This Thin Mint Cupcakes Recipe makes 12 tender chocolate cupcakes layered with crushed chocolate-mint cookies and topped with fluffy peppermint buttercream. The cupcakes take about 25–30 minutes to prepare, bake in 18–22 minutes, and need roughly 30–45 minutes for cooling and decorating.
Every bite delivers moist chocolate cake, a crisp cookie surprise, cool mint frosting, and just enough chocolate richness to feel like your favorite Thin Mint cookie in cupcake form. Hot coffee intensifies the cocoa flavor without making the cupcakes taste like coffee, while crushed cookies and a halved cookie finish make the mint flavor unmistakable.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
These cupcakes are made for anyone who loves the classic combination of dark chocolate and refreshing mint. The cake stays soft from the buttermilk, egg, oil, and hot coffee, while crushed Thin Mints create a delicate cookie layer beneath the batter.
The frosting is rich but airy, with a clean peppermint finish that balances the cocoa. You can keep it classic with white buttercream, tint it pale green for a festive look, or fold in more cookie crumbs for extra texture.
This recipe is also easy to prepare in stages. Bake the cupcakes earlier in the day, let them cool completely, and decorate shortly before serving for the crispest cookie garnish.
For another charming cupcake idea with a warm spice profile, try these cinnamon-kissed cupcakes when you want to plan a varied dessert tray.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The chocolate cake uses familiar pantry ingredients, but each one has an important job. Natural cocoa powder brings deep chocolate flavor, while baking soda and baking powder provide lift and help create a tender crumb.
- Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, natural cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Wet ingredients: a room-temperature egg, buttermilk, neutral vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and hot coffee or hot water.
- Cookie layer: 6 crushed Thin Mints provide about 1 teaspoon of crumbs per cupcake liner.
- Buttercream: softened unsalted butter, sifted powdered sugar, cream or milk, vanilla, and 1/2–1 teaspoon peppermint extract.
- Finishing touches: optional green food coloring, 4–6 crushed Thin Mints, halved cookies, and melted chocolate.
Use hot coffee if you want the fullest chocolate flavor. Hot water works well too, especially if you prefer the mint and cocoa flavors to taste a little lighter.
If you need a chocolate dessert with less sugar, you can also browse this sugar-free chocolate option for a different baking project.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), then line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Setting up the pan first keeps the batter from sitting while the oven comes to temperature.
Step 2: Crush 6 Thin Mints into fine crumbs and place about 1 teaspoon in the bottom of each liner. Keep the crumbs fairly even so every cupcake gets a distinct chocolate-mint layer.
Step 3: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Breaking up the cocoa now helps prevent dry pockets in the finished batter.
Step 4: In a second bowl, whisk the room-temperature egg with the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Room-temperature ingredients blend more readily, giving the batter a smooth consistency without excessive mixing.
Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Add the hot coffee or water carefully as the final liquid; the batter will become thin, and that loose texture is expected.
Step 6: Divide the batter among the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18–22 minutes, checking for lightly springy tops and a toothpick with only a few moist crumbs.
Step 7: Leave the cupcakes in the pan for about 5 minutes after baking. Transfer them to a rack and wait until they are completely cool before preparing to frost them.
Step 8: Beat the softened butter for 2–3 minutes, until it looks smooth and pale. Add the sifted powdered sugar gradually so the frosting stays creamy instead of becoming lumpy.
Step 9: Beat in 2–3 tablespoons of cream or milk, the vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract. Taste the frosting before adding more peppermint, then mix in a few drops of green coloring and fold in 4–6 finely crushed cookies if desired.
Step 10: Pipe or spread the buttercream over the fully cooled cupcakes. Add cookie crumbs, a halved Thin Mint, or a thin drizzle of melted chocolate just before serving for the best contrast of textures.
Pro Tips for the Best Thin Mint Cupcakes
The hot coffee or water should be added last, and the batter should not be overmixed. A few streaks disappear as you stir, and stopping once the ingredients are combined helps protect the cupcakes from becoming dense.
Peppermint extract is much stronger than ordinary mint flavoring. Begin with 1/2 teaspoon, taste the buttercream, and add more gradually up to 1 teaspoon so the frosting tastes fresh rather than medicinal.
Softened butter should yield gently when pressed but should not look oily or melted. If the buttercream is too firm, add the cream one tablespoon at a time; if it is too soft, chill it briefly before piping.
For the strongest Thin Mint effect, use cookies in several places instead of relying only on extract. A crumb layer under the cake, cookie pieces in the buttercream, and a halved cookie on top create a more convincing flavor and a pleasing bite.
When melting the chocolate chips, use short bursts of gentle heat and stir between each burst. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable shortening or coconut oil only if you want a thinner drizzle.
For a refreshing frozen dessert alongside these cupcakes, see this mint fudge ice cream stack and build a chocolate-mint dessert spread.
Decorating and Serving Ideas
A large star tip creates a bakery-style swirl, while a small offset spatula gives the cupcakes a relaxed homemade finish. Pale green frosting looks festive, but plain ivory buttercream with dark cookie crumbs has an elegant appearance too.
For chocolate drizzle, melt 1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips and add the optional shortening or coconut oil if needed. Let the chocolate cool slightly before drizzling so it decorates the frosting without immediately softening it.
Serve the cupcakes at room temperature with the cookie garnish facing upward. They are especially inviting on a dessert table with brownies, cookies, or a berry-based sweet such as this colorful berry trifle.
Although these are clearly dessert cupcakes, a celebration menu may include savory food as well. If you are building a larger gathering menu, this cheesy onion side dish can provide a savory contrast before dessert.
Storage and Make-Ahead Notes
Store covered cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is especially warm, refrigerate them in a well-sealed container for up to 4 days.
Refrigeration firms the buttercream, so bring the cupcakes to room temperature before serving for the best texture. Set them out while still covered to reduce condensation on the frosting.
Thin Mints soften over time when placed directly on moist buttercream. For the crispest garnish, add whole or halved cookies shortly before serving, or keep the cookies separate until the cupcakes are ready to present.
Thin Mint Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Crush 6 Thin Mints and place about 1 teaspoon of crumbs into the bottom of each liner. Reserve the remaining cookies for the frosting or decoration.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the room-temperature egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Carefully mix in the hot coffee or hot water last; the batter will be thin, which is normal.
- Divide the batter among the liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Beat the softened butter until smooth and pale, about 2–3 minutes. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, mixing until incorporated.
- Beat in the cream, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Add green food coloring if desired, continue beating until light and fluffy, and fold in finely crushed Thin Mints if using.
- Pipe or spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Finish with cookie crumbs, a halved Thin Mint, or a drizzle of melted chocolate.
Notes
Final Thoughts
This Thin Mint Cupcakes Recipe brings together everything that makes the beloved cookie so appealing: tender chocolate, cool peppermint, and a satisfying chocolate coating. The cookie crumbs under the cake and the optional pieces in the frosting make the flavor noticeable in every bite.
Take your time with the cooling stage, taste the peppermint gradually, and decorate just before serving for the best result. Whether you pipe tall swirls for a party or spread on a simple layer for a family treat, these 12 cupcakes are a delicious way to turn a classic cookie into a celebratory dessert.