M&M Cupcakes

These M&M cupcakes are super soft and topped with a homemade vanilla frosting and mini m&m’s. These festive cupcakes can be ready in just 30 minutes!

M&M Cupcake Recipe

I started making these cupcakes with M&M’s, which I adapted from my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe from scratch, for my kids’ birthdays because I needed something super fun and festive like my colorful rainbow cupcakes but quick and easy. 

I know everyone loves a soft fluffy cupcake topped with vanilla frosting, but the swirls of color and the bits of crunchy candy-coated chocolate inside make them even better.  

Why We Love M&M Cupcakes

• Everyone loves them. They look like something straight out of Willy Wonka’s bakery (if he had one). They’re bright and beautiful and are quickly devoured by all! 
• Versatile. M&M cupcakes are great for kids’ birthday parties, potlucks, any dessert table, St Patrick’s day, bake sales, you name it!
• Homemade. There’s no comparing anything store-bought. Cupcakes made from scratch are always worth the extra bit of effort!

Ingredients Needed

• Cake flour: A much lighter and softer flour than all-purpose flour which will give your cupcakes a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Granulated sugar: For sweetness!
• Baking powder: A leavening agent that will help the cupcakes achieve maximum rise.
• Sea salt: A flavor enhancer. 
• Unsalted butter: I use unsalted so that I can control the amount of salt in these. cupcakes. Be sure to bring the butter out to room temperature ahead of time so that it is soft enough to easily cream. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
• Buttermilk: For richness, tang, and added moisture in these cupcakes. The acidity in both reacts with the baking powder resulting in the perfect consistency. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, learn how to make buttermilk from scratch with just milk and vinegar (or lemon juice).
• Vanilla extract: A warm vanilla flavor needed for vanilla cupcakes!
• Large eggs & egg white: We’re using whole eggs as well as egg whites. When I say these cupcakes are fluffy, I mean it!
• M&M’s: For the batter and decoration on top. Use whatever colors you like. Make these M&M cupcakes your own!

How to Make M&M Cupcakes

I use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, but you can also use an electric mixer and a large mixing bowl if preferred. Find the full printable recipe below.

1. Mix dry ingredients. Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in the bowl, then turn the mixer to low and beat in the butter for a minute. Turn it up to medium speed and continue to beat the butter into the flour mixture until it is combined into a coarse texture. 
2. Add wet ingredients. Reduce the speed back down again to low and mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla until combined. Turn it back up to medium again and beat for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. On low again, mix in whole 1 egg, followed by the egg white, and mix on medium until the batter is smooth. 
3. Fold in M&M’s. Using a spatula, gently mix in the M&M’s being careful to ensure they’re evenly dispersed without overmixing the batter. You want to avoid releasing too much of the trapped air needed for light and fluffy cupcakes!
4. Bake the cupcakes. Divide the cupcake batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan to about 3/4 full and bake for 18-22 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, they’re done. Remove and let them cool in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate with Frosting

I like to use a piping bag with a 1M or 1A frosting tip for vanilla frosting.

Classic buttercream frosting and chocolate buttercream frosting are two others that pair well with this recipe, so sometimes I like to do some of each. 

Cupcakes need to be completely cooled beforehand, so the frosting doesn’t melt. 

Once frosted, top with a few more M&M’s!

Recipe Tips

• Measure ingredients correctly. My post on how to measure flour is really useful if you’re interested. Too much flour can make or break a baking recipe and one of the ways to avoid that is to use the spoon and level method.
• Vanilla. Use a really good quality pure vanilla extract if you can. These cupcakes rely heavily on that delicious vanilla flavor and some lower-quality extracts have the overwhelming taste of alcohol. You can also use vanilla bean paste!
• Room temperature ingredients. The butter, eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream all must start at the same temperature for even baking. 
• Make ahead. Combine all of the dry ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store it in a cool dry area for the mood strikes to bake a cake or a batch of cupcakes. You’ll be halfway there!
• Gift-giving. Tie a bow around that jar, give it a cute little label with the recipe on it, and give it to family or friends as a gift!

Storing Tips

Keep leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They don’t need to be kept in the fridge. The powdered sugar in the frosting will stabilize it and preserve it while it stays on the counter.

If you’re planning to bake the cupcakes a few days before, feel free to store the frosting separately and assemble everything just before serving. This way the M&M’s won’t be discolored from the frosting by the time you serve them!

Check out these other easy and delicious desserts filled with M&M’s!

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