These quick and easy green velvet St. Patricks Day cupcakes are filled with gold and topped with rainbows for a perfectly festive St. Patricks Day dessert recipe. Top each green cupcake with a swirl of homemade cream cheese frosting for delicious and festive Leprechaun cupcakes the whole family will love.

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Cupcakes are one of my favorite ways to showcase holidays! Just like these delicate Pink Champagne cupcakes and Eggnog Cupcakes are perfect for other holidays and seasons, these emerald green cupcakes are the perfect complement to your St. Patty's day celebration.
And not only do they look amazing, but they are also full of rich, cocoa flavor and delicate cake texture. These St. Patrick's cupcakes are perfect for your holiday celebration this March.
If you want more fun, festive St. Patrick's Day recipes to celebrate check out these Green Mimosas or make a homemade Bailey's Irish Cream for cocktails or a festive hot coffee.
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Ingredients for Green Velvet Cupcakes
Homemade green velvet cake is so easy to make from scratch. You probably have everything you need already in your kitchen.

Cupcake Ingredients
- Cake flour - Cake flour gives the cake a light and fluffy texture.
- White granulated sugar - Makes the cupcakes nice and sweet.
- Baking soda - Baking soda and vinegar are used in traditional red velvet cake recipes, so we will use it for green velvet cake too!
- Salt - Compliments the rich cocoa flavor and brings all the flavors together.
- Powdered baking cocoa- Gives the red velvet chocolte cupcakes thier chocolatey goodness.
- Vegetable oil- Keeps the cupcakes nice and moist.
- Buttermilk- Used in traditional red velvet cake recipes and works with the baking soda to lift the cake and make it fluffy.
- Eggs- Binds all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla- Adds a nice deep flavor to the cupcakes.
- White distilled vinegar- An acid to activate the baking soda.
- Green food coloring - I prefer using a gel food color when baking.
- Gold and rainbow sprinkles

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Cream cheese - For a rich and decadent frosting base for this green cupcakes recipe.
- Butter- Lightens up the texture of the frosting.
- Powdered sugar- Gives the frosting its sweetness.
Substitutions
- Cake flour - Cake flour is ideal for making tender, soft cakes, but in a pinch you can use regular all purpose flour.
- White granulated sugar - Swap it out with any white granulated sugar replacer such as monk fruit or swerve.
- Baking soda - Baking soda works with the acid from the vinegar and buttermilk. If you are going to swap out the buttermilk or vinegar, then you should use baking powder instead.
- Vegetable oil - Use your favorite baking oil just be sure it has a neutral flavor so it doesn't interfere with the cupcakes flavor.
- Buttermilk - Use regular milk but swap out the baking soda for baking powder.
- Eggs - You can use a flax egg or egg replacer when making green velvet cupcakes.
Equipment
Most of the baking equipment you will need is standard when making homemade cupcakes. Here's what you need:
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Muffin Tin
- Cupcake Liners
- Piping bag
- Piping Tips
- Gold Sprinkles
- Rainbow Sprinkles
How to Make St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes
Once you gather all of your ingredients and equipment, making these St. Patty's cupcakes are a breeze.
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking pan by lining with muffin liners and/or spraying with non-stick spray if desired.
Next, whisk together the dry ingredients. I like to use a whisk to get everything well-incorporated. This helps evenly distribute important ingredients like salt and baking soda.
In a second bowl, combine the wet ingredients and use an electric mixer on low just until combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, continuing to mix at medium-low speed.
Once everything is well mixed, add the food coloring.
My favorite food coloring for this recipe is Wilton's gel coloring in Leaf Green. I used about ¼ of a teaspoon but you can add more or less until your desired shade of green is mixed.

