Easter Peep Cupcakes

Brighten your spring celebrations with these delicious and very cute Easter Peep cupcakes. They’re incredibly easy to make and just perfect for your Easter table.

Also try Italian Easter cake, Easter sugar cookies, mini vanilla Bundt cakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch bars, and lemon-stuffed cupcakes.

Why You’ll Love It

Easy to make: This recipe is straightforward to make, especially as the boxed cake mix is a handy timesaver.
So cute: Easter Peep cupcakes are really adorable.
Sweet and tasty: Fluffy vanilla-flavored cupcakes are topped with a rich buttercream frosting and then decorated with Peeps and chocolate eggs for max flavor!

Peep’s Nest Easter Cupcakes Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Yellow cake mix: Provides a moist and flavorful base for the cupcakes.
Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a slight tang to the cupcakes, making them extra tender. It also helps activate the leavening agents for a better rise.
Vegetable oil: Keeps the cupcakes soft and moist by adding richness without making them too heavy. Unlike butter, oil stays liquid at room temperature, which helps maintain a tender texture for longer.
Large eggs: Provide structure and stability to the cupcakes while helping to bind the ingredients together. Eggs also contribute to the cupcakes’ rise and create a light, fluffy texture.
Unsalted butter: Used in the buttercream frosting for a rich, creamy texture.
Powdered sugar: I use powdered sugar to sweeten and stabilizes the buttercream frosting.
Kosher salt: This recipe uses kosher salt to enhance the flavor by balancing the sweetness of the frosting, making it more complex and well-rounded. The slightly larger flakes of kosher salt also dissolve evenly, preventing any overpowering salty spots.
Vanilla extract: This recipe uses vanilla extract to enhance the flavor of the cake and the frosting.
Heavy cream: Adjusts the consistency of the frosting to make it smooth and spreadable.
Edible Easter grass: Serves as a decorative element to create the appearance of a nest on top of each cupcake.
Pink and yellow marshmallow Peeps: Act as the adorable chick toppers for the cupcakes.
Robin egg chocolates: These represent eggs in the nest, adding a crunchy texture and chocolate flavor.

How to Make Bird’s Nest Cupcakes

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Make the cupcakes: Combine the cupcake batter ingredients and divide the mixture between 24 cups in a cupcake pan. Bake cupcakes until done and then cool completely.
Prepare the buttercream frosting: Beat butter until creamy and then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream, and beat some more.
Frost and decorate the cupcakes: Frost the cupcakes and add edible Easter grass, a marshmallow Peep and a couple of chocolate eggs to each one.

Substitutions and Variations

Yellow cake mix: If you prefer, you can substitute vanilla cake mix or a homemade yellow cake recipe.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick substitute by mixing milk with a little lemon juice or vinegar.
Vegetable oil: If needed, melted butter or canola oil can be used as a substitute.
Unsalted butter: If you’re using salted butter, you can omit the additional salt in the frosting.
Kosher salt: If needed, you can substitute fine sea salt, but use a little less since it’s more concentrated.
Vanilla extract: Use another flavor extract if preferred.
Edible Easter grass: If unavailable, you can use shredded coconut tinted with green food dye as a substitute.
Peeps: Any marshmallow animal shapes can be used as alternatives.
Robin egg chocolates: Mini chocolate eggs or jelly beans can be substituted.
Extra decorations: For extra festive flair, you can also add sprinkles or colored sugar to the frosting.
Buttercream frosting: If you want to use cream cheese, you could also whip up a cream cheese frosting instead.

Serving Suggestions

With brunch: Enjoy a Peep cupcake with your carrot cake oatmeal or sausage breakfast burritos.
As a sweet treat: After a dinner of pineapple glazed ham and fondant potatoes, serve these super-cute Peeps cupcakes as a sweet treat for dessert. Frosted Lucky Charms cookies are another delicious idea.

How to Store Peep Cupcakes

Store: Keep the decorated cupcakes in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days, but allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Freeze: They’re unsuitable for freezing.