These Peeps cupcakes are soft chocolate cupcakes topped with fluffy green buttercream and a Peeps marshmallow — the perfect Easter treat that's as fun to make as it is to eat
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two standard muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set them aside while you pull together the batter. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together until well combined.
1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
Add in the vanilla, eggs, milk, and oil, then mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently to make sure everything gets incorporated evenly.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, ½ cup oil
Using a measuring cup or cookie scoop, divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 14–16 minutes or until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before you touch the frosting — this step matters, so don't rush it.
To make the frosting, combine the softened butter with about half of the powdered sugar in a clean stand mixer bowl. Mix on low until combined, then add the remaining powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk. Continue mixing until smooth.
Add your green food coloring a little at a time, mixing and checking the color until you get the grass-green shade you want.
Green food coloring
Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe a generous mound of frosting onto each cooled cupcake, then immediately press on the Easter sprinkles and nestle a Peeps marshmallow into the center. The frosting needs to be fresh and slightly soft so the Peeps stick in place.
Easter sprinkles, Peeps marshmallows
Notes
Make sure your butter is genuinely softened before making the frosting. Cold butter will leave you with a lumpy, uneven buttercream that's hard to pipe.
Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners using a measuring cup or ice cream scoop for evenly sized cupcakes that bake at the same rate.
Let the cupcakes cool completely — even 10 minutes of warmth will cause the frosting to slide and melt.
Start with a small drop of food coloring and add more gradually. It's much easier to deepen the green than to try to lighten it.
Press the Peeps in right after piping while the frosting is still soft, so they hold their position and don't tip over once the frosting sets.
If you want a more defined "grass" look, use a grass tip on your piping bag instead of a star tip for a textured, lawn-like effect.