Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
These mint chocolate chip cupcakes are like the beloved ice cream flavor, but in a cupcake! Enjoy the perfect combination of moist chocolate cupcakes and minty frosting studded with chunks of rich chocolate.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream has been one of my favorite ice cream flavors since childhood. It’s just such a delicious classic! The combination of refreshing mint + semisweet chocolate, as well as the combo of creamy + crunchy textures is unmatched in my opinion.
This cupcake recipe has the same irresistible flavors and textures in a treat that both kids and adults will love. The chocolate mint buttercream frosting is out of this world! (Like, crazy good.) Piled on top of soft, moist and super chocolaty cupcakes it even looks just like a scoop of ice cream. Give these mint chocolate chip cupcakes a try, you don’t regret it!
“Absolutely amazing! Perfect balance of sweetness, mint and chocolate. Moist without being overly so.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from reader Kerry
Table of Contents
- Ingredients you'll need
- How to make mint chocolate chip cupcakes
- Make this recipe into a layer cake
- What if I don't want to put coffee in these cupcakes?
- More mint chocolate recipes
- Get this recipe
Ingredients you’ll need
How to make mint chocolate chip cupcakes
- Make cupcakes. Whisk dry ingredients in bowl and wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet to dry, and whisk until combined (it’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy, do not overmix).
- Bake. Line a regular-sized muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake in a 350°F oven for 12-14 minutes until cupcakes are slightly domed and centers spring back.
- Prepare frosting. While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the frosting. Add green food coloring if you want! And fold chopped chocolate in by hand.
- Frost cupcakes. The chocolate chunks make this frosting hard to pipe, so I prefer to spread it on with a spatula. And it’s ok if it’s a little bit messy!
- Enjoy! These cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days (if they last that long).
baking tip:Cupcake baking tips
- Use a measuring scoop to portion equal amounts of batter into each cup so they bake evenly. (This is the one I use.)
- Don’t fill more than 2/3 full. Cupcakes use the walls of the cupcake liners or muffin pan to help them rise. If you overfill the liners, there’s too much batter and not enough space to climb. The batter can spill over the sides and you’ll be left with flat cupcakes.
- Resist the urge to open the oven and peek during baking. The small cupcakes are more susceptible to sinking due to a drop in temperature.
- Using your oven light, look to see when the cupcakes are domed and appear to be set. Then open and touch lightly. If they spring back, they’re done.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, or until they’re cool enough to handle, then transfer them to a cooling rack. The heat from the pan will overcook and dry out the cupcakes if left in too long.
Make this recipe into a layer cake
If you’d like to make these cupcakes into an 8-inch layer cake instead, that sounds like a fabulous idea! Simply use the cake layers recipe from my sour cream chocolate cake (I scaled it down for these cupcakes) and the mint chocolate chip frosting below as written. If you need help assembling the cake, see my full tutorial on how to frost a layer cake.
What if I don’t want to put coffee in these cupcakes?
I like to use coffee in my chocolate cakes because it actually enhances the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes without adding any coffee flavor.. You won’t be able to taste it, they’ll just be really chocolaty!
If you don’t regularly drink coffee: Keep a jar of instant coffee or espresso in your pantry and stir 2 teaspoons into to ⅔ cup hot water. If you don’t want to use coffee: you can just use water!
More mint chocolate recipes
Get this recipe
Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 ¼ cup (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ⅔ cup (150 grams) sour cream , at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup (150 grams) coffee (see Notes)
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
Frosting:
- 4 cups (455 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter , at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (26 grams) heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- Green food coloring (optional)
- 3 oz (85 grams) Semi-sweet chocolate , chopped (see Notes)
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a regular muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sour cream. Stir in the sour vegetable oil, followed by the coffee and mint extract. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Divide the batter into the muffin pan, filling each muffin tin about halfway and no more than ⅔ full. Bake until cupcakes appear set and tops bounce back when gently pressed, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cake batter.
- Cupcakes can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for several weeks (thaw before frosting).
To make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, mix the powdered sugar, butter, salt, whipping cream, and mint extract on low speed until it starts to come together. Increase speed to high and beat for 3-4 minutes until frosting is fluffy, pausing once or twice to scrape the bowl down.
- Add desired amount of food coloring and mix until smooth, stir in chopped chocolate.
- Frost cooled cupcakes with the frosting as desired. Top with additional chopped chocolate. Frosted cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days after baking cupcakes.
Notes
- Using coffee: I like to add coffee in my chocolate cakes because it enhances the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes without adding a coffee flavor. You can use standard coffee or espresso cooled to room temperature, or stir 2 teaspoons of instant coffee/espresso into to ⅔ cup hot water and let cool (this is what I typically do). You can also just use water!
- Either mint or peppermint extract will work in this recipe, whatever you already have or can find at the store. The difference in flavor is minimal.
- I prefer to use gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring.
- I prefer to chop up a semisweet baking bar for the chocolate bits, but you can also use chocolate chunks or mini chocolate chips. If you’d like to use a piping bag and tip to frost these cupcakes, make sure you chop the chocolate fairly finely.
This mint chocolate chip cupcake recipe was originally published March 2017.
Mint chocolate chip cupcakes sound like the perfect combination of refreshing and indulgent! The cool mint flavor paired with rich chocolate must be amazing. A sprinkle of mini chocolate chips on top would make them even more irresistible!
Absolutely amazing! Perfect balance of sweetness, mint and chocolate. Moist without being overly so.
What a sweet story! I have so many amazing memories of baking with my mom… and I can’t wait to bake with my own little kiddies someday. Also, these cupcakes look absolutely fab! Love the chocolate + mint combo.
That frosting looks sooooo good!! I love that your 4-year-old wants to bake with you… that’s the best!!