After making my mini chocolate cake last week, I’m all about minis!! That sentiment is what inspired me to make these mini chocolate cupcakes.

I swear mini desserts just taste better! I’m not sure if it’s the increased ratio of buttercream to cupcake, or just the sheer cuteness of such a small cupcake.

Either way, they’re fun to make and perfect for just about any occasion.

The Chocolate Cupcake Base

This mini chocolate cupcake recipe is based on my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. It’s obviously been scaled down but is just as moist and delicious!

My biggest tip when making these mini chocolate cupcakes is to be sure not to overmix the batter. Overmixed batter can lead to dense, chewy little cupcakes.

Your cupcakes will bake up tender and soft if you mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined.

How to Make Mini Cupcakes with Any Cupcake Recipe

While I highly recommend my mini chocolate cupcake recipe below, you can really use any recipe to make mini cupcakes!

I’ve converted this recipe to make a dozen minis, but you can also use a regular cupcake recipe to make mini cupcakes.

There’s no need to change the measurements or ingredients!

The two things you need in mind when doing this is that you will end up with three times as many mini cupcakes as you would regular cupcakes, and that the bake time will be about half what the recipe lists.

For example, if your cupcake recipe makes 12 regular sized cupcakes, it will make about 36 minis.

And if full sized cupcakes bake for 18-20 minutes, I’d suggest baking the minis for 9-10 minutes.

How Full Should You Fill Mini Cupcake Liners?

There actually isn’t a universal answer for this! The amount you should fill your mini cupcake liners will vary based on the recipe you use.

If you’re using a regular cupcake recipe to make mini cupcakes, fill the mini liners as full as the recipe instructs.

I like to fill my mini cupcake liners about 3/4 full with this mini chocolate cupcake recipe because they don’t rise up a ton.

Making the Right Amount of Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

While the cupcake base itself is wonderful, a cupcake isn’t a cupcake without some delicious frosting.

I decided a rich chocolaty buttercream would be perfect for these mini chocolate cupcakes.

It’s pretty much half chocolate, half frosting and it’s absolutely irresistible.

When you’re frosting a mini batch of cupcakes, you don’t need a ton of frosting. To make just the right amount, I modified my chocolate American buttercream to make 1/8 of a batch.

Substitutions and Swaps – Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

This mini chocolate cupcake recipe use quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

• Chocolate – You can use milk, dark or semi-sweet chocolate to make these chocolate cupcakes! Just be sure it’s a good quality chocolate so it will melt down smoothly.
• Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of these cupcakes.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or sunflower oil would work great!
• Eggs – If you have an egg allergy you can use 1 flaxseed egg instead or a vegan egg replacer like this made by Bob’s Red Mill.
• Vinegar – This recipe needs a bit of vinegar because it uses baking soda as a leavening agent. The vinegar activates the baking soda and helps the cupcakes rise. You can use white or apple cider vinegar.

Small Batch Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• Salted Butter – If you only have unsalted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the salted butter, just be sure to add a pinch of salt. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Melted chocolate – Any type of chocolate will work! I love using dark, but semi-sweet or milk chocolate would taste great too.
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
• Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract.
• Cocoa Powder – If you’re out of cocoa powder, you can use additional powdered sugar in its place.

Making These Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips

You can make these mini chocolate cupcakes in advance. If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.

These cupcakes can also last up to 3 months in the freezer.

If you plan to freeze them, wait to frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make your frosting up to a week ahead of time or save any leftovers. Leftover frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes shouldn’t sit out at room temperature for more than a day.

Store them in the fridge in an airtight container once they’re frosted after they’ve been out at room temperature for a day.

Tips for Making the Best Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Use a small cookie scoop to easily fill your mini cupcake liners. I fill my scoop about 3/4 full for each cupcake.
• Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• One batch of batter can also be used to make 4 regular sized cupcakes. Bake them at 350 F / 175 C for 18-19 minutes.
• Make vegan or dairy free mini chocolate cupcakes! Use your favorite type of dairy free milk, a flax seed egg, vegan dark chocolate, and vegan butter sticks in place of the butter.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this recipe for mini chocolate cupcakes I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.

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