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Homemade Hostess Cupcakes. Sweet, delicious, and so fun – we’re making homemade hostess cupcakes! Rich chocolate cupcakes made with cocoa powder, then baked and filled with a yummy, simple, homemade marshmallow fluff, then glazed in a sweet, creamy chocolate glaze. These are delicious and such a fun trip down memory lane!
The funny thing about my mom is that growing up, she used to bake ALL THE TIME. Many of you know the story; she had dessert on the table way before dinner. She loved to bake, but she was a chocolate-only baker. Well, she made banana bread, but with chocolate chips, of course!
You’d think she’d buy all the bakery goods at the grocery store too, but she never bought anything packaged like hostess cupcakes! Only ever so often would she buy a packaged baked good. My favorite used to be those sugar cookies with the thick layer of frosting. But we almost never got to have those cute hostess cupcakes!
Who couldn’t love a hostess cupcake?
With Valentine’s Day coming this Friday, I thought these could be so fun to take into kids’ classes. Of course, they’re also perfect just to bake up and enjoy at home!
Originally, I was thinking about drawing hearts on the cupcakes, but then I LOVED the effortlessness and cuteness of the loops. It brought me back to being a kid and begging my mom to buy Hostess Cupcakes from the store. Well, there’s no need to beg anymore because we can easily make them at home!
Here are the details
Cupcake Ingredients:
- melted coconut oil
- eggs
- Buttermilk
- Plain Greek yogurt – or use sour cream
- Granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- hot brewed coffee
Marshmallow fluff ingredients:
- egg whites
- granulated sugar
- cream of tartar
- vanilla
Glaze Ingredients:
- chocolate chips
- whole milk
- white chocolate
Special Tools
For these cupcakes, you’ll need a cupcake pan, a mixing bowl, an electric mixer, and a medium pot for melting the chocolate.
Steps
Step 1: make the cupcakes
Start with the wet ingredients plus the sugar. Melted coconut oil, eggs, buttermilk, Greek yogurt (or use sour cream), granulated sugar, and vanilla.
Mix everything to combine. Now stir in the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The final step is to mix in hot coffee.
If you don’t enjoy baking with coffee, try hot water or hot milk, but I highly suggest the coffee. It really does highlight the chocolate, but it’s not the dominant flavor.
Step 2: bake
Now, bake each cupcake up. There should be enough batter to make around 18 cupcakes.
Step 3: the marshmallow fluff
This is easier than you think, I promise. Just take 3 egg whites and whisk them together with the sugar and cream of tartar. I like to do this in my stainless steel stand mixing bowl. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the sugar dissolves.
The heat will cook the egg whites and allow the sugar to dissolve. After 5 minutes, the mixture should be glossy and opaque.
Step 4: whip the fluff
Next, add the vanilla to the eggs and use an electric mixer to whisk the whites into a glossy, stiff meringue.
It is going to be so pretty! Now you have homemade marshmallow fluff!
Step 5: filling the cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are baked, grab a pairing knife and cut a cone-shaped piece from the top of the cupcake.
Fill the cupcakes with the marshmallow fluff all the way to the top!
Step 6: make the glaze
Take the semi-sweet chocolate chips and add them to a pot. Mix with milk or heavy cream. Set the pot over low heat and stir until melted and smooth.
I like to add a pinch of salt too!
Step 7: glazing and making the loops
Next, invert the cupcakes into the glaze and get them really coated!
Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes, then take the melted white chocolate and add it to a bag with the corner snipped off. Draw little loops on top of each cupcake! Do not stress about making them perfect. I found the more imperfect they each were, the cuter!
Or have some fun and draw hearts on each cupcake. That will be so cute!!
Each bite is filled with sweet, moist cake, creamy marshmallow, and fudgy chocolate glaze. It is so much better than any store-bought hostess cupcake! Trust me! And they’re so fun to make!
Best kind of any-time-of-year cupcake to bake – whatever you may be celebrating! Hope you all enjoy and have so much fun with these!
Looking for easy chocolate desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Retro-Style Chocolate Sheet Cake
Lastly, if you make these Homemade Hostess Cupcakes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Calories Per Serving: 309 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup hot black coffee
Marshmallow Fluff
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
- 1. To make the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cupcake molds with paper liners.2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, milk, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until combined.3. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake molds. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are just set. Remove and let cool.4. Meanwhile, make the marshmallow. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pot filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Do not let it touch the water (use a double broiler if you have one). Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mix is opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla, and then use an electric mixer set on high to beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.5. Using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece from the center of each cupcake. Fill the hole with marshmallow fluff.6. To make the glaze. Melt the chocolate and milk together over low heat, stirring often until smooth. Dip the top of each cupcake into the chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. Let the glaze set.7. Spoon the melted white chocolate into a piping bag fit with a small round tip. You can also use a sandwich bag and cut the tip of one of the corners off. Draw loops on the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 11, 2025
I’m wondering if I can make the cupcakes and freeze them without the frosting on? Would the marshmallow fluff freeze ok? Thank you. I love all your recipes!
