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    Flour de Liz » Recipes » Chocolate Cake Recipes

    Published: Mar 23, 2023 by Liz Pollio · 6 Comments

    Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

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    Pinterest pin of a close up of a chocolate mint cupcake with more cupcakes blurred in the background.
    Flour de Liz » Recipes » Chocolate Cake Recipes

    Chocolate Mint Cupcakes are an easy and delicious way to take your chocolate cupcakes to the next level. These moist homemade treats have mint chocolate cookies baked in, are layered with a rich and smooth mint chocolate ganache, and are topped with a quick and easy chocolate mint cookie frosting.

    Close up of a chocolate mint cupcake with more cupcakes blurred in the background.

    This recipe is a fun twist on Girl Scout Cookie season and is perfect for birthdays, Christmas, or truly any occasion that calls for chocolate cake, which, if you ask me, is every day! If you love mint chocolate, you'll also love Chocolate Thin Mint Brownies, Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge, and Mint Julep Bourbon Balls.

    Jump to:
    • Why this Recipe Works
    • Ingredients and Notes
    • Substitutions
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Storage Tips
    • Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why this Recipe Works

    These Chocolate Mint Cupcakes get their epic Thin Mint flavor by baking the cookies right in to these homemade chocolate treats. This made from scratch recipe does not use mint extract or green food coloring, leaving the Thin Mint cookie flavor as the true star.

    I know leftover Thin Mints are rarely a thing since those once-a-year cookies are irresistible, so I've provided plenty of substitutions below that will still give you that classic Girl Scout Cookie flavor any time of year!

    Ingredients and Notes

    Ingredients needed to make chocolate mint cupcakes.

    Thin Mints - The chocolate mint cookie crumbs serve as both flavor for the Chocolate Mint Cupcake and the fudgy chocolate mint cookie frosting. The Thin Mint crumbs also serve as a dry ingredient in the moist cake batter to give you a perfectly textured chocolate cupcake with a hint of mint.

    Chocolate Mint Chips - These can sometimes be hard to find outside of the holiday season, but many brands make them. I have most often seen the Nestle Dark Chocolate and Mint morsels and the Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips, but there are many other brands available. If you can't find them in stores, you should be able to find them online year-round.

    Substitutions

    Thin Mints - If it's not Girl Scout Cookie season (or if you ate all the Thin Mints, it's very understandable!), there are many chocolate mint cookies available at most grocery stores all year round, such as Grasshoppers or Mint Chocolate Oreos, that can be used in this recipe and still result in that epic Thin Mint flavor.

    Chocolate Mint Chips - If you can't find the chocolate mint chips, you can also use a mint chocolate bar or Andes mints, just chop them before measuring.

    Heavy Cream - For the ganache, the heavy cream cannot be substituted, however milk can be used in place of cream in the cupcake batter and the frosting.

    How to Make this Recipe

    Cream, sugar, eggs, and melted butter in a clear glass mixing bowl.

    Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, cream, and melted butter.

    Dry ingredients in a small silver mixing bowl.

    Step 2: In a separate small mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the mint cookie crumbs.

    Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients in a clear glass mixing bowl.

    Step 3: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

    Un-baked cupcake batter in green liners in a 12 cup cupcake pan.

    Step 4: Fill the cupcake liners about ¾ full, and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350° F. Cool completely.

    Heavy cream in a small blue butter melter with a wooden handle.

    Step 5: For the ganache, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until warm, but not boiling.

    Warm heavy cream and mint chocolate chips in a small silver mixing bowl.

    Step 6: Place the chocolate mint chips in a heat proof bowl, and pour the cream overtop of the chips.

    Smooth chocolate ganache drizzling from whisk into small silver mixing bowl.

    Step 7: Let sit for a few minutes and then whisk until smooth.

    Cupcakes dipped into chocolate ganache to cover the tops.

    Step 8: Dip the tops of cooled cupcakes into the ganache and let set.

    Frosting ingredients in a clear glass mixing bowl.

    Step 9: For the frosting, put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.

    A hand holding a piping bag and piping frosting onto cupcakes in front of more cupcakes in the background.

    Step 10: Pipe or spread the frosting overtop of the set ganache and enjoy!

    Recipe FAQs

    What keeps cupcakes moist?

    These Chocolate Mint Cupcakes use melted butter and cream contribute to a soft, moist cupcake. Using cream instead of milk or water helps make your cupcakes extra moist because of the higher fat content. The ganache topping also helps the cupcakes stay moist, preventing moisture from evaporating out of the top of the cupcake.

