Name: Chocolate Root Beer Cupcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Cuisine: American

Cake Mix Recipes Verified

February 9, 2026

These chocolate root beer cupcakes are so fun and festive. This adorable recipe for root beer float cupcakes starts with a boxed mix to keep things simple! It is really easy to make cupcakes with a boxed mix. I love using cake mixes to simplify baking sweet treats…then I can spend my time making them cute, fun, an flavorful instead.

From the Cook

1/15

Chocolate Root Beer Cupcakes

Cake Mix Recipes Verified

Ingredients

WarningMilk and 5 other allergens identified

Instructions

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.

Add cake mix and soda to a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, and beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Fill cupcake liners halfway with cake batter.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until you can insert a toothpick, and it comes out clean.

Cool for 1 hour on a baking rack.

Snip the corner of a ziplock bag or the end of a piping bag and insert the frosting tip.

Fill a ziplock bag or piping bag with frosting.

Pipe frosting onto cupcakes by starting in the middle, swirling around the cupcake, then meeting back in the middle.

Top each cupcake with a root beer barrel candy.

Cut straws in half, then in half again (each straw will give you 4 mini straws), and insert a mini straw into each cupcake.

Smart Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Root Beer Intensity Boost 🥤
Reduce the root beer slightly on the stovetop before adding to the cake mix to concentrate its flavor and prevent excess moisture in the cupcakes.
Candy Crusher Technique 🍬
Crush root beer barrel candies between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin to create uniform, fine pieces for even decoration.
Moisture Magic 💧
Replace the water in the cake mix recipe with root beer to enhance the overall root beer flavor profile without compromising cake texture.
Frosting Flavor Hack 🍫
Mix a small amount of root beer extract into the chocolate frosting to create a subtle, complementary flavor that ties the cupcake components together.
Decorative Garnish Pro Tip 🎨
Sprinkle crushed root beer barrel candies on top of the frosting immediately after piping to ensure they stick and create a professional, textured finish.