Mint chocolate brownie cupcakes are a delicious twist on your average brownie—if you love mint and chocolate, you’ll love this dessert!
Living in Phoenix comes with many perks. The approximately 500 days of sunshine a year, to name just one.
But living in Phoenix also has its drawbacks, namely the traffic.
OH EM GEE, the traffic. It’s worse than anything I experienced in southern California. And the excessively slow drivers who populate this city do nothing to help. (A certain segment of the population enjoys wintering in our sunshine. I don’t want to name names but I think you know of whom I speak.)
So I’m thinking of petitioning the city council to replace our speed limits with speed minimums. Speed minimums, paired with some kind of Seinfeld-ian “drive your age” policy, should help the traffic snarls right?
Just allow me my fantasy; there’s no need to point out that traffic accidents will cause traffic to slow even more significantly.
But what does all this have to do with brownie cupcakes, I can practically hear you thinking?
Well, the other day, it took me like 45 minutes to get the .2 miles from Safeway back to my house because traffic was moving at the pace of a snail dipped in molasses. Once I finally got home I needed the kind of therapy that only baking (and eating chocolate) provides.
I needed brownies, with their batter that tastes like heaven, their chocolate-y smell wafting from the oven, their crackly exterior and chewy interior. But I wanted something more than just an ordinary brownie.
So I went with brownie cupcakes with peppermint patties stuffed inside and cute little dollop of peppermint buttercream on top.
And wouldn’t you know it? After one bite I’d forgotten all my road rage! And I was ready to tackle the mean streets of Phoenix yet again.
Because I needed more peppermint patties to make a second batch. They’re now my go-to snack for my long drive down to Safeway. Just try being road rage-y when you have a deliciously minty brownie cupcake in your hand.
Mint chocolate brownie cupcakes: nature’s perfect mood enhancer. Or something like that 🙂
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 12 small 1 1/2-inch peppermint patties
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners and set pan aside.
Place the chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the sugar, salt, and espresso powder (if using). Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour and cocoa powder until just smooth—don’t over-mix.
Fill the bottoms of the prepared muffin cups with about 1 tablespoon of batter. Top with a peppermint patty, then top with remaining batter. Bake 32 to 36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out with just a few moist crumbs. (Don’t stick the toothpick too deep into the cupcake or you’ll hit the peppermint patty and your test won’t be accurate.)
Set pan on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low until creamy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and the peppermint extract and salt. Beat on low to combine, then turn mixer to high and beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin and additional milk if it’s too thick. Frost cupcakes as desired and serve.
Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes
grace says
a delicious surprise! i feel like this combination is unfairly restricted to christmas, so good for you for bringing it out in april!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Grace!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
Stuffing peppermint patties into cupcake shaped brownies is genius! They look so fudgy. And that buttercream frosting looks like the perfect topping. So fluffy! Hope you’re having a great week Kelsie!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Leanne!
Mary Ann @ thebeachhousekitchen says
I just made some brownie cupcakes Kelsie, but I’m loving the mint in these! Need to bake a batch! My son Casey would LOVE them!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Mary Ann!
Wendy says
As a So Cal girl, I totally get it with traffic! Guess I’ll have to try these when I get home home from taking the kids to school (a ridiculously long drive for a ridiculously short distance!)
Kelsie says
UGH! Traffic is just the worst! Thanks, Wendy!
kitchenriffs says
Used to live in Florida. I know all about snowbird traffic. 🙂 What I don’t know are these cupcakes! And I definitely need to get to know them — sound wonderful. Thanks!
Kelsie says
Haha! I love the snowbirds but I’d love them more if they drove a little faster 🙂
lynne hoareau says
Oh my goodness ! This you are a genius !!!! These sound Ammaazzzzing !!!
I love chocolate and mint together 🙂 🙂 🙂
Kelsie says
Thank you so much, Lynne!
