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!

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

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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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