These Healthy Cupcakes are light, fluffy, and moist. They’re also less sweet than most conventional cupcakes, both in the cake and in the pretty pink frosting, but they are still SO delicious!
Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes
I love making classic desserts that have all of the texture and flavor we expect, but that are a little less sweet. This cupcake recipe is one of the staples in our repertoire for kids birthday parties and holidays and it is exactly what you want from a cupcake—fluffy, loaded with vanilla flavor, and sweet enough that no one will mistake it for a muffin.
“Lower sugar” is a more specific description than “healthy” in this recipe as it’s really the sugar content that’s different here.
A batch of these lower sugar cupcakes—they have 1/4-½ cup less sugar than other classic recipes, plus significantly less sweetness in the frosting options—are a great kids dessert option. They’re even a good option for a first birthday cupcake. I’ve served these to kids of all ages, as well as adults, and no one is ever the wiser as far as the sugar content goes!
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this cupcake recipe.
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- baking powder
- flour
TIP: The texture of the batter will be best if the eggs and milk aren’t freezing cold and the butter is soft at room temperature.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The process for making these cupcakes is similar to any other cupcake. Here’s a look at the steps involved. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
- Cream the butter and the sugar with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy. (photo 1)
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine. Beat in the vanilla. (photo 2)
- Add the dry ingredients and the milk, alternating and gently beating together in between. . (photo 3)
- Divide the batter among paper liners and bake. (photo 4)
TIP: It’s rare that I use electric mixers in any of my recipes since I know how chaotic homes with little kids can be, but you really do need to add air to the butter and sugar to create a fluffy cupcake.
How can I ensure these are light and fluffy?
Having the butter softened at room temperature (so when you pick up the stick of butter, it feels soft), and beating the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes. That and not over-baking and allowing the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack, not in the pan so they don’t continue cooking, are my best tips
Can I make these gluten-free?
Try using this cup for cup gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose.
Can I make these toddler cupcakes with whole wheat flour?
If you want to use a whole grain flour, I recommend using whole wheat pastry flour as it will be less dense than straight up whole-wheat. Or, use half whole-wheat and half all-purpose.
Easy Frosting Options
I have a few options that you can consider:
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (this has an intense strawberry flavor and is so good!)
- Yogurt Frosting in my Smash Cake
- Quick Chocolate Frosting with Cocoa Powder
TIP: My lower sugar Chocolate Cake is another great option (and it’s egg-free) for a less sweet, but still super yummy, dessert!
Tips for Making the Best Healthy Cupcakes
- Be sure to beat the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes until it’s fluffy for the best texture results.
- To avoid over baking, set your timer for the lower end of the time range and check the centers with a cake tester. If it comes out cleanly, and the edges are lightly golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch, pull them from the oven.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool soon after you pull them from the oven to ensure that they stop baking.
- Be sure the butter is soft at room temperature and pull the eggs and butter from the fridge about an hour before you start baking if possible.
- These are best on the day they are made. If needed, you can make these up to 24 hours ahead of time. Let cool fully and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost right before serving if possible.
- It is possible to use plain whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream in for half of the butter if desired. The results will not be as light and fluffy snd texture-wise, they will be a little less like a classic cupcake.
- It is possible to lower the sugar further to ⅓ cup. The texture will not be as light and fluffy and they will be a little less like a classic cupcake.
- Gluten-free: Use cup for cup gluten-flour.
- Top with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, yogurt frosting in my Smash Cake, or Quick Chocolate Frosting.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you make these cupcakes so please comment below!
Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes (So Easy!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature if possible)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk (at room temperature if possible)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting Yogurt Frosting, or Quick Chocolate Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- Add the butter and sugar to a medium bowl. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and thick or about 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, beating in between to fully incorporate each egg. Add in the vanilla.
- Add the baking powder, salt, and half of the flour to the bowl. Beat on the lowest speed. Add half of the milk. Beat on the lowest speed. Add the remaining flour and milk and beat on the lowest speed to just combine the batter.
- Divide the batter among the paper liners, filling each cup with about ¼ cup batter.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until just golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Frost as desired.
Equipment
Notes
- These are best on the day they are made. If needed, you can make these up to 24 hours ahead of time. Let cool fully and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost right before serving if possible.
