16 Mini Cupcake Recipes That You Just Have To Make

Cupcakes are a dessert that you just never get bored of, with the amount of different flavors and designs, you practically can never go wrong when baking them.

But sometimes eating too many of them can leave you feeling guilty, but thankfully we’ve got the perfect answer for that- mini cupcakes!

You can eat tons of them without feeling guilty, so if you’re in the mood for a cupcake but not wanting the extra calories, check out these 16 delicious mini cupcake recipes. 

1. Mini Cheesecake Cupcakes

Love cheesecake and cupcakes? Well this recipe combines them into one delicious mini cupcake. They may not be the first thing to come to mind when thinking about mini cupcakes, but they’re unique enough to turn heads.

The bottom layer consists of classic graham cracker crumbs and the next layer is a deliciously sweet and creamy cheesecake layer and for the last step, you can choose the topping you want, for example homemade strawberry sauce or homemade caramel sauce. 

The best thing about this recipe is that it includes different variations of the recipe that includes different flavors, for example it lists a chocolate cheesecake recipe or cherry cheesecake recipe and there’s a few others to choose from too. 

2. Mini Chocolate Cupcakes 

This is the perfect recipe for if you’re looking for a creamy, indulgent mini cupcake (see also ‘28 Filled Cupcakes You’ll Flip For‘). They include dark chocolate and cocoa powder in the batter and it’s topped with a rich and decadent chocolate frosting that almost looks too good to eat!

If you’re looking for even more chocolate-y goodness, add some chocolate sprinkles to the top for an extra dose of tastiness. 

3. Mini Cupcakes With Chocolate Buttercream

Craving a chocolate cupcake but without the crazy sugar rush? This one is perfect for you. It uses standard vanilla sponge but it’s topped with a beautiful and sweet chocolate buttercream.

What makes it even more rewarding is that you’ll be making your own chocolate buttercream to top the cupcake, but don’t let that scare you off, it’s really quite simple and only includes 5 ingredients.

Overall they take about 22 minutes to make completely, so you won’t be craving them for too long! 

4. Mini Brownie Cupcakes

These brownie cupcakes will give you a chocolate explosion in your mouth and since they’re mini, you don’t have to worry about the calories!

Making brownies can be difficult, but since you’re making them in a cupcake form it’s a whole lot easier to get the right consistency.

They’re topped with a rich and sweet chocolate ganache that you’ll make from scratch, but trust us it’ll only take about two minutes. 

5. Mini Lemon Cupcakes

These lemon cupcakes have the perfect amount of zesty and juicy goodness! They’re the perfect addition to any summer garden party, or even just as a regular dessert (see also ‘54 Individual Desserts In A Cup You Can Make From Home‘) when you’re craving one- they’re super versatile.

You’ll use lemon juice and zest in the sponge, followed by a zesty lemon buttercream, just one of these mini cupcakes will leave you fulfilled as it packs so much flavor in a single cupcake. 

6. Mini Rainbow Cupcakes

This recipe is perfect if you’re looking for an alternative to the plain sponge most of these recipes boast, this sponge features a range of colors from the rainbow making it super pleasing to the eye.

It’s just a simple vanilla sponge but gel food coloring is added to create the vibrant colors in the layers and the vanilla cloud frosting is just to die for!

It also has a relatively short start to finish time, you’ll be able to make 24 cupcakes in just under an hour. 

7. Mini Vanilla Cupcakes

Of course we couldn’t do mini cupcake recipes without the classic vanilla cupcake, could we? You can hardly go wrong with vanilla cupcakes, so you’ll have an even harder time going wrong with these mini cupcakes.

They’ll be a hit wherever you’re serving them, and since they’re small, you can make so many more of them in a much shorter time. 

Don’t mistake their simplicity for a lack in flavor, their vanilla sponge and buttercream is absolutely delectable, and if you’re looking for something to jazz it up a bit, you can add sprinkles or choose a different flavor of buttercream.

8. Pumpkin Pecan Bites

If you’re looking for a more aromatic and warming flavor, you just have to make these pumpkin pecan bites.

They have such an intense, nutty and sweet taste to them, it just reminds you instantly of fall, they’re the perfect confection for those cold, winter nights when you’re looking for a bit of a pick me up.

And since they’re only bite size, that’s not too many calories, right? 

The cream cheese frosting provides the right amount of sweetness to this treat, and it only calls for 6 ingredients, making it quite simple to make. So you’ll have these delicious treats made in no time. 

9. Mini Cupcakes Using Cake Mix

Now not all of us are natural bakers, sometimes we just want a simple sweet treat without going through the hassle of baking when we know we don’t have the natural flair.

