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    Home » Recipes » Dessert » Cute and Easy Sprinkles Filled Pinata Cupcakes for Easter

    Published: Mar 14, 2023 · Updated: Mar 15, 2023 by Sharon Garofalow | This post may contain affiliate links. See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Cute and Easy Sprinkles Filled Pinata Cupcakes for Easter

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text - Easter Pinata Cupcakes with a surprise inside- image of a white frosted cupcake topped with Easter sprinkles and Jelly Beans.
    Text - Easter Sprinkles Cupcakes from boxed cake mix SO easy with a frosted cupcake cut open to reveal even more Easter sprinkles.

    Pinata Cupcakes are fun to make any time of year but this quick and easy dessert idea is an especially perfect treat for Easter! Sprinkle filled cupcakes are made from a boxed cake mix with a hidden surprise inside that your kids will love. This Easter cupcake idea is easier than you might think!

    Close up of a Easter cupcake cut open to reveal Easter colored sprinkles hidden inside.
    Let's make pinata cupcakes for Easter!
    Jump to:
    • Super easy Easter Cupcakes with a surprise
    • Ingredients
    • How to make pinata cupcakes
    • Fill with sprinkles
    • Variations
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Another Easter dessert with sprinkles
    • More easy cupcake recipes
    • Sprinkles Filled Cupcakes for Easter

    Super easy Easter Cupcakes with a surprise

    Pinata Cupcakes are the perfect Easter cupcake idea! Hidden Easter-themed sprinkles are a fun surprise that your kids and family will love!

    Just one simple step takes these regular boxed cake mix cupcakes and makes turns them into party cupcakes!

    Related: How to Make a Pinata Cake with Hidden Candy

    What I love about this cake mix dessert recipe is that it is super simple and won't take tons of time. While I love to serve holiday treats, I do not have the skills for elaborate decorations.

    These Easter cupcakes with a surprise inside are an easy dessert to recreate at home! Plus you can change up the sprinkles you use and make these for every other holiday too!

    A photo of an apple spice dump cake with text around it to get the free recipe.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients in bowls on a counter to make Easter Pinata Cupcakes.
    Here's what you need to make sprinkles filled cupcakes for Easter.
    • boxed cake mix (I used yellow)
    • eggs
    • oil
    • water
    • frosting
    • Easter sprinkles
    • Jelly beans, or other Easter candy, for decoration

    These surprise inside cupcakes start with boxed cake mix and you can really use any flavor you want. I like to use white or yellow since the sprinkles will show up the best.

    Follow the instructions on the box of your cake mix. Mine called for eggs, oil and water.

    You can use store-bought frosting or make your own. I like to use my vanilla buttercream. SO easy and crazy delicious!

    These are quickly turned into super cute easter cupcakes thanks to cute Easter sprinkles. A few jelly beans on top make them holiday ready without much effort!

    See the printable recipe card below for quantities and full recipe.

    How to make pinata cupcakes

    You won't believe how easy these Easter cupcakes are to make!

    Make the cupcakes

    A bowl with dry boxed cake mix and other ingredients before being mixed.

    Step 1

    Add the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs to a large bowl.

    You can use a stand mixer instead if you prefer.

    A glass bowl on a counter with boxed cake mix batter and hand held mixer whisks.

    Step 2

    Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

    A cupcake tray with liners holding unbaked cupcake batter.

    Step 3

    Place cupcake liners in the muffin pan (makes 24 cupcakes). Fill each one halfway with the batter.

    Tap the pan gently down on the counter. This will help to even out the batter and help the cupcakes bake level.

    Step 4

    Bake for 12-15 minutes.

    They are done when a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean.

    Let cool completely before doing the next steps.

    Fill with sprinkles

    Baked cupcakes on a table, one has a the wide end of a piping tip stuck in the center to poke an easy hole.
    Baked cupcakes on a table with a hole cut out of the center of one of them.

    Use the wide end of a piping tip to punch out a hole in the center of the cupcake.

    Insert it into the cupcake to about halfway down from the top.

    Remove the punched-out cupcake piece from the hole (and eat it immediately).

    Baked cupcakes on a table with one filled with Easter Sprinkles.

    Fill the hole with Easter sprinkles.

    Decorate

    Using store-bought frosting keeps things so easy. But you can always make your own if you prefer.

    Cupcakes on a table with one being frosted to cover the hidden Easter sprinkles inside.

    Use a star piping tip to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. This will hide the sprinkles hole and keep them from falling out.

    Frosted cupcakes on a table with a woman adding Easter sprinkles to decorate.

    To finish the cupcakes, add more Easter sprinkles and place a few jelly beans to the top of each cupcake.

