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Today I bring you one of my favorite recipe creations of ALL time: Greek Yogurt Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes. They may look like just another pretty chocolate cupcake promising perfection (there are so many these days…) but these moist, ultra-chocolatey Greek yogurt spiked sweeties are total game changers!
Greetings from “I can’t believe it’s only October and I’m already showing flu symptoms” land. Ugh. Being sick —> the worst. Being sick on a FRIDAY NIGHT —> the pits and back and then some. Womp womp. Looks like it’ll be a weekend of soup, afternoon sleep sessions, and Modern Family marathons. I need my Phil fix because um… laughter is the best medicine right?
Moving forward… straight to you! What are you up to this weekend? Pumpkin picking? Pie baking? Kicking up your feet and doing n-o-t-h-i-n-g? All of those sound pretty great to me 😉
Ok. So let’s focus! On the cupcakes. I just took a swig of NyQuil , so I better type fast or things could get weird… So —-> CUPCAKES. Let’s do this.
These chocolate cupcakes are nothing short of EPIC. The base is soft, moist, and loaded with chocolate flavor. I added cocoa powder AND melted chocolate to the batter, so they are chocolate flavor all the way home. The way all chocolate cupcakes should be… just saying.
The cupcake batter also has a heaping half cup of greek yogurt, and wow does it make all the difference. I typically bake my chocolate cupcakes with buttermilk or sour cream, so I was nervous baking these up the first time. I was so wrong to be! They were amazing! Funny enough my first batch was too moist. That’s rare when it comes to chocolate cupcakes. After a few tweaks, I worked out all of the kinks and created what I consider to be one of the best chocolate cupcakes on the market. Try it for yourself and I just know you’ll agree 😉
The frosting is thick, creamy, and, of course, booming with rich, decadent chocolate flavor. The ingredients are pretty basic as far as buttercream go: butter, sugar, cocoa powder, salt. What makes it extra extra awesome is a generous dollop of Greek yogurt and half and half. I find the combination of Greek yogurt and half and half creates a buttercream that can hold up to high swirls but still just melts in your mouth. So perfect.
This is a great recipe for when you’re looking for something a little more exciting than your standard chocolate cupcake recipe, and a little easier than making a super decadent chocolate fudge cake with chocolate fudge frosting. Moist, rich, and topped with the most addicting chocolate buttercream ever (trust me; you won’t be able to stop “taste testing”).
These cupcakes are the total package! Just be sure you have a tall glass of milk near… you’ll need it 😉 xoxo
Greek Yogurt Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, not packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup boiling water or coffee
For the Chocolate Greek Yogurt Buttercream:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons Half and Half
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray the liners with non-stick spray (optional, but it does help them peel right off).
- Melt the oil, butter,and chocolate together in the microwave, heating in 30 second increments, and stirring between increments each time. You may also melt the oil, butter, and chocolate over very low heat on the stovetop, but I find the microwave option to be much easier. Whisk mixture until completely smooth; set aside to cool.
- In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt; stir together until thoroughly combined; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, sugars, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Add the cooled oil/butter/chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the Greek yogurt. Repeat the process until everything is added, and be sure to mix until JUST combined - then quickly stir in the hot water or coffee (depending on which you're using). It's important not to over mix, here! Just stir until evenly combined.
- Divide the batter among the 12 liners in your prepared pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool *completely before frosting.
For the Chocolate Greek Yogurt Buttercream:
- Sift together the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder, whisking well to ensure it's bump and lump free!
- Using a handheld mixer OR a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy; about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the sifted sugar/cocoa powder, alternating with the Greek yogurt and half and half, then add the salt. Once all of the ingredients have been added, beat on high speed until light and creamy and combined; beat for at least 1 minute on high.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and top with any decorations if desired.
- Cupcakes stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
I hope you’ll feel better soon!
The cupcakes are looking amazing!
These cupcakes look super moist! And the frosting is sitting so perfectly!
That may very well be the most beautiful photo of a chocolate cupcake I have ever seen! Nice job 🙂
I am not normally a sweets person, but I think I have to make an exception for these They look fantastic!
Can I please have one of these right now? Delicious!
I have to admit, I’m not a chocolate lover, but wow, those cupcakes are beautiful!! And amazing job with the piping. I hope you feel better soon!
I remember you not being a huge chocolate fan! Ha. I’ll have to come up with something vanilla next 😉
Hope you are feeling better now. These cupcakes would probably make anyone feel better. They look amazing!
Awww thanks, Liz! I’m hoping tonight is the last in sniffle town 😉
This cupcake looks so decadent, moist and delicious. I love it, my mouth is watering literally.
I love the idea of yogurt in these cupcakes. I am sure they are as delicious as they look!
Hi, I’m making them for my daughters bday. At 18 min they aren’t even close to done.
Hi Jess. Did you fill the cupcake tins 3/4 of the way full? Not sure why they wouldn’t be done at or around 18 minutes… what was the final outcome?
I had to add 7 minutes to the cooking time but, omg these are great.
Jess, so happy to hear it!!! Oven times can be a little tricky (no oven bakes exactly the same), so thanks for the feedback 😉
Wow! What gorgeous cupcakes! Love the chocolate frosting piled high – I never thought about making greek yogurt butter cream before but it sounds delicious!
Greek yogurt is a total miracle worker! And oooooh all of that intense chocolatey flavor-SO SO SO DELICIOUS
Hi looks delish.. Can these be made one day before along with frosting and be refrigerated…
Hey Jia! Yes, as long as you keep them in the fridge and then allow them to come to room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy! xo
Oh my goodness, these look positively sinful!
They look amazing! What is full fat Greek yogurt? I have seen 1% or2 %.in the store. Can’t wait to make them!!
Hi Nancy! Full fat Greek yogurt will say WHOLE milk or Full Fat on the label. I know Fage brand carries it and it’s pretty easy to find 🙂
Hello, I noticed in the instructions for the batter it said coffee/water. Do I add coffee? Also may I use VHoney greek yogurt by greek gods? I had a hard time finding full fat yogurt the one I got doesn’t say full fat but it also doesn’t say 1 or 2 % and the saturated fat is high.
What would happen if I used non fat Greek yogurt instead of full fat?
Hi Nacoma. I do not recommend it as non fat will result in dryer less fudgy cupcakes.
These have become my go-to recipe for chocolate cake and frosting, not just for cupcakes. I opted to use Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa for the cake and regular cocoa for the frosting. the play between the two varieties of chocolate is perfect. Not one person has eaten these and have been able to just shrug their shoulders. They always elicit a reaction.
I personally have problems finding plain Greek yogurt. It seems to always be out of stock or somehow hidden among the millions of flavored choices. I felt like a guy buying feminine hygiene products as I stood in front of all the choices while women clamored around me grabbing a variety of yogurt products. So I did some research and substituted it for regular sour creme. The consistency and taste remained the same. Since that is easier for me to get, I am going to continue with that choice.
I did run out of half and half at one point and decided to try substituting it for heavy creme. That did not go as well. The heavy creme, as the name would imply, made the butter-creme very difficult to frost as it was very thick. The taste was the same, but the consistence was not. Eat and learn!
Hi Paul! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment 🙂 I’m so glad this is now your go-to recipe! I hope you have a great holiday season!
I’m always on the lookout for good chocolate cupcakes. These one look great! I like that they have Greek yogurt in them!
These look heavenly! Thank you for the recipe. I think I could eat a whole bowl of the frosting by itself. LOL!
Do you think I could substitute plain full fat yogurt instead of Greek? Plan to make these really soon!
Hi,
I have been looking on these cupcakes and they look very delicious..i am excited to make one however when i was scanning the ingredients i didnt understand what’s half and half?i havent seen any of that in our shops..i am from australia maybe i just dont what it’s called here..i’ll be glad ti hear from you.much appreciated..
