Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

These moist and tender Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are studded with mint cookies and topped with a mint buttercream frosting and cookie garnishes.  They’re great for St. Patrick’s Day or whenever you’re wanting a sweet treat!!

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Who else gets super stoked when Girl Scout Cookie season rolls around?! I know I do! Although Samoa cookies (Caramel Delites) are my #1 favorite, Thin Mints are a close second!

I’m a huge chocolate cake fan. So when I had a box of Thin Mints on the counter and was in the mood to bake, I whipped up these Mint Chocolate Cupcakes and had zero regrets! The crunchy cookie on the bottom, the rich chocolate cupcakes and smooth mint buttercream is the perfect combo for flavors and textures.

Ingredients Needed

For the Cupcakes:

• Chocolate Mint Cookies (such as Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies®,  Keebler Grasshopper Mint & Fudge Cookies or Great Value Fudge Mint Cookies
• All-Purpose Flour
• Sugar
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Vegetable Oil
• Buttermilk (If you don’t have buttermilk, you can mix ½ tablespoon white vinegar and a scant ½ c milk)
• Egg – I always use large eggs when baking.
• Vanilla Extract
• Hot Coffee (this will not give a coffee flavor, it’ll simply enhance the flavor of the chocolate; if you don’t have coffee, you can use hot water instead)

Mint Buttercream and Garnishes

• Salted Butter – Can also use unsalted butter and add 1/4 salt to the frosting.
• Powdered Sugar – aka confectioners’ sugar.
• Milk or Heavy Cream
• Peppermint Extract
• Green Food Coloring, if desired
• Additional Cookies, for garnish

How do you make Chocolate Mint Cupcakes?

First, you’ll want to preheat the oven and gather all of your ingredients, muffin liners and a muffin tin. (Have you ever gotten halfway through a recipe just to realize you’re missing something? Been there, done that!)

Next, it’s time to prepare the cupcake tins. You’ll place 16 cupcake liners in a tin and place a cookie (Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies or an generic brand of the cookie) at the bottom of each. This cookie will be a delicious surprise when someone bites into the cupcake! 🙂 

Place the remaining 8 cookies into a plastic baggie and crush them into pea-sized (or smaller) pieces. These will be mixed into the batter later on.

Make the cupcakes:

Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Then in a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients except for the coffee. Once it’s whisked together, slowly add the coffee as you whisk constantly so you don’t curdle the eggs. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and make sure everything is incorporated. Then you’ll mix on high for two minutes then stir in the cookie crumbs.

Now that the cupcake batter is ready, you’ll fill each liner about ⅔ full and bake. I recommend setting your timer for 14 minutes. Depending on your pan and your oven, it might take 14 minutes or it could take a bit longer. Use a toothpick to determine when the cupcakes are done.

Frost and garnish the cupcakes:

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, it’s time get frost and garnish them. To make the mint frosting, you’ll start by whipping the butter in a large bowl until it’s light and fluffy with an electric mixer.

Then, you’ll add the remaining ingredients and whip for a couple minutes for a smooth and creamy consistency. Add the frosting to the cupcakes with a piping bag or a knife and garnish with additional cookies, sprinkles or chopped Andes mints, if desired.

Can I make cupcakes ahead of time and freeze them?

You bet!! Simply bake the cupcakes, let them cool completely, place them in resealable freezer bags (or tightly sealed containers) and freeze.

When you’re ready to eat them, simply take them out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature. Then, frost, garnish and serve the cupcakes!

Other Cupcake Recipes I Love