These Mini Chocolate Cupcakes are adorable – they’re fun to serve, and their bite-size makes them even more fun to eat! I like to top them off with a chocolate buttercream frosting, making them irresistible. I can eat one in a single bite – no crumbs left behind!
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Mini Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Over the years, I’ve had several questions about making mini cupcakes from scratch, so here you go! I’ve converted our classic Chocolate Cupcakes into these Mini Chocolate Cupcakes. This recipe makes a big batch—48 in total! But don’t worry; they disappear even faster than regular cupcakes.
I made these cupcakes photographed here for a party and they were such a hit! I have to admit something to you, though—I ran low on cocoa powder for the frosting. (I know, I know, what kind of baker runs out of cocoa powder? But it happened). So when you make my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, yours will be even more chocolaty and decadent. That said, my friends were raving about them, and I went home without a single cupcake in the pan, which really says something!
This recipe makes four dozen mini cupcakes, making them perfect for parties, great for portion control, ideal for sharing at a classroom celebration, and just the right size for little ones to enjoy a sweet treat without too much sugar. They disappear fast because everyone knows homemade cupcakes taste way better than a boxed mix.
Ingredients for Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
These ingredients come together to make the most deliciously moist mini cupcakes, bursting with the perfect amount of chocolate flavor in every bite.
- Coffee – Use warm coffee, which boosts chocolate flavor. You can substitute with decaf to avoid caffeine. You can also substitute with room temperature buttermilk.
- Cocoa powder – Use a good-quality, natural, unsweetened cocoa powder. Break up any clumps or sift the cocoa powder before adding it to the recipe. Avoid Dutch-process cocoa powder, which is alkalized and won’t react with baking soda properly.
- Oil – Keeps cupcakes moist. You can use light olive oil or vegetable oil. Use a mild oil and avoid extra virgin, which imparts strong flavors.
- Vinegar – Activates baking soda to ensure a fluffy texture. You can substitute with apple cider vinegar if needed.
- Egg – Adds structure and richness. Make sure it’s at room temperature so it blends smoothly with other ingredients.
- Vanilla – Enhances the chocolate flavor. Use real or homemade vanilla for the best taste.
- Pantry Staples – all-purpose flour (measured correctly), granulated sugar and salt
How to Make Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the center of the oven. Fill a 24-count mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners.
- Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together dry ingredients, breaking up most of the cocoa clumps.
- Wet Ingredients – In a second medium mixing bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
- Combine – Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk just until the ingredients come together and no flour streaks remain. The batter will be a little loose and lumpy. Do not overmix.
- Portion and Bake – Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to portion the cupcake batter, filling each cup 2/3 full, or about 1 Tbsp (do not overfill). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a rack to cool completely to room temperature before adding frosting. Repeat with the second half of the batter for a total of 48 mini cupcakes.
Natasha’s Pro Tip:
Don’t overfill your cupcake liners! Filling them about 2/3 full lets them rise nicely without overflowing, giving you that perfect dome shape for frosting. Using a mini cookie scoop helps portion the batter evenly so your cupcakes come out the same size every time.
Tools You’ll Need to Make Mini Cupcakes
- Mini Muffin Tin – you’ll bake in 2 batches for a total of 48 mini cupcakes. The remaining batter is ok to leave on the counter while the first batch bakes.
- Mini Cupcake Liners – I’ve converted to using parchment liners for all of my cupcakes and muffins because they have an easier release and don’t leave as much crumb behind-stuck to the liner.
- Small Cookie Scoop – This tool has a trigger release, which makes it quick and easy (and less messy) to perfectly portion each mini cupcake.
The Best Frosting for Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Once your cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, it’s time to frost those beauties. Any of our frostings would pipe beautifully onto mini cupcakes:
- Chocolate Buttercream (what I used)
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Vanilla Cupcake Frosting
Storage Tips
Planning for a party? You can make these cupcakes the night before! Just store them in an airtight container, and they’ll be ready to serve the next day.
- To Refrigerate: Unfrosted, these cupcakes are fine to sit in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. After frosting, they should be stored in the refrigerator or eaten within a day if kept at room temperature.
- Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, unfrosted or frosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just be sure to thaw them before adding the frosting.
Every week, my extended family gets together, and with so many of us, I love having easy, grab-and-go dessert options. Whether it’s Eclairs, Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, or a classic Cream Puff, these miniature desserts are perfect for a party buffet. If you have a sweet tooth and need a bite-sized treat, these Mini Chocolate Cupcakes are a must-try!
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup warm coffee, or decaf coffee, or room temperature buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
- ⅓ cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare – Preheat your oven to 350°F and position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 24-count mini muffin tin with mini cupcake liners.
- Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together thoroughly, being sure to break up any cocoa clumps.
- Wet Ingredients – Whisk the wet ingredients together in a second mixing bowl.
- Combine – Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and whisk just until combined (there should be no flour streaks). The batter will be slightly loose and lumpy, but be sure to not overmix.
- Portion and Bake – Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to fill each cup ⅔ full, or about 1 Tbsp (avoid overfilling) with cupcake batter. Bake the mini cupcakes for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Frost – Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting. Repeat with the remaining batter to make a total of 48 mini cupcakes.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Cupcake Recipes
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- Mini Cheesecakes
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Cherry Surprise Honey Cupcakes
- Greek Yogurt Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- No Bake Mini Cheesecakes
Hi Natasha!
Can I substitute the coffee for water or milk instead?
Thanks!🙏
Hi, the coffee really enhances the flavor of the chocolate. I would substitute room temperature buttermilk instead of coffee.
These are the best chocolate cupcakes. I always love your recipes, none has ever disappointed me.
Hi Maxine, I’m so happy you loved the mini chocolate cupcakes!
Hello lovely! Where can I find the chocolate frosting recipe that you have pictured on these little mini cupcakes?
Hi Jaime, I have it linked in the recipe, we used this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, I hope you love it.
Hi Natasha, I’m surely going to try this 😋🤤😄… my grandson would love this
Love all your recipes
l made the blueberry cake a while back and it came out perfect and delicious
thank you ❤️
I’m so glad to hear that you loved the blueberry cake and I hope these mini chocolate cupcakes are well loved by your grandson! The children find these cute mini cupcakes irresistible.
made the cup and omg… it’s was such a hit … so easy to make and so yummy 😋
thanks a lots!!!
What can I use instead of coffee? I really don’t like the taste & I know people say you cannot taste it but for some reason I always can. Thank you!
Hi Beverly, the coffee really makes the chocolate flavor shine, but you could substitute room temperature buttermilk instead of coffee.
Hi Natasha,
This will be the recipe I will be making for Easter Day:)
My whole family loves chocolate and this is perfect, who
knows how many they will eat, before dinner:)
I truly Love Your Recipes!!!!!
Hope you and your Family have a Wonderful Easter:)
You’re so nice! Thank you for this wonderful review, it’ll be perfect for Easter!
5-star