These St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes won’t get you tipsy, but they are infused with the deep malty notes of Guinness and are topped with a maple cream cheese frosting and gold shamrocks so get ready to party!
Guinness Cupcakes for St. Patricks Day
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 18-22 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed for deeper flavor)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Guinness stout (room temperature)
- ⅓ cup olive oil (or melted unsalted butter)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (unsweetened, full-fat)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (for moisture without sugar)
- Green cupcake liners
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 4 tbs softened butter (unsalted)
- 3 tbs maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with green cupcake liners or grease with butter if not using liners.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk Guinness, olive oil, egg, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and applesauce until smooth. The stout’s fizz is just part of its charm.
- Blend Batter: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined—overmixing is the enemy of magic here.
- Fill & Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are set.
- Cool: Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- As always, be sure to read the notes below for advice on ingredients, substitutions, storage and more.
Frosting
- Soften the Cream Cheese & Butter – Let both come to room temperature for a smoother texture or use a microwave to save time.
- Whip Together – Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy (about 1–2 minutes).
- Add Sweetener & Vanilla – Drizzle in the maple syrup and vanilla extract, then continue mixing until fully incorporated.
- Frost Cupcakes – Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes before spreading for the best texture. I like to use a 1 tbs cookie scoop to make sure each cupcake has the same amount of frosting, and then use a silicone spatula to evenly spread.
- Shamrock topping: this optional topping uses gold chocolate hearts, simply place four together to form a shamrock, and use a strip of lime zest or edible leafs cut into small strips to create the stem!
NOTES
- The cupcakes draw their depth from Guinness and cocoa, with applesauce stepping in for sugar to keep them moist and naturally sweet.
- I have made these without coconut sugar, and the result was a chocolatey hoppy savory cupcake that was delicious witht his frosting recipe.
- The honey in the frosting provides a delicate sweetness that pairs beautifully with the stout’s robust profile—no refined sugar here.
- Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge for up to 5 days; unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to a month.
- Store extra frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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