Rich chocolate combined with sweet, minty freshness! These Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are vegan, allergy-free, and a perfect way to take your chocolate cupcake craving up a notch! Homemade chocolate cupcakes topped with a naturally green, minty, & dairy-free buttercream frosting with a dash of chocolate sprinkles!
Who else LOVES mint chocolate? The best chocolate combo (right next to chocolate and peanut butter), if you ask me! Rich, deeply flavored chocolate, paired with that refreshing zing of mint. How could you not love that combo! It wakes up the tastebuds and satisfies all the cravings. Why else would candies like York Peppermint Patties, Junior Mints, or Andes Chocolate Mints be so popular?
How to make the Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Nothing fancy or difficult here! Just a deliciously rich and moist chocolate cupcake with some pure peppermint extract! Ditching the vanilla extract in these cupcakes to make them ultra minty! Here's what you'll need:
- Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder
- Granulated Sweetener
- Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
- Mint or Peppermint Extract
- Non-Dairy Unsweetened Milk
- Neutral Oil or Vegan/Soy-Free Butter
When mixing the cupcake batter together, you'll end up with a thick brownie-like batter. In a standard cupcake baking pan, you can like the pan with cupcakes liners, but I chose not too. Cupcake liners are great if you're serving these cupcakes at a party and they need to be transported. If not, as long as you have a clean pan, grease the cupcake molds really well and you won't have a problem! Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, remove, and let them cool on a wire rack!
What's the difference between Mint and Peppermint Extract?
Mint extract is a combination of peppermint and spearmint. It's universal and can be used in sweet or savory dishes that need a bold minty punch! Peppermint extract is straight-up pure peppermint and is used in sweet dishes and baking, like all the chocolate peppermint goodies you see during the holidays! Spearmint, less common and typically used in whole herb form, is typically used in more savory dishes. Mint extract is usually cheaper at the store than peppermint, but you can use either one!
How to make the Mint Buttercream Frosting
To make the frosting you'll be using my standard dairy-free vanilla buttercream frosting, but swapping out the vanilla with mint and adding some natural green food coloring! Here's what you need:
- Vegan/Soy-Free Butter (I use Melt)
- Powdered Sweetener
- Touch of Water
- Pure Peppermint or Mint Extract
- Natural Green Food Coloring (use whatever brand you prefer. There are a TON out there now!)
With the butter slightly softened, cream together the butter and powdered sweetener in a bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Add a teaspoon or two of water (or unsweetened non-dairy milk) as needed to get things going! Then add in the mint extract and a few drops of food coloring just so you get a light minty green color.
Frost your gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with the mint frosting however you'd like. I used my trusty pasty gun. You can use a pastry bag or simply use a knife if you don't want to get all fancy! Then, of course, you can't forget the chocolate sprinkles...
A Healthier Mint Chocolate Cupcake
These cupcakes are great for any celebration, mint chocolate craving, or a holiday like St. Patrick's Day! They're allergy-free and if made as is, they're super low in sugar too! They're:
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
- Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
- Low in Sugar (minus the sprinkles!)
- Kid-Friendly
Storage Tips:
You can make the chocolate cupcakes a day ahead of time (which is what I did!), allowing them ample time to cool. Let them cool on a wire rack after baking and then store in an airtight container. Frost them the next day, but then store them in an airtight container in the fridge! Buttercream (even with vegan butter) needs to be refrigerated. These cupcakes will stay best if eaten within 1 week so they stay moist and delicious!
Ready for a bonus tip?
How to get sprinkles to stick to frosting that's already dried or set?
Lesson learned. This happened to me, but don't worry, all is not lost! Once the frosting has been piped and sets on the cupcakes, when you try to add sprinkles, they just roll right off and don't stick! To get the sprinkles to stick to the dried icing, take a mini spray bottle filled with water and mist just the frosting top of the cupcake with a quick spray of water! This gives the frosting just enough moisture to become sticky enough again. Then add your sprinkles and save your cupcakes from being naked and sad!
Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cupcakes (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
Rich chocolate combined with sweet, minty freshness! These Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are vegan, allergy-free, and a perfect way to take your chocolate cupcake craving up a notch! Homemade chocolate cupcakes topped with a naturally green, minty, & dairy-free buttercream frosting with a dash of chocolate sprinkles!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 18 Minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ Cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Cup Granulated Erythritol (or preferred granulated sugar)
- 1 Prepared Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacement
- ¾ Cup + 2 TB Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- ¼ Cup Neutral Oil (or melted Vegan/Soy-Free Butter)
- ½ to 1 Tsp Pure Peppermint Extract (or Mint Extract)
Mint Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 Stick of Softened Vegan/Soy-Free Butter (I use Melt)
- 3 Cups Powdered Erythritol (or preferred powdered sugar)
- 1-3 Tsps of Water or Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk (as needed)
- 1 Tsp Pure Peppermint Extract (or Mint Extract)
- Natural Green Food Coloring (a few drops, to desired color)
- Natural Allergy-Free Chocolate Sprinkles (to top)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry cupcake batter ingredients and whisk together. Then add the wet and mix together to form a thick brownie-like batter.
- Line or grease a standard cupcake pan for 10-12 cupcakes. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of the cupcake batter to each mold.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before transferring them out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, combine the softened stick of butter and powdered sweetener in a bowl and cream them together with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Add water or non-dairy milk as needed. Mix in the peppermint extract and food coloring until desired coloring.
- Add the finished frosting to a pastry gun, pastry bag, or use a knife to frost the chocolate cupcakes to your liking.
- While the frosting is still wet, add the chocolate sprinkles, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cupcake
If you're one of those people that doesn't like chocolate mint...the only way I can help you is by urging you to make these cupcakes! I'll be shocked if you don't end up loving biting into these soft, moist, chocolaty, minty, sweet cupcakes! If you already love the combo...when you know what to do this weekend!
More Mint Chocolate Recipes to Try:
- Mint Chocolate Sunflower Bites
- Mini Mint Chocolate Brownies
- Mint Chocolate Skillet Granola
- Homemade Vegan Peppermint Bark
- Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Quinoa Flakes
So tell me:
+ What is your favorite mint chocolate goodie? I always forget about mint chocolate chip ice cream, which I actually never cared too much for, back in the day.
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Christina
How many eggs are being replaced with the egg substitute?
Rebecca Pytell
1
Jo
Mint-choco lover here! Will try this recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Let us know what you think!
Michelle
These look delicious!! And so pretty, too.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks for saying so!
Helen
We tried these out over the weekend for our St. Patty's Day get together later this month. They were fabulous! So moist and minty!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm so happy you liked them!
Kathleen
These delicious mint chocolate cupcakes are amazing!! Wow, so moist!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
So glad you enjoyed!
Katy Emanuel
We love chocolate mint in our home. I have always found erythtriol to give baking an odd flavour, or maybe it is just the way it has been used in the past?
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You can use whatever granulated sugar you prefer, as stated right in the recipe. Not everyone wants they're baked goods sugar-free.
Lizzie
Okay this looks so good and i can actually eat it!! It's hard to find dairy-free recipes and I had no idea there was an egg replacement. Making asap!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, that's hard to belive.
Meg McSherry
These look delicious! Yummy 😋
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hope you enjoy!
Alex Herrera
Ok... I need to make these ASAP! These look so good.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They'll be gobbled up fast!
Kaylie
These look absolutely delicious and perfect for St. Patricks Day! Thank you for sharing. I'm a sucker for "Mint Chocolate Chip" coffee creamer. Love adding anything minty to my coffee!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Mint is just so refreshing!
Geoffrey
I don't need gluten free or vegan, but I would eat these cupcakes up anyway - they look so good.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Good, delicious food is for everyone!
Anna Elizabeth
These sound absolutely DELICIOUS! Definitely saving the recipe for future use 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
All things chocolate mint and just so good!
Sunrita
The cakes look sooooo good! Want to eat them now!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Time to get baking, Sunrita!