Made with cereal milk, these Lucky Charms cupcakes have all the flavor of your favorite cereal in cupcake form! They're a perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert for the whole family.
This past week, I did something I can honestly say I have never done in my life: I picked out every single marshmallow from a box of Lucky Charms cereal. Then proceeded to use almost all of them to make these cupcakes.
Growing up, Lucky Charms was never my go-to cereal — I am definitely more of a Honey Nut Cheerios kind of gal. But with St. Patrick's Day nearing, Lucky Charms seems like the perfect cereal to enjoy this time of year.
To celebrate this holiday, I wanted to try making some special cupcakes featuring this festive cereal, and I'm so pleased with how these turned out! Made with cereal milk, these cupcakes are perfectly moist and rich in flavor, and they'd be so fun to make with the entire family.
Jump to:
What You'll Need
Here's a quick overview of some of the key ingredients and tools needed to make these cupcakes. The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post.
Ingredients
- Lucky Charms cereal - The star of the show! Here in the United States, you can usually pick up a box of Lucky Charms cereal at any grocery store.
- Unsalted butter - I always recommend baking with unsalted butter instead of salted. That way, you have more control over the total amount of salt in the recipe.
- Egg whites - This recipe calls for 2 egg whites. I prefer to separate my egg yolks from the whites by hand (as opposed to buying a carton of egg whites).
- Sour cream - I love baking cakes with sour cream because it makes them so moist and tender. If you don't have sour cream, you could always swap in greek yogurt instead.
- Cream cheese - To make the cream cheese frosting, you'll want to pick up some brick-style cream cheese (not the spreadable kind).
Equipment
- Silicone spatulas - I always like to use silicone spatulas when baking because they're so flexible! You can use them to scrape down the bowl as you're mixing all the ingredients together to make sure the batter is homogenous.
- Cupcake or muffin pan - This recipe yields 14 cupcakes, so you'll want to use a 12-cup muffin pan. You can bake the cupcakes in two stages, or you can bake them all at once if you have two pans.
- Cupcake liners - I always bake my cupcakes using cupcake liners! It keeps them from sticking to the pan, and it makes them easier to serve.
- Cookie scoop - To portion out the cupcakes, I like to use a cookie scoop. This helps make sure that you're scooping the same amount of batter into each liner before baking.
How to Make These Cupcakes
Alright, got all your ingredients and tools ready? Let's make some cupcakes!
Start by toasting the Lucky Charms cereal. Place 1 cup of Lucky Charms cereal on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven at 300°F for 15 minutes. (Image 1)
Make the cereal milk. Once toasted, transfer the cooled Lucky Charms to a bowl, then pour in 1 cup of whole milk. Stir to combine, then let the mixture sit for 20 minutes. Afterwards, strain the mixture, keeping the milk and discarding the cereal. Set aside the cereal milk to use later when making the cupcakes; you should have ¾ cup of cereal milk. (Image 2 and Image 3)
Start making the cupcake batter. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), cream together the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add in the egg whites, sour cream, and vanilla extract, scraping well to make sure everything is well incorporated. (Image 4)
Finish making the cupcake batter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternate adding the cereal milk and dry ingredients into the butter mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the cereal milk. (Image 5)
Portion out the cupcakes and bake. Divide the batter into a cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners, filling each liner about ⅔ of the way full. Bake the cupcakes at 350°F for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. (Image 6)
While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), combine the softened butter and cream cheese and beat until creamy and lump-free. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix well to combine. Finally, gradually add in the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined, scraping the bowl well periodically. If the frosting is a bit soft, chill it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before frosting the cupcakes. (Image 7)
Time to decorate! Frost the cupcakes as desired (I transferred the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip), then top with Lucky Charms marshmallows. To add a bit more texture and color to the cupcakes, I sprinkled some crushed Lucky Charms marshmallows on top as well. Enjoy! (Image 8)
Tips for Making These Cupcakes
This recipe is pretty simple to make, but here are just a few tips to keep in mind when making it at home:
- Beat your butter and sugar for several minutes. When mixing together your butter and sugar to make the cupcake batter, be sure to beat on high speed for at least 3-5 minutes. You want the mixture to get very fluffy to create a light and delicious texture in the cupcakes.