Kim Lange| The Baking ChocolaTess says
These is a great way to get over road rage. 🙂 YUM!! Would make me forget everything going on in the world! haha! They look delish!!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Kim!
evolvewithmary says
I’ve never been a huge mint chocolate girl. But sometime the mood hits and I crave a little mint with my chocolate. I’m pretty sure these brownies with be an exception to my rule but everything you make is an exception to my rule. 500 days of sunshine sounds awesome, but I’ll also endured a few summers in Phoenix, and it can get brutal. Traffic is getting pretty bad in Northern California also, no matter what time Ieave its going to take me at least 30 minutes to get there, and that’s just annoying. I love the idea of speed minimum.
Kelsie says
Aww thank you, Mary! Phoenix summers can definitely get brutal!
Kelly @ Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats says
OMG you went from crazy-road-rage like traffic in So Cal to blue-hair-old-lady-driving-slow-as-a-snail traffic in Phoenix hahahah. That would drive me nuts. I did pull someone over one time for driving too slow. And gave them a ticket for it. But these cupcakes!! My stepson would LOVE these! He loves anything mint and that Peppermint Patty in the middle is to die for!
Kelsie says
Hahaha! Exactly! Thank you, Kelly!
annie@ciaochowbambina says
Mint and chocolate are a match made in heaven! Love these!!
Kelsie says
Totally agree! Thank you, Annie!
Codrut Turcanu says
hey Kelsie
it looks like cupcakes are the rage nowadays, particularly with the Easter coming… thanks for a great idea!
Anyway, traffic is yuck here in Bucharest, Romania as well.
Keep up the great work!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Codrut!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
UGH – slow drivers. I hear ya. I’m certain that a segment of the population you refer to comes from Canada, hah. Snow birds! Thank goodness for these delicious cupcakes – I think you should have a stash of them in your car to calm your frustrations while driving around 😉
Kelsie says
Hahaha! Snow birds, yes. Not sure if they’re Canadian or not but oh my word do they ever drive slowly! Thanks, Katherine!
Carlee says
You always find a way to tug at my heartstrings. I definitely need to know when you start taking applications for neighbors 😉
Kelsie says
Any time! Thank you, Carlee!
Ben|Havocinthekitchen says
Oh gosh, you’re funny. I’ve cracked up with your “at the pace of a snail dipped in molasses” (Am I still breathing?) Anyway, these chocolate brownie cupcakes look and sound fantastic, and the addition of mint makes them only better!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Ben!
Marissa (@pinchandswirl) says
uh oh, these look addictive! I’m swooning over that peppermint in the middle!!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Marissa!
2pots2cook says
Good therapy it is 🙂 I have to remember this one to calm me down !
Kelsie says
Haha! Thank you!
Milena says
Oh, how I love traffic moving at a glacial pace…I hear you about needing a snack for the long time it takes to get to somehwere down the road. And you did come up with a perfect solution! If your choc mint brownie cupcakes were sold at a cupcakery I bet they’d be a best seller:) Have a good week, Kelsie!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Milena!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Hahaha! Snail dipped in molasses – you’re hilarious! You know I love mint + chocolate and then go ahead an combine brown with cupcake? What?! Mind blown. Definitely in order for today! Happy Monday, my friend!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Dawn!
David @ Spiced says
Hah! Great post, Kelsie. I totally feel the same about dumb drivers. I seriously want to just tell them what I think, but Laura tells me I should be nice and ignore them. The difference between Phoenix and upstate New York is that people around here drive like aggressive cheetahs on coffee…to the point that it gets quite dangerous. Where are the cops when you need them?? For the record, I’m still laughing about the “a snail dipped in molasses” comment though. We just need to find a happy medium between the two. Or we just need to eat more brownies filled with peppermint patties. These sound delicious!
Kelsie says
What are we to do with caffeinated cheetahs and molasses-dipped snails? Why can’t everyone drive like normal people? Thank you, David!
Ashika | Gardening Foodie says
Kelsie,this post really made me laugh because I can so relate to crazy traffic issues, I absolutely hate sitting in traffic …it makes me sooooo irritated. Now these chocolate brownie cupcakes sound like the perfect solution to calm my nerves. I love peppermint patties and the idea of adding it into the cupcake sounds absolutely heavenly. Love to ( need to ) whip up a batch now because I am going grocery shopping and the traffic to the mall is crazy.
Thank you for the yummy recipe solution…have a great week 🙂
Kelsie says
Right? Sitting in traffic is the worst! Thank you, Ashika!