In the city where I attended college, the Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop downtown hosted a Dollar Scoop Night every Tuesday evening. Although the winter was usually slow, the line snaked straight out the door during the warmer months with at least 20-25 people waiting for dessert.
Shortly after my guy and I started dating, I begged him to go to Baskin-Robbins nearly every week during the summer. Despite his lactose intolerance, he gamely agreed, so I always kept an usually large stash of $1 bills in my wallet.
My guy generally ordered the Wild ’n Reckless Sherbet, one of their dairy-free options, and I always giggled at his bright blue tongue. However, as the most indecisive person in the world, I never knew what to put in my sugar cone until I reached the front of the line.
While I excitedly waited, jumping from one foot to the other like a little kid, I’d stand on my tip toes to peer over people’s heads at the flavors in the case. My guy smiled at my fretting and debating about which one to choose. It was too hard to narrow it down to just one scoop! But that quickly became one of my favorite summer (and spring… and fall…) ritual.
As a huge chocoholic, I always gravitated towards the flavors with a chocolate ice cream base. I originally proclaimed Mississippi Mud as my favorite: chocolate ice cream, brownie chunks. and a fudge ribbon swirl. Swoon!
But as soon as they released their new Oreo ’n Chocolate, it stole my heart—and the #1 spot. Chocolate ice cream, big Oreo chunks, and a fudge crackle ribbon swirl. If it was in their display case, I always ordered a double scoop!
Yet when Baskin-Robbins unveiled their new December flavor of the month, York® Peppermint Pattie ice cream, I drove straight to the store and ordered a pint. I can never resist chocolate and mint, and this flavor is packed full of both! Mint ice cream, York® Peppermint Pattie Minis, and a fudge ribbon swirl. Oh my!
Since peppermint patties are my mom’s favorite candy and her birthday falls on this upcoming Friday, I baked these rich Peppermint Ice Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Baskin-Robbins’ ice cream to celebrate!
Yes, that’s right… The ice cream is baked into the cupcake batter! I started with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, but I left out the butter, egg yolks, and most of the milk. I substituted Baskin-Robbins’ York® Peppermint Pattie ice cream for those ingredients instead. And oh my gosh… It made the cupcakes even more moist and tender than before!
We’ll need to melt the ice cream before mixing up the batter. I know, it seems like a sin—just trust me that we need to! Since the ice cream contains tiny whole York® Peppermint Patties, we’ll chop those up before adding in the rest of the ingredients. The smaller cut pieces melt better while baking and help disperse the mint flavor more evenly.
Tip: I scooped the candies partway up the side of the bowl with a fork, then used that to hold them in place while slicing them with a paring knife. Do whatever feels the most comfortable (and least messy!) to you.
Because low fat muffins and cupcakes stick to liners like superglue, remember to coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray before adding in the batter! The batter sticks more aggressively to paper than foil, so if you choose paper liners, spray them twice. If you forget or the cupcakes still stick, seal them inside of an airtight container for a day. That’ll help loosen the liners so you don’t lose as much cupcake from the sides.
These cupcakes are topped with my favorite creamy vanilla frosting made with Greek yogurt, instant pudding mix, and sweetener. Don’t prepare the pudding mix according to the package’s directions! The dry mix thickens the yogurt to a pipe-able consistency like buttercream, so you can create those pretty swirls on top. Then drizzle them with chocolate syrup, decorate with a York® Peppermint Pattie Mini, and dig in!
With the festive combination of rich chocolate and sweet mint, these Peppermint Ice Cream Chocolate Cupcakes didn’t stand a chance at our early birthday celebration for my mom! We plowed straight through the tender cupcakes, licking the sweet frosting from our fingers with every bite. They’re the perfect wintertime and holiday treat!
