Mini Lemon Drop Cupcakes are delicious bite-sized treats that start with a lemon cake mix! The easy lemon glaze soaks into the bottoms to make these little cupcakes even more incredible.
After you try these, don’t miss this collection of our BEST SPRING RECIPES!
Little Lemon Drops are absolutely amazing and everyone will love you for making and sharing them! I took these to a barbecue and they were devoured in about 5 minutes….long before the meat even started cooking! Everyone was exclaiming about how amazing they were and I was thrilled because this recipe is so easy and it makes about 75 little cupcakes so it’s perfect for large gatherings. Although, my husband ate about a dozen himself before we even left the house so 75 of them doesn’t actually go as far as you’d think!
MINI LEMON CUPCAKES
This recipe for Little Lemon Drops actually starts with a lemon cake mix! You add a few basic ingredients to the cake mix: a box of vanilla pudding, eggs, sour cream or yogurt and milk. That’s it!
Bake the mini cupcakes, then I like to dunk them in my lemon glaze upside down. The lemon glaze absorbs into the mini cupcakes better when they’re inverted! This is a simple but delicious recipe that everyone goes crazy over.
INGREDIENTS IN MINI LEMON CUPCAKES
Here’s what you need to make these Little Lemon Cake Bites:
Lemon cake mix – The mix should be about 15.75 ounces. Any lemon cake mix will work great!
Instant vanilla pudding mix – Use a small box (3.4 ounces) and make sure the pudding mix is the instant kind. Adding pudding mix to the recipe really improves the consistency of the cupcakes!
Eggs – You will need 4 large eggs for the recipe.
Sour cream or yogurt – Sour Cream works great, but I usually use plain or vanilla yogurt – either option works great!
Milk – I almost always use 1% milk because that’s what I have on hand, but any type of milk works well. Even non-dairy options are just fine!
How to make Little Lemon Drop Mini Cupcake recipe
To make our Glazed Lemon Mini Cupcakes, you’ll first preheat the oven to 325° F. Coat mini muffin tins with cooking spray. This recipe makes 75 mini cupcakes so I ended up baking 3 batches in my mini cupcake pan that holds 24 cupcakes.
Beat the ingredients for the mini lemon cupcakes in a large bowl with an electric mixer for several minutes until blended and smooth.
Fill each muffin hole about 1/2 way full. I used a small cookie scoop and it worked perfectly! Bake each pan for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the pan on a wire rack for about 2 minutes and then turn the muffin pan over on a wire rack so that all the muffins are upside down.
Cool completely and once all the batter is cooked, you can make the glaze.
Ingredients for simple Lemon Glaze
Powdered sugar – Lots of powdered sugar makes the glaze sweet just the way we like it!
Lemon zest – The recipe calls for about 2 teaspoons of zest – I usually just use all of the zest from one large lemon.
Butter – Just a couple of tablespoons of melted butter helps to make the glaze buttery and creamy.
Lemon juice – You’ll need about 1/4 cup of lemon juice which is about the amount that you can squeeze out of one large lemon. Just use the same lemon you get all of the zest from. If you need a little bit more, you can also use lemon juice out of a bottle.
Hot water– Adds the extra liquid needed to make the right consistency for the glaze.
How to make Lemon Drop Mini Cupcake Glaze
To make the easy lemon glaze that you’ll dip each mini cupcake into, you first want to place wire cooling racks over waxed paper. This will minimize clean up a ton!
Beat the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. Dip each mini cupcake into the glaze upside down. The bottom side of cupcakes are softer and actually absorb the glaze so much better. Set the cupcakes on a separate cooling rack, keeping them inverted. So the cupcake bottoms are now the tops!
Let the lemon drop cupcakes cool for 10-15 minutes, until the glaze is set. Make sure to eat a few before placing them out for others or you’ll never get to try one!
LEMON DROP GLAZED MINI CUPCAKES
Ingredients
Mini Lemon Drop Cupcakes
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding 3.4 oz, dry mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream or yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk
Easy Lemon Glaze
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup hot water
Instructions
To make the Mini Lemon Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Coat mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Beat the ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer for several minutes until blended and smooth. Fill each muffin hole about 1/2 full. I used a small cookie scoop and it worked perfectly! Bake for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the pan on a wire rack for about 2 minutes and then turn the muffin pan over on a wire rack so that all the muffins are upside down.
- Cool completely and once all the batter is cooked, you can make the glaze.
To make the Lemon Glaze:
- Place the wire racks over waxed paper. Beat the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Dip muffins in glaze to coat the bottoms (which are now the tops!) and the sides and let the excess drip off back into the bowl.
