Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Friends, it is THAT time of year. The time March rolls around, bringing with it potentially warmer weather (nevermind the weird snowstorm we got this past weekend or the one that’s affecting a lot of the east coast today… I don’t rule out a blizzard until it’s April!) and, because of its special Irish holiday, all things green.

In years past, I’ve shared a traditional Irish recipe (this Irish soda bread) but eventually, the mint chocolate train hit me and it’s just sort of stuck as one of those things I tend to share come March. In fact, my original SKINNY Shamrock Shake kicked things off (and went semi-viral) and I’ve shared a few mint chocolate/chocolate chip recipes since. Here’s the whole collection of those, by the way.

Now. The buttercream. OMG, the buttercream. This mint chocolate chip buttercream starts as most of my buttercreams do– with butter, powdered sugar, and heavy cream/milk. We’ll be using peppermint extract as the flavoring and adding just 2 drops of green food coloring to give the slightest green tint to the whole thing. If you’re not into coloring your buttercream, totally fine. Just leave it out!

And thennnn, the stars of the show, more mini chocolate chips! And yes, they should be mini, because otherwise, you’ll have a terrible time trying to pipe large chips through a frosting bag. You could also use chopped bar chocolate if you’d like.

A simple swirl on top of each of your 12 chocolate chip cupcakes, and you’re ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or any day that calls for mint chocolate treats. That should probably be everyday, right?

Dark chocolate chocolate chip cupcakes topped with creamy mint chocolate chip buttercream.

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons coffee
• ⅓ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP BUTTERCREAM

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 pound (approximately 4 cups) powdered sugar
• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 drops green food coloring
• ⅓ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the wells of a 12 count cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until completely combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the coffee, and whisk or stir the batter until everything is combined.
4. Spoon batter evenly into the cupcake liners filling ½ to ⅔ of the way full (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a trigger-- one scoop full). Bake for 18-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP BUTTERCREAM

1. In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. With the mixer on low, add in the powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and milk or cream. Add the food coloring, increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. If frosting is too stiff, add more milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
3. Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a spatula.
4. ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES
5. Frost the cupcakes using a large zip top bag with the corner snipped off or a pastry bag.
6. Store cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature up to 4 days or in the refrigerator up to 6 days.

Recipe Source:freshaprilflours.com