Earth Day Cupcakes

April 22 is Earth Day and what better way to observe this undervalued holiday than with Earth Day Cupcakes! Perfect for an Earth Day celebration at work, home, or school.

Pretty much every holiday I can think of food is a huge part of our celebrations, wouldn’t you agree? Fourth of July is filled with fireworks and cookouts, Christmas brings presents and beautiful cookies, and Thanksgiving……well, you know. LOL

So why not Earth Day??? We look for ways to promote awareness about pollution and preserving our planet’s environment for the next generation with service projects and outdoor activities.

If you are planning or attending an Earth Day event, why not go the extra mile and share these adorable cupcakes with the rest of your crew.

They are SUPER easy to make and will have your friends and family eager to pitch in and clean up our planet while enjoying a tasty homemade treat that shows how much you appreciate their help.

If you love themed cupcake recipes as much as I do, try my Encanto Cupcakes, Red, White and Blue Cupcakes, or Rainbow Unicorn Cupcakes.

Ingredients Needed For Earth Day Cupcakes Recipe

• Cake Mix – plus additional ingredients on the box OR your favorite cupcake recipe
• Blue and Green Frosting – in a piping bag on opposite sides
• Pretzel Sticks
• Candy Hearts – lots of options to choose from but my choice would be the heart-shaped red hots
• White Chocolate – candy melts will work as well
• Green Oil Based Food Coloring – oil-based food coloring is best for items with fat like chocolate.

How To Make Earth Day Cupcakes

Step 1

Prepare the muffin tin by filling the cavities with paper liners.

Step 2

Prepare the cake mix as per the directions on the box and fill each muffin liner with the batter.

Step 3

Bake according to instructions and then allow to cool completely.

Step 4

Place waxed paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet or tray. Lay down pretzels on waxed paper 2 inches apart.

Step 5

Melt the white chocolate and add in the green food coloring to achieve the color you desire. This will be for the leaves.

Step 6

Put the green melted chocolate into a piping bag or food storage bag. Snip off a small piece of the corner.

Step 7

Pipe the melted chocolate over the pretzels sticks to create leaves with the pretzel as the stem. Adjust the shape as desired and then place in the refrigerator to set.

Step 8

Place the green and blue frosting into a piping bag or plastic storage bag. It will be challenging but do your best to keep the green on one side and blue on the other side.

Step 9

Pipe the blue/green frosting onto each cupcake.

Step 10

Place the candy heart in chosen location.

Step 11

Remove the pretzel plants from the fridge and place them in the frosting on the top of the cupcakes.

Earth Day Cupcakes Recipe Notes And Tips

• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before piping on the frosting. If the cupcakes are still warm, the icing will slide off.

• If you don’t have or don’t want to use a piping bag, simply use a butter knife to spread the icing on the top of the cupcake.

Variations Of Earth Day Cupcakes To Try

• Strawberry, lemon, vanilla, Funfetti, red velvet or butter pecan cake mix would all be delicious choices for the cupcakes.

• Mix up a white cake mix and split the batter into two bowls. Color one green and one blue and some of both colors to the muffin tin for a two color cupcake. 🙂

• Use white frosting for the top of the cupcake and make it look like a cloud on top. Add some white glitter sprinkles, the red heart and the pretzel leaves as directed.

• Add a little blue and/or green sanding sugar on top of the icing for a little sparkle and crunch.

FAQs

If you have questions about making these Earth Day Cupcakes, check to see if I’ve already answered them below. Don’t see your questions? Leave them in the comments so I can answer them!

Can I freeze the Earth Day Cupcakes?

Certainly! They can be frozen for 2 – 3 months if stored in a freezer-safe container or plastic storage bag.

The only suggestion I would have is to not freeze the pretzel leaves. The pretzel will become soft and the chocolate leaves will retain moisture from the freezer which will prevent it from holding up and keeping its shape.

Why should the green food coloring be oil-based?

Oil-based food colorings are recommended because they contain unique ingredients that blend much better with fats and oils.

Use oil-based food coloring in chocolates, cake batter, fondant, and other creations that are fat-based because they blend better.

If I have any leftovers, how long will they stay fresh?

These beautiful Earth Day Cupcakes are so delicious that you may not have any leftovers, but in case you do, they can be kept at room temperature for 2 – 3 days if stored in an airtight container or plastic storage bag.

What kind of frosting will work best for piping onto the Earth Day Cupcakes?

If your preference is to make your own, Buttercream is definitely the best and I bet you already have the perfect recipe. 😉

You can also use pre-made and use food coloring to make it the exact color you want. If the pre-made icing needs to be thickened in order to stand up sufficiently, simply add a little bit of powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.

More Scrumptious Cupcake Recipes To Try

• Easy DIY Speckled Mermaid Cupcakes
• Mardi Gras Cupcakes
• Cute Football Cupcakes
• Easy Christmas Tree Cupcakes
• Mini Halloween Unicorn Cake (Cupcakes)