Andes Mint Cupcakes are delicious Chocolate Cupcakes with rich chocolate ganache, creamy mint frosting, and topped with a mint cookie.
These Andes Mint Cupcakes are rich, chocolatey, and minty! They are guaranteed to be a hit for your family!
My daughter loves Andes mints. She calls them Olive Garden mints, because she gets them when we have dinner at Olive Garden. She always talks the server into bringing her more than one. It must be nice to be cute and young to sweet talk servers.
I came up with these cupcakes to make her happy. She loved them and asked me to save them all for her. They are a perfect mix of chocolate and mint. I don’t know about you but I feel like chocolate and mint is a delicious combination.
Can I use box cake mix instead?
Yes! You could easily switch out the homemade cupcake mix for a boxed chocolate cake mix. Just be sure that you follow the instructions on the box mix. I prefer the homemade mix, I think it tastes better. I can understand wanting the simpliness of a box mix though! Sometimes, I love to use cake mix just to save on a small amount of effort.
What type of cookies do you use for the top?
I used grasshopper cookies for this recipe. However, you could use Thin Mints, or even Andes Mints on the top of them if you prefer. Can’t find grasshoppers? Try Mint Oreos or even the Mint Oreo Thins. You will love the combination no matter which cookie you choose.
Do I have to use Semi Sweet Chips?
Want to switch out the semi sweet baking chips? You can get creative and use milk chocolate or dark chocolate. This recipe is so versatile you can switch most of the ingredients to something your family prefers more. If you really want to get crazy try using the Andes mints chips.
What if I don’t have a piping bag?
If you don’t have a piping bag you can use a Ziploc storage bag. I prefer to use a freezer bag instead of a sandwich bag because it’s a little thicker and helps the frosting process it seems. To use the Ziploc freezer bag you will want to fill your bag and then sniff off a corner of the bag. The smaller you make your whole, the thinner your line of frosting will come out.
Andes Mint Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake Pan
- 1 piping bag fitted with large star tip
- 1 squeeze bottle
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mint Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon mint extract
- 3 drops mint green food coloring gel
- 5 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 grasshopper cookies cut in half
Instructions
- Cupcakes Directions
- Preheat Oven to 350 degree and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners
- In a large bowl, add together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder,baking soda, and salt, mix to combine
- Add in the sugar and brown sugar stir until combined.
- Add the oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- Fill cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 21 minutes
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool
Frosting Directions
- Using a standing mixer, beat together the butter, powdered sugar,crushed oreo cookies, mint extract and heavy whipping cream until combined, smooth and thick peak star to form
- Beat in until combined the mint food coloring
- Scoop frosting into the piping bag and set aside
Chocolate Ganache
- Using a small pot, heat up the heavy whipping cream until steaming
- While heavy whipping cream is heating up, place chocolate chips into a heat-proof bowl
- Once the heavy whipping cream is heated, pour over the chocolate chips
- Allow to sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth
- Scoop ½ C into a squeeze bottle
Decorating Cupcakes
- Dip the cupcakes into the chocolate
- Sprinkle a bit of the andes baking chips onto the cupcakes
- Allow to set for 10 minutes
- Pipe a small amount of frosting into the center of the cupcake
- Sprinkle some more andes onto the frosting
- Drizzle chocolate ganache over the frosting with the squeeze bottle
- Place a cut cookie in the middle
- Enjoy!