Raise your hand if you’re an adult and still love jelly beans. That’s me — I enjoy jelly beans and almost any chewy, gummy candy: gummy worms, gummy bears, and gummy lifesavers. If it’s chewy and sweet, I’m usually game.
This recipe focuses on jelly beans, and for those who care, there is a definite hierarchy in the jelly bean world. At the bottom are the inexpensive, bland varieties that hardly taste like anything. In the middle sit numerous brand-name varieties from candy makers who expanded into jelly beans to capitalize on a popular treat. At the top of my list are Jelly Belly jelly beans: small, flavorful, and inventive. Their unusual flavors — like 7UP, Tabasco, and specialty series such as the Harry Potter flavors or chocolate-coated beans — make them perfect for creative baking.
If you have leftover jelly beans after a holiday or just want a fun and colorful treat, these cupcakes are a great way to use them. Jelly Belly pieces are folded into the batter so each bite has a little pop of candy, and the buttercream is finished with a few whole jelly beans for garnish. The crushed jelly beans in the batter give subtle bursts of flavor and a light, candy-studded texture, while the buttercream provides a classic, creamy finish that pairs well with the sweet jelly bean notes.
These cupcakes are ideal for Easter, birthday parties, or any celebration where colorful, cheery desserts are welcome. The recipe yields a dozen cupcakes, and preparation is straightforward: mix dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients, fold in crushed jelly beans, and bake. The buttercream is a simple, stable frosting made with butter, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Pipe it onto cooled cupcakes and top each with a few whole Jelly Belly jelly beans.
Jelly Belly Jelly Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 stick butter, melted (½ cup)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ tbsp Jelly Belly jelly beans, crushed in a blender or food processor (do not pulverize into dust)
Buttercream
- 1 stick butter, room temperature (½ cup)
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 2–2½ cups powdered sugar, adjust for desired consistency
- ½ tsp vanilla
- Dash of milk, only if frosting becomes too thick
- Extra Jelly Belly jelly beans, to top
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth and evenly combined.
- Gradually add half of the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until the batter is smooth but not overworked.
- Gently fold in the crushed Jelly Belly jelly beans, mixing briefly to distribute them through the batter without breaking them down further.
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Divide the batter among 12 cupcake liners, filling each a little more than halfway.
- Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- In a bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and shortening with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar gradually, about 1 cup at a time, and beat slowly at first to incorporate. Continue adding sugar until the frosting reaches your preferred sweetness and texture.
- Mix in the vanilla. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a small dash of milk and beat until smooth.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag or a large resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped (hole about the size of a dime or penny). Remove any large air pockets by pressing the frosting down before piping.
- Pipe the frosting onto each cooled cupcake, starting at the outer edge and spiraling inward to build height and texture.
- Finish each cupcake with several whole Jelly Belly jelly beans as a colorful garnish.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 47 g |
Protein: 3 g |
Fat: 27 g |
Saturated Fat: 13 g |
Cholesterol: 76 mg |
Sodium: 286 mg |
Sugar: 34 g
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided as a courtesy. Changing ingredients or quantities will alter these estimates.