Hi Ashley,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
How do you recommend storing the cupcakes? I need to make ahead of time and am wondering if I should make all components and assemble last minute or if I could make the day before. Thanks!
Hi Kristen,
You could totally make them the day before and store in an airtight container in the fridge. I hope you love this recipe!
Thank you so much Tieghan for all of your delicious recipes you share with us. Do you think I could make these with honey or maple syrup instead of sugar?
Hey Sienna,
Thanks so much! I don’t think I would sub the entire cup of sugar, but you could try to do 1/2 sugar and 1/2 maple syrup. Let me know if you give this recipe a try! x
I made these for valentines day and my whole family lived them! It was actually really fun to make the marshmallow fluff!
Hey Emily,
Awesome! Love to hear these were a hit, thanks for making them! Happy Sunday! xT
Really not that hard to make. Very yummy.
The marshmallow filling did the trick. Made the cupcakes for me.
I had left of a marshmallows and used it to eat the cakeI scooped out.
Hey Jean,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Baked these with my granddaughter for Valentines day. She had so much fun filling the cupcakes and giving them to her family for a surprise treat.
They definitely tasted far superior to the ones I used to enjoy as a child but brought back fond memories.
As usual, everyone loved this recipe. Your recipes are always a big hit with my family!
Hey Debbie,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) Thanks so much for your kind message! x
Remember to put the piece of cupcake on top after you put the fluff in. Then I spooned the glaze over the top. I tried to dip without the cut off piece of cupcake and it smeared in the chocolate. The fluff is easy and outstanding. I’ll make this again.
Hey Michelle,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner! xxT
I have a lot of marshmallow leftover. What can I do with it?
Hey Emma,
I would use it to make homemade Rice Krispies! Here is a recipe:
https://fett-weg.today/toasted-marshmallow-caramel-rice-krispie-treats/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi I also had lots of fluff left over…I make some merigne cookies. Baked low, 250 oven for about 30 minutes. Yummy
Ok I opted to pipe in the marshmallow fluff with a ziplock and it worked like a charm. I had a little trouble with melting the white chocolate because I had never done it before. Got it done and piped it in a ziploc bag. They look great and I’m very pleased with the recipe. The cake is very deep in flavor because I mixed 1/2 cup an instant hot espresso coffee with hot water. I’d love to upload a picture to show how beautiful they look, although a little rustic. Cant wait to share them for Valentine’s Day tomorrow.
Hey Velma,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner! Sorry, we don’t allow photos to be uploaded here, but you can share on IG! xxT
Hello. I’m waiting for the chocolate glaze to melt right now. Feeling a little intimidated with how to put in the marshmallow fluff once I cut out the cone. With a spoon? Or put in a ziplock bag and cut a corner and add that way? Thank you.
Hi Velma,
You can do either way, if you have a small spoon I think that works best. I hope you love this recipe! xT
I’m confused, I thought your mother didn’t do much in the kitchen and that’s why you started cooking?
Hey Julian,
Yup, she was the baker of the family:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hello. Is there a good substitute for the coconut oil? I would love to make these but can’t have that type. Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
You can use another neutral oil that you enjoy. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi! Is there a good substitute for the coffee? This looks so yummy, just can’t do the coffee.
Hi Sierra,
You bet, you can use water or milk:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
My mom actually bought a lot of these and I love them! They use to be a lot bigger and better years ago, so I can’t wait to make these! I’m a chocoholic like your mom! These look way better than anything Hostess can do! LOL. Thanks Tieghan!
Lol thanks so much, Sara!! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you! xxT
I made theses cupcakes last night, my husband ate 3 befor the marshmallow filling and the chicolate glaze was finished. All saud and done he at 2 more tvat were completed. These were fun to make and live the marshmallow fluff. My cupcakes were a little dry. Subsituted the coconut oil for butter crisco, might be why, but did not have the ciconut oil. I will make then again fir sure. Thank you, love your recipes.
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback:) So glad to hear they were enjoyed, I would definitely try using the oil next time! Happy Sunday! xx
I want to make these with my kids so I am trying to simplify the recipe a little, could I just use store made marshmallow fluff?
Hey Jenny,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I don’t drink coffee. Is there a substitute I can use?
Hi Cat,
You can use hot water or hot milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT