Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes that don’t skimp on the chocolate! Impossibly rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with a cool mint chip buttercream. Fold a handful of chocolate chips into the frosting and more on top.
Do you love mint and chocolate too? These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches are an all time favorite–and so easy to make! We also love this delicious mint chocolate chip cake recipe!
Why this Recipe Works
I’ve been making my fail-proof Chocolate Cupcake Recipe for years. The deep cocoa flavor and light crumb make the cupcakes delicious every which way you can frost them.
From M&M’s Frosting to a simple Vanilla Buttercream, I’ve loved every variation we’ve tried.
Today’s Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcake twist is the latest cupcake to steal my heart.
Using mint extract and mini chocolate chips, these cupcakes are at once cool and sweet, rich and light–and easy to make!
Ingredient Notes
- Two kinds of chocolate. Bittersweet baking squares chopped up into small pieces work best. Anything over 60% cocoa is a great choice. Here’s the brand of unsweetened cocoa powder I like most.
- Hot brewed coffee. Bring out more flavor in the chocolate by using freshly brewed coffee or reheating a cup leftover from the morning. Use hot water if you prefer (just know that the coffee flavor does not come out in the cupcake, it just enhances the chocolate).
- Buttermilk. You can use store bought or make my Homemade Buttermilk Substitute for this cupcake recipe.
- Peppermint Extract. Use real peppermint not imitation flavoring to get the best minty taste.
- Green food gel. Food coloring gives the frosting its familiar mint green color.
Easy Instructions
Bloom the chocolate.
Place the chopped chocolate squares and cocoa in a large bowl. Pour hot coffee on top and stir to melt the chocolate.
The hot liquid “blooms” the chocolate flavor, along with melting the cocoa solids.
Make the cupcake batter. Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Then add the wet ingredients and beat to form a thin batter.
Bake. Divide the batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes and let cool completely.
Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting.
Beat the butter on its own until pale in color. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
Pipe mint frosting onto the cooled chocolate cupcakes. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- This cupcake batter is very thin. Do not add more dry ingredients to thicken the batter.
- Coffee must be hot! If using leftover brewed coffee, reheat it in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Store frosted cupcakes at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Love chocolate and mint? Be sure to try our Mint Brownies for another fudgy treat.
Recipe FAQs
Press your finger gently into the top of the cupcake. If the top springs back when you remove your finger, the cupcakes are done. If your finger leaves a soft indentation, the cupcakes need a bit more time.
Food gel coloring is the only way I’ve found to get the frosting light green. If you don’t have food coloring, the frosting won’t be green but it’ll still be minty and delicious!
In this recipe, we use unsweetened cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate squares. Bittersweet has some added sugar but still a very high cocoa content making it an ideal choice for cupcakes.
More Cupcake & Frosting Recipes
- Almond Wedding Cake Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling: probably my favorite cupcake recipe I’ve ever made, and my most requested!
- Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream: a luscious lemon zested white cake topped with a creamy lemon buttercream frosting!
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Frosting: this recipe is all about the frosting. Buttery, caramel frosting!
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Biscoff Frosting
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Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 4 ounce bittersweet chocolate squares chopped
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups hot brewed coffee
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup buttermilk
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 – 2 drops gel green food coloring
- ¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Prepare cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add chopped chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour hot coffee over both, then stir until chocolate is melted.
- Add sugar, flour, kosher salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add in vanilla extract, eggs, vegetable oil, and buttermilk. Beat for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl several times (and the bottom too to make sure the chocolate doesn’t settle).
- The batter will be thin, that’s okay! Using a large cookie scoop, spoon batter into prepared cupcake tins, about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, or the cupcake springs back from a touch of your finger.
- Remove and cool completely on wire rack.
For the Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter for 3-4 minutes. Do this until the butter becomes pale in color.
- Add in milk, sugar, peppermint and food coloring. Beat an additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy (add more milk if needed).
- Fold in chocolate chips.
Notes
- Use hot coffee. The warmth of the coffee helps melt the chocolate, making it easier to incorporate info the batter. If you use leftover brewed coffee, reheat it in the microwave for 1 minute before adding to the cocoa.