    The colorful sprinkles and paper cupcake liners make them perfect for any Easter party.

    Variations

    • To make these cupcakes even more perfect for a party consider making one of my alcohol-infused cupcakes!
    • You can use this same technique with cupcakes made from scratch too if you prefer.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What can you put in the middle of cupcakes?

    If you want to use something other than sprinkles in the cupcakes you can try lots of other things. Some good options are flavored pie filling, nut butters, lemon curd, candies like Nerds or M&Ms, nutella, caramel and jams. Anything moist may turn the cupcake a bit soggy so make sure they aren't sitting too far ahead of time before serving.

    Can I use anything else to poke a hole in the cupcakes?

    While I used a piping tip, you can also try anything else that is round and can punch through the cake. An apple corer may work. Or you can try a melon baller.

    Do you have to pipe the frosting with a piping tip and pastry bag?

    Heck no! You can frost the sprinkles-filled cupcakes with a regular old Ziploc bag. Simply spoon frosting into a baggie, seal it shut then snip off the corner of the bag. Squeeze the bag to get the frosting to come out and pipe it onto the cupcakes.

    A frosted cupcake topped with sprinkles and Jelly Beans for Easter.

    Your friends and family will love these easy Easter pinata cupcakes filled with sprinkles! These are great for beginning bakers and people who aren't confident in their decorating skills (It's me. I'm talking about me.)

    Pin to save this recipe for later

    Make sure you don’t lose this recipe by saving it for later! Also, for more recipes make sure you’re following me on Pinterest, Instagram and like my page on Facebook. If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and tag me in your pictures!

    Another Easter dessert with sprinkles

    Since you already have Easter sprinkles, you can also make this super easy Easter Cream Cheese Dessert Dip recipe!

    More easy cupcake recipes

    • Strawberry Jello Cupcakes
    • Jello Poke Cupcakes
    • Caramel Popcorn Cupcakes
    • Cheeto Cupcakes
    • Fireball Cupcakes
    • Prosecco Cupcakes
    3 Easter cupcakes on a table with one cut open to show a surprise inside with Easter sprinkes.

    Sprinkles Filled Cupcakes for Easter

    Make these easy Easter cupcakes filled with hidden sprinkles. Boxed cake mix keeps things easy! A simple decoration and surprise inside makes these perfect for all your Easter parties.
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    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 24 cupcakes
    Calories: 115kcal
    Author: Sharon Garofalow

    Ingredients

    • 15 oz Cake Mix (I used yellow - don't worry about ounces just use one box mix)
    • 1 cup water
    • .5 cup oil
    • 3 eggs
    • 2 cans store-bought frosting
    • Easter Sprinkles
    • Jelly beans or other Easter candy

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • To a large bowl add the dry cake mix, water, oil, and eggs.
    • Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
    • Place 24 cupcake liners in a muffin pan, and fill each liner halfway with batter. Tap the pan gently onto the counter to help even out the batter and make the cupcakes level during baking.
    • Bake for 12-15 minutes. (You can tell they are done when you insert a toothpick in the center of the cupcake and it comes out clean).
    • Remove the cupcake from the muffin pan and let cool completely before the next steps.
    • Use the wide end of a star frosting tip to punch out a hole in the center of the cupcake. (The hole should go down just about halfway from the top of the cupcake).
    • Remove the cupcake piece and set aside.
    • Fill the hole in the cupcake with Easter sprinkles.
    • Frost each cupcake to hide the hole filled with sprinkles.
    • To decorate, sprinkle on more sprinkles and add a few Easter candies.

    Notes

    You can use any flavor boxed cake mix you want but I prefer to use yellow or white so the sprinkles stand out as much as possible. 
    Change up the color and theme of sprinkles to make these cupcakes perfect for any holiday.
    Keep things easy by using store-bought frosting or make your own. It's up to you! 
    You can use an apple corer or melon baller to poke out the hole in the cupcake if you don't have piping tips. 
    Feel free to frost your cupcakes with the Ziploc bag method if you don't have a piping set. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @CupcakesCutlery or tag #cupcakescutlery!

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    About Sharon Garofalow

    Sharon lives in Southern California with her adorable family. She loves to share ideas to make mom life easier and encourage busy gals to make time for themselves too! Sharon's "me" time often includes watching Hallmark Channel movies, sipping sauvignon blanc, trying not to eat Salt and Pepper potato chips, and planning girlfriend getaways.

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    Based in Southern California, I am the mom to two amazing boys and married to the raddest man in all the land. Cupcakes and Cutlery is your resource for simple solutions to help you be an awesome wife and mother and not lose yourself in the process. Email me at [email protected]

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