake in batches, let the remaining batter sit at room temperate, carefully remove the first batch of cupcakes from the pan 5-10 minutes after they come out of the oven and let the pan cool before refilling the pan with the remaining batter and baking the other 6 cupcakes.
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Recipe
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Special Equipment
- Cupcake pan
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 ⅛ cup (135 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- ⅜ cup (32 grams) cocoa powder (Dutch processed or natural unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- 3 ounces (85 grams) whole milk room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature and lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) peppermint extract
- 4 ounces (114 grams) boiling water
Mint Buttercream
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon (1 gram) peppermint extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 3 cups (339 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (43 grams) whole milk
- 1 drop green gel food coloring (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons (22 grams) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
Make the cupcake batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 ⅛ cup (135 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar, ⅜ cup (32 grams) cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder, ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- To the dry ingredients add milk, oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The batter will be thick, similar to the texture of brownie batter.3 ounces (85 grams) whole milk, ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil, 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) full-fat sour cream, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) peppermint extract
- Add boiling water to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended. The batter will now be very thin.4 ounces (114 grams) boiling water
Bake the cupcakes.
- Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ⅔ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth.1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter
- Add peppermint extract and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.¾ teaspoon (1 gram) peppermint extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Add sugar slowly - half a cup at a time - beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar is added the frosting will be slightly dry.3 cups (339 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.3 Tablespoons (43 grams) whole milk
- Add food coloring (if using) and mix on medium speed until thoroughly blended.1 drop green gel food coloring
Decorate the cupcakes.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a piping tip or an offset spatula, pipe or spread frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips onto the frosted cupcakes.2 Tablespoons (22 grams) mini chocolate chips
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