- Scrape the bowl: As you mix the dry ingredients into the wet, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the chocolate doesn’t settle.
- Buttermilk: Don’t have any on hand? Use my buttermilk substitute instead!
- Use good quality chocolate. The better the cocoa and chocolate squares you use, the better the finished cupcakes will taste.
- How to tell when cupcakes are done. Some people swear by the toothpick test. I prefer to touch the tops of the cupcakes. If it bounces right back, the cupcakes are done. If it stays indented, they need a little longer.
- STORAGE: Store cupcakes at room temperature in covered container for up to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Peppermint meets cocoa in these Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. No one can resist the pretty green frosting with cooling mint and chocolate!
I wish this wasn’t virtual…and that we all got to have a bite of everything! Looks delish! Mint + Chocolate is always a winner!
Oh Averie, I know! I wish we could all get together and share snacks and treats! How fun would that be!!! Are you going to any conferences this year?
One of my very favorite combinations ever: mint and chocolate! You can never go wrong. The frosting looks delightful.
Thanks Ashley! I happen to LOVE mint and chocolate as well 🙂
Mint chocolate chip is my absolute favorite ice cream flavor and flavor combination. These cupcakes will make me very happy, indeed! I need to add this to my to-bake list ASAP!
Those cupcakes look fantastic! YUM
Holy Cannoli – I mean Holy Cupcakes. You start anything with the words “Mint Chocolate Chip” and I would be all over it. Well, except for maybe meatloaf. Congratulations to Mandy!! I’m betting she would just love to eat these for real! 🙂
Thanks Brandie!! Your lemon cake is making me drool, I love that you used one of Mandy’s recipes!!!
These sound delicious!
I do love a good mint and chocolate treat!!! I’m not sure I have ever had it in a cupcake though!! How about you send me some…for testing purposes ya know 😉
I wish I could, but you’ll just have to come here to get one! And bring some of that fudge with ya!
Yummy! Homemade mint choc chip cupcakes? Sign me up! The frosting on these looks AWESOME, Aimee! I need a spoon.
I like to save a little extra frosting in the bowl just to eat plain. I’m so glad you feel the same way 🙂
Mmm. Love mint and chocolate anything! How sweet of y’all to throw Mandy a virtual baby shower!
Glad you love these too Sarah! Mandy is such a sweetie, she deserves this special day!
Love mint. Love chocolate. Love cupcakes…..this is the perfect dessert combo in my option. These cupcakes are to die for! Pinning. 🙂
Thanks Amber! I love chocolate and mint too….clearly!
These look beautiful and must have been very decadent. Congratulations to Mandy!
Thanks so much! I think Mandy is pleasantly surprised 🙂
These look beautiful and must have been very decadent.
Oh Aimee. You know the way to my heart. I adore anything mint and these cupcakes look divine. Thanks so much for the surprise! I am starting my day off so happy. Although I am stuck to my computer going through everyone’s blogs to see what they made for the shower. I love it!
You are very welcome. I feel honored to be a part of this special day with you!!!
Thanks for celebrating with us, Aimee! These cupcakes look bomb!!
purty purty! loving the tiny cupcake stand too! Congrats to Mandy!
Thanks Shiloh! I hope she loves them too!
Love mint + chocolate! Not a fan of cupcakes but I’ll sure try one to see if you could convince me to! 🙂
Not a fan of cupcakes???? Are we even friends??? It’s okay. I would totally let you lick the frosting bowl 🙂
I like the natural look 🙂 They look so delicious! My bf adores chocolate & mint (I do too, but him in particular) and I know we’d eat all of these up quick!
I think you need to make these then Kayle, for him 🙂
Holy Yum!!!!
Well said!
I love any and all cupcakes, but I’ve never had a mint chocolate chip version! These are so fun!
I love mint chocolate chip EVERYTHING so it was only a matter of time for these to be created!! Thanks for stopping by Megan!
Nowadays I LOVE chocolate and mint combos but there was a time when I thought I didn’t like it. Sneaking on of hubby’s Andes mint treats totally changed my mind 🙂
Oh I love those Andes mints!! Glad you’re on board now 🙂