Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Center

These Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are extremely moist and chocolatey, with a mint ganache center and a creamy mint chocolate frosting on top! If you love mint chocolate chip ice cream, you will absolutely adore these.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

These mint chocolate cupcakes blend my Devil's Food Cupcakes and Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes recipes, and they are truly, REALLY good!

This recipe uses half unsweetened cocoa powder and half Dutch process cocoa, plus a little espresso powder. That combination gives the cupcakes a deep, rich chocolate taste, while the buttermilk and vegetable oil keep them wonderfully soft and moist.

Each cupcake holds a mint chocolate ganache center that turns creamy once chilled. On top sits a fresh mint chocolate buttercream made with a teaspoon of peppermint extract, a soft green tint from liquid food coloring, and crushed chocolate wafers.

These cupcakes are very good at room temperature, but they're even better chilled. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

What You'll Need

Here's what you need to make these mint chocolate cupcakes. The bulleted items are key ingredients that could use a bit more explanation.

• Buttermilk and Vegetable Oil. Together they give these chocolate cupcakes their super-moist texture.
• Unsweetened and Dutch Process Cocoa Powders. Mixed 50/50, they give the cupcakes a rich chocolate flavor.
• Espresso Powder. Adds an even bolder chocolate flavor. It's optional, so leave it out if you'd rather not use it.
• Andes Mints. Melted with a little heavy cream, they make the mint chocolate ganache that fills each center. So good!
• Peppermint Extract. This gives the mint chocolate Oreo frosting its perfect mint flavor. Don't use regular mint extract in this recipe.
• Green Food Coloring. I used McCormick's green food coloring, which came in a single bottle. You can skip it if you like.

For exact quantities and steps, see the recipe card below.

Substitutions

• Buttermilk. No buttermilk? Use whole milk. For something closer in thickness to buttermilk, put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a measuring cup, then fill the rest of the cup with whole milk. Powdered buttermilk, such as Sanco Pantry, also works, and sour cream or Greek yogurt can stand in as well.
• Cocoa Powders. You can use only unsweetened cocoa instead of the 50/50 mix. For a deeper, more bittersweet chocolate flavor, use only Dutch process cocoa.
• Andes Mints. Without Andes mints, use regular dark chocolate with the heavy cream, then stir in 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. You can also skip the ganache center and add 1/2 teaspoon of the extract to the frosting instead.
• Chocolate Wafers. When I tested this recipe I used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, which were sadly discontinued in 2023. A good substitute is chocolate sandwich cookies such as Oreos. Use the whole cookie, creamy center and all!

I did not test this recipe with alternative flours, sugars, or dairy substitutes.

Steps for Making It

Here's a quick overview of how to make these moist mint chocolate cupcakes. For the full printable recipe, in US customary or metric measurements, see the recipe card below.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Step 1. Whisk together the flour, sugars, cocoa powders, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this bowl aside.

Step 2. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well blended.

Step 3. In a small bowl, stir the espresso powder into the hot water. The espresso is optional, but if you skip it, still add the hot water.

Step 4. Pour the espresso mixture into the whisked wet ingredients. Whisk until well blended.

Step 5. Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ones. Blend until just combined.

Step 6. Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the liners. Fill each one about 2/3 full.

Step 7. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes at 350ºF. They should have a slight dome and will rise right up to the edge of the liners.

Step 8. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mint Chocolate Ganache

Step 1. Put the Andes mints in a small bowl. Pour the hot heavy cream over them, cover lightly, and let it sit for 2 minutes.

Step 2. Take off the cover and whisk slowly until smooth. If any pieces remain unmelted, microwave for 15 seconds more and whisk again.

Mint Chocolate Oreo Buttercream Frosting

Recipe Tip: Crush the chocolate wafers or sandwich cookies in a small food processor, or in a ziploc bag using a wooden spoon or similar tool.

Step 1. Beat the unsalted butter on medium-high until smooth and creamy. This takes about 1-2 minutes.

Step 2. Add the sifted powdered sugar and peppermint extract. Mix on low speed.

Step 3. Add the heavy whipping cream, green food coloring, and crushed cookie crumbs.

Step 4. Keep mixing on low speed until well blended.

Recipe Tip: If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until it's the right consistency. If you want it thinner, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar in the same way.

Assembling the Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Step 1. Hollow out the center of each chocolate cupcake. I used the bottom of a Wilton 1M decorating tip. Keep these cake cores, since you'll set them back on top in Step 3.

Step 2. Fill each cupcake center with the mint chocolate ganache. A small piping bag or a Ziploc bag works. You don't need a decorating tip.

Step 3. Replace the cake cores from Step 1 to close each cupcake.

Step 4. Top each cupcake with the mint chocolate Oreo buttercream. Finish with an Andes mint.

Storage

Keep the fully assembled cupcakes in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. Take them out 15-20 minutes before serving. They last up to 4 days in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

How full should each cupcake liner be?

Fill each liner about 2/3 full.

Can I use a buttermilk substitute?

Buttermilk works best, but whole milk is fine too. For something closer to buttermilk, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill the rest with whole milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the batter. Sour cream or Greek yogurt also work.

Can I use mint extract in place of peppermint extract?

No, it's best to use only peppermint extract here. Mint extract tastes like the flavor you'd find in a mint iced tea.

How much frosting does this make?

This makes enough frosting to cover each cupcake with a thick layer, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall, using the Wilton 1M tip. If you want much less frosting, or you won't be piping it, cut the recipe in half.

What if I don’t have Andes Mints for the mint chocolate ganache?

You can a) skip the ganache entirely, b) melt regular chocolate and mix it with heavy cream, or c) add 1/4 teaspoon of mint extract to the melted chocolate and cream.

How long will these mint chocolate cupcakes keep?

Store them in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. You can let them come to room temperature before eating, or, my favorite, eat them chilled! One tip: if you eat them chilled, the Andes mint garnish will be stuck in the frosting and a little hard at first, so save that part for last.

What do you use to core out the center of the cupcakes?

I used the bottom of the Wilton 1M tip to hollow out the center, then pushed the cake out with a toothpick. Keep the centers, since you'll put them back after adding the ganache.

Nabisco’s Famous Chocolate Wafers were discontinued. Can I use Oreos instead?

Yes! Use the whole cookie, creamy center and all!

What food coloring did you use?

I used McCormick's green food coloring, which came in a single bottle.

If you make this Mint Chocolate Cupcakes recipe or any other recipe from my website, please leave a star rating and tell me how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!