Lucky Charms Cupcakes

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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.

This past weekend, 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 eat far too many of them.

Growing up, Lucky Charms was never my go-to cereal—I am definitely more of a Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops kind of girl. But, with St. Patrick's Day nearing, Lucky Charms seems like the quintessential cereal for this time of year.

To celebrate this holiday, I wanted to try making some special cupcakes, and I'm so pleased with how these turned out! Made with cereal milk, these Lucky Charms cupcakes are perfectly moist and rich in flavor.

Tips for Making These Cupcakes

The recipe below is pretty straightforward, but here are some tips to get perfect Lucky Charms cupcakes every time:

Beat your butter and sugar for several minutes. When mixing together your butter and sugar, make sure to beat on high speed for at least 3-5 minutes. You want the mixture to get very fluffy because this leads to an overall lighter 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 mixture that rises well, you want to make sure all the ingredients are 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 cupcakes to a wire rack because this ensures they cool quickly. Once they are cool to the touch, go to town with the decorating!

Common Questions About These Cupcakes

Why do you need to toast the Lucky Charms when making the cereal milk?

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.

How much should you fill the cupcakes?

For the longest time, I struggled to get the perfect height on my cupcakes. I recommend filling your liners about two-thirds of the way up. To do this, I usually like to use a cookie scoop to ensure consistency.

How do you tell when the cupcakes are done?

To test if the cake is done, insert a toothpick or cake tester directly into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean with just a few crumbs, it’s done baking. 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.

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Author: Leslie Jeon
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 15 cupcakes 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

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

Scale

Lucky Charms Cereal Milk:

1 cup milk
1 cup (41g) Lucky Charms Cereal

Lucky Charms Cupcakes:

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 large (60g) egg whites
¼ cup (60g) sour cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ⅔ (210g) cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup cereal milk — see above

Vanilla Frosting:

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Optional: green food coloring
Optional: extra Lucky Charms marshmallows

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 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 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 for use later in the cupcakes.
Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin 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 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. 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 batter into the cupcake tin, filling each liner about two-thirds 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 five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), cream the butter for 3-5 minutes, or until it has lightened in color. Add in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt, and beat until well combined. Add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too liquid and more milk if the frosting is too thick. If desired, add in a tiny amount of food coloring to make the frosting light green.
Frost the cupcakes as desired (I used a large round tip), then top with Lucky Charms marshmallows and enjoy.

Equipment

Cupcake Liners

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12-Cup Muffin Pan

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Disposable Piping Bags

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Notes

Stored in an airtight container, these cupcakes will stay fresh for up to three days. Alternatively, you can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to two months.
When making the cereal milk, I found that the amount decreased from 1 cup to ¾ cup after straining out the Lucky Charms. While the cupcake recipe only calls for ¾ cup of cereal milk, you can supplement the mixture with normal milk if necessary.