These Healthy Cupcakes are light, fluffy, and moist. They also happen to have less sugar than most conventional cupcakes, both in the cake and in the pretty pink frosting, but they are still plenty sweet!
Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes
If you have a kiddo, chances are you’ve been to birthday parties with giant cupcakes with heaping mounds of frosting. I am absolutely not opposed to desserts—and I never restrict treats when we do go to parties—but I do believe that it’s possible to serve sweets with better nutritional profiles that still taste good. These healthier cupcakes are a perfect example.
Healthy Cupcakes for Kids
A batch of these lower sugar cupcakes would be a great addition to a birthday party, holiday party, dinner with other families, or a special occasion. 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 in Healthy Cupcakes
Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this cupcake recipe.
- butter
- sugar
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- baking powder
- baking soda
- flour
- raspberries, optional
Can I make these healthy cupcakes 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.
How to Make Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes Step-by-Step
The process for making these cupcakes is similar to any other cupcake. Here’s a look at the steps involved.
- Preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Gather your ingredients. (photo 1)
- Cream the butter and the sugar with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. (photo 2)
- Add in the milk, vanilla, and eggs and beat to combine. (photo 3)
- Add the dry ingredients and gently fold together with a spatula. (photo 4)
- Spoon into paper liners, filling each cup about halfway. (photo 5)
- Bake and remove from pan and let cool. (photo 6)
TIP: Do not over bake these or let them cool in the pan as that will result in not great texture.
Tips for Baking Cupcakes with the Kids
My girls love to help me in the kitchen and with cupcakes, here’s what we do.
- I let them put the paper liners into the tin.
- I measure the ingredients and let them add them to the bowl.
- I help them hold and use the electric mixer.
Keep in mind that you’ll want to pull the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge at least 1-2 hours before you want to start baking so they have time to come to soften up at room temperature. They should be soft to the touch so they whip up easily.
Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes with Lower Sugar
The recipe calls for about half as much sugar as conventional recipes. And as you are mixing the frosting, stop to taste it for sweetness. Remember that it will be eaten with the sweeter cake base, but adjust the sweetener according to your preference.
How can I be sure that my cupcakes are light and moist, not dense?
When you mix in the dry ingredients, be gentle and fold them in using a spatula until just combined. Stirring vigorously could cause the gluten in the flour to toughen up, which you don’t want.
The other key is to keep an eye on them as they bake. I set my 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. You’ll want to transfer them to a wire rack to cool soon after you pull them from the oven to ensure that they stop baking. (Over baked cupcakes may be dense.)
Store-Bought Cupcake Tip
This is a little random, but can come in handy: For the times that you purchase cupcakes, know that you can always request that they use less frosting than usual to cut down on sweetness! There will still be plenty of frosting and the kids won’t ever know the difference.
How to Make Dye-Free Frosting
To make this frosting, you’ll need cream cheese, vanilla extract, honey, and raspberries. You mash the berries and strain them to release the bright red juice, then beat it into the cream cheese for pale pink frosting. I put the frosting into a zip top plastic bag, cut one end off, and use that to pipe on swirls. So pretty!
You can also leave out the raspberries and keep the frosting white to simplify things. Or consider using natural food coloring. All are find options!
TIP: This frosting tastes like cream cheese since that’s the primary ingredient. It’s hard to make a frosting without powdered sugar without some sort of dairy. If you don’t think your kids will like that, you can try a more traditional buttercream. Or check out the Yogurt Frosting in my Smash Cake or this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting which is still made of cream cheese, but it has a very delightfully intense strawberry flavor.
Can I make these healthy cupcakes ahead of time?
They are best on the day they are made but you can bake them the day before. Simply let them cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost right before serving. If you won’t need all of the cupcakes, frost just the ones you expect to eat and store the rest. You can store the frosting in an airtight storage bag in the fridge. Frost the remaining cupcakes before serving. (The cupcakes will firm up if you put them into the fridge so I don’t suggest doing that.)
Tips for Making the Best Healthy Cupcakes
- When you mix in the dry ingredients, be gentle and fold them in using a spatula until just combined.
- 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.
- Let the butter and cream cheese soften at room temperature for 1-2 hours to ensure they are soft enough to whip up.
- To make these gluten-free, use cup for cup gluten-flour.
- Frost right before serving.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you make these cupcakes so please comment below!
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Lightly sweetened classic vanilla cupcakes perfect for toddlers. Please note that the frosting does taste like cream cheese since that’s the primary ingredient. If you don’t think your kids will like it, you can try a more traditional buttercream. Or check out the Yogurt Frosting in my Smash Cake or this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting which is still made of cream cheese, but it has a very delightfully intense strawberry flavor. (This recipe was updated with additional information and to use more butter and no sour cream or yogurt for much better overall texture in February 2020.)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 recipe Raspberry Frosting
- raspberries, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- Mix together the butter and the sugar in a medium bowl with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- Add in the milk, vanilla, and eggs and beat to combine.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir with a spatula gently just to combine.
- Spoon into paper liners, filling each cup about halfway. (Each will take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes or until just golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Frost as desired.
Notes
Raspberry Frosting
- Mash 1/2 cup raspberries in a small bowl with a fork. Spoon into a fine mesh colander and press and scrape through the wire to release the juices into a small bowl. Discard the seeds. You should have about 1/4 cup smooth raspberry puree. Set aside.
- Beat 8 ounces cream cheese (softened at room temperature), 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature), and 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add additional sweetener if necessary.
- Beat in raspberry puree.
- Spread or pipe (I use a zip top plastic bag with one corner cut off as a piping bag) onto cupcakes. Garnish with a raspberry on each if desired.
When you mix in the dry ingredients, be gentle and fold them in using a spatula until just combined.
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.
Let the butter and cream cheese for the frosting soften at room temperature for 1-2 hours to ensure they are soft enough to whip up.
You can make these with 1/3 cup sugar if you want to reduce it further but make sure not to overbake.
To make these gluten-free, use cup for cup gluten-flour.
To make these ahead, let cool completely and store overnight in an airtight container. They are best on the day they are made but you can bake them the day before. Frost right before serving. If you won’t need all of the cupcakes, frost just the ones you expect to eat and store the rest. You can store the frosting in a sealed storage bag in the fridge. Frost the remaining cupcakes before serving. (The cupcakes will firm up if you put them into the fridge so I don’t suggest doing that if you can avoid it.)
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!