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The only thing better than chocolate cupcakes is mini chocolate cupcakes! These bite-sized cupcakes are topped with the best chocolate buttercream. Plus, you can easily make them dairy-free!

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes on a round tray

While I love my chocolate fudge cupcakes, I really wanted to make a mini version! These are the best mini chocolate cupcakes for chocolate lovers because you get the perfect amount of cake and frosting.

These mini chocolate cupcakes would be perfect for a birthday party, bake sale or baby shower! And I promise, this is so much better than a box mix.

Why You’ll Love My Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

  • These mini chocolate cupcakes are perfect for chocolate lovers.
  • These mini cupcakes can easily be made dairy-free, so they’re great for those with food allergies.
  • The cupcakes are made with oil instead of butter, making them super soft and moist. 
  • Each chocolate mini cupcake is topped with a rich chocolate buttercream.

Ingredients Needed

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes ingredients in bowls
  • Flour: I’ve tested these mini cupcakes with all-purpose flour, but if you’re gluten-free you can use gluten-free 1-1 all-purpose baking flour.
  • Oil: use a neutral oil like sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
  • Milk: feel free to use regular milk or dairy-free milk.
  • Cocoa Powder: to make these cupcakes extra chocolatey and rich, I like to use dutch processed cocoa powder instead of natural cocoa powder.
  • Butter: you can use regular butter or vegan butter for the chocolate frosting.

Step by Step Instructions

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes process in three steps

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a mini cupcake pan with 24 liners. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Step 3: Add the egg, vanilla extract, milk, oil and hot water. Mix until the cupcake batter is smooth.

Step 4: Pour the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling them ½ way full. Bake for 11-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Step 5: Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, you can make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and beat again until smooth. 

Step 7: Add the vanilla extract and mix once more. Then add the icing sugar ¼ cup at a time until it is the consistency you want. If the frosting is too thick, you can add up to 1-2 teaspoons of milk. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes on a round tray with a bite take out of the one in the middle

Expert Tips

  • I always recommend measuring your flour and cocoa powder with a kitchen scale! It’s so easy to add too much cocoa powder or flour if you use cups, giving you dry cupcakes. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use the scoop and level method to measure them out. 
  • Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before you frost them, or the frosting will melt off. 
  • This is a very thin cake batter, so don’t worry if it seems too liquidy when you fill up the cupcake liners. 
  • If you find you’ve added too much icing sugar to the frosting, you can add a teaspoon or two of milk to the frosting to make it spreadable.

Storage Instructions

Once frosted, keep the mini chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Store any leftover buttercream in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container.

To freeze, let the cupcakes cool completely. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for 2-3 minutes, letting them thaw at room temperature before frosting

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If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes on a round tray
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Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

Gabby Kislanko
The only thing better than chocolate cupcakes is mini chocolate cupcakes! These bite-sized cupcakes are topped with the best chocolate buttercream. Plus, you can easily make them dairy-free!
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
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Ingredients
 

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

  • ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
  • 7 Tablespoons (88 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (22 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 3 Tablespoons (41 ml) water, hot
  • 2 Tablespoons (27 ml) sunflower or canola oil (or other neutral oil)
  • ⅛ cup (32 ml) milk, (regular or dairy free)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 9 Tablespoons (76 g) butter, softened, (regular or vegan)
  • 6 Tablespoons (32 g) cocoa powder
  • 1⅛ cup (135 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoon milk (only if needed)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a mini cupcake tin with 24 liners.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
  • Add in the egg, vanilla extract, oil, milk, and hot water, then mix until the cupcake batter is smooth.
  • Pour the cupcake batter into the liners, filling up to ½ full and bake for 11-15 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
  • Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack.
  • Once the cupcakes have cooled completely , use a hand mixer to beat the chocolate ganache until it is spreadable. Pipe or spread over the cooled cupcakes and let it firm up before serving. Enjoy!

Equipment

mini cupcake tin
Mixing Bowls

Notes

Note: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above under the “Metric” tab.
Cocoa Powder: I recommend using dutch processed cocoa powder, but you can use natural if that’s what you have. 
Measuring Flour and Cocoa Powder: Either measure your flour using a kitchen scale or use the proper scoop and level method: fluff the flour in the bag/container with a fork then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then run the back of a knife along the top of the cup to even it out. Do the same for the cocoa powder.
Storage and Freezing: Once the cupcakes are frosted, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can place any leftover buttercream in the fridge or freezer.
Freezing: Let cool completely, then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and place in a large freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer in a spot where they won’t get squished. Use within 2-3 months. Let thaw at room temperature completely before frosting.
Calories: 76kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 51mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 146IU, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 0.4mg
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The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.