- Store any leftover cupcakes, once frosted, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let sit for a bit at room temperature before serving to allow them to soften up (the cupcakes firm up in the fridge).
- Be sure to beat the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes until it's fluffy for the best texture results.
- To avoid over baking, set your timer for the lower end of the time range and check the centers with a cake tester. If it comes out cleanly, and the edges are lightly golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch, pull them from the oven.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool soon after you pull them from the oven to ensure that they stop baking.
- Be sure the butter is soft at room temperature and pull the eggs and butter from the fridge about an hour before you start baking if possible.
- Gluten-free: Use cup for cup gluten-flour.
- It is possible to use plain whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream in for half of the butter if desired. The results will not be as light and fluffy snd texture-wise, they will be a little less like a classic cupcake.
- It is possible to lower the sugar further to ⅓ cup. The texture will not be as light and fluffy and they will be a little less like a classic cupcake.
Nutrition
So good, even with no icing!!!
Do you think substituting the sugar with coconut sugar would work?
It should!
Will try a different cupcake recipe of yours next time… they were just not sweet enough and kind of dry. Tasted like a muffin.
Alright I tried them again the next day and they were much better ! I think maybe they needed some time to sit and get the flavors mixed in or something. Much better the day after. I would make again!
Also in the icing could you puree frozen strawberries and put those in instead of freeze dried ? I have the cupcakes baking in the oven now ..😊
Could you use maple syrup instead of sugar?
Yes, but the texture is not as good in my opinion.
I was looking for a low sugar cake because my Japanese daughter-in-law and my son don’t eat a lot of really sweet things, and I was making my grandson’s birthday cake for his 5th birthday. This cake is perfect! I had my daughter-in-law come and test it and she loved it too! I also made some minor adjustments to make a chocolate cake because my grandson wanted chocolate and vanilla, but I wanted a cake with eggs not the vegan chocolate cake that you have. The adjustments I made were minor but the cake was perfect! If anybody’s interested I substituted buttermilk for the milk (for the 1x cake recipe), I substituted 2 T of cocoa for 2 T of the flour, and I substituted 1/8 tsp of baking soda for an equal part of the baking powder, so 1-1/8 tsp baking powder. Those changes work really well and the chocolate cake was also very delicious.
This turned out great for my daughter’s 1st birthday smash cake! I used 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of the butter, and used sour cream in place of milk, turned out so moist yummy! She loved it with the strawberry frosting.
So glad to hear that!
If you do the conversion to a double or a triple the butter keeps saying it’s one stick so make sure you pay attention to that. Obviously it’s one stick her batch. Made a double batch today and it was absolutely a hit. I used a buttercream recipe for the frosting just because I didn’t have cream cheese and it was fantastic with it. Any icing would be good with this cupcake. Thank you!
Have you ever converted this recipe to a full sized cake? Any suggestions?
It will work as a 9-inch cake and the baking time will be a little longer. Enjoy!
How much will texture be compromised if I freeze them? I made them Thursday night for Friday but just learned the school birthday party is Monday.
I suspect they will be fine!
Hi Amy,
I followed the recipe but made it in a 6inch tin. It came out oily. Would you know why this is? Thanks
Hi- I haven’t had that happen so I am not sure. Is it possible the butter wasn’t fully blended it? If there were small pieces I could see it melting out a bit?
Will regular 2% milk work if I don’t have whole milk?
Sure
This looks so yummy! I want to double check to see that this is a nut free recipe.
It is nut-free according to how it’s written.
How long would you bake this for 6inch cake pans? I want to try to make this for my toddler’s birthday!
It depends on the thickness but if you divided the batter in half to make 2 6 inch cakes I would guess in the 14-16 minute range
i followed the recommended 2x recipe, and the taste is good but they feel a little dense. I am not much of a baker but I think I followed directions correctly. please let me know what can be done to make them fluffier. I used a handheld mixer fyi. more baking powder?
I would try to stir in the flour a little more gently and try lowering the baking time, or checking for doneness a minute or two sooner.
Very tasty, even with all the substitutions. Made them with half wholemeal flour and half yogurt, and even cut down sugar to around 30g for half a batch. We loved them 😊
Pinkalicious! Amy, we have loved
your recipes since our daughter was tiny. She’s home sick today on a gross rainy winter day, so we whipped these up and added a tiny bit of natural red food dye. They were perfectly pink and went along great with her favorite show Pinkalicious. Thank you!
