Rich chocolate cupcakes.
Sweet peppermint cream filling.
It’s almost like eating a York peppermint patty in the form of a cake!
Plain chocolate cupcakes are so 2014…
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup spelt or all-purpose flour (Bob’s gf also works)
- 6 tbsp unsweetened (non-dutch) cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar of choice or xylitol
- 1/2 cup mayo-style spread, such as Vegenaise (or you can use this cupcake recipe)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp water
- just over 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F, and place 12 cupcake liners inside a cupcake pan. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients and sift very well. In a separate bowl, combine remaining four ingredients and whisk until the mayo spread is completely smooth. Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined. Immediately divide among the cupcake liners—it won’t seem like a lot of filling, but these cupcakes rise a lot. Bake 15 minutes, or until cupcakes have domed. Remove from the oven and let sit 15 minutes before removing from the pan. These taste ten times more fudgey and rich the next day, so bake the day before eating if possible. Store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Â
*For the Fluffy Peppermint Filling:*
(For coconut-free filling, feel free to use my healthy cream cheese frosting recipe instead of the recipe below)
2 cans full-fat coconut milk (must be the canned type) or 1 can coconut cream
1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
pinch pure stevia, OR 3 tbsp powdered sugar
Refrigerate the cans of coconut milk overnight. The coconut milk should get very thick. (Tip: Shake the cans when you’re at the store. If you can hear the liquidy contents swishing around, it’s probably too thin to work for this recipe. Unfortunately, some cans just don’t have enough fat content and therefore never get thick.) Once thick, transfer only the cream part at the top to a bowl, discarding the watery portion or saving it for a smoothie or another recipe. Whip in your sweetener and extract with a fork or with beaters. The filling can easily be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to four days, but it is best to only fill the cupcakes just before serving. Make an indentation into each cupcake with a spoon, add as much filling as you desire, and hide the hole with more peppermint filling.
Question of the Day:
What are your plans for New Year’s Eve? Are you dressing up at all?
Link of the Day:
Looks delicious! I love any chocolate + mint combo.
No NYE plans. I hate being out when I know the roads are full of drunk drivers so just staying in with the cats!
Mmmm. Chocolate+Peppermint=Bliss. These look to die for!
New Years Eve? I’m staying in and hitting the hay early (laaaaaaame).
But that’s mostly because my family celebrates on New Year’s Day.
I cant wait to make these!!!!!!! They look delish!!!
My husband will be away at work for NYE so I think i am going to cuddle my 2yo daughter and watch some movies. Then when she is asleep, make these cupcakes for the next day!!!!!
PS
I was super excited to see you have a fb page! I am sharing you with everyone!
Thank you so much!!
Looks super delish! 🙂
Mmm these look so yummy! My husband and I are off to our friend’s house for New Years and it will most likely be spent in PJs 🙂
Katie – it’s like with everything you post, you know the way straight to my heart! (And my stomach!) Another amazing recipe – thank you so much!
xx Kathryn
http://www.throughthethicket.ca
Love the short list of ingredients, you can’t beat that! The short list also makes these incredibly dangerous because I can whip this up in almost no time!
Oh my gosh cant go wrong with chocolate and mint!
I didn’t know that if you can hear the water swishing around coconut milk it may not have enough fat content! Interesting…
Yes! I love this idea!!!!
Going to a fancy restaurant tomorrow =) and to see some friends who are hosting a little party- hope your’s is great, Katie! xo
Mmm peppermint seems to be my go-to flavour these days, it just seems to wake you up right? These cupcakes look amazing!
What I am doing for New Years? Weeeeell, I thought I’d invite all my friends who’d find themselves unsure of what to do and host a little party for us all. So I have been pottering about in the kitchen making some treats, and I am so looking forward to seeing them tonight and ringing a new year in – no matter what it holds 🙂
All the best for 2015 Katie! xx
Question on recipe. The main list of ingredients includes the peppermint extract. But sentence #2 says to combine the next 3 ingredients. Should I include the peppermint or is that only for the yummy fluffy filling???
Can’t wait to try these! Thank you SO much for sharing!! Happy New Year!
I am so sorry about that! That was me not knowing how to count! Yes, add the peppermint extract in with the cupcake liquid ingredients as well. 🙂
What would happen if I used milk rather than water?
No weight measurements? And do I need zanthan when making the gluten free option? Thanks – Looks good.
If it doesn’t list it, then it is not needed.
These look great! I’ve been visiting family for a week and one of my cousins makes and sells cupcakes similar to these. They’re just got chocolate, no peppermint, and of course no where near as healthy 🙂
While I was visiting, my aunt made a praline french toast casserole that was amazing, but it had lots of cream and eggs and sugar. Could you please try and make a healthy version?
I’ve made a variation of these cupcakes twice in the past week – they are SO good! They taste rich and dense and beautiful without being too sweet or too airy. I highly recommend them!