Next, carefully pour the batter into each muffin tin until the cupcake liners are halfway full.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cupcakes are cooked through. You can check for doneness by using a knife or toothpick in the middle of a cupcake. When it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
Cool the cupcakes completely.
Next, take a piping tip and carve out a small circle from each cupcake.
Place the removed cupcake center to the side, you will need it again in just a minute!
Use a small spoon to place the sprinkles inside the center of the cupcake. It is important to make sure the cake is cooled before you do this because if it is too warm, the sprinkles could melt!
Have fun with the sprinkles! Fill them with gold, non-perils or this fun Wilton Rainbow Blend Sprinkles.
Next, replace the top of the cupcake and prepare the icing!
This is my go-to simple cream cheese frosting recipe base. It is easy to adjust to your preference. Sometimes I add vanilla but for this recipe, I kept it really simple.
Start by making sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This is important to get the smoothest consistency.
First, you want to prep the butter by using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium speed for about 5 minutes.
This may seem like a long time but whipping the butter for the entire 5 minutes helps it nearly double in volume and also gets rid of the yellow hue.
Once the five minutes are complete, you can add the room temperature cream cheese.
Continue mixing at the same speed until everything is nice and smooth.
Then, add the powdered sugar in ½ cup intervals. Every so often, you will want to scrape down the sides of the bowl and just make sure that everything is getting well mixed.
Once all the sugar is blended in, you can scoop it into a piping bag and start frosting the cupcakes!
Variations
I love this easy St. Patricks Day cupcake recipe as it is written, but if you want to change things up, here are a few things you can try!
- Green velvet cupcakes with cake mix - if you want to skip the hassle of homemade, try a cake mix and green food gel for the ultimate shortcut.
- Storebought icing- to save even more time, you can use cream cheese frosting from the store
- Change up the sprinkles - Try edible glitter, non-perils or any fun sprinkle for a truly custom look.
Storage
Because these cupcakes are topped with cream cheese frosting, they will need to be stored in the fridge if they aren't eaten right away.
Studies have shown that cream cheese frosting is ok to keep out at room temperature for a few hours, but beyond that, it is best to keep them in the fridge.
They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Expert Tips and FAQS
- Wait until the St Patrick's Day cupcakes are completely cooled before adding the sprinkles so they don't melt.
- Use gel food coloring rather than liquid - it's more concentrated, gives excellent color without adding liquid to the batter.
- Classic "velvet" cake recipes use buttermilk, vinegar and baking soda. The combination helps give the cake it's wonderful texture and rise. If you need to omit the vinegar or buttermilk, use baking powder instead.
- Only fill up the cake liners halfway for perfectly shaped cupcakes and no spill-over.
Yes! You can use boxed cake mix to make these cupcakes. Just purchase vanilla cake mix and use green food coloring.
Yes! If you don't care for cream cheese frosting, a nice homemade buttercream would taste wonderful on these St. Patrick's Day cupcakes.
Approximately ¼ cup. You want them to be about ½ full.
Yes, you can make the cupcakes in advance. I recommend you don't add the sprinkles until the day you serve them. Otherwise, they may stick to the inside of the cake and you will miss the effect of them bursting out like a piñata.
No. These green velvet cupcakes are delicious on their own. Adding the sprinkles to the center is a fun, unique twist but you don't have to add them.

More Easy Dessert Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card right below! You can also write a review in the comment section further down the page I always appreciate your feedback. And don’t forget to tag me @freshcoasteats in your photos on social media, I'd love to see your results!

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons powdered baking cocoa
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- Green Food Coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups of powdered sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a cupcake pan by lining with cupcake baking cups. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, use a whisk to combine the cake flour, white granulated sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and vinegar.
- Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture, continuing to mix on medium low speed until fully incorporated.
- Add green food coloring and blend until the batter is your desired shade of green.
- Fill the muffin cups a little over half full (about ¼ cup each muffin tin).
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely.
- To make filled cupcakes, use a piping bag tip (or spoon) to remove a small section of cake from the center. Fill the center with desired sprinkles and replace the removed cake, trimming bottom if necessary.
Frosting
- Beat the butter at medium high speed with an electric mixer or stand mixer. Beat butter alone for about 5 minutes or until it starts to increase in volume and loose color.
- Add the cream cheese and continue to beat until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until the entire 4 cups is incorporated.
- Use a piping bag to pipe frosting on top of the cupcakes.
- Top with sprinkles, if desired and serve.
Notes
- Wait until the cupcakes are completely cooled before adding the sprinkles so they don't melt.
- Use gel food coloring rather than liquid - it's more concentrated, gives excellent color without adding liquid to the batter.
- Classic "velvet" cake recipes use buttermilk, vinegar and baking soda. The combination helps give the cake it's wonderful texture and rise. If you need to omit the vinegar or buttermilk, use baking powder instead.
- Only fill up the cake liners halfway for perfectly shaped cupcakes and no spill-over.
Colleen says
Interesting ideas, and festive looks!
Will be giving it a try for the cupcakes.
In the meantime it’s St. Paddy’s if you abbreviate, Patty is Patricia, Paddy is for Padraig.
Katie says
These are so good and so cute! My kids loved them!
Dawn says
These were so fun to make. I made them while my kids were at school. The look on their face when they found the hidden surprise inside was priceless. They loved these cupcakes so much. Thanks for the fun recipe.