Learn how to make the cutest Bunny Cupcakes with this easy recipe and step-by-step video!
These adorable Bunny Ear Cupcakes are perfect for an Easter celebration, kid's birthday parties, baby showers, and so much more!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Easter is almost here. And to me, that means lots of family time, plus plenty of candy and sweet treats!
Last year, I made these lovely Mason Jar Easter Baskets. They were such a hit that I couldn't wait to share another fun Easter idea with you.
It doesn't get much cuter than these adorable Bunny Cupcakes! They're sooo charming and cute. And believe it or not, they're simple to make, too!
About the Recipe
These easy Easter cupcakes don't just look good, they're also taste delicious. Each bite of these Easter Bunny Cupcakes will melt in your mouth!
The cupcakes are made with a white cake mix (to keep things simple), homemade white chocolate-cream cheese frosting (to die for), and sweet coconut flakes. If you don't like coconut, use grated chocolate or white sprinkles instead.
And of course, there are those adorable bunny ears, which are so much easier to make than you'd think.
I made these rabbit cupcakes for Easter, but you can serve them year round. They'd be perfect for a kid's birthday party, baby shower, or any other get together with a bunny theme.
How to Make Bunny Cupcakes
You'll start this recipe by making the cupcakes. I wanted to keep things super simple, so I used a white cake mix.
Once you add the homemade frosting, no one will be able to tell that you used a mix ... my husband / taste tester was none the wiser! But of course, you can make the cake batter from scratch if you have a favorite recipe.
A couple tips for making the cupcakes:
- Instead of using whole eggs, use egg whites (the box should have directions for this). That way, your cupcakes will stay as white as possible.
- Watch baking time closely. The mix I used recommended cooking the cupcakes for 19 to 24 minutes, but my cupcakes were done after 15 minutes. Check the cupcakes after 10 minutes to see where they are at.
Set the baked cupcakes aside to cool completely while working on your other ingredients.
Making the Frosting
You are going to LOVE the white chocolate, cream cheese frosting. It's so delicious that I could eat it with a spoon ... and I may have done just that (shh!).
To make the frosting smooth and creamy, you will need a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Start by creaming together room temp cream cheese and butter, then add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Make sure to stop the mixer a few times and scrape down the bowl while mixing.
The finishing touch for your frosting is melted white chocolate chips. I like Ghirardelli, but if you can't find it, Nestle works great, too.
Mix in the chocolate until smooth, then try to avoid eating it all before frosting your bunny rabbit cupcakes!
Decorating the Cupcakes
Make sure your cupcakes are 100% cooled before frosting them. Otherwise the frosting will melt.
After you've frosted your cupcakes, roll them in shredded coconut.
The coconut tastes delicious, and it makes the cupcakes look cute and furry. If you're not a fan of coconut, you could use grated white chocolate (from a block or bar) or white sprinkles instead.
Making the Bunny Ears
The adorable candy bunny ears are the finishing touch, and they're much easier to make than you might think.
I used Ghirardelli Melting Wafers for the ears, but Whilton Candy Melts would work, too. The melts hold up better than regular white chocolate (especially in warmer weather), but you could use white chocolate in a pinch. Just make sure to keep the cupcakes cool until ready to eat.
You'll melt the candy, then transfer it to a decorating bag with a small round tip.
If you watch the video, you'll notice that I used a decorating bulb. I got the bulb a while ago, and this is the first time I've used it. It's so much easier to control than a traditional decorating bag ... love it!
Start by printing out the bunny ears template at the end of the post. Then, insert it into a zip top plastic bag. No need to close the bag.
Use your decorating bag (or bulb) to trace around the ears with the melted candy. After you've traced around the ears, fill them in with more candy.
After you've filled in all the bunny ears, carefully remove the printable from the bag. Transfer the bag to a flat surface (like a baking sheet), and freeze the ears until you're ready to use them.
Insert the printable into another zip top bag, then repeat this process until you have enough ears for 24 cupcakes.
Adding the Ears to the Cupcakes
After you've frosted the cupcakes and rolled them in coconut, the last step is adding the ears. You'll want to press the ears into the cupcakes just enough so they'll stay in place.
And that's it, your Bunny Cupcakes are ready to eat!
These darling Bunny Cupcakes are a cute Easter dessert your family and friends will love and won't be able to stop talking about. It really doesn't get much sweeter or more delicious!
More Easter Recipes and Ideas
If you liked these Easter cupcakes, make sure to check out my Mason Jar Easter Baskets. They're a wonderful treat and are super simple to make.
And if you're looking for more Easter recipes, don't miss my roundup of over 150 Vegetarian Easter Recipes! There are lots of options for every course, from appetizers to dessert.
Bunny Cupcakes
Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
- 1 box white cake mix
- ingredients to prepare cake mix
For Bunny Ears:
- 1 package white melting wafers / candy melts
- bunny ears printable
- zip top plastic bags
- decorating bag with small round tip
For Frosting:
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For Assembly:
- 1 (7-ounce) package shredded coconut
Instructions
Prepare Cupcakes:
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions, making 24 cupcakes.
- When cupcakes are done baking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare Bunny Ears:
- Add about half of the melting wafers to a small bowl. Melt according to package directions. Transfer melted candy to a pastry bag with a small round tip.
- Slide bunny ears printable into a zip top bag.
- Using pastry bag, trace around ears with melted candy, then fill in with more candy. When you've traced around all the ears, carefully remove printable from zip top bag.
- Place bag on a flat surface, then freeze ears until ready to use. Repeat process until you have enough ears for all of your cupcakes. Melt more candy, if necessary.
Prepare Frosting:
- Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds; stir well. Continue microwaving in 10 second increments until chocolate is completely melted, stirring well in between. (It should take a 30 seconds total). Set aside.
- Combine cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer. Mix until there are no lumps.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until ingredients are totally combined and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple times.
- Add melted chocolate to cream cheese mixture. Mix until combined.
Assemble Cupcakes:
- Place about half of the coconut on a small plate.
- Frost cooled cupcakes, making sure frosting reaches edges of cupcakes.
- Roll cupcakes in coconut, adding more coconut to plate as needed.
- Press two bunny ears into each cupcake.
- Refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Bunny Ears Template
Click anywhere on the image below to download the free bunny ears printable.
For best results, check your printer settings to make sure you are printing the PDF at full size (do not shrink to fit the page). Print on card stock paper.
oh my gosh these are so cute!! Pinned! I would love it it you shared this at our What's for Dinner party.
http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-141/
Thank you so much, Helen! I've added them 🙂
So glad you joined us! Hope to see you this week too
Way too adorable!
Thanks, Katherine! 🙂