This is where store bought cake mix comes in, and you’ll be pleased to know that you can use this regular cake mix to make mini cupcakes too. 

You’ll make these by using mini muffin tins instead of using a cake tin and you have free reign over how you want to decorate them, so they can be decorated in line with any event or even just however you like them.

It won’t take longer than half an hour, so you’ll have your tasty cupcakes in no time. 

10. Dark Chocolate Mini Cupcakes With Salted Caramel Frosting 

Is your mouth not watering just at the thought of these mini cupcakes? If you love a bit of saltiness to balance out the sweetness of the cupcakes, then you definitely need to make this recipe.

The indulgent and rich dark chocolate is perfectly balanced with the salted caramel frosting and it’s then sprinkled lightly with coarse sea salt making it the perfect combination of sweet and salty. 

These treats don’t just taste good, they look good too! 

11. Mini Oreo Cupcakes

Oreos are the perfect confection to add into mini cupcakes, so of course we need to include a mini Oreo cupcake recipe, even Oreo have their own mini versions, so it’s a match made in heaven!

You’ll be making these cupcakes with standard vanilla sponge but full of crushed Oreos, and you’ll be adding a full mini Oreo in the bottom of each cupcake for good measure.

Of course the frosting features, you guessed it, crushed mini oreos, making it an Oreo overload! But these mini cupcakes taste seriously good and they’ll definitely be a crowd favorite wherever you serve them. 

12. Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is the perfect Valentine’s treat to make for your loved one. These mini versions of cupcakes pack the same punch that the classic flavor does, so even though they’ll be gone in two bites, you’ll finish them feeling satisfied.

They’re topped with a delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting which compliments the red velvet flavor amazingly and then they’re added with red sprinkles to make them look even better.

Best of all, you’ll be making them entirely from scratch and it’ll only take around 30 minutes to bake almost four dozen cupcakes, how can you not want to make these? 

13. Mini Coconut Cupcakes

Another homemade recipe made completely from scratch, the mini version of coconut cupcakes is hard to beat!

It features the delicious, tropical flavor of the coconut topped off with a beautiful coconut buttercream frosting giving it a wonderfully creamy texture, they’re the perfect confection for spring or summer.

You can make around 36 mini cupcakes in just half an hour, making these the perfect treat to mass bake for an event or bring along with you to a party. 

14. Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes

This recipe is the perfect confection to remind you of Fall. They’re super fluffy and flavorful and hold a mighty punch of pumpkin-y goodness, it’ll be hard to stop after just one.

Thankfully this recipe makes two dozen mini cupcakes and takes around 40 minutes from start to finish to make, so if you find that you can’t stop after the first one, don’t worry there’s always more to bake! 

15. Easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These mini cupcakes include all the things that make carrot cake so delicious. From the cinnamon and nutmeg to the applesauce and cream cheese frosting – this recipe has it.

They’re made with a traditional carrot cake sponge and topped with a delicious vanilla buttercream frosting, they’re also topped with sprinkles and candied carrot shavings, which are surprisingly easy to make, but if you’re unsure about making them, they can be left off.

Trust us, you won’t regret making these heavenly mini cupcakes. 

16. Strawberry Mini Cupcakes

The strawberry flavor is a favorite in the cupcake world, so naturally they should be made into mini cupcakes.

They’re super easy to make and only have 11 ingredients with a start to finish time of 35 minutes and what’s more, each cupcake only contains 130 calories, so you’ll get a flavorsome mini cupcake without the guilt! 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Store Cupcakes?

If your cupcakes don’t have frosting, they can be stored for a day or two if they’re tightly covered at room temperature. But they can be stored with or without frosting for up to 7 days if they’re refrigerated.

Can Buttercream Be Frozen?

Yes! You can store buttercream in an airtight container for up to 3 months. But ensure that you leave the buttercream to thaw in the refrigerator once you plan to use it again. 

Can Cupcakes Be Frozen?

If the cupcakes don’t have frosting, then they can be frozen as long as they are tightly wrapped. They can be frozen for around 4-6 months. 

Final Thoughts

There’s 16 of the cutest mini cupcake recipes around!

They’re all absolutely delicious in their own right but if you get a chance, try to make as many of these as you can since they all pack their own unique flavor and they’re the perfect confection to have multiple different flavors of. 

They are great for events or parties, but they’re also perfect for just serving at home, making them one of the most versatile confections out there.

They are essentially guilt-free too, since they’re mini you’re getting the taste of a full sized cupcake, but with none of the guilt or sugar rush that comes with them.

Whichever one you decide to make is sure to be hit amongst the crowd, so get baking and show off your skill!