I only have 2% milk, do you think that will work instead of whole milk?
Sure.
Could I make this in a cake pan?
will using a sugar substitute affect the recipe too much? like using lankato monkfruit sweetener?
I haven’t tested it with that option so I can’t say for sure. They may have guidance on their website though.
I made these for my one year old bday and everyone liked them! My sub says he wants the same for his 4th birthday but chocolate! Do you think i could sub 1/4 flour for 1/4 cocoa powder S it would turn out?
I know you have a chocolate cupcake recipe but it looks quite different!
I haven’t tried it the way you mention but I think that would work well!
Hey there! Love this recipe ❤️ 🧁 the calories for this recipe, do they include the calories with frosting or without frosting?
Thanks!!
Hi- the calories here are for just the cupcake. Enjoy!
Amazing recipe! I am wondering now if I am actually a good baker or was it just because I followed this recipe!!?
Ran out of cup cake covers so had to go straight into the metal cupcake tray. Results were AMAZING! Crunchy? On the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Made it with my toddler he had two, my hubby and I ate the rest! 🙂
Could you make this recipe in a cake pan or maybe double it as a sheet cake? How long would you bake if so?
Can I make these as mini cupcakes? And if so how long do you Bakr them?
Yes, about 14-16 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How long would you bake these if making mini cupcakes?
I have tried so many of Amy’s recipes and both me and my daughter love them all! These cupcakes and her avocado blueberry muffins are our favorite!
For this cupcake recipe I followed her yogurt frosting that I used last year, but added in the ground freeze dried strawberries… DELICIOUS!
Thank you for a great, easy to use food resource Amy!
Great and easy recipe that results in perfect combo of fluffy and filling with enough sweetness to replace a higher sugar cake without complaints.
Made a test 1/2 batch, which filled one 6-inch cake and three cupcakes baked for 16 mins/12 mins respectively in my Breville on convection bake. Added 3/4 tsp almond extract and will be making again for daughter’s 2nd birthday.
Having done a healthier, no sugar added cake for her first birthday, I can highly recommend this recipe, which may replace my standard cupcake recipe. It’s essentially the same but double the sugar.
Hi! We are going to be on vacation for my daughter’s birthday – was wondering if you think these would freeze well (without the frosting) so that I could just frost there? Thanks!
I think that should work great! Enjoy your trip!
Tried half of 1 batch (6 muffins) to see if it’ll be great as my son’s birthday cupcakes, and it turned out great!
Made some substitutes and tweaks as well:
I used Spelt flour throughout as 1-1 sub, and used coconut sugar cos that’s what I had on hand. I also added 2tsp calamansi juice cos i wanted a bit of tartness/sour flavor and i suppose that helped to offset the lack of airiness from using the coconut sugar (white granulated is still the best for that type of stuff).
The resulting flavor had a bit of tartness only – i probsbly should have added a bit more calamsi juice and cut down a bit on baking powder – but definitely airy! I will be using this for my son’s birthday cupcake topped with strawberry frosting using mascarpone.
Did not work at altitude (7,200 ft). The cake tasted good, but it was flat as a pancake. I adjusted the recipe to account for the attitude, like I do with any cake, but it never rose. Seemed plenty sweet with a good vanilla flavor.
Thanks for the feedback. I don’t test my recipes at a high altitude so I can’t say for sure why it didn’t work with your adjustments.
Please remove 1 stick of butter to the directions. Unfortunately it doesn’t change when you multiply the serving size and I may have a small disaster on my hands:) Thank you for delicious food!
I’ve been testing recipes to make my daughters birthday cake next week. THIS IS IT! I made it in a round cake pan and had to cook it for about 25ish minutes (I lost track) but it’s so good! Fluffy and not the usual dense you can get from homemade cakes. A little on the sweeter side than we’re used to, but delish for a birthday treat! Thanks for the amazing recipe 🧡
I’m so glad!
Hi. Can I use coconut oil instead of butter ? And if yes, will the proportions be the same ?
Thank you.
Hi Amy! I’m thinking of making these for my daughter’s 1st birthday celebration at daycare, but I won’t be able to make them the day before or day of as suggested. Is it possible to make them ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate for a few days and still retain fluffy goodness? Thanks!
Hi- Yes, they freeze really well. I’d bake, let cool fully, and freeze in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible. Then thaw at room temp and frost. I hope that helps!
Would I half the batter for mini cupcakes? Taking them into a gym for a birthday celebration and I would prefer to not have left over batter if possible – or else I will end up in the gym even longer!!! Thanks. Sound delicious
If you make the full recipe it should yield 24 mini muffins.
What would the mini cupcake bake time be?
Mini cupcakes are usually 10-12 minutes.
Is there a possible substitute for the butter?
You could use vegan butter or softened coconut oil.
Hi! If I were to make a standard 8 inch layered cake out of this, would it change the temp time in the oven?
Temperature would be the same, baking time should be around 16-18 minutes. To make a 2 layer cake, you’ll want to double the recipe. Enjoy!
Do you think you could add blueberries to these?
Yes, sure. You may want to coat them in flour first so they don’t sink to the bottom of each though.
I would give five stars it looks soooo good
I just baked these with my daughter and they turned out delicious! Really perfect Amy, thank you so much!
Can I use coconut sugar?
I haven’t tried them that way so I can’t say for sure whether the texture would be the same. Let me know if you do!
Really easy to make with a really delicious yield!
Can you replace the sugar with a sugar alternative like swerve for this recipe?
I haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure whether it may impact the texture or not. Let me know if you try it!
Can i use xylitol instead of sugar?
I haven’t tried that so I don’t know amounts or whether the texture would be the same.
Made these today and they are delicious! Made them just as instructed. Saving for future use as my default vanilla cupcake recipe!
Don’t know if I’m being dumb but what temperature should they be cooked at?
It’s 350 degrees F. It’s right in Step 1 of the recipe at the end of the post.
Do you have the calorie count if you use the whole milk greek yogurt & reduce the sugar to 1/3c?
I don’t, I’m sorry.
So is it possible I could use King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour for this recipe?
Yes, that works well
I’m curious, the the cupcake/muffin pan you used for the recipe, is it a 2.5″ diameter cupcake? I feel like the pan I have is a larger muffin one which is almost 3″ across per cupcake muffin. Just wondering to make sure I get the portions correct. Thank you!
Hi- I use a standard 12 cup muffin pan. (This is the one I use, which is the standard pan size in the US https://www.wilton.com/recipe-right-12-cup-regular-muffin-pan/191003172.html)
Is it possible to switch the sugar to powdered sugar?
I haven’t tried them that way so I can’t say for sure if the texture will be the same.
Can this recipe be made into chocolate cupcakes?
I’m planning on making these for my son’s 2nd birthday tomorrow! However I want to use a mini muffin tin – should I reduce the cooking time/oven temp and if so, what do you recommend changing it to?
The temp is the same, but bake for 14-16 minutes. I hope you all have a very happy day!
Would it be possible to bake this batter in a 4 inch cake pan, to make a mini vanilla cake? If so, would I use the whole recipe or halve it? Keep bake time the same? Thanks!
Hi- if you were planning to make two or three 4 inch cakes, I would do the recipe as is. If you want to just do one 4 inch layer, yes I would half it. The baking time might be closer to the 12-16 minute range
Making these today! Does the nutrition information include the frosting or just the cake alone? TIA.
It’s just the cupcake since folks might use a different frosting.
I’ve made this and they turned out amazingly good! Do you know if i can add fruit to it? Like strawberries? Thanks 🙂
Hi- I bet you could stir in 1 cup of diced strawberries and have good results. Let me know if you try that!
Excellent! My 5 year old had a blast making it and eating it! Super moist and delicious. I made mine into a cake using a smaller glass dish. We added maraschino cherries because my son loves them. I love being able to indulge my sons without having to feel guilty about unhealthy treats.
I’m baking at high elevation; do you think I should add a little extra flour (my go-to for adjusting recipes) or leave it as-is?
I haven’t tested it at high elevation so I can’t say for sure, but if that’s how you usually treat similar recipes, it’s probably a good idea
If I were to bake this in a two 9 inch cake pans would I need to double the recipe? Do you have any suggestion for baking time if it’s in a cake pan?
Yes, double the recipe and I think the baking time would be similar, though I would check it starting at 18 minutes just to keep an eye on it. Watch the middle of the cakes for doneness and test that area with a cake tester
Just made these with vegan butter and added 1/4 cup of sprinkles for funfetti and they came out great for daycare tomorrow!
Is there a way to make these eggless? Thank you!
I would recommend either a store bought egg replacer like the ones from Bob’s Red Mill or you could try adding 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 cup milk, which is usually a great option in baked goods. (I haven’t tested it here yet.)
My daughter won’t eat any cupcakes but ate these and wouldn’t share! Lol we made them “pink”. I had no butter so replaced with coconut oil and no white sugar so used broen sugar and texture etc all still turned out perfectly. Thankyou
My family liked it soooo much!!! I will definitively do it again and again!
Hi can I make this with oil instead of butter? And can I use maple syrup instead of sugar? Thank you
I haven’t tried it that way but the texture is likely to be very different. Let me know if you try it!
Thank you for providing so many healthier recipe options! I appreciate the detail and tips provided. I’m going to try these cupcakes with the strawberry icing, and I see that they both call for vanilla. Unfortunately, my vanilla extract contains alcohol. Therefore; I have a two-part question. 1) Does the alcohol “cook off” when the cupcakes bake? 2) Since the frosting does not get cooked, would the frosting recipe still work without vanilla? Or should I buy alcohol free vanilla, because it’s a necessary ingredient for the frosting?
Thank you again and happy New Year!
Hi! When thinking about vanilla extract in a recipe, I consider how teensy the amount is when divided by the number of servings. It’s very, very small (1/16 of a teaspoon per cupcake). So unless it’s something your doctor has mentioned, I wouldn’t be too concerned, especially in a cooked recipe. (I cannot confirm it will cook off but I suspect it does.) Or yes, you could buy alcohol-free vanilla extract, which is a little hard to find but I just got some at Trader Joes. You can totally omit it from the Strawberry frosting, but I wouldn’t make the cupcakes without one type. I hope that helps!
Looking forward to trying this for my son’s 2nd birthday this weekend! Will using 2% instead of whole milk negatively impact things (texture, flavor) in any significant way? What about salted instead of unsalted butter? Just trying to work with what’s currently in the fridge 🙂
Both of those should work fine. I’d probably omit the 1/4 teaspoon salt in the recipe but otherwise you should be good!
Hi
Can I use this for my brothers birthday he is 21
Or is this recipe just for toddlers
It works for any age!
These, along with the strawberry cream cheese frosting, were SO good! They were perfect for my daughter’s 4th birthday party. At the end of the party, all the parents were commenting that there hadn’t been a single melt-down or injury, and I honestly think it had something to do with these cupcakes… I made sure the kids first had a substantial, relatively healthy snack, then brought these out. They were far lower in sugar than what you usually find at kids’ parties, meaning that while they were quickly gobbled up, they did not lead to as much insanity as cake-time often does! I will definitely do this from now on at parties: sensible snacks first, followed by a moderately-sweet dessert. (Also, the strawberry frosting was just amazing, and so much better than the 3-4 cups of powdered sugar usually called for in buttercream frostings!) Thanks for the recipes!
I haven’t made this yet but planning to for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. I’d like to make both cupcakes and a mini cake for her. I have 2 small 5″ cake pans that I can use. Do you have any suggestion on baking time for the 5″ pans?
Also, can I sub cake flour for the all purpose flour?
Thank you!
I would guess for the 5-inch pans you’d want to start checking it after 12 minutes or so. And I haven’t tried them with cake flour but I suspect it would work okay! I hope she has a very happy birthday!
So delicious! Much more moist than the Magnolia cupcakes, which is what I usually make. I mixed in a touch of buttermilk I had left over (who can ever go through a whole quart?) and it didn’t seem to mess it up!
Awesome!
Great and easy recipe, thank you. The first recipe I looked at had 2 CUPS of sugar!! Your recipe with just half a cup was sweet enough 🙂
Would it be okay to use soy or almond milk instead of whole?
I think so!
Hi there!
Do you see any issue with making these as mini cupcakes? I presume the bake time just goes down a bit.
They should work well. I think the baking time should be around 14-16 minutes.
Made these vanilla cupcakes today and they were super easy, light, fluffy and delicious. Tanks a lot! Looking forward to try other recipes.
These were delicious! Do you think I can make them as a cake using all the same measurements?
My four-year-old daughter and my one year-old son love them, as did all of the adults. No idea why people think they taste like cardboard or corn bread! They were amazing. I’ll be making them again real soon! Thank you so much for a great recipe.
I did work on the recipe so those comments don’t reflect the current recipe and I’m glad you all enjoyed it! Yes, it should work as a 9-inch cake. I think you’d need to double it to make it a layer cake.
Loved this recipe!!!!!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Made these today and they were very yummy and fluffy! Thank you for providing healthier option for cupcakes. The extra sugar was definitely not missed.
Is it 8.5G of sugar per cupcake?
Yes.
Not sure what others are doing but mine aurely didnt taste like cardboard haha. Toddler loves them!
Those were from a previous version of the recipe. Glad your kiddo loves them!
This recipe looks awesome!!! Since I don’t use grain flour, do you think almond or coconut flour would work well as a substitute? Thanks!
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure. I usually don’t recommend subbing those flours for regular ap flour since they absorb moisture so differently, but it might be possible to use a mix of coconut and almond and get a balance! Let me know if you try it!
Tastes like cardboard. Awful!
I don’t really understand how this recipe is “healthier” as it uses refined sugar… and seems like it’s the same as any other recipes and doesn’t taste great. Sorry, hope your other recipes are better.
They have half the sugar as other standard recipes. “Healthy” means different things to different people and I don’t think that it means zero refined sugars. Not everyone will like every recipe I have and I appreciate your feedback.
I don’t feel like writing a whole review, so I’m just going to keep this simple. It tasted exactly like cornbread. A dense, dry, tasteless cornbread . I was convinced that I had made a mistake in the recipe, but after checking it multiple times I found that I had followed the recipe correctly. Maybe I did make a mistake, but I can’t find out where I went wrong.
I had the same experience baking these today for my 4-yr old. He was so excited and then disappointed by the taste.
I saw a comment about making this recipe as a cake You suggested doubling the recipe and using 2 8” rounds. Have you had the opportunity to try this as a cake yet? I tried doubling the recipe and it came out similar to corn bread consistency. I’m not a great baker so it’s VERY possible I did something wrong ?
It sounds like it was perhaps baked a little too long. Did you do it for the same time as the cupcakes?
It was raw at that time so I baked longer. I’m going to try again so wish me luck! ?
Good luck! I hope it works out!
While staying home, my kids wanted cupcakes quite often. I was worried about other recipies I tried that were too rich, or called for too much sugar. These are perfect for kids! Now I get excited when they ask for cupcakes. Thanks!!
I’m so glad to hear that!
I made this cupcake recipe with the sour cream and frosted it with my own whipped cream for my daughter’s preschool class. The flavor was great for me since I don’t like things too sweet, but I thought it was a little dense. Half of the kids gobbled it up (seems like the ones who don’t usually get sweets often!), but the other half took only a few bites. My daughter enjoyed all of it and that’s what mattered to me, especially when it’s low on sugar and butter!
I am a little disappointed in the frosting. I followed the recipe and used maple syrup but the “1/3 fat cream cheese.” Do you think that ruined it? The frosting is VERY cream-cheesy. OR, is that just the way it is supposed to taste?
The frosting is mostly cream cheese, so yes, it does taste like cream cheese.
Hello,
I’m testing this recipe for my toddler’s birthday party – it says to add salt in Step 4 but doesn’t list salt as an ingredient above or say how much to add. Could you add that in?
Thanks!
1/4 teaspoon!
Hi any, this recipe is great! Just a little problem with the cake stuck to the paper liner a lot. Is there a good way to solve that without putting too much grease on the liner? Thank you!
If you can lightly grease the papers, that would be the best bet!
Such an awesome recipe, my daughter really loved it and she’s very picky 🙂
These look delicious. I’m going to try them for my daughter’s 2nd bday. Just wondering, should these be kept in a refrigerator since they have cream cheese frosting? Or how long do you recommend them sitting out for the party?
If it’s not super hot, they would probably be okay for an hour or so at room temperature. If it’s very warm or you’ll be outside with them, I’d refrigerate them as long as you can before serving and possibly keep them in a cooler while outside. (The cake will firm up a little in the fridge but not enough to make a big difference—just so you expect that!) Happy almost birthday to her!
It says to add salt but it does not say how much salt you need to put in
Hi. Recipe looks delicious! Do you think these could be made in advance, frozen, thawed & then frosted? Thank you!!
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work fine. I would plan to serve them on the day they are thawed if possible. Please let me know if it works well if you try it!
Is the nutrition facts for the cupcakes and the frosting or for only the cupcakes?
It’s for the cupcake with the frosting
I scoured the internet for the perfect recipe for my 1 year old’s photos and birthday Sunday and this sounds like the perfect one! Excited to get them made tomorrow!
I hope they’re a hit and happiest birthday to your almost newly minted toddler!
Do you think I could replace the sour cream with plain full fat Greek yogurt? (Or is there any other substitution?)
I haven’t tried it but they’re a similar consistency so I think it should work!
These cupcakes are wonderful!! Perfect amount of sweet for little and big people. I made them for “special person” day at my son’s school and they were a big hit – thank you for this great recipe!
Hooray! I’m so glad to hear that!
Could I double the recipe to make this a cake? Wanting to make a low sugar cake for my daughters 3rd birthday, and it’s pretty hard to find good recipes but this one sounds yum!
I think that should work, though I haven’t tried it myself! I would think that you could double the batter, then split it between two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans to make a layer cake. The cooking time will be about the same (I think) though use a cake tester inserted into the center to test. It’s done when the edges of the cake are lightly golden brown and the cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Does that sound like what you were thinking?
This recipe worked great to make both a birthday cake and cupcakes for my daughter’s first birthday. It was a nice spongy consistency. We decorated with a thin layer of normal frosting/icing on top and the overall taste was pleasantly sweet but not overpowering. I will say that we found that it took longer to bake both the cake and cupcakes but we are in the UK and used a fan oven. One recipe was enough for one round cake pan or about a dozen cupcakes.
I’m so glad to hear that you had success with the recipe!
THIS RECIPE IS PERFECT FOR MY LITTLE TODDLERS, MY HONEY BUNCHES. THEY LOVED THIS!! IT WAS PERFECT FOR MY TWO BABIES, SEEING HOW THEY LICKED THE BOWL STRAIGHT CLEAN. A PERFECT RECIPE FOR MAXIMUS’S 2ND BIRTHDAY. SORRY IT’S IN ALL CAPS, I CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO TURN IT OFF.
Hooray, I’m so glad to hear that and I like the all caps—it just sounds like you’re excited!!
Am I missing it somewhere but I do not see how much cream cheese, maple syrup & sour cream to add to make the frosting? ty
It’s at the bottom! 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream, and 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
I added cut up raspberries and blueberries to the batter. Looks amazing!
That’s a great idea!
Hi, Do you think I could make the batter the night before and bake in the morning with no ill effects? Thank you!
I haven’t tried it, but if you do it, store it in the fridge and then let it come to room temp (or close to it) before baking. You wouldn’t want to bake super cold batter. Let me know if you try it!
thanks amy!
This is my go-to cupcake recipe every time I need to make Birthday or party treats for my daughter. They are always a big hit! I’m trying the recipe with the cocoa frosting today 🙂
How you tried this recipe with whole wheat flour? Just wondering if it makes a difference since that is all I have in the cupboard at the moment.
Yay! I haven’t made it with all ww flour and suspect it would be muffin-like. If you can do half and half, use ww pastry flour, or sift the ww flour first to get some air in (and mix really gently) that might do the trick!
My toddler and I have just made these. We did them without frosting and substituted the sour cream for Greek yogurt. We did the lower sugar version. They are absolutely delicious!!!!! We had them warm from the oven. I did need to cook them for an extra 15mins x
Yay!
These turned out just OK. They ended up tasting eggy which didn’t appeal to me. The icing was runny so I added powdered sugar to thicken it up which worked but I had to add a lot which defeated the purpose of my low sugar mission.
Have you ever made this recipe as a cake? I want to do a cake for my son’s 1st birthday, how would you adjust the recipe or cooking times?
If you want to make it as a cake, you can do it in a 9 inch round pan for 24-26 minutes I believe. If you want to make a two-layer cake and put frosting in between, you’ll need to double everything. (I did this recipe which is sort of similar if you want to check it out: http://www.superhealthykids.com/lower-sugar-vanilla-cake-strawberry-frosting/)
These are great. I was out of sour cream so I used yogurt. They turned out perfectly light.
Also no frosting needed with 1/4 sugar.
These are very good! I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream, perfect for toddlers. I cheated and used strawberry yogurt for icing and it was fine.
