Not yet Girl Scout cookie season? No problem! It’s easy to bake your own Thin Mint Cupcakes at home with a bit of nostalgia in every chocolate mint bite.
Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint Cupcakes
Our Thin Mint Cupcake recipe is an easy way to recreate your favorite flavors found in Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies but formed as chocolate cupcakes.
It’s hard to resist a thin mints cupcake recipe that combines the taste of the classic Girl Scout cookies with the richness of decadent chocolate cake, especially when each chocolate cupcake is covered with a thick layer of peppermint cream, smothered with chocolate ganache and topped with green buttercream frosting, fresh mint leaves, and the famous cookie itself.
Minty, chocolatey, and so easy to make from scratch, why wait for Girl Scout season when you can bake your own girl scout cookie cupcakes whenever the cookie craving strikes?
Why We Love This Thin Mint Cupcake Recipe
- Easy to make with simple steps.
- Uses a handful of kitchen staple ingredients.
- The chocolate cake is moist and light, with the fresh flavor of peppermint in the cream covering and frosting.
- The hard chocolate ganache coating perfectly contrasts the soft cake below (and even looks like the top of a Thin Mint cookie).
- Chocolate and mint is a favorite flavor combination.
- Perfect sweet treat for parties, potlucks, or any time the thin mint cookie craving hits.
Thin Mint Cupcakes Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Coconut Oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Hot water
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Heavy whipping cream
- Vegetable oil
- Fresh mint
- Confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar
- Peppermint extract
- Half & half
- Green food coloring
Substitutions and Additions
- Decorate Your Dessert: Feel free to garnish your cupcakes with small mint leaves and a Thin Mint cookie inserted into the Thin Mint frosting. But you could also garnish with my copycat Andes Mints, chocolate shavings, or chocolate sprinkles.
- Bake From A Box: While this recipe makes the cupcakes from scratch, there’s no shame in baking from a box! You can use a dark chocolate cake mix, milk chocolate cake mix, or devil’s food cake mix to bake your cupcake base and then assemble it as written.
How to Make Thin Mint Cupcakes
- Make The Butter Mixture: Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Blend in the coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Blend Into Batter: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three batches, mixing each until blended. Add the hot water and whisk to blend.
- Bake: Fill the cupcake wells to 1/3 and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
- Make The Ganache: Melt the chocolate chips, cream, and salt over a double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool and thicken for 60-90 minutes.
Pro Tip: The ganache should be cooled but fluid enough to spread on the peppermint cream. - Make The Peppermint Cream: Blend together the butter, vegetable oil, and mint. Add the confectioners’ sugar, peppermint extract, and half & half, and continue beating until whipped and creamy.
- Make The Mint Buttercream Frosting: Mix together 2 cups of the Peppermint Cream with green food coloring. Add to a piping bag with the tip of your choice.
- Cover The Cupcakes: Spread a layer of peppermint cream over the tops of the cooled cupcakes, forming sharp angle edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Add Chocolate Ganache: Spread a spoonful of ganache over the chilled peppermint cream. Return the cupcakes to the refrigerator and chill uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.
- Decorate Your Desserts: Pipe the green frosting on top of the chilled chocolate ganache. Garnish with a cookie and a small mint leaf.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making Thin Mint Cupcakes
- A small ice cream scoop works well for filling the cupcake wells with batter.
- Make sure your butter, oil, eggs, and half and half are at room temperature before baking. This ensures that they will mix into the batter more easily, leading to the best taste and texture.
How to Store Thin Mint Cupcakes
- To Store: These cupcakes will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days once assembled. If you make them in advance, store the cupcakes and frosting separately for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- To Freeze: Unassembled cupcakes will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow to come to room temperature before frosting.
More Easy Cupcake Recipes
Other Easy Chocolate mint Recipes
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Thin Mint Cupcakes
Serves — 24
Thin Mint Cupcakes combine the nostalgia of a Girl Scout cookie with the moist crumb of the cupcake base.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, in pieces
- ¼ cup coconut oil room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-process preferred, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup hot water
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Peppermint Cream
- 1½ cups unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint finely chopped (more for garnish)
- 4½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 3 tablespoons half & half room temperature
Green Mint Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups peppermint cream take from the 5 cups you made
- 8 drops green Food Coloring
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.
- In a mixing bowl cream the Sugar and Butter together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the Coconut Oil, scraping the bowl to ensure batter is well blended. With the mixer on low, add the Eggs, one at a time. Add the Vanilla and blend for 30 more seconds.1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup coconut oil, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, whisk the Flour, Cocoa powder, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and salt until combined. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon, in three batches, mixing each until blended. Next, add the hot water and whisk to blend.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Fill lined cupcake wells to 1/3. (small ice cream scoop works well)
- Bake in the center of the oven for approx. 10 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center to ensure the cupcakes are done (when it comes out clean). Remove from the oven and cool cupcakes on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
Chocolate Ganache
- Set a medium heat-safe bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the hot water. Or, use a double boiler). Place the Chocolate Chips, Cream, and Salt in the bowl. Stir often, until chocolate has melted and ganache is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool and thicken (60-90 min.) Tip: Ganache should be cooled, but fluid enough to spread on the Peppermint Cream.½ cup hot water, 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1¼ cups heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Peppermint Cream
- Add the softened Butter, vegetable Oil, and Mint together in a mixing bowl, and blend together on medium-low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend as needed. Add Confectioners’ Sugar, Peppermint extract, and Half & Half, and continue beating until whipped and creamy.1½ cups unsalted Butter, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons fresh mint, 4½ cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons peppermint extract, 3 tablespoons half & half
Green Mint Buttercream Frosting
- Add 2 cups of the Peppermint Cream you made earlier to a small mixing bowl, and stir in the green Food Coloring. Mix well. Add to piping bag with the tip of your choice.2 cups peppermint cream, 8 drops green Food Coloring
Assemble Cupcakes
- Spread Peppermint Cream in a thick layer over the tops of the cooled cupcakes, forming sharp angle edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Spoon Ganache on top of the cupcakes, and gently spread all over the chilled Peppermint Cream. Return cupcakes to the refrigerator and chill uncovered for an additional 30 minutes. Garnish with small mint leaves if desired.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: These cupcakes will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days once assembled. If you make them in advance, store the cupcakes and frosting separately for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- To Freeze: Unassembled cupcakes will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow to come to room temperature before frosting.
- A small ice cream scoop works well for filling the cupcake wells with batter.
- Make sure your butter, oil, eggs, and half&half are at room temperature before baking. This ensures that they will mix into the batter more easily and will lead to the best taste and texture.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 707IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg
