I loved making Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes using Vanilla Cake Mix. If you love green tea or chocolate, they’re awesome together in a cupcake!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by The Safe + Fair Food Company, however they have discontinued making their cake mixes. You can adapt this recipe with your favorite cupcake recipe or substitute with a different cake mix.
Disclaimer: Please check that all ingredients are suitable for your allergies and be sure to ask your medical care team regarding any allergy related questions (I do not share medical advice). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
SAFE + FAIR: Food-Allergy-Friendly & Clean Label
I’m so excited to share my recipe for Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes in partnership with The Safe + Fair Food Company (SAFE + FAIR). If you haven’t heard about SAFE + FAIR yet, there are many reasons to love them.
Visit their website and you will see that their products are free of the top 9 allergens. Not only do they have an allergen management plan, SAFE + FAIR is committed to being a clean label company. Their products will never contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup or trans-fat.
Vanilla Cake Mix: Time Saver and Yum!
I can think of so many possible fun desserts to make with a cake mix, including Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. I love a cake mix anytime, but they’re an invaluable timesaver when I need to leverage the simplicity of a cake mix in order to make time for other busy mom activities. If you love green tea and chocolate as much as I do, you will love making and eating these gorgeous Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes.
Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are super easy to make. Follow the instructions printed on the cake mix and add matcha powder, which is finely ground up premium green tea, and chopped up nut-free chocolate chips and baked according to package instructions for cupcakes. I added more matcha powder and Rodelle’s chocolate extract to a simple buttercream frosting and sprinkled chocolate shavings and finely chopped chocolate chips as a final garnish.
I filled each liner about halfway to make 24 cupcakes and bake until done (about 19 minutes). The matcha chocolate chip cupcakes were modestly sized, didn’t quite reach the top of the cupcake liner. They have an airy texture and were perfect with frosting.
Matcha Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
I love to look at decorated cupcakes with piped frosting but I am a “less is more” kind of gal. I also use organic sugar and organic butter and it seems so wasteful to pay a premium for organic ingredients and then scrape off the extra frosting.
Make just enough buttercream to spread the frosting on 24 cupcakes and add sprinkles or other decorations to make them look pretty. If you like more frosting or want to pipe your frosting, double the frosting ingredients to make more.
Frosting tips:
- It’s important to work fast before your frosting dries up and hardens. Give your bowl of frosting a quick stir every few minutes.
- Use an offset spatula, a smaller one if you have one (about the size of a paring knife or vegetable peeler) so you can spread the frosting neatly.
- This is a great opportunity to invite little helpers who can assist with mixing, frosting, and sprinkles.
- Make ahead option: make the matcha chocolate chip cupcakes one day before an event and store overnight in a refrigerator, but take them out early so they can come to room temperature before serving.
SAFE + FAIR Supports Food Allergy Research & Our Community
If you know me or know our family’s story, you know that I support food allergy research because of my son’s involvement and amazing outcome in a clinical trial at Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University. I am so proud to partner with SAFE + FAIR because they donate 3% of proceeds to my favorite food allergy research center.
Eat yummy treats, share on social media, and talk! You can join in to help build awareness and inspire change. SAFE + FAIR launched Food-Allergy-Free Friday, a social movement asking individuals to commit to supporting the food-allergic community on Fridays. Share your SAFE + FAIR product ideas, recipes and tips that support the Food-Allergy-Free Friday movement using the dedicated hashtag #FoodAllergyFreeFriday. What an easy and simple way to start a conversation with your community about why food allergies are important in your life.
Allergy Aware Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
This recipe as written is free from peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and sesame.
Since Safe + Fair discontinued making their cake mix, use whatever cake mix or vanilla cupcake recipe that is allergy-safe for your family. If you want to consider conventional brands available at a supermarket, check to see if Betty Crocker and/or Pillsbury cake mixes might work for some people.
If you are allergic to milk, use a dairy-free alternative butter for the frosting. I like Earth Balance’s buttery sticks but check the ingredient labels for your other allergens. Be sure that that you buy dairy-free chocolate chips. My favorite is Enjoy Life Foods chocolate, they’re available in stores as well as online.
For an egg-free alternative, I have heard that it’s possible to combine a can of soda or carbonated water with a box of cake mix instead of using eggs, oil, and water as recommended on the box.
Use your favorite nut-free chocolate chips and coarsely chop them by hand, the variations in size help to spread the chocolate chips throughout the cupcake.
I don’t have any specific recommendations for matcha powder. Most matcha powders are made in tea-only facilities so I selected a mid-priced matcha at my local Asian market. You want a matcha powder that is fresh and bright green, so check best by labels and inspect for freshness. Be sure to contact manufacturers if you have any specific concerns.
Matcha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with SAFE + FAIR Vanilla Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 box Vanilla Cake Mix
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips divided
Matcha Buttercream
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon chocolate extract optional
- 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line two 12 cup cupcake/muffin tins (or one 24 cup tin) with parchment paper liners.
- Chop chocolate chips, use your knife to separate the larger pieces to go into the cupcake batter and use your knife to scrape up the finely chopped pieces and set aside for decorating later.
- Place cake mix, water, oil, eggs, matcha powder in a large making bowl and use an electric mixer to mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the pans and bake on a middle shelf for 18-21 minutes, test for doneness with a toothpick.
- When the cupcakes are ready, take them out of the oven and let them rest in the pans for a few minutes and then take them out of the pan to cool on a rack until completely cooled.
Matcha Buttercream Instructions
- Cream the soften butter until it is smooth, add powdered sugar, water, chocolate extract, and matcha powder, and beat on high for 1 minute until the ingredients are mixed.
- Scrape down sides of the bowl, check to see if the buttercream is spreadable, add 1 teaspoon of water as necessary and beat for another minute.
- Use a small offset spatula to scoop about 2 teaspoon of frosting (about the size of a grape or small cherry tomato), spread the frosting on a cupcake, and sprinkle with a tiny amount of finely chopped chocolate.
Notes
Nutrition
Related recipes:
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Triple Chocolate Banana Bread, Nut Free
Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Nut-Free)
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I may mention the names of stores and/or brand names of products that I use because readers ask and I share products and sources which I use and think may be helpful to readers, all opinions are my own. Please note that manufacturing practices and ingredients can change at anytime without notice and readers are always responsible for assuring allergen safety before buying or consuming foods. NutFreeWok.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for reading!