    What is the difference between frosting and ganache?

    Ganache is simply chocolate and heavy cream combined into a smooth glaze. It's very rich and chocolatey. Frosting is usually butter based and gets its texture from a combination of powdered sugar to sweeten and thicken it, and milk or cream to make it smooth and easy to spread or pipe.

    A hand placing a Thin Mint cookie on top of a frosted cupcake with more frosted cupcakes in the background.

    Tips & Tricks

    Tip #1: If the chocolate chips don't fully melt, you can place your heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler to fully melt the chips into a smooth ganache.

    Tip #2: For extra rich Chocolate Mint Cupcakes, instead of dipping the tops of cupcakes into the ganache, core the cupcakes (remove the center, but not all the way through to the bottom) and spoon or pipe the ganache into the center of the cupcake.

    Storage Tips

    • Chocolate Mint Cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container.
    • Cupcakes without ganache or frosting can be stored for about 5 days.
    • If the cupcakes have been topped with ganache and frosting, they can be stored for about 3 days.
    • These Thin Mint cupcakes can be made in advance and frozen. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, then place in a zip top freezer bag. Defrost to top with ganache and frost before serving.

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    Did you try this recipe?  Leave a review below, and tag @flourdeliz on Instagram!

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of a chocolate mint cupcake with more cupcakes blurred in the background.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

    Moist chocolate cupcakes topped with a mint chocolate ganache and a chocolate mint buttercream frosting.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12 cupcakes
    Calories: 502kcal

    Equipment

    • mixing bowls
    • cupcake pan
    • silicone spatula
    • small saucepan
    • heat proof bowl
    • Whisk

    Ingredients

    Cupcakes

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup cream
    • 1 stick butter melted
    • 1 cup flour
    • ½ cup cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
    • ½ cup Thin Mint crumbs

    Ganache

    • ½ cup chocolate mint chips
    • ¼ cup heavy cream

    Frosting

    • 1 stick butter melted
    • ¾ cup cocoa powder
    • 1 tablespoon Thin Mint crumbs
    • 2 cups powdered sugar
    • 2-4 tablespoons cream

    Instructions

    Cupcakes

    • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
    • Combine sugar, eggs, cream, and butter, and stir till combined.
    • In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Thin Mint crumbs.
    • Stir the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture.
    • Fill cupcake liners about ¾ full. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan for approximately 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Ganache

    • Place mint chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
    • Heat the cream until warm, but not boiling.
    • Pour the warm cream over the chips and let sit for about 3 minutes.
    • Whisk until smooth.
    • Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the ganache and let set.

    Frosting

    • Mix all ingredients until well combined and smooth.
    • Add more powdered sugar to thicken, or more cream to thin.
    • Pipe or spread frosting over the set ganache. Top with a Thin Mint and enjoy!

    Notes

    If the chocolate chips don't fully melt into a smooth ganache, place the heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler to fully melt the chips into a smooth ganache.
    For extra rich cupcakes, instead of dipping the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache, remove the center of the cupcake and fill with ganache. Be sure the bottom of the cupcake stays in tact.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 912IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

    This recipe was originally posted on March 27, 2017, but was republished with new photos, additional information about the recipe, step-by-step instructions, FAQs, and tips and tricks in March of 2023.

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      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Zainab says

      March 27, 2017 at 1:58 am

      Oh I am a Shonda addict too. Writing this comment as I catch up on Scandal...I was three episodes behind and catching up now.

      Reply
      • Liz says

        March 27, 2017 at 7:41 pm

        Sometimes I like to fall behind so that I can binge-watch! I'm not patient with waiting another week to find out what happens!!!

        Reply
    2. Lisa Sugarman says

      March 27, 2017 at 3:03 pm

      Made me feel like a Girl Scout all over again. 💕

      Reply
      • Liz says

        March 27, 2017 at 7:42 pm

        But better 😉

        Reply
    3. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says

      March 28, 2017 at 2:33 pm

      I watched the first three seasons of Scandal in about three days. (Maybe a little more but not much. . .) Shonda is TOTALLY a genius :). These cupcakes look fantastic too!

      Reply
      • Liz says

        March 28, 2017 at 9:50 pm

        YES! I just downloaded her audio book. She's amazing! And thanks 🙂

        Reply

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