Few flavour combinations capture the spirit of Christmas quite like chocolate and peppermint. These Vegan Chocolate Mint Candy Cane Cupcakes are the ultimate festive treat. Rich, moist, and decadently chocolatey, with a cool whisper of mint and a delightful crunch of candy canes on top. They’re beautiful to look at, fun to make, and even better to eat. Perfect for parties, gifting, or simply enjoying while wrapped up by the fire with a mug of hot cocoa.
Each bite of these cupcakes feels like a little celebration. The base is a soft, fudgy vegan chocolate sponge, giving it that classic holiday flavour. Once baked and cooled, they’re crowned with a swirl of creamy vegan buttercream! smooth, snowy, and lightly minty, before being sprinkled with colourful candy canes for the perfect festive finish. The red and white stripes pop beautifully against the rich chocolate, making these cupcakes as striking as they are delicious.
Because peppermint and chocolate are such classic Christmas flavours, it’s easy to find ingredients but it’s equally important to double-check that everything you use is suitable for vegans. Many candy canes contain non-vegan additives like confectioner’s glaze (which comes from insects), and some mint chocolates include milk powder or butterfat. Look for clearly labeled vegan candy canes and dairy-free mint chocolate. Both are widely available in most supermarkets and health food stores around the holidays.
With a little care in choosing your ingredients, you’ll end up with cupcakes that are every bit as indulgent and festive as their non-vegan counterparts and perhaps even more so. They’re a wonderful way to spread joy and sweetness this season, showing that compassionate, plant-based baking can still sparkle with all the flavour, texture, and magic of Christmas.
Chocolate Mint Candy Cane Cupcakes
Difficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes40
minutes1
hour10
minutesIngredients
- For the Cupcakes
180g Plain Flour
200g Caster Sugar
25g Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
60ml Sunflower Oil
60ml Maple Syrup
130ml Soya Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- For the Decoration
250g Vegan Butter Block
400g Icing Sugar
100g Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
12 Squares of Mint Chocolate
12 Mini Candy Canes
Directions
- For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180ºc/350ºf and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl mix together the sunflower oil, maple syrup, vanilla and soya milk. Slowly pour this into to dry ingredients while mixing.
- Divide between the cupcake cases. Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, until the sponge springs back when you press it. Allow to cool completely.
- For the Decoration
- Beat together the butter block and Peppermint extract until smooth and whipped.
- Mix in the icing sugar and cocoa powder until you have a smooth frosting.
- Use a piping tip and bag to pipe on a swirl onto each cupcake. alternatively you can use a palette knife to spread the icing onto the cupcakes.
- Place a candy cane and piece of mint chocolate on top of each cupcake.