Mint cookies and cream cupcakes are moist dark chocolate cupcakes studded with mint Oreo cookies, swirled with mint cookies and cream buttercream frosting. These cupcakes would be perfect as a St. Patrick’s Day treat or mint chocolate lovers.
Ingredients for Mint Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Mint Cookie Cupcakes
- Dark cocoa powder – I love using Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Powder.
- Chocolate chips: – Dark or semisweet chocolate chips.
- Boiling water – To boil water, I use a glass liquid measuring cup that is microwave safe. The water boils in about 90 seconds.
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to level your measuring cups!
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Baking soda – Leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
- Salt – Salt enhances the flavor of the cupcakes.
- Eggs – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – You could also use canola oil or another neutral baking oil.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract also enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Mint Oreo cookies – Chocolate sandwich cookies with mint cream filling finely chopped.
Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature unsalted butter for easy creaming.
- Powdered sugar – Only sift if your powdered sugar is very lumpy.
- Salt – A bit of salt enhances the flavor of the buttercream and contrasts the sweetness.
- Mint extract – Use mint extract as opposed to peppermint extract for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract – A bit of vanilla extract adds a bit more flavor to the buttercream.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream makes the buttercream light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Mint Oreo cookies – Mint Oreos add extra mint flavor. Be sure they are very finely ground.
- Green gel food coloring – A couple drops of green gel food coloring gives the buttercream a beautiful, minty green color.
Tools & Supplies to Make Mint Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
How to Make Mint Cookie Cupcakes
These mint cookie cupcakes are incredibly easy to make! All you need is mixing bowl and a whisk!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Combine dark cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and boiling water. Mix and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Add in vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Fold in chopped mint Oreo cookies.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
To make mint cookies and cream buttercream frosting, I recommend using a stand mixer for the best results. You can use a paddle attachment or a whisk attachment based on your personal preference. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can also use an electric hand mixer.
- Whip room temperature butter for about 5 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Then add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed.
- Add mint extract, vanilla extract, and salt and continue to mix on low until combined.
- Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after this step to ensure everything is well mixed. Add a few drops of green gel food coloring if desired.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the buttercream for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add mint Oreo cookie crumbs and mix on low speed until combined.
- (Optional) Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for an additional 5 minutes to remove air bubbles and make the buttercream silky smooth.
Mint Cookies and Cream Cupcakes Recipe Tips
Bake perfect cupcakes
Check out my baking tips blog post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes to learn simple tricks to baking the best cupcakes! I also have a blog post on 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn strategies to making the best buttercream.
Mint extract
Be sure to use regular mint extract as opposed to peppermint extract in this recipe. The flavors are completely different!
Finely grind the cookies for mint cookies and cream buttercream frosting
To make the mint cookies and cream buttercream frosting, be sure to very finely grind the mint Oreo cookies. I love using a small food processor to grind up the cookies. No need to remove the cream filling! It adds extra mint flavor!
Decorating the cupcakes
To frost the cupcakes as picture, use a piping bag fitted with a large open star piping tip. For these cupcakes, I used an Ateco 826 piping tip. Create an “ice cream swirl” with the buttercream and add half of a mint Oreo cookie to each cupcake.
Do not make the buttercream ahead of time
This is one of the few buttercream recipes that I do not recommend making ahead of time. The buttercream should be made and used the same day. If you store the buttercream, the cookie bits will break down and when you rewhip it, the buttercream will turn a gray color.
Storing and serving
The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend serving the cupcakes at room temperature for the best texture and flavor. Remove from the refrigerator at least one hour before serving.
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Mint Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with a whisk/paddle attachment or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Mint Cookie Cupcakes
- ¼ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup mint Oreo cookies chopped
Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp mint extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 drop green gel food coloring
- ½ cup mint Oreo cookies finely ground
- mint Oreo cookies for garnish, if desired
Instructions
Mint Cookie Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl or a glass liquid measuring cup, stir together chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and boiling water until the cocoa powder is dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Mix the chocolate mixture again to ensure that the chocolate chips are melted.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined.
- Add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the batter is combined and smooth. Fold in the chopped mint Oreo cookies.
- Fill cupcake liners ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely.
Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, add in room temperature unsalted butter. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally. The butter will be light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
- Add vanilla extract, mint extract, and salt and mix on low until combined.
- Increase speed to medium on the mixer and slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed. Add a few drops of green gel food coloring, if desired.
- Turn the speed on the mixer to high and whip for an additional 3-5 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
- Add mint Oreo cookie crumbs and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- If desired, switch to a paddle attachment on the stand mixer and mix buttercream on low speed for 2 additional minutes to remove air bubbles to create smooth frosting.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Use a large open star piping tip and a piping bag to swirl the buttercream onto the cupcakes. Add half of a mint Oreo cookie to each cupcake if desired.
Notes
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