Great, and that sounds like a great option!
I just made these cupcakes for my daughter to take along to daycare for her birthday – thank you. The cakes themselves are lovely, but I’ve also run into issues with the icing – as previous commenters have mentioned, it has the consistency of yoghurt. It seemed fine up until I added the maple syrup & vanilla, was very runny from there (I notice there’s no mention of adding the vanilla in the frosting recipe, but I doubt this would be enough liquid to be responsible for the loose consistency!). Cupcakes still taste great – thanks again.
Hi I’ve made the frosting but it’s very runny like thick yoghurt and can’t put it on the cupcakes? What can I do to thicken it?
I’m sorry to hear that. You could try adding more cream cheese!
I made these last night without the frosting and they were absolutely awesome. They came out real moist and I love how they aren’t overwhelming sweet. I added two chopped granny smith apples and all my sugar-addict co-workers loved them. I’m not diabetic but normally when I eat a lot of sugar or normal cake batter I get a real bad headache, with this recipe I didn’t!
Also used greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it worked great.
Can I substitute the milk with almond milk? Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I haven’t done it but I’d think it would be okay. Just use plain (not vanilla) if you can!
If I wanted a blue coloring for the frosting (my sons favorite color) what would you recommend?
It will be hard to get blue from a fruit or veggie (things like blueberries will look purple). You could try a product like this though: http://amzn.to/2cXX3xQ
I see. Thank you! Any adjustments if I wanted to do mini cupcakes?
You’d need to bake them for less time—likely around 14 minutes, but start testing them 2 minutes before. You want a cake tester inserted into the center to come out cleanly.
Can I make these for adults also?
Hi, would your recipe work for a large cake rather than cupcakes?
heyy there,
im just wondering how many calories are in these per cupcake ?
I love your recipes! I plan on making these for my daughter’s second birthday. Can you sub Greek yogurt for sour cream or is the sour cream a crucial component?
I haven’t tried it but I’d think plain Greek yogurt would work!
How long will the cupcakes keep in an airtight container? Also if I don’t ice them could I freeze them?
They are best on the day baked or the day before but I wouldn’t make them much earlier. You can freeze them for up to 3 months but again they are best on the day they are baked.
I’m a novice at all this and the cupcakes themselves came out great, but the icing twice was too runny. It’s still in the fridge in case anyone can respond quite soon!!
Reading the instructions again, I may have only mixed a bit before I added the fruit puree, could that be what made it go wrong? Even though I mixed with handheld mixer for like 5 minutes after that, it only ever got slightly thicker, or should I mix even longer?
Or could it be I didn’t use exact right proportions of the soft cheese to sour cream?
Or is soft cheese not the same as cream cheese? (I’m in england but used Philadelphia brand which I guess is the same in the US?)
Hi there. If you used more sour cream than the cream cheese (Philadelphia brand is right) that would make it runnier. If you have more cream cheese, I’d add that in or you could try beating in some softened butter. I’m sorry you have trouble it I hope they work out!
I noticed you mentioned fruit puree.. I think this recipe uses dried fruit (strawberries). Could this be why your icing was runny?
Can I substitute whole wheat flour in the cupcakes?
Yes, though whole wheat pastry flour would be a bit better since it’s less dense. If you use regular, maybe sift it first and be sure not to overmix it. Enjoy!
I made 4 dozen for everyone at my son’s daycare for his 4th birthday. I used the 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 ginormous double yolk egg in each batch. They came out with the perfect amount of sweetness. Also, a bit small which may have to do with slightly less egg? But I prefer them this size for the little ones. Might be a little difficult to decorate as I am attempting pirate faces. In the end, they don’t judge my artistic abilities, thank goodness. Thanks for sharing!
I love hearing that you are making them for your son’s birthday and I hope that the decorating goes well—it sounds like the kids will love them! (The egg might have something to do with it, but my cupcake recipes generally are on the smaller side since I agree with you about portion size for little ones.)
I made these with spelt flour and molasses and they were vanished by the whole family 🙂 thank you for the recipe!
Those sound like delicious variations—I’m glad your family enjoyed them!
These cupcakes have a terrible texture and it’s definitely off. I tried to make these twice following the recipe exactly. They came out rubbery and awful.
Hi Rebecca- I do make every recipe 2-3 times and share them with my family and friends, so I am sorry that these did not turn out well for you.