Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
These peppermint mocha cupcakes blend chocolate mocha flavor with a swirl of cool, candy cane buttercream frosting for the ultimate holiday treat. Finished with a drizzle of chocolate ganache, crushed candy canes, and candy cane sticks, they bring festive sparkle and coffee-shop vibes to every bite.
Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
These peppermint mocha cupcakes are about to become the “don’t stop believin’” of your holiday baking playlist—iconic, irresistible, and guaranteed to turn your kitchen into a festive encore.
Imagine rich chocolate mocha cupcakes topped with candy cane buttercream, smooth chocolate ganache drizzle, crushed candy canes and candy cane sticks, and suddenly you’ve got a dessert that looks ready for its close-up.
Trust me—you’re gonna want to make these before someone else steals your spotlight and your candy canes.
If peppermint powers your holiday passion, check out my chocolate peppermint cupcakes, chocolate peppermint cookies, and mini chocolate peppermint cheesecakes.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Simple steps and no fussy techniques—great for any skill level.
- Moist chocolate mocha cupcakes: Rich, tender chocolate cupcakes infused with cozy mocha flavor.
- Sweet peppermint flavor: Cool, creamy peppermint frosting with the perfect candy cane crunch.
- Perfect for the holidays: Festive, fun, and ideal for any holiday party or celebration.
- Beautiful appearance: Swirled frosting, ganache drizzle, and candy cane sparkle make these cupcakes show-stoppers.
Ingredients for Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Substitute with dark chocolate chips.
- Dark cocoa powder – Use dark cocoa, black cocoa, or dutch-process cocoa powder.
- Boiling water + instant espresso powder – Substitute with hot brewed coffee.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda + salt
- Vegetable oil – Substitute with your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Eggs – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Candy cane powder – Finely ground candy canes or peppermint candies.
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Additional Ingredients
- Chocolate ganache – Semisweet chocolate + heavy cream.
- Candy canes – Crushed and candy cane sticks for decoration.
How to Make Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
Make the chocolate cupcake batter.
Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners.
Bake and cool the cupcakes.
Make the candy cane buttercream frosting.
Use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to frost the cupcakes with the candy cane buttercream frosting.
Drizzle chocolate ganache onto the cupcakes and decorate with crushed candy canes and candy cane sticks.
Courtney’s Expert Cupcake Baking Tips
- Use dark cocoa powder or dutch-process cocoa powder for the deepest and richest chocolate flavor. The acidity in the cocoa helps to activate the baking soda in the batter.
- The chocolate cupcake batter is thin, so use a liquid measuring cup to easily and neatly fill the cupcake liners.
- Be sure to grind the candy canes into a very fine powder so it dissolves into the buttercream more easily. Use a food processor or blender for the best results.
- Mix the buttercream for several extra minutes to ensure the candy cane powder is fully dissolved and the frosting is creamy and not gritty.
- Wait to frost and decorate the cupcakes with the crushed candy canes until before serving. The candy canes can melt over time as they sit on the buttercream frosting.
- Check out my posts on tips for making the best cupcakes, best buttercream frosting, and my favorite cupcake baking supplies for even more helpful tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you prefer, check out my recipe for peppermint buttercream frosting which uses peppermint extract rather than crushed candy canes. For these cupcakes, you will need only half of the recipe. Add a drop of red or pink gel food coloring to tint the frosting a pale pink color.
Yes, you can use hot coffee rather than adding instant espresso powder to the boiling water.
If you are a coffee lover and want to amp up the mocha flavor, dust the cupcakes with a bit of extra instant espresso powder before drizzling on the chocolate ganache and crushed candy canes.
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Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (22 g) dark cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (177 g) boiling water
- 1 tbsp (2 g) instant espresso powder
- ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (3 g) salt
- ⅓ cup (73 g) vegetable oil
- 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract
Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (43 g) candy cane powder (finely ground candy canes)
- ¼ cup (60 g) heavy cream (room temperature)
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (2 g) salt
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp (30 g) heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- ¼ cup (43 g) crushed candy canes
- 12 candy cane sticks or mini candy canes
Instructions
Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the semisweet chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, boiling water, and instant espresso powder until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until well combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whisk until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth (the batter will be thin).
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ⅔ full. Use a large liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout to easily fill the liners.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
- To make the candy cane powder, pulse candy canes in a food processor or blender until it turns into a very fine powder.
- Add in the candy cane powder, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. If there are still cane candy powder granules in the frosting, continue to mix until they are fully dissolved. Then, turn the mixer to low speed and mix for several minutes to smooth out the buttercream.
Chocolate Ganache
- Combine the semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the candy cane buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes. Use a piping bag to drizzle the chocolate ganache onto the frosted cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with crushed candy canes and candy cane sticks or mini candy canes.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Storage Note: The crushed candy canes will melt over time at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Frost and decorate the cupcakes before serving to ensure the crushed candy canes stay crunchy and do not melt into the frosting.
Nutrition
Made This Recipe?
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Hello
Do you think they could be made gf and df?
Hi Sandy! I have tested the cupcake using gluten free flour and it turned out well. As far as dairy free, I would recommend using a vegan butter and cream for the buttercream frosting. I have never tested chocolate ganache with a nondairy option, so I can’t speak to that.
Can you leave out espresso powder?
Hi Mary! Yes, you can.
Could you use your peppermint buttercream with the extract instead of this recipe that calls for crushed up peppermint?
Yes! Absolutely!
These cupcakes were DIVINE! I love all things chocolate and peppermint and I’m still drooling thinking about these cupcakes.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the cupcakes! 🙂 Thank you so much for rating and commenting!