If you love the bright, refreshing flavor of a classic mojito but want a family-friendly dessert everyone can enjoy, these Mojito Cupcakes are the perfect treat. Bursting with fresh lime and mint, these non-alcoholic cupcakes capture everything you love about the famous cocktail without a drop of rum.
They're light, fluffy, and topped with a creamy lime-mint buttercream that tastes like summer in every bite. Whether you're hosting a backyard barbecue, celebrating Cinco de Mayo, throwing a tropical party, or simply craving something fresh and citrusy, these cupcakes are sure to impress.
Why You'll Love These Mojito Cupcakes
- Completely non-alcoholic and family friendly
- Bright, fresh lime flavor
- Made with real mint for authentic mojito taste
- Light and fluffy texture
- Perfect for spring and summer entertaining
- Beautiful enough for parties and showers
- Easy to make from scratch
What Does a Mojito Cupcake Taste Like?
Think of your favorite mojito without the rum. These cupcakes combine fresh lime juice, fragrant mint, and a hint of sweetness for a dessert that's refreshing rather than overly rich.
The cupcakes themselves are soft and moist while the buttercream adds a creamy finish with just enough mint to balance the citrus. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and a slice of lime for the full mojito-inspired presentation.
These cupcakes turned out so much better than I ever thought. The mint flavor really shines through and the best part? They hold up extremely well in the refrigerator!
How to Make Mojito Cupcakes
Just in case you want to know how to make a Mojito Mocktail, you can click here to get mine and Kayla's recipe. It is delicious!
Start by mixing together your sugar and your lime zest. By doing this, you are releasing the lime oils into the sugars and infusing it. You will need a zester in order to get lime zest.
Mix everything together according to the recipe directions. Your batter becomes this delicious lime-infused cupcake batter that I seriously cannot even begin to explain to you. You just have to trust me.
Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
While the cupcakes are baking, take the leftover limes that used for zest and juice and put in a saucepan with the sugar, water, and mint leaves. We are making a lime and mint simple syrup.
Remove from the oven and poke holes into the cupcakes. Take the lime syrup and brush the tops of the hot cupcakes. Do not skip this step because this really infuses those cupcakes with some of the best flavors you have tasted.
Let the cupcakes rest. While the cupcakes cool, you can make your buttercream icing.
Let's Make Some Icing for Mojito Cupcakes
I love these new Wilton disposal bags — everything including the tip can be thrown away when done. These have literally saved my life when it comes to piping icing.
Mix together butter and shortening. Then add in your mint extract, powdered sugar as well as heavy cream. Beat together until you get your perfect consistency according to the recipe.
Then when the cupcakes are cooled, pipe on your icing. I love icing so I always add more icing than the cupcake. How much icing you use is totally up to you.
Decorating Those Mojito Cupcakes
Now — here is the fun part! We used these Key Lime Sprinkles from Sweets & Treats to decorate our cupcakes. But — we did not stop there.
In a bowl, we combined some of the sprinkles, some lime zest, and flaky sea salt together and then sprinkled on the top of cupcakes. Of course, we topped them with a sprig of fresh mint for the perfect finish!
Decorating Ideas for Mojito Cupcakes
Pipe generous swirls of frosting onto each cupcake and garnish with:
- Fresh mint sprigs
- Thin lime slices
- Lime zest
- White sanding sugar
- A paper straw cut in half for a fun cocktail-inspired presentation
Tips for the Best Mojito Cupcakes
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice for the brightest flavor.
- Fresh lime zest adds far more flavor than bottled juice alone.
- Finely chop the mint so it distributes evenly throughout the batter.
- Don't overmix the batter or the cupcakes may become dense.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these cupcakes alcoholic?
No. These are completely alcohol-free and safe for all ages.
Can I use bottled lime juice?
Fresh lime juice is highly recommended. It gives the cupcakes a brighter, fresher flavor.
Can I use mint extract instead of fresh mint?
Yes, but use it sparingly. Mint extract is much stronger than fresh mint. Start with just ⅛ teaspoon.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Absolutely! Bake the cupcakes one day ahead and frost them the day you plan to serve them.
Can I turn this into a cake?
Yes! This recipe can easily be baked in an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan. Just increase the baking time and check for doneness with a toothpick.
For more fun cupcake flavors, check these out
Mojito Cupcakes
These mojito cupcakes are the perfest summer dessert. They taste just as good as the actual drink!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1¾ all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¼ cup sugar
- zest of 2 limes
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- ¾ cup milk
- 1/2 tsp rum extract
For the Lime Mint Simple Syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Leftover limes from zest and juice
- 1 sprig of mint leaves pulled off the stem
For the Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1lb powdered sugar
- 1 tsp mint extract
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Flaky Sea Salt
- Lime Green Sprinkles
- Lime Zest
- Mint Leaves
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
- Zest the 2 limes into a small bowl and pour the sugar over it. Using your fingers, combine the sugar into the lime zest until the sugar and lime come together.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold, cubed butter on high until smooth.
Add the lime sugar and beat until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. - One at a time, add the eggs and mix on medium-high for 30 seconds after each addition making sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
- Add the lime juice and rum extract and mix in.
- In three parts, add the flour with the mixer on low speed. Between each addition of flour, add half the buttermilk. After the last amount of flour has been added, turn the mixer off and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and fold in the remaining flour.
- Turn the mixer back on to medium-high speed for 10 seconds.
- Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes are cooking, mix together in a saucepan on the stove all the ingredients for the syrup. Heat on medium high until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Once the cupcakes come out poke several holes in the top of each cupcake going down to the base. Using a kitchen brush, brush on the syrup on top of each cupcake until they are soaked. Be generous!
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and shortening.
- Add the powdered sugar mix on medium for about 30 seconds. Add half the heavy cream and beat on medium high until smooth.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and then mix in the mint extract and salt.
- Add the remaining heavy cream and beat on high for 3-4 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Fill a Wilton Disposable piping bag fitted with a a star tip (Wilton 1M) with the mint buttercream.
- Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cooled cupcake.
- Mix together in a bowl some of the Lime sprinkles, the lime zest and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Garnish the cupcakes with a mint sprig, and the sprinkles.
Whipped Mint Buttercream
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 288Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 129mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 35gProtein: 2g
Liz @ Books n' Cooks
Friday 26th of July 2019
I may or may not grow mint every summer to make mojitos and other cocktails. Good to have another recipe to use it in ;-)
Christie
Sunday 21st of July 2019
Mojito is one of my fave drinks. You can bet I'll be making these delicious cupcakes soon!
Jaida ~ Sweet Beginnings
Thursday 18th of July 2019
These cupcakes look so delicious, the sprinkles and mint garnish just scream mojito!
Cheese Curd In Paradise
Monday 15th of July 2019
I also love mojitos and these cupcakes look incredible! I love the zest and sprinkle topping!
Lisa Kerhin
Sunday 14th of July 2019
Summery fun and yummy! I want these like now!