Chocolate Mint Cupcakes are rich chocolate cupcakes with a delicious mint center and decadent frosting. These unique cupcakes will be one of your go-to recipes for parties or gatherings.
These Chocolate Mint Cupcakes are reminiscent of the classic Thin Mint girl scout cookies. Try this thin mint cupcake out for Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day, or any time of year to wow your family and friends. Thin mints were originally called “Cooky-Mints” in 1939 and had many more name iterations before the current one.
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What We Love About This Recipe
- Family Favorite: With chocolate cupcakes, minty filling, and rich chocolate icing, the whole family will love these frosted cupcakes that remind you of thin mint cookies.
- Easy Ingredients: With boxed cake mix and instant pudding mix, this easy recipe eliminates countless ingredients needed.
- Adaptable: Use low carb or low sugar cake mix for this treat that will become one of your favorite cupcake recipes.
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Butter: Adds flavor to the icing. Make sure you soften the butter at least half an hour before you begin baking for best results.
- Chocolate Syrup: Unsweetened cocoa powder also adds chocolatey flavor to frosting if you don’t have chocolate syrup or fudge.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Makes frosting fluffy and stable, using milk will not provide the same results.
Variations and Substitutions
- Peppermint Extract – Add peppermint extract to the frosting for an extra dash of mint.
- Vegetable Oil – Butter can be substituted, but may result in a different texture.
- Pudding – If you can’t find York pudding, substitute dark chocolate pudding, for a delicious chocolate flavor, and add peppermint extract.
How to Make Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
These are the basic steps for making Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
STEP 1: PREP
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray or line a muffin tin.
STEP 2: MIX
Using a hand mixer or stand electric mixer on medium speed, mix cake mix, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
STEP 3: BAKE
Divide cupcake batter into cupcake liners in a muffin tin until each is 2/3 full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. These must cool completely on a wire rack before filling with the pudding mixture.
STEP 4: FROSTING
Cream the softened butter in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, then beat until light and fluffy. Add in the cocoa extract, vanilla extract, and chocolate syrup or fudge sauce. Slowly mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time while mixing in a tablespoon of heavy cream between each cup. Mix until creamy and fill a piping bag with frosting.
STEP 5: FILLING
In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix pudding mix and milk on medium until well incorporated. Fold in whipped topping and add to a piping bag. Scoop out middle of cupcakes with a melon baller, pipe with pudding just short of filling to the top. Replace top if desired. Frost cupcakes.
STEP 6: DRIZZLE
Place mint chocolate chunks (Andes mints would work well) and milk in a small bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 25 seconds. Stir and repeat heating until melted. Drizzle mixture over the frosted cupcakes. Then, sprinkle crushed mint chocolate chunks over cupcakes for a delicious minty flavor.
Prep and Storage Tips
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
Bake cupcakes up to two days ahead of time and store at room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap or an airtight container until ready to serve. Since there is dairy in this frosting, it is best to wait until serving to make it.
HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up 2 days. Do not store at room temperature if the filling and icing is on the cupcakes.
HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE
These cupcakes, and pudding filling, can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Replace half the oil with applesauce to to make moist chocolate cupcakes.
Absolutely. Substitute or add an equal amount of peppermint extract for mint frosting.
Of course. This chocolate cupcake recipe is easy to double for a party.
Try a low-sugar or low-calorie box cake mix.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split into multiple muffin tins for baking.
- Short cut tip: If you’re out of piping bags, place a tip inside a Ziplock bag and trim the corner for a DIY piping bag.
- Variation tip: Try vanilla or white cake mix for this recipe.
- Alternate Toppings: Top with crushed cookies, mints, or candy canes for some festive flair.
- Fill: Add in some chocolate chips or chunks of mint chocolate for a fun surprise in the filling.
What to Serve with Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
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Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
- Piping Bag
- Melon Baller
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
Filling
- 3.95 ounce box York Peppermint Patty Chocolate Mint Pudding
- 2 cups whipped topping
- 1 cup milk
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups salted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon cocoa extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Drizzle
- 1 cup mint chunks
- 1-2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line or spray a standard muffin tin.
- Mix cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on medium speed until well incorporated.
- Divide batter into the muffin tin until each is about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before filling with the pudding mixture.
Frosting
- Cream butter in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, then beat until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the vanilla and cocoa extracts and syrup or fudge sauce. Mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time while mixing in a tablespoon of heavy cream between each cup. Mix until creamy and fill a piping bag with frosting.
Filling:
- Add the pudding and milk into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Mix on medium using a hand or stand mixer until well incorporated and smooth. Fold or mix in the whipped topping. Add to prepared piping bag.
- Scoop out part of the middle of the cupcake using a melon baller or other creative tool.
- Repeat for the remaining cupcakes. Pipe in the pudding filling, just short of filling to the top. If desired, replace the top of the cupcake. Frost cupcakes.
Drizzle
- Add the mint chocolate chunks and milk into a small bowl. Heat at 50% power in the microwave for 25 seconds.
- If the chips are not completely melted, stir and repeat. Drizzle mixture over the frosted cupcakes. Top with crushed mint chocolate chunks.
Expert Tips
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split into multiple muffin tins for baking.
- Short cut tip: If you’re out of piping bags, place a tip inside a Ziplock bag and trim the corner for a DIY piping bag.
- Variation tip: Try vanilla or white cake mix for this recipe.
- Alternate Toppings: Top with crushed cookies, mints, or candy canes for some festive flair.
- Fill: Add in some chocolate chips or chunks of mint chocolate for a fun surprise in the filling.
These are fun to make! I made these chocolate mint cupcakes with the fam and they enjoyed it! They are so easy make and so tasty. We’ll surely make these again.
These chocolate mint cupcakes are a winner! My kids can’t get enough of them, they want more! I’ll definitely make these on repeat!
This tasted so delicious! Love to try making this again!
To start I thought it was a lot of work to make these cupcakes, but the recipe was easy to follow and we had a lot of fun in the kitchen making them with my 6 years old. And they were absolutely delicious too.