Watermelon Cupcakes are Super Simple and Cute!
It’s time for watermelon season!
That means watermelon cake balls and watermelon cupcakes!
Cupcakes bake super quickly and are perfect for all those summer parties!
Ingredients Needed for Watermelon Cupcakes
- Butter: I recommend unsalted for most cupcake recipes.
- Sugar: Because it’s cake! :)
- Large Eggs: These hold the adorable cupcakes together.
- Sour cream: Makes these extra moist. No one likes dry cupcakes.
- Oil: For added moisture.
- Milk: I use whole milk.
- Vanilla extract: Do not use imitation!
- All purpose flour: The foundation of every cupcake.
- Baking powder: Makes the cupcakes fluffy and prevents them from becoming flat.
- Salt: Brings out ALL the flavors.
- Green gel food coloring: I prefer gel over liquid.
Ingredients for the Pink, Buttercream Frosting for Watermelon Cupcakes
- Salted Butter. I prefer salted for frosting because of extra flavor.
- Powdered sugar. Gives a powdery sweetness with a grainy texture.
- Kool Aid Powder. If you don’t have kool-aid, watermelon flavored Jello is a good option too! Any pink or red fruity flavor does well in a pinch!
- Red gel food coloring. You need to have this on hand to help you get the perfect pink frosting. Pink will work too, but if you use red, less food coloring is needed.
- Mini, semi-sweet chocolate chips. These are the adorable, edible “seeds”
How to Make Watermelon Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Combine butter and sugar and beat until fluffy.
- Add eggs, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Beat for a few more minutes.
- In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Add in gel food coloring.
- Fill muffin liners.
- Bake.
- Cool and frost.
Those colors scream “fun!” in a thousand languages!
My husband just asked me, “Aren’t watermelons red, green, and black?”
Well, maybe in REAL life, but in a beautiful, colorful, cake decorating world I prefer pink and green — just because I can.
Watermelon Cupcakes Use Mini Chocolate Chips
So that’s why these watermelon cupcakes are pink and green — aren’t they cute?
Plus I love adding chocolate chips to anything!
Using these bright colors really contrasts the dark-colored chocolate chips to make the perfect picture watermelon seeds!
Can You Make Watermelon Cupcakes Ahead of Time?
One of our best party secrets is making and freezing food ahead of time!
Cupcakes and cookies are great for freezing ahead!
Don’t freeze the frosting ahead!
You can bake and freeze the cupcakes a few weeks ahead and make the frosting 1-2 days ahead.
That way on the day you want to serve the cupcakes you’ll just need to defrost, pipe, and decorate!
More Cupcake Recipes:
Print
Easy Watermelon Cupcakes
Adorable watermelon cupcakes bursting with the bright colors of summer! A fun, festive treat that’s perfect for picnics and warm-weather parties!
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Inactive Time 10 mins
- Cook Time 18 mins
- Total Time 33 mins
- Yield 24 cupcakes 1x
- Category Desserts
- Cuisine American
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- a few sprinkles of salt
- Light green gel food coloring
FROSTING
- 3 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp powdered watermelon kool aid mix (or any PINK flavors in a pinch)
- red food coloring
- mini, semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl add the butter and sugar.
- Mix with an electric mixer until fluffy.
- Gently add eggs, oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Continue to mix for 2-3 more minutes.
- In another bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, ¼ cup at a time.
- Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Carefully add gel food coloring until you achieve the perfect green color.
- Fill the muffin liners ½-¾ full.
- Bake for 18 minutes at 350°F .
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting.
FOR THE FROSTING
- In a large mixing bowl, mix butter with until smooth.
- Add 2 cup of powdered sugar and kool aid powder.
- Mix together until smooth.
- If needed, add additional powdered sugar.
- If you need pinker frosting, add a few squeezes of red food coloring gel.
- Or, you can also sprinkle in some pink or red jello for a vibrant pink!
- Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and gently place chocolate chips on the top for the watermelon “seeds.”
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 grams
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 60
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 59
