St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes
Celebrate with my delicious St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes! The fluffy cupcakes are topped with a green frosting, colorful rainbow candy, and a touch of edible gold, making it a perfect treat to celebrate the luck of the Irish.

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Let’s make St. Patrick’s Day a little sweeter with these cupcakes! I’ve combined a little bit of luck and a lot of flavor to create the perfect treat for the holiday. Whether you’re hosting a party or just want to add some fun to your day, these St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes will have everyone feeling the St. Paddy’s spirit.
Why I love this recipe
I love this recipe because it’s easy and only takes 45 minutes from start to finish, perfect when you need a quick treat. It’s also a fun way to get the kids involved since they’ll love helping with the baking and decorating with the fun rainbow candies.
More treats to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? You’ll love my rainbow cupcakes and fun green Watergate salad. Don’t forget to also try our stovetop corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread for more traditional Irish cuisine too!
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- sea salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- milk
- powdered sugar
- green food coloring, gel, or liquid
- rainbow candy strips (I used Airheads)
- edible gold flakes/strips of dazzle dust, or gold sprinkles, optional
Step by step
- Set your oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer (affiliate link), cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the eggs, mixing well to incorporate into the mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time, alternating with the milk to keep the batter moist. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting and decorating.
- When ready to frost the cupcakes, beat the softened butter until smooth in a large bowl. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until fully incorporated.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach a spreadable consistency. Add green food coloring until you achieve the desired shade of green.
- Frost the cupcakes generously with the green icing. Use a spatula or palette knife for better results.
- Take rainbow candy strips and cut them into pieces long enough to form a small arch on top of each cupcake. Gently press both ends of the rainbow strip into the icing to create a rainbow arch.
- Sprinkle gold flakes and sprinkles at the end of the rainbow.
Tips for best results
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting to avoid the icing melting.
- Use gel food coloring for a more vibrant shade of green.
Variations
If you want to try something new, swap the green icing for a different shade such as rainbow icing would add a playful touch or try our rainbow cupcakes to add pizzaz to the inside of the cupcake!
Storage
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator up to a week.
If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
PrintSt. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
My St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes are a festive treat, topped with a colorful candy rainbow for a magical touch. They’re easy to make and perfect for celebrating with a little sweetness and fun!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
For the Green Icing:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
- Green food coloring, gel or liquid
For the Decoration:
- Rainbow candy strips (I used Airheads)
- Edible gold flakes or gold sprinkles (for the ends of the rainbow, optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the eggs, mixing well to incorporate into the mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk to keep the batter moist. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
- When ready to frost the cupcakes, beat the softened butter until smooth in a large bowl. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach a spreadable consistency. Add green food coloring until you achieve the desired shade of green.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them generously with the green icing, spreading with a butter knife or spatula.
- Take rainbow candy strips and cut them into pieces long enough to form a small arch on top of each cupcake. Gently press both ends of the rainbow strip into the icing to create a rainbow arch.
- Sprinkle gold flakes and sprinkles at the end of the rainbow. You can also use licorice candy to resemble a vessel/pot of gold and add sprinkles and/or gold flakes on top.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 501
- Sugar: 56.7 g
- Sodium: 70.5 mg
- Fat: 23.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 70.1 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 88.6 mg