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.
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 Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge and Mint Julep Bourbon Balls.
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
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
Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, cream, and melted butter.
Step 2: In a separate small mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the mint cookie crumbs.
Step 3: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Step 4: Fill the cupcake liners about ¾ full, and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350° F. Cool completely.
Step 5: For the ganache, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until warm, but not boiling.
Step 6: Place the chocolate mint chips in a heat proof bowl, and pour the cream overtop of the chips.
Step 7: Let sit for a few minutes and then whisk until smooth.
Step 8: Dip the tops of cooled cupcakes into the ganache and let set.
Step 9: For the frosting, put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
Step 10: Pipe or spread the frosting overtop of the set ganache and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
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
Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
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
Nutrition
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.
Zainab says
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.
Liz says
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!!!
Lisa Sugarman says
Made me feel like a Girl Scout all over again. 💕
Liz says
But better 😉
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
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!
Liz says
YES! I just downloaded her audio book. She's amazing! And thanks 🙂