Easy From Scratch Mini Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

This easy from scratch mini cupcakes recipe is perfect for birthday parties or small gatherings. Made with oil, these are light and airy with the perfect hint of chocolate. Top with buttercream or your favorite frosting and enjoy the perfect bite sized sweet treat! These are easy to decorate and turn out great every time! Using oil and not butter makes for easy mixing and you don’t even need a stand or hand mixer. Top with chocolate shavings or sprinkles for any occasion.

Highlight’s of this recipe ad why you’ll love it:

• Made with oil: these cupcakes are made with oil not butter meaning they mix up super easily, no hand mixer or stand mixer needed. You also don’t have to plan ahead and set out sticks of butter to soften.
• Light and airy texture: these have the BEST texture, they rise perfectly and have a nice light and airy crumb. My favorite part about these is that even if you over fill these a bit before baking, they don’t bake over the sides, they rise up and create beautiful tops!
• Simple pantry staples: these cupcakes are made with simple pantry staple you most likely already have! Unsweetened cocoa powder gives these a rich chocolate flavor and a dark color. See below for some easy ingredients swaps.
• Easy to decorate: a smaller cupcake is much easier and less intimidating to decorate than a regular sized cupcake. These take much less frosting so it can be easier to use a piping bag on these. You can also decorate with less and make a single topping the star of the show!
• Make ahead safe: if you want to make these cupcakes ahead of time, make a batch according to recipe instructions. Allow to cool completely (if they are still warm they will produce steam when in a container and they can get soggy) and store in an airtight container in the fridge. These will stay fresh for a day or two, simply decorate and serve when ready.

Grocery Store List & Substitutions for the mini chocolate cupcakes:

• Vegetable oil: canola oil or soybean oil can be used as well. Avocado oil or olive oil can be substituted, but can slightly change the flavor.
• Granulated sugar: I do not recommend swapping any other type of sugar for this recipe. Other sugars can impact the batter differently and change how the cupcakes bake and rise.
• Vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract, almond extract can be added for additional flavor is desired.
• Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for these cupcakes. Let your eggs come to room temperature for this recipe.
• Milk: the nice thing about this recipe is that you can use any type of milk, dairy or non-dairy milk. Cream, half and half, oat milk, almond milk, or regular dairy milk can be used here.
• All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: watch that you are using unsweetened cocoa not regular cocoa powder. If your cocoa is lumpy, sift it through a fine mesh strainer so it incorporates easier.
• Baking soda: make sure your baking soda is fresh!
• Kosher salt: any type of salt can be used. Celtic salt, Himalayan salt, or Iodized salt.

Grocery Store List & Substitutions for the chocolate buttercream:

• Unsalted butter: if needed, you can substitute salted butter. Make sure this is softened for the frosting.
• Powdered sugar: no substitute for this. Powdered sugar adds the sweetness needed without giving the frosting a grainy texture. If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, simply blend granulated sugar until light in texture.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: watch that you are using unsweetened cocoa not regular cocoa powder. If your cocoa is lumpy, sift it through a fine mesh strainer so it incorporates easier.
• Vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract, almond extract can be added for additional flavor is desired.
• Heavy cream: you just need a touch, milk or non-dairy milk can be used as well. This helps thin out the frosting just a bit and gives it a creamy texture.

These moist chocolate cupcakes are perfect for chocolate lovers, chocolate cake topped with chocolate buttercream. If you love these, you’ll love this Chocolate Snacking Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream

Tips for making the best mini chocolate cupcakes:

• Ingredients at room temp: mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time, specifically your eggs- room temperature eggs combine easier than cold eggs.
• Properly measure your flour: (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients more accurately – the recipe card below has a metric conversion.
• Use a small cookie scoop: to easily fill your mini cupcake liners. I fill my scoop about 3/4 full for each cupcake, these make much less of a mess. See the tools used section below for a link to my favorite portion scoops!
• Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. Not over mixing will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.

How to make the Easy From Scratch Mini Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe (with step by step instructions):

Let’s talk a little about how to make these mini chocolate cupcakes (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Combine wet ingredients with sugar
• Add in milk
• Mix in dry ingredients, careful not to overmix
• Scoop batter into a mini muffin tray

1. Combine sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix well to combine.

3. Add in the milk and stir to combine.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients, stir just until combined, don’t overmix. If your dry ingredients are a bit clumpy, it can help to sift them into a separate bowl first, then add into the wet ingredients.

5. Once batter is smooth and lump free transfer to a lined or greased mini cupcake pan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes.

7. Let cool completely on a wire rack and frost as desired!

If you like this Easy From Scratch Mini Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe, you’ll love these other easy recipes…

Coffee Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

One Bowl Fluffy Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Oil

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream (regular sized version of this recipe)

Protein Packed Cottage Cheese Chocolate Pudding

Easy One Bowl Moist Banana Cake Recipe with Oil

Chocolate Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

These moist chocolate cupcakes have a super quick baking time and they come out perfect every time! Top with vanilla frosting or chocolate frosting, use a knife to spread or a pastry bag to pip on frosting. Top with chocolate chips or chunks, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, and a piece of dark chocolate!

Tools I used for this mini chocolate cupcake recipe:

• Rubber Spatula – a must have! Easily combine the cupcake batter with a rubber spatula. I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
• Non-stick Mini Muffin Pan – just one of those pans you need, this is my favorite pan for mii muffins or cupcakes – it cleans up super easy and is nonstick!
• Mini White Paper Liners – a good basic muffin or cupcake liner to have on hand for mini muffins. I like the white because they go well with any occasion and can be used whenever!
• Portion Scoops – my go to for scooping batter cleanly into muffin tins, I have had this set for years and they still work perfectly. I like having different sizes of scoops on hand for different recipes.

Recipe FAQ’s:

How full should you fill the liners?

I fill my liners 3/4 of the way full – mini cupcakes don’t rise as much as regulars cupcakes. You want to fill them enough so they look full and hearty!

Making the right amount of frosting?

Mini cupcakes don’t need as much frosting as regular cupcakes, so you can get away with making less than you’d think! The recipe for chocolate buttercream below is the perfect amount for this batch of mini cupcakes. If you do have extra buttercream, it can be stored in the freezer for another time!

How to make these cupcakes in advanced and how to store them?

These cupcakes can be made a day or two in advanced! If you want to make these cupcakes ahead of time, make a batch according to recipe instructions. Allow to cool completely (if they are still warm they will produce steam when in a container and they can get soggy) and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the fridge. These will stay fresh for a day or two, simply decorate and serve when ready. I prefer to store these in a container vs a bag.