Easy and Colorful Easter Basket Cupcakes

Looking for fun Easter dessert recipes that balances celebration with a touch of wholesome goodness? These Morning Glory Muffin Easter Basket Cupcakes are just the thing! Made with nourishing ingredients like carrots, apples, and coconut, these muffins are subtly sweet, gently spiced, and perfect for little hands to help decorate.

Topped with a sprinkle of frosting and transformed into charming Easter basket cupcakes with a few fun toppings, they’re a joyful (and secretly nutritious) addition to your holiday table. Whether you're baking with your kids or prepping a treat to share, these muffins combine the playful fun and nourishing flavor. The best of both worlds!

Easter Basket Decorated Cupcake on a table.

Gather Your Ingredients for Your Easter Basket Cupcakes:

For the cupcakes (makes 18):

Eggs
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 grated, peeled apple
2 cups fresh grated carrot

For the buttercream frosting:

2 sticks of butter (room temperature)
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (may need more depending on thickness)
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the decorating:

Jelly beans
Flaky coconut
Green food coloring
Licorice rope candy (Twizzlers)

Create your Easter Basket Cupcakes:

Step 1 - Prepare the cupcake base:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tray with paper baking cups and coat lightly with a vegetable oil spray. Set aside.

Step 2:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, then add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add apples and carrots and gently coat them with the flour mixture.

Step 3:

Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. If batter feels too stiff and thick, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is smooth but not too watery.

Step 4:

Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling to the top. You can use an ice cream scoop to make the muffins the same size. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Note: To make your own buttermilk, add a squirt of lemon juice to whole milk. Let rest for 10 minutes before using.

Step 5 - Make the frosting:

Blend all your ingredients for the frosting together and blend until you reach your desired consistency. Add more sugar as needed. Let your frosting cool in the fridge slightly in a sealed container.

Step 6 - Decorate your Easter Basket Cupcakes:

Mix your coconut flakes with green food coloring to create a grass-like color. Cover your cupcake with frosting and dip in your green coconut flakes until completely coated.

Easter Basket cupcakes with green coconut topping.

Step 7:

After you dip your Easter cupcakes into the coconut, measure your rope candy to the length you want your basket handle to be and cut off any excess. Lightly dip the ends in frosting and push into your cupcake to keep stable.

Easter basket cupcakes with twizzler handle.