Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

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These hot chocolate cupcakes feature all the flavors of rich, creamy hot chocolate. They’re even stuffed with gooey marshmallows!

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes are an adorable, family-friendly dessert that can be enjoyed year round.

They’re stuffed with giant marshmallows, lots of melted chocolate and your choice of peppermint bits or mini chocolate chips. It’s like having edible hot chocolate in a cute paper liner.

A cupcake garnished with frosting, marshmallow, and crushed peppermint.

How to make hot chocolate cupcakes?

First, preheat your oven to 325°F, and line a cupcake pan with decorative liners.

After that, grab a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer if you have one.

Cake mix, cracked eggs, and other ingredients in a mixing bowl.

In the bowl, combine cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, water, and oil into a smooth batter.

After that, use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips. Using the spatula will keep you from overworking the batter.

Chocolate chips being added to the batter.

Next, transfer the cupcake batter to the liners. You only want to fill them about 3/4th of the way full.

When the liners are full, place the cupcakes into the oven to bake for 30-minutes.

Cupcake batter being added to a cupcake liner.

Afterward, remove them from the oven. It’s time to use the large marshmallows.

Gently press a marshmallow into the top of the each cupcake. Use a twisting motion to press the marshmallow into place.

A marshmallow being pushed into the cupcake.

You’ll only be able to fit about half the marshmallow into the cake. Now, return the cupcakes to the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Just long enough for the marshmallows to melt. Then, remove them from the oven.

An aerial view showing all the cupcakes with marshmallows added.

After that, use your fingers to gently press the marshmallows down, creating an indention on top.

Let the cupcakes cool and then move them to a cooling rack while you make the frosting.

A spoon being lifted out of the smooth frosting.

To prepare the chocolate frosting, grab a medium mixing bowl and a whisk.

Whip together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, water, and vanilla extract. Set the frosting aside.

Chocolate chips placed on top of the marshmallows.

By this time, your hot chocolate cupcakes should’ve cooled some.

Go ahead and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top of the marshmallows and drizzle the cupcake with the frosting.

Chocolate frosting drizzled over the chocolate chips.

Last, cut another large marshmallow in half and place it on top of the frosting.

Garnish the cupcakes with whatever toppings you desire (crushed peppermint candies and/or holiday straws).

Half a marshmallow placed on top of the chocolate frosting.

Serve and enjoy or store them for later. That’s it, your hot chocolate cupcakes are done!

Kim and I hope you enjoy them and wish you all the best this holiday season 🙂

The finished hot chocolate cupcakes with peppermint garnish.

Recipe Tips and Variations:

  • If you’re having trouble getting the marshmallows into the cupcakes, there is another option. You can use a frosting bag or cupcake decorator to inject marshmallow crème into each cupcake once they’re done cooking.
  • The extra chocolate chips (placed on top), crushed peppermint candy, and holiday straws are all optional. Personally, I feel while these items are cute, they’re a not necessity.
  • To avoid overfilling the cupcake liners, I recommend using a 1/4-cup measuring cup to transfer the batter to the liners. It will provide you with an accurate amount every time.
A finished batch of hot chocolate cupcakes on a cooling rack.

Can you freeze chocolate cupcakes?

I wouldn’t recommend it. This recipe uses marshmallows and chocolate chips. These ingredients would not hold up in your freezer.

How long do hot chocolate cupcakes last?

When properly stored in your fridge, they will last for up to 3 days.

A hot chocolate cupcake topped with a marshmallow.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

4.7 from 3 votes
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Author: Kimberly
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 22 Servings

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients:

  • 15.25 ounces devil's food cake mix, 1 box
  • 3.9 ounces chocolate instant pudding, 1 package
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup canola oil, or vegetable oil
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 10 ounces large marshmallows, 1 package
  • ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish:

  • Peppermint Crunch Sprinkles
  • Holiday Straws

Instructions
 

For the Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line two muffin pans with liners. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, water, and canola oil together with a stand or hand mixer. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips. 
    15.25 ounces devil's food cake mix
    3.9 ounces chocolate instant pudding
    4 large eggs
    1 ¼ cup water
    ½ cup canola oil
    12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full with the chocolate batter. 
  • Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the oven. Place a large marshmallow in the center of each cupcake, and twist gently as the marshmallows are being pressed. Return the cupcakes to the oven for 2 minutes, and allow the marshmallows to melt.
    10 ounces large marshmallows
  • Remove the cupcakes from the oven a second time, and gently press the marshmallow down with your fingers (this will help the marshmallow melt on the inside of the cupcake and fill in the extra space around the cupcake). Let cool for 10 minutes in the cupcake pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

For the Frosting:

  • While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting by combining the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, water, and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. Mix until smooth. 
    3 cups powdered sugar
    ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    ½ cup water
    1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • Fill the marshmallow indention with mini chocolate chips, then drizzle with frosting. Cut large marshmallows in half, and place the marshmallow halves on top of the mini chocolate chips. Drizzle additional frosting over the top.
    ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Garnish with Peppermint Crunch Sprinkles and holiday straws. Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg

Notes

*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 hot chocolate cupcake. Actual calories will vary.
 
*For more information and tips, please refer to the post.
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