These delicious Hot Chocolate Cupcakes are soft and fluffy!
Made homemade marshmallow frosting and marshmallow fluff make these a must-make dessert.
You can also use other frosting ideas similar to banana cookies, or pumpkin cookies.
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Why You'll Love This
- Homemade is best. Everything from the batter to the frosting is 100% homemade.
- Perfect cupcake. Hot chocolate is the most popular winter drink, so having it in dessert form creates a whole new treat for your taste buds.
🛒Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - used for the base of the cupcake batter. You can sift to get out any extra lumps if you want.
- Cocoa powder - this adds dark coloring and a hint of chocolate flavor.
- For texture, we add baking powder and baking soda. These keep the cupcakes light and fluffy.
- Granulated sugar - gives the cupcakes a hint of sweetness.
- Hot cocoa mix powder - helps to seal the deal on having a hot cocoa flavor.
- Vegetable oil - we like to use this oil because it helps to keep the cupcakes moist when baking.
- Greek yogurt - helps the cupcakes to stay moist.
- Large eggs - the primary binding agent in the batter.
- Vanilla extract - for flavor. Or you can use ½ teaspoons of vanilla bean paste.
- Powdered sugar - used for sweetness in the frosting.
- Cream of tartar - used to make the perfect texture for the fluff.
- Marshmallow fluff - gives the frosting a thick texture to be more spreadable.
- For toppings, we like to use mini marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
🥣Instructions
Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together.
Add in sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together.
STEP 3: In a small pan over medium-low heat or a cup in the microwave, heat the water until it’s almost boiling.
Add the hot chocolate mix and stir until combined.
STEP 4: In a separate mixing bowl, mix the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
Very slowly, add in the hot chocolate.
Continue to pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
STEP 5: Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way full of batter.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.
Then cool completely before you frost.
Frost with marshmallow frosting, and enjoy!
You can also add some mini marshmallows or sprinkle some chocolate over the frosting.
Marshmallow Frosting
You have two options here, either you make your own marshmallow fluff (instructions below) or buy ready-made from the store.
If using store-bought then jump straight to Frosting instructions.
How To Make Homemade Marshmallow fluff
STEP 1: Place water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Over low heat, stir to combine and let the sugar dissolve.
Mix constantly until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium.
Do not stir from this point on as crystals will form.
STEP 2: Simmer this mix until it reaches 240 F on a candy thermometer.
Remove your sugar mix from the heat once it has reached this temperature.
STEP 3: Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Ensure the mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease-free.
Turn your mixer to medium speed and whip the egg whites to soft peaks—approximately 3 minutes.
STEP 4: Turn the mixer to medium/low and very slowly pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin stream (if your sugar mix has firmed up, pop it back on the heat to make it liquid again).
Once all the syrup is in, set the mixer to medium/high and continue whipping. Add in the vanilla.
Continue to whip for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the mixture is thick and glossy and it has cooled down.
Pour into an airtight container and store for up to 6 weeks at room temperature.
Frosting
STEP 1: Add the softened butter and confectioners sugar into a medium bowl.
With a hand mixer, mix on medium speed to soften the butter and until combined.
Stop and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
STEP 2: Add marshmallow cream and mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
Add in the vanilla and mix again for 1 minute.
STEP 3: Refrigerate for 30 minutes before piping on top of the cupcakes.
Garnish with marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
Frost and enjoy with a cup of hot cocoa!
📋Tips
- Change the toppings - Mini chocolate chips, festive sprinkles, crumbled candy canes - you name it!
- Don’t overbake the cupcakes - Once the baking time has passed, insert the toothpick into the center of the baked cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done baking and ready to cool.
Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Store in airtight container and keep them in the fridge. Due to the added ingredients in the frosting, they need to be kept chilled. Eat leftovers within 2-3 days.
- 🥶Freezing. Simply wrap them in aluminum foil and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months, then move to the fridge to thaw overnight.
- 🔥To Reheat. We find it best to freeze the cupcakes without adding the frosting. You can always make the frosting fresh and new once they’re thawed.
Variations
- Adding peppermint extract or crushed candy canes can be a fun and delicious twist to this dessert.
- These cupcakes taste delicious with some chocolate sauce drizzled on top.
🍫 Make Next: Red Velvet Hot Chocolate
For all baking recipes, hop on to our Desserts collection.
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📖Recipe
Hot Chocolate Cupcakes With Marshmallow Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes: (Makes 12 cupcakes)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons hot chocolate mix powder
- ½ cup of hot water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Toppings
- mini marshmallows and optional chocolate sprinkles
Marshmallow Frosting
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 ¾ cups of powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups marshmallow fluff
- 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Homemade Marshmallow fluff (makes about 2 - 2 ½ cups)
- 3 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar divided use
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together. Add in sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together.
- In a small pan over medium-low heat or a cup in the microwave, heat the water until it’s almost boiling. Add the hot chocolate mix and stir until combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, mix the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Very slowly, add in the hot chocolate. Continue to pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way full of batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Then cool completely before you frost.
- Frost with marshmallow frosting, and enjoy! You can also add some mini marshmallows or sprinkle some chocolate over the frosting.
Homemade Marshmallow fluff
- Place water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Over low heat, stir to combine and let the sugar dissolve. Mix constantly until the sugar has dissolved completely.
- Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium. Do not stir from this point on as crystals will form.
- Simmer this mix until it reaches 240oF on a candy thermometer.
- Remove your sugar mix from the heat once it has reached this temperature.
- Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Ensure the mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease-free.
- Turn your mixer to medium speed and whip the egg whites to soft peaks—approximately 3 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to medium/low and very slowly pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin stream (if your sugar mix has firmed up, pop it back on the heat to make it liquid again).
- Once all the syrup is in, set the mixer to medium/high and continue whipping. Add in the vanilla.
- Continue to whip for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the mixture is thick and glossy and it has cooled down.
- Pour into an airtight container and store for up to 6 weeks at room temperature.
Frosting
- Add the softened butter and confectioners sugar into a medium bowl. With a hand mixer, mix on medium speed to soften the butter and until combined.
- Stop and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add marshmallow cream and mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
- Add in the vanilla and mix again for 1 minute.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before piping on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
- Frost and enjoy with a cup of hot cocoa!
Notes
- To Store. Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. Due to the added ingredients in the frosting, they need to be kept chilled. Eat leftovers within 2-3 days.
- Freezing. If you have more cupcakes left than you can eat now, freeze them for later. Simply wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months, then move to the fridge to thaw overnight.
- To Reheat. We find it best to freeze the cupcakes without adding the frosting. You can always make the frosting fresh and new once they’re thawed.
Rita
enjoy these delicious marshmallow frosted hot chocolate cupcakes that are made 100% from scratch!
Dorothy Berry
Your instructions are somewhat confusing. In step 4 of the cupcakes, you mention adding yogurt, but there is no yogurt listed in the ingredients. I assume you meant sour cream. Then in step3 of the frosting instructions you say add 1 cup of the marshmallow cream, but the ok ingredient list says 1 1/2 cups.
Rita
it is greek yogurt, recipe now corrected. and marshmallow fluff 1 1/2 cups