Top 24 Chocolate Cupcake Recipes

Chocolate cupcakes are always a treat, but a few stand above the rest. Here are our top-rated recipes.

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Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

You only need a few baking staples to throw together these gooey delights. Boxed cake mix and a can of frosting make them fast, but caramel, walnuts and chocolate chips tucked inside make them memorable. We like them with ice cream. —Bev Spain, Belleville, Ohio
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Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

My favorite hockey team the Boston Bruins inspired these cupcakes. Add a love note on top using a little white icing. —Alisa Christensen, Rancho Santa Margarita, California
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Red Wine and Chocolate Cupcakes

Red wine and chocolate make an amazing pairing, especially in these rich, elegant cupcakes I make each year for my mother’s birthday. She adores them! —Candace Cheney, Fort McMurray, Alberta
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Peanut-Filled Devil's Food Cupcakes

This recipe features a luscious peanut butter filling surrounded by devil's food and then iced with a rich layer of ganache. They're to die for! —Mary Lou Timpson, Colorado City, Arizona
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Black Bottom Cupcakes

This recipe's been in our family for years, but these cupcakes still go quick each time I make them. So I always double or triple the ingredients! You'll likely see what I mean if you make them at your place—I can't remember anyone who's tried them for the first time not asking for seconds. —Julie Briceland, Windsor, Pennsylvania
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Mini Chocolate Cakes with Caramelized Bananas

This was one of my first times spreading my wings with a recipe and trying to go a bit fancy. This is a breeze to make and a delight to serve. The recipe may look intimidating but after you try it once, you'll have it down pat. —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario
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Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes

These luscious cupcakes have a touch of semisweet chocolate in the batter and white chocolate in the filling. They melt away fast at our house. —Patricia Harmon, Baden, Pennsylvania
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Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolaty Frosting

I begged my aunt for this recipe when I was 16 years old, and it's still my very favorite. The silly monster eyes give these devilish cupcakes some Halloween fun! They are always on my husband's short list for special desserts. —Dawn Koestner, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
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Peanut Butter Truffle Cupcakes

Everybody loves cupcakes, and these have a wonderfully tasty hidden treasure inside. They're rich and delicious! —Marlene Schollenberger, Bloomington, Indiana
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Chocolate-Coconut Angel Cupcakes

My guests are never satisfied with just one of these, but that's OK because they are so light. The meringue-like tops make them different, and the chocolate and coconut make them memorable. —Bernice Janowski, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
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Nana's Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Frosting

Even though Nana is no longer with us, her treats bring me so much joy every time I bake them. For a more indulgent version, double the frosting and pile it on high! —Chekota Hunter, Cassville, Missouri
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Buttermilk Chocolate Cupcakes

Good any time of the year, a chocolate cupcake recipe make a great get-up-and-go treat on busy summer days. These buttermilk chocolate cupcakes have been a frosted favorite with family and friends for at least 35 years. They're really popular at bake sales. —Ellen Moore, Springfield, New Hampshire
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Chocolate Macaroon Cupcakes

A delightful coconut and ricotta cheese filling is hidden inside these chocolate cupcakes. —Dolores Skrout, Summerhill, Pennsylvania
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Toffee Mocha Cupcakes

Chocolate, toffee and espresso make a mouthwatering concoction. The yummy sweets are perfect for any party or gathering. Make plenty, they'll go fast! —Brenda Melanin, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Dream Cupcakes

My grandchildren absolutely love these cream-filled cupcakes, and I hope the chocolaty treats become a favorite in your home as well. —Dorothy Bahlmann, Clarksville, Iowa
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Chocolate Cupcake Cones

I experimented with these cupcakes when my girls were young. Now, I'm a grandmother of nine, and these are still our favorites. They're a great treat for kids to bring to school.—Betty Anderson, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
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Chocolate-Glazed Cupcakes

Because I have a dairy allergy, I'm always on the search for treats I can eat. I prepare these cupcakes with dairy-free chocolate chips and vanilla coconut milk instead of cream. —Kirstin Turner, Richlands, North Carolina
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Chocolate Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Cupcakes aren’t just for girls! My dad and brothers love peanut butter cups—the inspiration for these goodies. —Alisa Christensen, Rancho Santa Margarita, California
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Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes

Smooth cream cheese inside makes these cupcakes so rich. The classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate chips comes through in every yummy bite. You'll be asked to make them again and again. —Shirley Dunbar, Mojave, California
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Chocolate Ganache Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I've been baking cakes for years and enjoy trying new combinations of flavors and textures. For this peanut butter cupcake recipe, I blended peanut butter and chocolate. As soon as I took the first bite, I knew I had created something divine! —Ronda Schabes, Vicksburg, Michigan
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Creamy Center Cupcakes

My mother made these cupcakes from scratch when I was growing up, but I simplified the recipe with a cake mix. Sometimes Mom would replace the smooth filling with homemade whipped cream. They are really good with either filling. —Caroline Anderson, Waupaca, Wisconsin
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Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Chocolate and orange are perfect together in these fudgy morsels. To give them a moist brownie-like texture, I add mayonnaise. The cupcakes taste even better when served with a scoop of homemade ice cream. —Shirley Brazel, Coos Bay, Oregon
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Heavenly Surprise Cupcakes

The recipe for these filled and frosted cupcakes was handed down by my mother-in-law, who taught this fledgling cook what to do in the kitchen. She's no longer with us, but baking these treats reminds me of our good times together. —Judie Heiderscheit, Holy Cross, Iowa
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Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes

My husband and I love these classic moist, chocolaty cupcakes. The sour cream is definitely the ingredient that give them their distinction. —Alicsa Mayer, Alta Vista, Kansas

Hazel Wheaton
Hazel is a writer and editor who has worked in the publishing industry for over 25 years in the fields of travel, jewelry arts and food. As the editor of the Taste of Home Christmas Annual (among other titles), she's in the holiday spirit all year round. An enthusiastic baker, she's known for her cookies, cakes and other baked goods. And she still wishes she could cook like her mother.