- Place each lemon drop back on the wire racks until the glaze is set.
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Nutrition
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Can you freeze Lemon Drop Mini Cupcakes?
I recommend you freeze the mini cupcakes baked, but not dipped in the glaze. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container or freezer bags for up to 3 months in the freezer. Once you’re ready to serve them, let them thaw on the countertop, then proceed with the instructions for making the glaze and dipping the cupcakes.
What to do with leftover lemon zest or lemon juice
Having lemon zest or lemon juice leftover is a fantastic problem to have! You can refrigerate both for up to a month, or freeze them for up to 6 months. Usually what I do is place them in an airtight container in the fridge, then after a week, if I still haven’t used them, I transfer them to the freezer. These are my favorite airtight containers to use- I love all the varying sizes they come in, and foods last so much longer in them!
ENJOY LEMON DESSERTS? SO DO WE! HERE ARE MORE YOU CAN TRY:
- Easy Lemon Quick Bread
- Lemon Poke Cake
- Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Lemon Ice Box Pie
- Lemon Butter Bars Recipe
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Raspberry Muffins
- Lemon Buttermilk Bread
- Lemon Pudding Cookies
- Lemon Lush Dessert
- Lemon Cream Cheese Bars
Mini Lemon Drop Cupcakes are delicious bite-sized treats that start with a lemon cake mix! The easy lemon glaze soaks into the bottoms to make these little cupcakes even more incredible.
aws says
i filled them with lemon curd just before glazing … mmmmm so delicious thanks!
Abby says
WOW… filling then is a great idea ! I bet they were beyond yummy.
Jillian says
These Lemon Drops look heavenly! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Rhonda says
Love, love, love this recipe my daughter couldn’t stay away from them. Will definitely make these again. The blueberries sound like an excellent idea.
Richa says
These look fantastic! Can’t wait to try these out
April Holup says
Can these be frozen? I wasn’t sure if the glaze would keep its consistency once thawed. I plane to make them for dinner we are having at church. I do all the cooking for the event. So i have to cook some things ahead of time.
Jessica says
I think they’d be better if you froze the baked cake bites then dipped them in glaze nearer to the event. Maybe the morning of?
April Holup says
Good idea. I was thinking the same thing.
sophia says
Made these today and they are wonderful! Only had mini muffin tin for 36. had enough batter left for 12 regular size cupcakes. After baking I filled them with lemon curd and frosted the top with left over glaze,I thickened. My family said WOW to both.
Nellie says
What a great idea to fill them with lemon curd! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Alina says
I prefer not to use cake box, do you have suggestions for a cake mix/sponge?
Nellie says
I’ve never tried to use anything besides a cake mix, but I’m sure any homemade white cake recipe you use could be modified to work if you just add a bit of lemon rind and/or lemon extract. Maybe some lemon juice in place of some of the liquid? Let me know if you try it!
Jean says
Is it okay to use muffin liner cups to save time, then glaze only the tops?
Nellie says
Yep, that would probably work great!
Judy says
I like to use a skewer to dip the cakes in the glaze then put on a rack to set up. Also, I think any flavor of cake mix would work, just use the same flavor instant pudding.
Nellie says
What a great idea to use skewers! I’ve made strawberry and orange ones too and they are absolutely delicious as well!
Colleen Bazyn says
Can these be frozen? I plan on making these today, We love lemon anything!!!
Jessica says
Yep, they sure can! I hope you enjoy them!
Ma says
How can I reduce the number of eggs
April says
One of my favorite recipes! These are always a huge hit!
Ashley F says
These are one of my favorite lemon recipes! They’re a hit with the kids!
Judy says
These were a big hit. My adult son calls them Little Lemon Crack Balls. lol
Jessica says
That’s actually a very fitting name, ha! Glad you both liked them Judy!
Barbie Papp says
Can you use lemon pudding instead of vanilla?
Nellie says
Absolutely Barbie! That’s a fabulous idea – it will just intensify the lemon flavor which is always a good thing!
Karie Penne says
Can I use salted butter? I’m out of unsalted😰
Nellie says
Karie – You can absolutely use salted!
Ruth says
If I used a regular size cupcake pan, how long will they need to bake ?
Don’t want to keep opening the oven door to test them with a toothpick…
Thanks for the help
Jessica says
I’d bake regular sized cupcakes for 16-18 minutes. 🙂
Judy says
My adult son has dubbed these “Little Lemon Crack Balls” and requests them for special occasions. Yum!