An over the top Mint Chocolate Cupcake, these Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are a fun surprise for the mint chocolate fan in your life!

Mint Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

My daughter Ella and my dad are both huge mint chocolate fans. Trying to keep anything mint chocolate in the house for longer than a day has proven almost impossible between the two of them!

I actually went through two boxes of OREO Mint Cookies trying to make these cupcakes – because my OREOs kept disappearing! I ultimately had to hide the OREOs in my bedroom until I could make the cupcakes.

If you have that degree of mint chocolate love happening in your home, then these Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcakes are going to be a smash hit!

Rich chocolate cupcakes, miles of mint cookie frosting, chopped up Andes Mints and topped with an OREO mint cookie. This cupcake is a mint chocolate lover’s dream!

I debated adding some mint extract to the chocolate cupcake batter as well, but I thought it would be overkill. I think the mint frosting and the chocolate cupcake balance each other out perfectly.

Can I use mint leaves instead of mint extract? Yes, however keep in mind that the flavor of these cupcakes will change slightly, adding a slightly grassy flavor note which I personally enjoy but some mint lovers might not. Substitute 3-4 Tablespoons of thinly chopped mint leaves for the 2 teaspoons called for in the frosting ingredients.

Can I freeze these cupcakes? The chocolate cupcakes without frosting or decoration can be frozen for up to 3 months. The frosting can be refrigerated for a week, but the flavor and texture will suffer if frozen.

These cupcakes were super easy to make but they make a big impression! Be generous while applying a big swirl of frosting and garnishing with the chopped Andes Mints. Whether you adorn it with a full cookie or just a half, these cupcakes will still look over the top. Don’t worry about them looking too messy, that’s part of their charm.

Mint Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients

For the chocolate cupcakes:

All-purpose flour
White sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Cocoa powder
Olive Oil
Buttermilk <– I always have this powdered buttermilk in my fridge to make instant buttermilk whenever I need it.
Egg, room temperature
Vanilla extract

For the Mint Cookie Frosting:

Butter, room temperature
Powdered Icing Sugar
Mint OREO Cookies, crushed
Food dye <– this set of food coloring has lasted me forever and I love that it creates highly saturated colors with just a drop
Mint Extract
Cream <– can use heavy cream or half and half

For the Decorations:

Andes Baking Chips
Mint OREO Cookies, cut in half

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: can use mini mint chips or chopped Andes mints in place of the ground OREOs in the frosting.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

Measuring cups and spoons
Electric mixer<– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
Large mixing bowl
Piping bag
Large star tip <– a basic piping set will have all you need
Cupcake pan
Cupcake liners
Sharp kitchen knife
Cupcake scoop
Cooling racks <– I have and love these tiered cooling racks, they save so much counter space and are also oven-safe

How to Make Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line cupcake pan with St Patricks day themed cupcake liners (or whatever theme you choose).

Beat the oil and sugar together, then add in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Set aside.

Mix the remaining dry ingredients together and then incorporate into the wet batter.

Portion out the batter into the lined muffin tin, filling each liner about 3/4 full.

Bake 18-22 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the tops of the cupcakes spring back when tapped lightly.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a minute then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool

For the Mint Cookie Frosting:

Using a blender or food processor, blend up 6 Mint OREO cookies until they are fine crumbs. This should equal out to 1/4 cup of ground cookies.

NOTE: you can use mini chocolate chips or chopped Andes mints in place of the cookies as long as they are small enough to fit through the piping tip you are using.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, powdered icing sugar, crushed OREO cookies, half of the mint extract and heavy whipping cream until combined, when smooth and thick peaks start to form, about 2 minutes.

Taste and adjust the mint extract to your personal preferences.

Add more or less powdered icing sugar or cream to achieve your desired thickness.

Add in the green food coloring, going slowly and adjusting to personal preferences.

Scoop frosting into piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes

I find it easiest to place the piping tip in the center of the cupcakes and do a gentle up and down motion with my hand while uniformly squeezing out the frosting. This will result in a generous topping without any need for special techniques.

To Decorate the Cupcakes:

Pour the Andes baking chips onto a plate (if using full-sized Andes mints, chop up into small pieces and then place on plate).

Carefully roll the edge of the cupcake into the chips.

Place the halved Mint OREO cookies in the center of the frosting. Press them in carefully but firmly so that they stay in place.

Pin this Miles of Mint Chocolate Cupcake recipe for your next mega mint chocolate craving:

Grab your free printable for our Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcakes recipe:

Yield: 22 cupcakes

Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Name: Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 22
Cuisine: dessert recipe
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; ¾ cup sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup cocoa powder; ¾ cups olive oil; ½ cup buttermilk; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 3 cup powdered icing sugar; 1/4 cup ground mint OREO cookies (approximately 2-3 cookies); 2-3 drops of mint green food coloring; 2 teaspoons mint extract; 5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream; 1 cup Andes baking chips; 22 Mint OREO cookies, cut in half

Deceptively simple Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with Andes Mint Baking Chips and Mint OREO Cookies.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 48 minutes

Ingredients

For the chocolate cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa powder
¾ cups olive oil
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Mint Cookie Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cup powdered icing sugar
1/4 cup ground mint OREO cookies (approximately 2-3 cookies)
2-3 drops of mint green food coloring
2 teaspoons mint extract
5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For the Decorations:

1 cup Andes baking chips
22 Mint OREO cookies, cut in half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line cupcake pan with St Patricks day themed cupcake liners (or whatever theme you choose).
Beat the oil and sugar together, then add in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Set aside.
Mix the remaining dry ingredients together and then incorporate into the wet batter.
Portion out the batter into the lined muffin tin, filling each liner about 3/4 full.
Bake 18-22 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the tops of the cupcakes spring back when tapped lightly.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a minute then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool

For the Mint Cookie Frosting:

Using a blender or food processor, blend up 6 Mint OREO cookies until they are fine crumbs. This should equal out to 1/4 cup of ground cookies.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, powdered icing sugar, crushed OREO cookies, half of the mint extract and heavy whipping cream until combined, when smooth and thick peaks start to form, about 2 minutes.
Taste and adjust the mint extract to your personal preferences.
Add more or less powdered icing sugar or cream to achieve your desired thickness.
Add in the green food coloring, going slowly and adjusting to personal preferences.
Scoop frosting into piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes
I find it easiest to place the piping tip in the center of the cupcakes and do a gentle up and down motion with my hand while uniformly squeezing out the frosting. This will result in a generous topping without any need for special techniques.

To Decorate the Cupcakes:

Pour the Andes baking chips onto a plate (if using full-sized Andes mints, chop up into small pieces and then place on plate).
Carefully roll the edge of the cupcake into the chips.
Place the halved Mint OREO cookies in the center of the frosting. Press them in carefully but firmly so that they stay in place.

Notes

For the frosting, you can use mini chocolate chips or chopped Andes mints in place of the cookies as long as they are small enough to fit through the piping tip you are using.

Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcakes