Go Back
–+ servings
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Author: Brita Britnell

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups of organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup of cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of espresso powder
  • ⅔ cup of melted coconut oil get unrefined if you want it to be virtually tasteless, vegetable or coanola oil also work
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon of almond extract
  • 1 ½ cups of milk any kind works here (I tested it with almond milk and regular dairy milk), at room temperature*
  • ½ cup of apple sauce unsweetened at room temperature*

For the frosting:

  • ½ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature (vegan as desired)
  • 2 cups of confectioners' sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract
  • 2 tablespoons of milk of choice
  • Crushed peppermint for garnish
  • Natural Delights Truffles for garnish

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake tins (makes roughly 18-20 cupcakes) and spray the inside of the liners with cooking spray.
  • In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the apple cider vinegar and milk. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with an electric mixer or even just a whisk), combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Mix.
  • Add in the oil, milk/ apple cider vinegar mixture, vanilla, almond extract, and apple sauce. Mix until just combined (be careful not to over mix), scrapping down the sides as needed.
  • Pour the batter evenly between your cupcake tins filling each about 3/4 of the way full. I’ve made this where I filled them pretty high and got 18 cupcakes and another time where I ended up with 20.
  • Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool.
  • While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting by adding the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer (this can also be done with a hand mixer). Cream for 2 minutes until lighter in color and smooth. Add in the milk, extract, and sugar. Beat on medium/ high speed for 2 full minutes until the frosting is fluffy and airy. As needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency.
  • Pipe the icing on the cupcakes and top with crushed peppermint and Natural Delights truffles. ENJOY!
QR Code linking back to recipe