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Sweet and tart pink lemonade cupcakes – these cupcakes just scream summer!
A few months back I had a request to do a make-over for pink lemonade cupcakes. The original recipe was totally decadent loaded with butter and buttercream icing and I wasn’t sure how I would pull it off. I played around with this one several ways, and this is what I came up with. I chose to keep them naked and simple since they are sweet enough as is. If you like tart and sweet, these cupcakes are for you!
Pink Lemonade Confetti Cupcakes
Sweet and tart pink lemonade cupcakes – these cupcakes just scream summer!
Yield: 24 servings
Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Ingredients
- 18.25 oz box confetti cake mix, I used Duncan Hines
- 2 1/2 tsp powdered sugar-free pink lemonade mix
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- lemon zest from half of a lemon
- 2 drops pink food coloring, optional
- confetti sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with 24 paper liners.
- Stir together the water and pink lemonade powder. Combine the cake mix, pink lemonade mixture, applesauce, lemon zest, food coloring and oil in a large bowl and with an electric mixer, mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans.
- Add sprinkles if using and bake in the oven for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Cool completely on wire racks before serving.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Serving: 1 cupcake, Calories: 97.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.5 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 2.5 g, Sodium: 103.5 mg, Sugar: 10 g
I made this as two 6” rounds and added 4 egg whites (we’re in high altitude). It was DELICIOUS!
These are so pretty! Great for a party! Thanks for sharing. Yum
I made this and I added a bit less water because I used a 16.5 oz mix, and they turned out completely goopy! I'm wondering what I did wrong because they seemed really good
I made these using strawberry purée rather than applesauce. I also subbed 4 packets of Splenda for the powdered drink mix. They came out absolutely delicious!
don't you need eggs?
I just recently found out about this site and I am in Luv with all the recipes. I made the cupcakes last night my first recipe of yours and they were AMAZING!!! I will definitely be trying many more. Thanks for posting all these healthy recipes.
I made these for my sister's bridal shower a couple years ago & they were fantastic!!! I saved some for my fiance & even he liked them. It's a fun recipe to use when you have a little one that wants to help you cook/bake. My then-4-year-old niece helped me out & she loved it. 🙂
I made these for my sister's-in-law birthday and they were a hit! Although, they did not turn out as good as I would have liked. I couldn't find a Duncan Hines brand cake mix, so I used Pillsbury and it wasn't 18.25 oz. The cakes didn't rise very much, they stuck to the cupcake liners, and were kind of a funny texture. I'm not sure if it was related to not having the right mix or not. I plan on trying them again with the Duncan Hines mix. I also added some vanilla Cool Whip frosting on top! 🙂
unfortunately, this is the first recipe I have made from skinnytaste that was really bad. :-/ they are way too sour. I couldn't even finish one.
I will stick to the pineapple bliss cupcakes
yum sounds super good i have got to try it
I made these today but just with a couple tweaks. I am a poor college student so I look for things on the cheaper side and also I have no car so I do last minute shopping at the Walgreens across the street. I had Pillsbury Halloween Funfetti cake mix on hand from buying a few boxes on clearance so I used that instead. I also used raspberry-lemonade mix since that was all I could find at the Walgreens. I didn't use food coloring because the batter came out super pink. Since I didn't have lemons for the rind, I used lemon juice from a bottle. Lastly, I used a mini cupcake pan since that's what I have. I was able to make 28 mini cupcakes at 2 points each! They taste awesome!
Oops! That was meant for the banana icecream recipe! :b
Sad I wasn't able to post for a chance to win the Yonanas maker… but I would love to try this recipe. It looks so good. I attempted to make something like this after someone on the WW website told me about it from another blog but it didn't work so well in my blender!
Just wondering if you know how much the nutritional count would be altered if the cake batter was home made rather than boxed? I prefer to make from scratch.
i just made these cupcakes! They are really good I found mine to be a tad too sweet though! (Probably the lemonade mix i used). However very cool recipe for sure
I just noticed my box mix is only 15.25oz. Has anyone else run into this issue?
I was looking for a pink lemonade cupcake recipe for my boyfriend's birthday (he's in love with the pink lemonade cupcakes from the local cupcake bakery), but he is trying to watch his weight. This is a great solution, and no doubt as delicious as all the other recipes on Skinnytaste! Haven't found a bad one yet. THANK YOU for being such an amazing resource!