And I’m already planning to head back to Baskin-Robbins for another pint of the ice cream…
These rich mint chocolate cupcakes are a fun twist on the traditional kind because they contain ice cream baked directly into the batter! It makes the cupcakes incredibly moist and tender. They’re best if eaten the same day they’re assembled, but store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 12 cupcake liners with nonstick cooking spray.*
- Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the melted ice cream to a separate bowl, and chop any whole York® Peppermint Pattie Minis into smaller pieces (about the size of miniature chocolate chips) with a knife. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Stir in the Greek yogurt until no large lumps remain. Stir in the sugar. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Divide the batter between the prepared liners, and bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting. Beat together the yogurt, instant pudding, and sucralose with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, or until thick. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
- To assemble, add the chocolate syrup to a zip-topped bag, and snip off one corner. Pipe the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes. Drizzle with the chocolate syrup in a circular, spiral fashion. Top each cupcake with a York® Peppermint Pattie Mini.
Notes: If using paper cupcake liners, spray them twice with the cooking spray. If using metallic liners, only spray once.
Do NOT prepare the instant pudding according to the package’s directions! Just use the powder to make the frosting.
{low fat, low calorie}
*This post was sponsored by Baskin-Robbins. As always, all opinions, text, photographs, and recipe are my own.
Oh that is so cool how you incorporated ice cream into these cupcakes!! I’ve never seen something like that before. Makes me wish we had a Baskin Robbins near where I live.
Thanks Kaylin! I’m so sorry to hear that you don’t have a Baskin-Robbins nearby. I think I’d cry… They always have incredible flavors! (But I suppose my waistline would secretly rejoice!)
York peppermint patties are one of my favorite holiday treats! I love that you BAKED ICE CREAM into cupcakes. Brilliant. (Note: I am also an indecisive ice cream selector – I always sample 3-4 flavors before making a decision!)
WAIT. You can sample more than 1 flavor???? NO WAY!! I’ve been doing this all wrong my entire life. I need to take advantage of that!
Nothing better than cake and ice cream. Why not put them together! Perfect combination too, with chocolate and mint! And they’re so pretty! Love them!! xo
Thank you so much! You’re so sweet. 🙂
OMG this is genius!! I can’t wait to make these soon! York Patties are definitely in my top 3 all-time favorite candies!! 🙂
Thanks Marina! Peppermint Patties are at the top of my list too, along with Reese’s and 3 Musketeers. Must try versions with those next! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cupcakes!
I am chomping at the bit to go to the Baskin-Robbins! I could spend all day in there just looking at the menu! I do have a question, though:
In the frosting – you say to use two servings of the vanilla pudding. Since you said to not prepare the pudding, do you mean two boxes?
Thanks! And thank you for making goodies that I feel good about serving to my family!
Christine
Did someone mention ice cream? It’s like music to my ears. I love that you incorporated ice cream into the cupcakes. You are a genius, Amy! Pinned
Thanks Jen! Ice cream is one of my few “out-of-control” foods. I always go back for thirds! 😉
York peppermint patties are my favorite! I cannot believe you put ice cream into the cupcakes- genius!
Thank you so much Alex! 🙂
I really should stay off food blogs when I’m doing a juice cleanse. Good lawwws, these look delicious. PINNED 🙂
I am SO impressed by your juice cleanse. I wouldn’t last 4 hours!! 😉 Thanks for the pin Aimee!
Hi, Amy;
One more question, please. If I put this recipe in a baking dish, would it be 8×8 or 9×13?
Thanks,
Christine
Christine, I’d be right there with you at Baskin-Robbins asking to sample all of the flavors! 😉 Instant pudding mix generally comes in a box with 4 servings, so you’ll only need half of the package. I’d probably recommend a 9″-square baking pan, if you have one. With the 8″-square, it’ll be a little taller and thicker. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe!
Just to let you know – these are certifiably fantastically delicious. Thank you for the birthday treat! I don’t know how it happened, but I might have sampled one or two a day early. Maybe I got confused about the actual date of my birthday? Sheepish grin. 🙂
Love this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I’ve always been a fan of birthday weeks… Or after this past summer, birthday months! 😉 So there’s nothing wrong with eating extra cupcakes a day or two early. It’s practically a rite!