These chocolate peppermint cupcakes are ideal for the season! They are moist, soft and chocolaty. Frosted with delicious cream cheese peppermint frosting and sprinkled with crushed candy canes.

Christmas season is coming upon us, which means it’s time to bake! Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. So I’m so excited to share more holiday recipes with you guys. One flavor that comes to mind that gives you all the Christmas vibes is peppermint. To be exact, peppermint and chocolate. This flavor combo is so good!
These chocolate peppermint cupcakes are moist and soft. The cupcakes are studded with chocolate chips. The frosting is what makes these cupcakes so tasty! Peppermint extract is added to the cream cheese frosting to give the cupcake that peppermint flavor.
Ingredients needed
Chocolate cupcakes
- Flour: Any all purpose flour work.
- Sugar: You will need granulated sugar
- Eggs: Large whole eggs.
- Sour cream: This will make the cupcakes moist and tender.
- Vegetable oil: Any neutral oil will work.
- Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder. I prefer using special dark cocoa powder as it gives a rich and deep chocolate flavor.
- Water + coffee: Just a little bit of coffee will bring out the chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: To be sure the cupcakes rise.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-chocolate chips or any chocolate chips of your choice.
Cream cheese peppermint frosting
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese. That is at room temperature.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that is at room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Peppermint extract
Making the chocolate peppermint cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 18 muffin tins and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a bowl stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- Make the coffee: Dissolve coffee in hot water and set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a mixing bowl beat eggs, oil, and sugar until combined. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined.
- Combine the two mixtures: Add the flour and mix until almost incorporated. Then add the coffee and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix! Fold in chocolate chips.
- Bake: Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin pans. Fill the muffin pans ½ – ¾ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Making the peppermint cream cheese frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter: Add cream cheese to a mixer bowl. With the mixer on medium – high speed start adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Until the butter is fully incorporated, frosting is smooth and lump free.
- Add peppermint and powdered sugar: Then add the peppermint extract. Turn the mixer to low and carefully add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Pipe cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Tips for success
- Don’t omit the coffee. The cupcakes won’t taste like coffee. Instead coffee brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Don’t over mix the cupcake batter.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. If you forgot to take them out earlier you can: Place the cream cheese and butter in separate microwave save bowls. Microwave until softened, using 10 second intervals.
How Do I make two tone frosting?
I’m here to tell you is so simple!
What you’ll need:
- Frosting
- Food coloring of your choice (I used red gel food coloring)
- Two bowls
- Piping bag and piping tip
- Divide the frosting into two bowls. To one bowl, add a bit of food coloring and stir until combined.
- Take your piping bag. Place the tip inside the piping bag. Carefully add cream cheese frosting to one side of the piping bag. Then carefully add the colored cream cheese frosting to the other side. (one side of the piping bag should be have the original cream cheese frosting, and one side of the piping bag should have the colored cream cheese frosting)
- Cut the tip of the piping bag. Then start piping! The first few swirls may have one color more than the other, but as you start piping the second and third cupcake you should see an even difference between the two colors.
Other holiday recipes you may like
- Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Cranberry Bundt Cake
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cake
- Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta
HAPPY HOLIDAY BAKING!
If you make this recipe I would love to hear from you! Comment and rate below. I would also love to see your creation. Share your photo by tagging tasty_treat_pantry on Instagram.
PrintRecipe
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
These chocolate peppermint cupcakes are ideal for the season! They are moist and chocolaty. Frosted with delicious cream cheese peppermint frosting.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 18 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- â…” cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup hot water
- ½ tsp instant coffee
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Frosting
- 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ –1 ½ cup cup powdered sugar *
- ½ – 1 teaspoon peppermint extract **
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 18 muffin tins and set aside.
- In a bowl stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- Dissolve coffee in hot water and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl beat eggs, oil, and sugar until combined.
- Add the sour cream and beat until just combined.
- Add the flour and beat until almost incorporated. Then add the coffee and beat until incorporated. Do not over mix!
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin tins. Fill the muffin pans ½ – ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: To a mixer bowl add the cream cheese. With the mixer on medium – high speed add butter one tablespoon at a time. Beat until frosting is combined, smooth and lump free.
- Add the peppermint extract.
- With the mixer on low, carefully add the powdered sugar. Continue mixing until combined and fluffy.
- Pipe cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Notes
* Add ¾- to 1 cup of powdered sugar makes a tangy and sweet frosting that is pipeable. If you prefer sweeter frosting adjust the powdered sugar to your liking.
** Adjust peppermint extract to your liking. ½ a teaspoon gives a subtle peppermint flavor. If you prefer strong peppermint flavor add up to 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract.
- Don’t omit the coffee. The cupcakes won’t taste like coffee. Instead coffee brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Don’t over mix the cupcake batter.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. If you forgot to take them out earlier you can: Place the cream cheese and butter in separate microwave save bowls. Microwave until softened, using 10 second intervals.
😊
Thanks for sharing your recipes! 😊
nataliyadudley
You’re welcome! I’m glad you are enjoying them.