Delicious, from scratch, Chocolate Cupcakes with M&M’s frosting! Grab some M&Ms and pile the frosting high for more flavor and fun. With so many ways to customize these cupcakes, you’ll want to make them again and again.
M&Ms make just about everything better! If you liked our M&M’s Brownies recipe, today’s cupcakes are right up your alley. Readers love our M&M Cookies recipe too!
Why This Recipe Is Best
- These chocolate cupcakes are made from scratch with real chocolate and cocoa.
- Simple but festive! The white vanilla buttercream makes the colorful M&Ms standout.
- You can make this frosting with any kind of M&Ms or candy pieces! Change up the colors and flavors for different occasions.
This is the only M&Ms cupcake recipe you’ll ever need!
Ingredient Notes
Chocolate Cupcakes. Whether you make my perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, or buy a boxed mix, bake and cool before adding the frosting.
M&M Candies. Regular milk chocolate candies, baking bits or M&M’s minis can all be used. Other candies like Reese’s pieces or even chopped candy bars would be delicious too.
Vanilla extract. Use a good quality real vanilla for best flavor! The frosting is the star of this recipe, so you want the richest, deepest vanilla taste. Our Homemade Vanilla Extract is especially delicious here.
Easy Instructions
First, make the cupcakes.
Remove baked cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool on a wire rack before adding the frosting.
How to make M&Ms frosting.
Beat butter with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until fully combined. Fold in the M&Ms.
Frosting the cupcakes:
Use a large scoop to dollop the tops of each cupcakes with a thick layer of frosting.
Eat, share and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
- There are so many kinds of M&Ms on the shelves these days and just about all of them would taste good folded into vanilla frosting! Think caramel M&Ms, peanut butter M&Ms, white chocolate M&Ms. . . so many tasty choices.
- Have another chocolate cupcake recipe you love? Feel free to us it as your base for the M&Ms cupcakes instead. The frosting is the star of the show!
- This frosting would be delicious on our easy chocolate cake recipe or spread over our frosted brownies!
- Holidays! These make such a festive looking treat when swapped out with red and green candies.
Recipe FAQs
Try folding in chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, butterfinger bits, or peanut butter morsels to this frosting. They won’t be M&Ms cupcakes anymore but they’ll still be delicious.
Test cupcakes for doneness by pressing the top of the cupcake lightly with your finger. If it springs back right away, the cupcake is ready to come out of the oven. If it stays indented, give them more time to bake. You can also insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
Store these in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy within 3 days.
Recipes with M&M’S
- M&M Fudge: add any color/variety candy to your vanilla fudge for a delicious festive treat!
- Rainbow Fudge Cookie Bars: easy 4 ingredient dessert idea. You’re welcome!
- M&M Cookie Cake: better than the kind you get at the mall, and easy to make for any occasion!
- Christmas M&M Cookies
- Chocolate M&M Cookies
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M&M Frosting
Ingredients
- 24 chocolate cupcakes baked and cooled
For the frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 10 ounce package m&m candies
Instructions
- Bake and cool chocolate cupcakes.
- For the frosting, beat butter for 2 minutes. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and beat on medium high until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Fold in candies.
- Use a large scoop to add frosting to cupcakes! ENJOY.
Notes
Nutrition
Frosting so good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon! M&Ms Cupcakes are easy to make and festively delicious.
Does the M&M bleed in the frosting, like while you are mixing them in
I noticed that you linked to your “favorite chocolate cupcake” recipe, which you described at using for the base. But you also have a recipe within this post to make a different version of cupcakes. Which one would you say is best?
I would say of the two, this one is my favorite base recipe: https://www.shugarysweets.com/chocolate-frosted-chocolate-cupcakes/
I’m normally a cake person, because sometimes frostings can be too sweet for me, but if every cake I ever hate from now on had this frosting on it, I think I’d be pretty content!
The cupcake sound so good. My husband loves chocolate. My favorite frosting is 7 Minute/Divinity Frosting. Oh my how I love that stuff. Our oldest son loves this type though. He hasn’t ever had it with candy in it.
I don’t have m&ms at home and don’t have time to run to the store. Can I make the frosting without adding them?
It won’t be m&m frosting. 🙂 You can for sure make it without…or add in some chocolate chips!
These look SO good, Aimee! I’m all about the buttercream too! My motto is more is more! 🙂
Wow! This looks so heavenly! I think this would be the perfect cupcake for my boys birthday parties! That frosting is perfect! Thanks for suggesting my Dark Chocolate M&M Cookies as another great recipe that uses M&M’s! 🙂
Anytime 🙂 ENJOY!
ooooh that frosting is so fluffy!
These cupcakes look delicious!!!
I am a cake person unless it’s buttercream frosting…then I will eat it by the spoonful 🙂 These cupcakes are so cute!! love the M&Ms!
WOW M&Ms frosting!! Genius. I think I’ll just eat this with a spoon!
Whoa, this frosting sounds incredible! Love the M&M’s!
Mmmm, these look so yummy, and the little mounds of frosting on top seal the deal for me!
Thanks Joan! That frosting is what dreams are made of 🙂
I’m normally a cake person, because sometimes frostings can be too sweet for me, but if every cake I ever hate from now on had this frosting on it, I think I’d be pretty content!
Baking for others is fine, but I like it best when they don’t know I’m doing it. Then I don’t have to put up with special requests or expectations or baking in huge numbers.
These look delicious, though, so props to your kids for making you do it!
I need to save these for my daughter’s bday! She would love them!
Is it possible to be both?? I love a good balance of cake and frosting… but I guess if I had to choose it would be cake! Hah, I think it’s funny how your kids trick you into baking something for them, but I don’t blame them! I’d like 3 dozen of these cupcakes now!
Cute cupcakes Aimee! Love the M&M frosting. Pinned!