Hot cocoa cupcakes are simple and delicious. Made using packs of hot chocolate mix they taste just like you’re sipping on a cup of hot cocoa!
Here are a few more cupcake recipes we love – Lovely Little Cupcakes, Cupcake Poppers, and Easy Polka Dot Cupcakes.
A Hot Cocoa Dessert
These hot cocoa cupcakes are a great treat to make when the weather cools down and you’re craving the classic flavors of winter and fall. Because there’s nothing like a warm cup of hot cocoa… unless you have the option to consume it in cupcake form!
Hot cocoa cupcakes are beautifully light brown with a delicious cocoa flavor that tastes amazing! The whipped cream frosting is light and sweet – just like the whipped cream in a cup of hot cocoa. These cupcakes are sprinkled with mini chocolate chips and mini crunchy marshmallows. They not only taste great, but they also look adorable too!
How to Make Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
Cupcake Mix – To make these hot chocolate cupcakes, start with a box of white cake mix. You’ll make the cupcakes mostly according to package directions with the following exceptions. You’ll substitute milk for the water and add an extra 3 tablespoons that is called for on the box. Next, you’ll add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, as well as 3 packets of hot chocolate mix too!
Blend – Mix all of the ingredients together until the batter is nice and smooth. Remember, with the addition of the hot chocolate mix, the batter will be thicker than normal. When the batter is ready, fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full. During the holidays, I love using festive cupcake liners when I make these.
Bring The Heat – Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees F for about 17 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool completely.
Make The Frosting – Meanwhile, make the delicious vanilla frosting by combining butter, vanilla and powdered sugar to a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and vanilla instant pudding mix. Add the pudding mixture to the powdered sugar mixture, and mix on low while gradually adding some heavy whipping cream. Continue mixing until the frosting forms stiff peaks.
Get The Best Consistency – If the frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If you find that it is too thick, add a tablespoon or so of milk and mix again.
Pipe It – Spoon your frosting into a piping bag or the corner of a gallon size freezer bag. Pipe the frosting on top of the cooled hot cocoa cupcakes. I used a star tip to frost my cupcakes so that it would look like whipped cream from a can.
Decorate – Sprinkle with mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips. For an extra added measure, cut a striped paper straw in half and push it right into the top of the cupcakes. You can add any other toppings you like. During the holidays, sometimes I’ll even add crushed candy canes on top as well.
More Delicious Holiday Desserts
- The Best Christmas Crack Toffee Recipe
- Sugar Cone Christmas Trees
- Adorable Melted Snowman Cookies
- Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
- Sugar Cookie Christmas Blossoms
There you have it, these cupcakes are so cute and easy! Leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought of adding the flavor of hot cocoa mix to your cupcakes.
Hot Cocoa Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 box white cake mix
- egg whites, as many as mentioned on the back of the box
- oil, the exact amount as mentioned on the back of the box
- milk, the same amount as the water suggested on your cake mix + 3 tablespoons
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 packets hot cocoa mix
Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar, give or take
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tbsp. vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
for the toppings -
- mini crunchy marshmallows
- mini chocolate chips
- straws, cut in half (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners
- Empty the cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Make the cake batter according to the directions on the box, but with a few substitutions -
- Use the same amount of eggs and oil
- Use milk instead of water and add 3 tbsp. more than the box suggests
- Add a tsp. of vanilla extract
- Add 3 packets of hot cocoa mix
- Mix well with a stand or hand mixer until batter is smooth. Because of the hot cocoa mix, this batter will be thicker than usual.
- Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to fill cupcake wrappers about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 17 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting by creaming together the butter and vanilla.
- Add the sugar, starting with about 2 1/2 cups, and mix well. This will be very thick.
- In a small separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup of cold milk with 3 tbsp. vanilla instant pudding mix, and whisk until smooth and thickened.
- Add the thickened pudding mixture into the butter and sugar and mix until well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the whipping cream.
- Turn mixer to medium speed and mix until all ingredients are combined and smooth. The frosting should form stiff peaks, but be pretty light. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar and if it is too thick, add a tbsp. or so of milk and mix again.
- Spoon into a piping bag or the corner of a gallon size freezer bag.
- Pipe the frosting on top of the cooled Hot Cocoa Cupcakes.
- Sprinkle the top of the frosting with some mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.
- Push your straw right into the top of the cupcakes, and you are done!
Nutrition
Other Notes
So cute and easy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Haley is the creative mom and baker behind Haley’s Creative Blog. She was a food contributor on Somewhat Simple in 2014.
can this recipe be used as cake layers rather than cupcakes? more specifically (3) 6in x 2 in layers?
I’ve never tried that before so I’m not exactly sure. If you decide to try it, will you let me know how it turns out?
These were unbelievable! I’d never heard of them before so I’m glad I found this recipe!
Thanks Toni!
Amazing – I love hot coco and having it cupcake form is TDF!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much!
First off, these are adorable! Second, they are so dang delicious! I will be making another batch soon!
Thanks Wilhelmina, I’m so glad you loved them!
We made the frosting 3 separate times and it never thickened up! The only thing I could think of was that maybe we should have whipped the cream before adding it? Did any one else have this issue?
Oh no! I’m sorry about that! I HATE when recipes don’t turn out. I wish I knew what the problem was – I’ve never had that issue. 🙁
I have made this many times and I am making them again next week for work!
Glad you love them!
this looks like so much fun! But, I have to ask, where did you find the tiny marshmallows? My kids and I were discussing recipes and creating fun variations a few weeks ago, and tiny marshmallows were brought up. However, I couldn’t find them in my stores.
Mini marshmallows are usually in the aisle with the hot cocoa, coffee etc. If not there, they also sometimes have them in the baking aisle near the marshmallows. I live in a small Idaho town and all of the grocery stores carry them. They are in a plastic jar/shaker type container with a blue lid and are called Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits. Hope this helps. Good luck!
My son would love this! He’s a hot cocoa sweet little monster! I think he’d devour the marshmallows and the icing first! 😉 I only have a can of hot cocoa mix – do you know how many cups or tablespoons I should use to equal 3 packets of the mix?
Goldie….I love tyour name by the way! I think 3 packets is equal to about 1/2 cup. Each packet seems to have a few tbsp. And because it is just an add-in, there is not an exact science. I think 1/2 cup would be perfect. My kids liked these cupcakes, but my husband was the little monster that ate all these cupcakes…and he LOVED the mini marshmallows. I hope your son loves them as much as he did.