Fluffy berry cupcakes (made with muffin batter) are filled with a mix of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries and slathered with a coconut buttercream icing. This festive dessert recipe is a great choice for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or really any gathering!
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The first day of July means it’s time for me to post my latest Fourth of July recipes, starting with these patriotic berry cupcakes! Made with three types of berries and a simple coconut buttercream icing, they are a delicious upgrade of classic berry muffins.
If you’re an avid Veg World reader, you may be thinking…where’s the veggie in this recipe?! Well, I’m excited to announce that I am adding a few more recipe categories to the blog this summer per reader request. I now have categories for recipes that focus on the other main plant food groups—fruit, beans, whole grains, and nuts and seeds.
Of course, it will still be primarily a Veg World, but I am excited to create delicious recipes that focus on other plant foods too! After all, my goal is to help you eat more plants, including non-veggie ones. I already have several recipes that fall into each of these new categories, so be sure to browse my updated recipe index to check them out.
The recipe index is a great resource for seeing all of my posts for a single vegetable in one spot. And now it will help when you find yourself wondering how to eat more quinoa, add more fruit to your diet, or use up a pound of dried beans.
These berry cupcakes are a great addition to the fruit category. Sure, they have more sugar than most of my recipes, but they’re still a more wholesome treat than many other desserts! They’re also a great way to capitalize on berries, which are some of summer‘s finest seasonal foods.
How to Make Berry Cupcakes
- Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, then stir in the dry ones.
- Fold in the berries and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter into a lined muffin tin. Pop the muffins in the oven!
- While the muffins are baking, prepare the buttercream icing using a stand or hand mixer.
- Let the muffins cool, frost them, sprinkle with shredded coconut, and top with berries. The end!
You’ll notice that the batter for these cupcakes is actually a muffin batter. I wanted to make the recipe as easy as possible and use common ingredients. Plus, I LOVE berry muffins. The coconut buttercream is also super easy to make! For the full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
How to Make Coconut Buttercream Frosting
- Let the butter soften at room temperature.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, blend the butter. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add in the coconut cream (from the top of a can of coconut milk) and vanilla extract. Blend until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Expert Tips
- You can use fresh or frozen berries for berry cupcakes. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them before adding to the batter. You can also mix up the types of berries you use. I like the triple berry mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but you can use just one berry or sub other types like blackberries or huckleberries.
- You can make the cupcakes up to a couple days in advance, store them in a sealed container in the fridge, and add the frosting at a later time if desired. The frosted cupcakes also keep very well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I would not recommend keeping them at room temp unless you are going to eat them within a couple of days.
- Adding coconut extract to the icing makes it have a stronger coconut taste. If you are an avid baker, you may have coconut extract on hand. I did not use coconut extract and instead used the coconut cream that rises to the top of a can of coconut milk. I also sprinkled coconut flakes on the icing to add more coconut flavor. But if you want a stronger coconut taste concentrated in the icing, consider adding coconut extract to taste.
- To frost the cupcakes, use a piping bag or icing knife. I’m not that fancy of a baker, so I don’t have a piping bag and my makeshift one that I made with a plastic bag didn’t work well. I prefer to use an icing knife like this one to frost my cupcakes.
Other Berry Recipes
If you love these berry cupcakes, check out the Sweet Potato Blueberry Flax Muffins and Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal Muffins. Some of my other favorite recipes with berries include the Blueberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Tahini and the Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salad!
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Mixed Berry Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream
Equipment
- Muffin tin and liners
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and bowl)
Ingredients
Berry cupcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup milk - of choice
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs - beaten
- 2 cups blueberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries - save some berries for topping the cupcakes
Coconut buttercream frosting
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter - softened at room temperature
- 1.5 cups confectioner's sugar
- 4 tablespoon coconut cream - from the thick top layer of a can of full-fat coconut milk
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt - if desired
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes - for topping the cupcakes
Instructions
- If you have not taken the butter out of the fridge to soften, do that first. It should be completely softened at room temperature before making the icing.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners.
- In a bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, yogurt, vanilla, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ones, and whisk until combined. Fold in the berries, and stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated. You don't want to over-mix the berries and smush them. Save some berries for topping the cupcakes.
- Pour the batter into the muffin tin (I like to use an ice cream scooper). The batter will fill the liners pretty much all the way to the top.
- Bake the muffins for 19 to 21 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.
- To make the coconut buttercream, place the softened butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer and a mixing bowl. Blend the butter, then gradually add in the confectioner's sugar while you blend on medium-low speed until incorporated. Add the coconut cream and vanilla extract, and blend for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and smooth. Taste the frosting and add more coconut cream, vanilla, and/or a tiny pinch of salt if desired.
- When the cupcakes have completely cooled, use an icing knife or piping bag to add the frosting. Immediately top each cupcake with a berry or a few blueberries in the center, then add a sprinkle of coconut flakes to stick to the frosting.
- Enjoy your cupcakes! Then leave a rating and review on this post.
Notes
- For a stronger coconut taste, add coconut extract to the frosting if you have it. Start with a small amount, taste, and add more as desired.
- The cupcakes without frosting can be made up to a few days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge to be frosted at a later time if desired.
- Frosted cupcakes last very well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I would not recommend storing them at room temperature unless you will eat them all within a couple of days.
- You can use frozen berries for the cupcakes, but do not thaw them before adding to the batter.
Nutrition
Have a wonderful weekend! – Lizzie
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