I just tried these cupcakes and I was a little disappointed. I don't know if something went wrong while making them but I split the batter and did half with pink lemonade mix and the other half with cherry limeade. The cherry limeade was just a bad idea, at least the brand I used. The pink lemonade were just okay. The batter came out really thick so maybe I measured something incorrectly. I have LOVED every other recipe of this site!
If I use lemon juice instead of zest .. How much should I use?..
These are in the oven as I speak! They smell great and are absolutely adorable! I used little star confetti sprinkles. I know they will taste great! (Because I totally licked the whisk and the batter was delicious!)
These look yummy. But yeah, after reading about the artificial sweetener I'm rather hesitate. I'll see if I can find one with a better option. As the crystal light ones have Aspartame in them. Ick.
I made these cupcakes and they were fabulous! Instead of using pink lemonade, I substituted 1 packet of Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade and was so happy with the results. These cupcakes were very airy and fluffy- almost like angel food! The flavor was spot on. I've been on WW for 4 months now and am always dying to find a sweet recipe that is low points and this hit the spot. The cupcakes were sweet enough to stand on their own without icing. Thanks, Gina!
Would these work with regular pink lemonade mix instead of sugar free. I dont want to give my kids artificial sweetner. I have made the full fat version before and it was super yummy! I'm sure these are great and I want to try. Thanks!
So thankful there are more Vegan recipes on here! I love , love , love your site!!!!
Recipe was great! I used raspberry lemonade instead of pink. Everyone loved them 🙂
Excellent recipe. It is now a family favorite! The kids loved them.
Does this work w/ Crystal Light that has stevia instead of artificial sweeteners?
they were gross, lol.
which was sad because i usually like all of your recipes. just dont see how people could like these.
Has anyone noticed a fake sweetener taste? I want to try and make these but I can't stand the taste of fake sugars. Does the cakemix mask it at all?
Thanks!
-Jennifer
I just made them and they are DELICIOUS! My kids loved them too!
I used the pilsbury brand too because the store I went to didn't have duncan hines, mine turned out pretty dense also… now that I think about it, pilsbury uses pudding in their mix, I bet that had something to do with it.
I move somethings around n made these and they came out great! Instead of using pink lemonade powder i used about 1/3 of pink lemon concentration and did n't use water. I also didn't use lemon zest but instead of lemon extract. Worked out perfect
Hi!New to the site…. and already in love! I am going to try this out on my hubby first and then for my best friends bachelorette weekend! She love Pink Pantie Pull Downs… the drink… and these will go perfectly with her favs for the weekend… sweet little not so bad treats as we all prepare to fit into the bridal party attire! Love this website… got introduced by a friend at theVine church in Hoschston, GA! Grateful and trying the Southwestern Chicken Crock pot recipe and the crispy thin pizza recipe this week as my hubby and i start our healthier lifestyle. 🙂 Thanks Gina and all the wonderful commentators!
Tried this with Angel food cake mix and it was great! I overcooked mine a little and they got a little brown, but still tasted pretty good! Plus, the Angel food is fat free! So it lowered my weight watchers points even more! I'm gonna try it again with regular lemonade instead of Pink, the pink was a little tart for my liking. Thanks for the recipe!
I didn't care much for them. Too much tart for me I guess. They did smell good cooking.
How long will these keep? Can I make them the day before?.
posted as a vegan item, however the cake mix you have used is not vegan as it contans milk.
Thanks for pointing that out!
These look yummy but are not vegan as the cake mix is not vegan. Just wanted to let you know.
Awesome site!!
anon, t worked best for me the way I posted it. I tried this at least 5 times before I posted.
Would it change the points if I subbed the oil for more applesauce? And would that work with the cupcakes? Also anyone try this with cream cheese frosting?
I just made these for my sister's baby shower (It's a girl!) and they were a huge hit with everyone! Thank you so much for the recipe.
It must have something to do with the brand you used. Not sure why, I would try it with Duncan Hines next time.
You know what, I also used the Pillsbury Funfetti mix, and I just looked at another box that I have here at home and it says 18.91 oz. This recipe says 18.25. I wonder if thats why mine came out gummy?
