Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes
Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes are fun, colorful cupcakes full of Fruity Pebbles cereal and topped with a sweet, key lime buttercream.
These Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes are so much fun to make, and they’re absolutely adorable. They’re perfectly sweet and full of fruit flavors and key lime frosting. We love cupcakes of all kinds! Some of our other favorites are Macadamia Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting, Spiced Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream, and Hot Chocolate Cupcakes.
Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes Recipe:
Several years ago when we first started blogging, John came up with this awesome idea to add Fruity Pebbles to cupcakes and then sprinkle some on top as a cute garnish. I loved the idea, so we made a batch of test cupcakes from scratch, and it worked great. Then we went ahead with the “real deal” cupcakes and added homemade key lime buttercream with cute little Fruity Pebbles “sprinkles.”
Little did we know, Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes were already a thing. Here we are several years down the road. I’ve updated the recipe to make it easier, but no worries! These cupcakes are still amazing, and they still have the same key lime buttercream. That’s what makes ours stand out from the rest.
These cupcakes are light, fluffy and full of “funfetti.” They bake up perfectly every time, and there’s plenty to feed a crowd. Your entire family will love these, and the kids will enjoy adding the Fruity Pebbles sprinkles to the top!
How to Make Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two cupcake pans with liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, vanilla pudding, eggs, sour cream, oil, and water.
- Fold in 1 cup of Fruity Pebbles cereal.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners ensuring to fill only 1/4 to 1/2 full.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, softened butter, some of the milk, and key lime juice. Add more milk to reach desired consistency.
- After the cupcakes cool, use a piping bag to apply the frosting.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cereal over the tops of the cupcakes.
Cupcake Tips and Variations:
- Batter: Even though these cupcakes are made with cake mix, it is possible to overmix the batter. Follow the directions on the box in regards to mixing. Usually it’s about 2 – 3 minutes depending on the brand.
- Liners: Don’t overfill the liners; otherwise, you’ll end up with cupcake overflow. They’ll end up cooking to the top of the pan, and everything will be a huge mess. Only fill the liners to 1/4 to 1/2 way full max.
- Frosting: We love the flavor of key lime frosting on these cupcakes, but feel free to switch that out to your favorite. I use a piping bag to apply the frosting, and don’t go all the way to the edges. That gives me just enough for about 22 cupcakes. If you like a lot of frosting, I’d recommend making a double batch. Also, this frosting has a subtle key lime flavor. If you want a more robust flavor, try adding some lime or key lime extract as opposed to key lime juice. The key lime juice is highly acidic and can break down the integrity of the frosting.
- Cereal: Don’t use beaters to mix the cereal into the batter. It will break up the pieces into tiny bits and distribute them throughout the batter instead of having whole cereal pieces suspended in batter.
Storage Recommendations:
Room Temperature: These cupcakes should cool completely at room temperature before applying the frosting. However, they should not be stored at room temperature indefinitely.
Refrigerator: The cupcakes are best when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Discard any leftovers after 5 days.
Freezer: These cupcakes can be frozen without the frosting. We like to use this method for freezing cupcakes that’s basically wrapping them well with press-n-seal plastic wrap, then placing them in a large Ziploc bag. The cupcakes will stay good for about a month. Place them in the refrigerator in the packaging to thaw, and frost as normal.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 16.25 ounces white cake mix, 1 box
- 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding, 1 box
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil, or canola
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cups Fruity Pebbles cereal, divided
Key Lime Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 to 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon key lime juice
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two cupcake pans with liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, vanilla pudding, eggs, sour cream, oil, and water. Use a spatula to fold 1 cup Fruity Pebbles into cupcake batter.16.25 ounces white cake mix3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding3 large eggs¾ cup sour cream¾ cup vegetable oil½ cup water
- Use a measuring cup or scoop to fill the cupcake liners about ¼ to ½ way full.
- Baked for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes about clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
To Make the Key Lime Buttercream Icing
- In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl combine softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, and key lime juice. Start with less milk and more to achieve the desired consistency.1 cup unsalted butter4 cups powdered sugar4 to 6 tablespoons milk1 tablespoon key lime juice
- Once cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, frost the cupcakes and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cereal on top of each cupcake as garnish.