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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » M&M Cupcakes

    M&M Cupcakes

    April 29, 2021 by Tiffany Leave a Comment

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    These are M&M cupcakes made with a vanilla cake baked with mini M&Ms and a vanilla buttercream frosting topped with mini M&M’s. They’re great cupcakes for kid birthdays!

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    M&M Cupcakes

    As far as M&M cupcake recipes go, this is an easy M&M cupcake recipe that’s great for birthday parties. Kids love M&M’s (my kids included!) and they love eating these cupcakes.

    The cake itself is a vanilla cake and the mini M&M’s are mixed into the batter before baking. They give the cupcake a funfetti look that’s really festive and colorful.

    Cupcake Baking Guide

    I kept the frosting simple with a traditional vanilla buttercream so that the M&M’s are the star of this cupcake.

    Ingredients for M&M Cupcakes

    • Butter
    • White Granulated Sugar
    • Large Eggs
    • Pure Vanilla Extract
    • All-Purpose Flour
    • Baking Powder
    • Salt
    • Milk
    • Mini M&M’s

    Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

    • Confectioners’ Sugar
    • Butter
    • Milk
    • Pure Vanilla Extract
    • Mini M&M’s, for topping

    How to Make M&M Cupcakes

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
    • In an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.
    • Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl (or use a sifter) and use a whisk to break up any clumps. Begin alternating dry ingredients and milk as you add them to the mixing bowl. Carefully fold the M&M’s into the batter with a spatula to prevent too much color from coming off into the batter.
    • Add approximately 3 tablespoons (about â…” full) of cupcake batter to each cupcake liner. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow to cool.
    M&M Cupcakes

    How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

    1. In an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add butter, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if needed. Frost fully cooled cupcakes and top with mini M&M’s.

    What to Do if Frosting is Too Thick

    If the frosting is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of milk, one at a time. It can easily go from too thick/dry to runny if you add a lot of milk.

    What to Do if Frosting is Too Thin

    When frosting becomes too thin the best thing to do is add more powdered sugar until it thickens.

    M&M Cupcakes

    How to Decorate with Buttercream Frosting

    For this recipe, I used Wilton’s 2D icing tip, which is a large star tip.

    If you do not want to use icing tips, the easiest way to decorate cupcakes is with a butter knife or small icing spatula. When I use them, I spin the cupcake in my hand and create a swirl in the frosting.

    Variations for M&M Cupcakes

    I have not personally used regular-sized M&M’s in this recipe, but I am sure it can still be baked the same with the batter.

    Another way I have seen M&M cupcakes made is by using a spoon to scoop out the center of the cupcakes after they’ve baked and then pour a small amount of M&M’s into the cupcake.

    Alternatively, they can just as easily be filled with a cream filling too.

    M&M Cupcakes

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    M&M Cupcakes

    M&M Cupcakes

    These are M&M cupcakes made with vanilla cake baked with mini M&Ms and a vanilla buttercream frosting topped with mini M&M's. They're great cupcakes for kid birthdays!
    No ratings yet
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    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 16 minutes
    Total Time: 31 minutes
    Servings: 24 Cupcakes
    Author: Tiffany

    Ingredients

    M&M Cupcakes

    • ¾ cup Butter, room temperature
    • 1 ¾ cups White Granulated Sugar
    • 2 Large Eggs
    • 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
    • 2 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour
    • 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 ¼ cup Milk
    • 1 cup Mini M&M's

    Buttercream Frosting

    • 4 cups Confectioners' Sugar
    • ½ cup Butter, room temperature
    • 3-4 tablespoons Milk
    • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
    • Mini M&M's, for topping

    Instructions
     

    M&M Cupcakes

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
    • In an electric mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt together to break up any clumps. Begin alternating dry ingredients and milk as you add them to the mixing bowl. Fold in mini M&M's with a spatula.
    • Add approximately 3 tablespoons of cupcake batter to each cupcake liner. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow to cool.

    Buttercream Frosting

    • In an electric mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer or whisk, add butter, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Slowly add confectioners' sugar. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if needed. Frost fully cooled cupcakes and top with mini M&M's.

    Recommended Products

    Wilton No. 2D Decorating Tip
    Wilton Disposable 16-Inch Decorating Bags, 12 Pack
    Wilton Non-Stick Muffin and Cupcake Pan

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn referral fees from products I love and recommend at no extra cost to you.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 331 kcalCarbohydrates: 52 gProtein: 3 gFat: 13 gSaturated Fat: 8 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 3 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 44 mgSodium: 253 mgPotassium: 45 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 40 gVitamin A: 361 IUVitamin C: 1 mgCalcium: 64 mgIron: 1 mg
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    Filed Under: Cupcakes, Desserts, Easter Recipes, Kid-Friendly Recipes, Summer Recipes

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    About Me

    Welcome, I'm Tiffany! My love for cooking began in the kitchen with my grandmother at the age of 5. Some of the recipes have been passed down to me and others I create as I go. Simply Happenings was created to share quick and delicious meals for your family highlighting air fryer and Instant Pot recipes. Enjoy! Read More…

    • Links in this post/page are Amazon Affiliate links to products I love and recommend. I earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you.

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    8 shares