Hi Shiela! Half and Half is simply half whole milk half heavy cream. Here in the US it’s sold in the dairy aisle. If you can find it, just use equal parts milk and cream 🙂
you did not answer about water/coffee adding to cake reciept. I 2 do not understand how much instant coffee to add to water please answer would like to make these for my church function this Friday. Yes they look excellent but need post to say how they taste. Thank u
Hi Queenie. The ingredient list notes to add hot water OR coffee to the cake batter. The method below the instructions informs you when to add the water OR coffee to the mix. I hope this helps.
Oh my goodness! I made these cupcakes for a co-worker’s birthday and feel ashamed for deflecting attention away from herr! All day long people came to my desk to rave over these delicious treats. This is, hands down, the best cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. It is a keeper and going in my recipe box. I was unsure of the frosting, with the ratio of wet vs dry ingredients, but wow – the frosing was perfect, fudgy and decadent. Thank you so much for sharing!
ps- I’m sure that these will be a huge hit at my son’s 2nd birthday party in January. I was going to order cupcakes, but really? Why? These are amazing.
Hi Lindie! It’s not even 6 am here but you’ve already made my day with this comment 🙂 Thank you so much for making my recipe. I’m happy you loved it as much as I do. And I’m sure these will be a MAJOR hit at the party! xo
This is quite possibly the prettiest cupcake I’ve ever seen. I make a chocolate cake that is perfection, from Ina Garten I think, but I am going to have to try these for my next cupcakes. How on earth do you get the frosting to look so perfect? i have those tips and frosting bags but mine never look like this. Pinning for later!
Hi Melanie. Thank you so much! I just use a pipping bag and a wilton star tip, then quickly swirl away 😉 It took some practice, but after awhile it becomes second nature.
I just ran across this post somewhere on facebook and decided to make these tonight. My first time EVER making cupcakes and I have to say they came out amazing! I followed your recipe to the T except I added too much half and half and yogurt to the frosting (because it was so powdery silly me thought I need to make it more moist) so it ended up being a bit runny but still great. I was impressed and couldn’t believe I made these! So thanks 🙂
Hi Maggie! I’m so proud of you 🙂 Your first batch of cupcakes and they were a success! So awesome.
hello, I’ve been looking everywhere online to find a good moist chocolate cupcake recipe and yours looks amazing. I live in the UK and i am just curious what weight in Grams is your butter, as are sticks of butter over here are 250g. Also could i substitue the canola oil for coconut oil ? Would love for your help thank you
Hi. Did you ever suss out what the UK quantities are for this recipe?
I love frosting that’s soft and creamy. You know a good frosting when you lick it off the cupcake first thing!
Does the yogurt need to be at room temperature?
Hi Wanda. You may bring it to room temp if you like, but it’s not a must 😉
Thanks! I can’t wait to taste these!
I think greek yogurt is such a wonderful substitute in baked goods. These cupcakes look like the perfect weekend treat. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Sorry another question,….how does this recipe compare to your “super decadent chocolate cupcakes” in flavour and moisture please? I have to make some for a wedding and I want the moistest one of the two.
Thanks again
Tania
Hi Tania. Both of these cupcakes are excellent in flavor and moisture! This one simply used Greek yogurt, which adds a lovely flavor to the recipe. xo
I’m making these this weekend, they sound great! You say you use both melted chocolate AND cocoa powder in yours which is what I want to do, but I’m just wondering how much of each do you add? Also, do you recommend using coffee over water or vice versa?
Hi Kelli. The chocolate and cocoa amounts called for are listed in the ingredient section of the recipe box, at the very bottom of the blog post. I prefer to use coffee, but I love coffee, so the slight taste transferred into the finished product is appealing. If you don’t like coffee, I recommend using hot water 🙂
Is the frosting one that will crust? With warm/humid weather I have to be careful. Picture is amazing!! thank you
THANKS for this recipe — BONKERS good cake! I didn’t do the frosting, just a yogurt-based super chocolate glaze. But if you make the Greek yogurt yourself, for extra credit, use the whey to make salted caramel and drizzle that atop… The whey always bothers me as I didn’t know what to do with it. But the tanginess of the yogurt in the cupcake, frosting, and caramel is fantastic.
Hi Andreana! I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake. And go you making your own Greek yogurt! I’ve yet to try that 😉
Sounds amazing but i live in south Africa and we dont get “half and half” what is this and what could i substitute it with?
Hi, how many cups is the stick of butter that you use?
Hi Mina. One stick is 4 ounces.
Hi there! I am from South Africa, and made quite a number of cup cakes in my life, but boy oh boy. You were not joking when you said yours are the best moist chocolate cup cakes ever! They are more than that! They are super, super, super awesome! Thank you for sharing your recipe!i
Hi Janet! I am SO happy to hear you enjoyed these cupcakes. They are truly one of my favorites 🙂
Hi! wanna ask if its okay if i use low fat yogurt instead of full fat yogurt in this recipe? thanks
Hi Jheng. As stated in the post I do recommend using full-fat Greek yogurt for the best results. That said, if you must use low-fat the recipe will still work, however the texture and taste will be slightly less rich. I hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
These look amazing! Thanks for sharing!
i love the look of your chocolate cupcakes, can I substitute Canola Oil for Rapeseed oil ? Thanks
Hi Anna. I am unfamiliar with Rapeseed oil, so I cannot say for sure. If it’s typically used in baking and doesn’t have a strong taste it may work 🙂 Let me know if you try it!
So, I never comment on blogs regarding a recipe. Literally never….until now! I found this recipe around 6 months ago, and have now made it several times. These chocolate cupcakes are perfect. They even turn out well if you forget to buy brown sugar and have to use all white sugar….or if your toddler ate all the Greek yogurt and you sub sour cream. This is pretty much my go to chocolate cake recipe now. Thanks!!
Hi Nichole. Thank you so much for your sweet comment 🙂 These cupcakes are addicting, right?! So happy to hear you are enjoying them as much as we do!
I just pulled these out of the oven.
THEY
ARE
SO
MOIST!!!!!
Hubby ate two in less than 7 minutes! Told me don’t even bother with the frosting… I gave my daughter and niece half each (because it is 10pm) and they look on their faces!!!! Going to frost tommorow (if there are any left!)
I just saw this recipe for cupcakes looks so yummy. Would love to make both chocolate frosting and cupcake but for the moment need chocolate cuocake. I need a vanilla or pink frosting going to a breast cancer survivor party. Could this frosting be made vanilla or pink without adding cocoa powder? Hoping I get a response soon as party this weekend. If not do you have a frosting recipe that would be great with this cupcake recipe
Hi Estella. You can check out these two recipes below. The one is for vanilla frosting and the other is for a raspberry (pink) frosting. I think either would be delicious on these chocolate cupcakes. I hope this helps!
http://bakerbynature.com/perfect-one-bowl-vanilla-cupcakes-with-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/
http://bakerbynature.com/lemon-cupcakes-with-raspberry-buttercream/
Thank you, these are delicious!!
Hi. Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter ? In my country unsalted butter is hard to come by.
Thanks,
Sabah.
Hi Sabah. If you use salted butter, omit the salt called for in the recipe 🙂
Hi I’m from the UK and wanted to know what is half and half and also we have 250g of sticks of butter so how many ounces would your 1stick of butter be.
Looking forward to trying out this recipe hope to hear back from you x
These look amazing! I’m from the UK so your quantities aren’t clear to me. Can you please tell me in grams/mls what ‘half a cup’ be equivalent too? I guess we all have different size cups
Can’t wait to try these
Thanks
Nadine
I tried it today and this recipe is truly magical and one to keep. Thank you for sharing!!!! I followed everything however I couldn’t find the full fat greek yogurt so i used sour cream instead and it’s still yummy! The cake itself is moist and the buttercream icing compliments very well. Will be making this for birthdays from now on.
Thanks again!
Uteh
Yay! So happy you enjoyed them, Uteh 🙂
How much is a stick of butter? How many grams?
These are BY FAR the BEST chocolate cupcakes I’ve come across!! I doubled the recipe and still came out SUPER moist and fudgy! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Ashley, been following you for quite some time now n these cupcakes look wow, i seriously want to try them out but we don’t eat eggs, can u please give me a substitute with which I can make these