These sweet and colorful watermelon cupcakes are full of homemade summertime flavor!
Watermelon cupcakes get their signature look from pops of green and pink color, and some fun chocolate watermelon “seeds!”
This treat is so much fun to serve at kids’ summer birthday parties with scoops of juicy watermelon balls or wedges on the side!
Sweet & Summery Watermelon Cupcakes
- Enjoy these vibrant-colored watermelon cupcakes without the mess of cutting up a whole watermelon!
- Colorful and sweet, watermelon cupcakes are always the first to go at bake sales and parties!
- Bake ahead and frost and decorate right before serving!
- Hold onto this 4 ingredient buttercream frosting recipe. It’s a “foundation recipe” for anything from cupcakes to cakes to cookies!
Ingredients and Variations
Batter – Short on time? Betty Crocker has a line of watermelon cupcake mixes with matching cans of icing, but baking from scratch is so much more fun! A few tablespoons of lime Jell-O will add some tangy flavor and color but isn’t necessary. Or use a favorite gluten-free baking mix (most have the baking powder and soda added), at a 1:1 ratio.
Frosting – Buttercream frosting is a go-to for cupcakes because it’s fast and easy and not overly sweet! A teaspoon or two of watermelon Kool-Aid will add more color and a tart flavor if you have it. Feel free to use a can of “whipped” white frosting and gently stir in the food gel.
Variations – Make homemade confectioners’ sugar by combining 1 cup of regular sugar with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a coffee grinder or small food processor until powdery. Adding a little lemon juice to the cupcake batter will enhance the tart flavor of the sour cream.
How to Make Watermelon Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes:
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (as described in the recipe below).
- Cream the remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl.
- Mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture and add green food gel.
- Divide the dough evenly into the prepared muffin tin and bake as directed in the recipe below. Using an ice cream scoop or soup ladle will create even portions of cupcake batter.
Pro Tip:
Let egg whites come to room temperature before using them for an extra fluffy cupcake.
For the Frosting:
- Make the frosting as directed in the recipe below.
- Add pink food gel to desired shade of pink. Butter will whip more smoothly if used at room temperature.
How to Decorate Watermelon Cupcakes
- Pipe frosting onto cupcakes by swirling from the outer edge to the center to form a peak.
- Place chocolate chips on the top to look like seeds.
- Little bakers can decorate their cupcakes by setting out bowls of mini chocolate chips, colored sugar, sprinkles, coconut, or crushed cookies.
Best Way to Store Cupcakes
- Freeze baked and cooled cupcakes in zippered bags for up to 4 months and thaw until ready to frost, or freeze frosted cupcakes wrapped in plastic for up to 3 months.
- Keep leftover watermelon cupcakes refrigerated in a covered container for up to 4 days.
Other Fun Treats to Try
Have you tried this Watermelon Cupcake recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
Watermelon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 ⅔ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 drops green food gel or icing colors
Frosting and Garnish:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound powdered sugar sifted
- 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream may not use all of the cream
- 2 drops light pink food gel or icing colors
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place two (green) cupcake liners in each well of a muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another large bowl or or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream or whisk together butter, egg whites, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until combined. The batter will be lumpy.
- Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and add green food gel. Mix until well combined. Divide batter evenly between muffin wells (using a cookie scoop), filling each paper liner about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or the batter reaches an internal temperature of 205-210F. Cool in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, in a stand mixture using the paddle attachment, whip together butter and salt for 1 minute.
- Add powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, beating on low after each addition. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, and repeat until all sugar is added.
- Add 1 tablespoon of cream while mixing on low. Beat until the frosting is fluffy, adding ½ tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. Add pink food gel and mix, adding more coloring to reach the desired color.
- Add frosting into a piping bag fitted with a 2D tip or your favorite tip, or add to a zip top bag and cut the corner. Start in the middle of the cupcake, and pipe frosting in a circle motion to the outside, then work towards the center to form a peak. Using small tongs, a fork, or decorating tweezers, randomly place chocolate chips.
Notes
- Freeze cooled cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw completely before frosting.
- Keep leftover watermelon cupcakes refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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