- After adding in each ingredient, make sure to scrape the bowl very well. This part is especially important after adding in the egg whites and sour cream. In order to get an even cupcake that rises well in the oven, you want to make sure the mixture is homogenous.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. If you try to frost the cupcakes while they are still warm, the frosting will melt. I like to transfer my baked cupcakes to a wire rack to help them cool a bit more quickly. Once they are cool to the touch, decorate away!
Common Questions About This Recipe
Toasting the Lucky Charms before steeping them enhances the flavor of the milk. If you are pressed for time, you can skip this step, but I highly recommend giving it a try.
I've found the most success when filling my cupcake liners liners about ⅔ of the way full. To make sure each cupcake is a consistent size, I like to use a cookie scoop when portioning out the batter.
To test if the cupcakes are done, insert a toothpick or cake tester directly into the center of one. If it comes out clean with just a few crumbs, it’s ready to come out of the oven. If it comes out liquidy, continue to bake the cupcakes and check every few minutes or so. To learn more about testing if a cake is done, check out this article.
How to Store & Freeze
To store: Cover and store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
To freeze: Let the cupcakes cool completely after baking, then wrap them (unfrosted) in plastic wrap or a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat the cupcakes, let them thaw at room temperature, then frost them and serve. If you're making the cream cheese frosting ahead of time, you can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Just let it thaw completely in the fridge before using it to decorate the cupcakes.
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to The Baker's Almanac for even more baking recipes and tips.
Print
Lucky Charms Cupcakes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: 14 cupcakes 1x
Description
Made with cereal milk, these Lucky Charms Cupcakes have all the flavor of your favorite cereal in cupcake form! They are a perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert for the whole family.
Ingredients
Lucky Charms Cereal Milk:
- 1 cup (36g) Lucky Charms cereal
- 1 cup (227g) whole milk
Lucky Charms Cupcakes:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large (60g) egg whites
- ¼ cup (57g) sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ (200g) cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cereal milk — see above
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces (227g) brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (454g) powdered sugar
- Optional: Lucky Charms marshmallows, for topping the cupcakes
Instructions
- Make the cereal milk: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the Lucky Charms on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. This will enhance the flavor of the cereal milk! Once toasted, transfer the cooled Lucky Charms to a bowl, then pour in the whole milk. Stir to combine, then let the mixture sit for 20 minutes. Afterwards, strain the mixture, keeping the milk and discarding the cereal. Set aside the cereal milk to use later when making the cupcakes; you should have ¾ cup of cereal milk.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- Make the cupcakes: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), cream together the softened butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add in the egg whites, sour cream, and vanilla extract, scraping well after each addition. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternate adding the cereal milk and dry ingredients into the butter mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the cereal milk.
- Divide the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each liner about ⅔ of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), combine the softened butter and cream cheese and beat until creamy and lump-free. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix well to combine. Finally, gradually add in the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined, scraping the bowl well periodically. If the frosting is a bit soft, chill it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before frosting the cupcakes.
- Decorate the cupcakes: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag (I fitted mine with a star tip), then frost the cupcakes. If desired, top them with Lucky Charms marshmallows and serve. To add a bit more texture and color to the cupcakes, I sprinkled some crushed Lucky Charms marshmallows on top as well.
- Stored tightly in an airtight container, these cupcakes will stay fresh at room temperature for 3-5 days or up to 2 months in the freezer (unfrosted).
Notes
- Cereal Milk: When making the cereal milk, I found that the amount decreased from 1 cup to ¾ cup after straining out the Lucky Charms. If you find that you don't quite have ¾ cup of cereal milk, simply add in regular whole milk until you reach ¾ cup total, then proceed with the recipe as written.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
My daughter and I made these over the weekend and loved them!! Never would have thought to toast the cereal first, I feel like that really enhanced the taste. Thanks for sharing the recipe..
So glad to hear you and your daughter enjoyed the cupcakes, Taniya! 😊