This mini chocolate cupcake recipe is easy to make, made with only 6 ingredients, and they are ready faster than most box cake mixes! They are grain free, protein packed, and topped with tangy chocolate cream cheese buttercream. These are the best cupcakes and are the perfect mini desserts for all chocolate lovers!!
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Mini Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Ingredients:
Cupcake Ingredients:
Frosting Ingredients:
How to make Mini Chocolate Cupcakes:
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line your USA Pans mini muffin tins with mini cupcake liners or mini muffin cups.
- Mix all cupcake ingredients (both dry ingredients and wet ingredients) in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer until well mixed and smooth.
- Spoon batter into mini muffin pan. Pour batter into tins ⅔ rds full to prevent overflowing.
- Bake time. Let the cupcakes bake 12-15 minutes until they are fluffy and a toothpick comes out clean after pricking the cupcakes. Let cupcakes come to room temperature before storing or frosting. Any extra batter can be baked in a second batch.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- Mix. Mix the frosting ingredients in a large separate bowl with an electric mixer, stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed. Powdered sugar will fly so sometimes I will add the powdered sugar in increments or use a really large bowl.
- Decorate or Store. Store the frosting for up to a week at room temp or up to a month in the fridge or frost cooled cupcakes right away. Pro tip! Store cupcakes frosted at room temp to keep this rich chocolate cupcake recipe moist and fresh.
Quick Facts
How long does this dish take?
These easy chocolate cupcakes 20 minutes to make the cupcakes, 30 minutes to cool, 10 minutes to make the frosting
How much does this make?
This mini chocolate cupcake recipe makes 24 mini cupcakes, to make small batch chocolate cupcakes, simply half the quantity of all ingredients.
Does this meet my dietary needs?
This easy recipe is gluten free and grain free. It could be made dairy free by using dairy free cream cheese and milk and plant based butter.
How long does this keep?
1 week at room temperature, in an airtight container or 3 months in the freezer. Just let come to room temperature before consuming.
Can I pack this for lunch?
Totally! I pack 2 every day in a tupperware, it is a great recipe for that!
Can these be full size?
Yes! Just plan to bake for 20-25 minutes. This recipe should make 10-12 full size cupcakes.
Substitute Options:
All substitution options given are a 1:1 replacement of the called for ingredient unless otherwise noted
Nutella: Any chocolate nut butter can be used. We love Jubli, Soom, and Trader Joe’s Chocolate Almond Butter.
Eggs: Flax eggs could be used in place of an egg.
Baking Soda: Sorry, no substitution option for this.
Peanut Butter Powder: Your favorite nut powder could be used, powdered sugar, or additional protein powder can substitute this.
Cream Cheese: Plant based or dairy free cream cheese can be used.
Butter: Vegan butter, unrefined coconut oil, or vegetable oil can substitute this.
Vanilla: Vanilla can be omitted if not available. Vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean can be used in place of vanilla extract also. If using pure vanilla, use half of the called for extract amount.
Powdered Sugar: Low calorie powdered sugar options can be used.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This can be omitted or you can switch the cocoa powder out for finely chopped mini chocolate chips for chocolate chip buttercream.
Milk: Your favorite milk can be used, any kind will work.
Salt: Sorry, no substitute for this but it can be left out if needed
Fun Fact!
Cream Cheese can be dated back to 1583 when mentions of it come from England. It’s popularity has only grown since then, now making up 10% of cheese sales. In order for something to be considered cream cheese, it has to have an exact moisture content of 55%. Even with the exact science, cream cheese is pretty easy to make at home! (Source).
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Recipe
Mini Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup Nutella
- ½ cup cream cheese room temp
- ¼ cup peanut butter powder
- 1 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Frosting
- 4 tablespoon butter room temp
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cream cheese
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line mini muffin tin with cupcake liners
- Mix all cupcake ingredients with a hand mixer or stand mixer until well combined
- Transfer to cupcake tin. Fill ⅔ full
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Check that they are cooked through by poking with a toothpick. The toothpick should come out clean.
- Let the cupcakes come to room temp before storing or frosting.
To Make the Frosting:
- Add everything to a large bowl and mix well with a hand mixer or stand mixer until fluffy
- Store in the fridge until ready to use.
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