I made these yesterday…I followed the recipe but excluded the food coloring…and mistakenly forgot the lemon zest. oops…but they were tart enough and were quite yummy. I checked them at about 20 minutes and a knife came out clean but mine were kinda gummy in the middle also. They weren't light and fluffy…but more dense and heavier in the middle. They were good but I wondered what I did wrong too…thought maybe it was the applesauce. I used Crystal Light Pink Lemonade powder and the Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix. They didn't have the other brand. My mix only made 12 instead of 24 and they came out the size of an average cup cake. I will make them again and remember the lemon zest this time. 😉 Thanks Gina! You are awesome!
That's strange! Not sure, this recipe couldn't be easier, maybe your oven requires more time?
I'm not sure what I did wrong, but I baked mine for 29 minutes and they were still gummy in the center. 🙁
I just made them!! and OMG there soooo goood 🙂
Love the confetti design. I think this is perfect for a surprise party or any birthday party. Kids will surely love this colorful cupcakes.
I loved all his works. It's like an art, I also make cupcakes. Not only that, working with artistic and sweet cakes. Congratulations, all are magnificent with lots of creativity!
I made them with confetti angel food mix and they are SO light and fluffy. Great recipe, thanks!
I am not the biggest cupcake afficionado however these were incredibly light, fluffy and very tasty, the pink lemonade flavor was a tangy surprise!!! Perfect serving size!! Loved it!!
Nice recipe! I way browsing for cupcake recipes cause I got to bake a big quantity and I want to bake different kinds!From the pictures I can relate to Agnes from "Despicable me" and say that "They're so fluffy!!"
Made these for a girl's weekend at the beach. They were a huge hit and everyone asked for the recipe! Yum!
Can anyone tell me if these rise alot? Should I only fill the cups halfway, or 2/3rds? what have been the best ways to do it? 🙂
Made something similar to this Saturday for a family cookout. Only I used a yellow cake mix, the crystal light pink lemonaid and 1 cup of diet ginger ale, nothing else. They were YUMMY. Got the idea from seeing these. Only thing is, I forgot to spray the muffin papers, so they stuck to the paper. It was funny seeing everyone eathing them off the paper because they were so good lol.
THESE ARE AMAZING!!! Even though the bf has a super sweet tooth and is quite picky, he even loved them. Though one should be enough, sometimes two is tasty and I was surprised when I tracked it that two of these are only 5 points+.
Delicious! Will definately make again 🙂
I usually put my cupcake tin on a cookie sheet to prevent the bottom from burnIng.
I made these thew other day and they turned out EXCELLENT!!!!! Loved them! I wasn't sure about lemonade flavored cupcakes, sounded a bit weird, but can't keep my hands out of them! The bottoms of the cupcakes burned in the wrappers and I took it out at 18 minutes. Maybe because I sprayed the cupcake wrappers? I am not very experienced with making cupcakes and the last time I made them, they stuck to the paper and couldn't get them out, so I sprayed them. But other then peeling the thin burnt layer off the bottom, they are great!
Wow, these were amazing! I was concerned they would be too tart, but they were just perfect! They were too tart for my husband, but that means more for me! 🙂
I made these yesterday, but I used SF raspberry-lemonade instead. I didn't have the pink-lemonade on hand. But they still turned out yummy. I will be making these again. Thanks for the recipe.
I made these this weekend – THEY ARE AMAZING! Mine have a muffin like texture, so I've kept them in the fridge and enjoy them for breakfast (well, snack too!) This is a great, easy recipe and just the perfect amount of tart. As usual, a great recipe! Thanks for posting!
These are SOO GOOD!! Came out perfect. And only 97 cals. Will be making them again.
I just took them out of the oven. They are AMAZING!!!!! Love them!
How about replacing the pink lemonade mix with the new Margarita that Crystal Light came out with? Yum!
Lauren that should work just fine.
These look yummy! I'm from the UK and I don't think our supermarkets sell powdered pink lemonade, and I don't want to pay a fortune to import it! Could I just use some pink lemonade soda/juice instead if I cut out the cup of water in your recipe?
For the person who asked why not use the lighter version for kids – I am not the original poster, but I wouldn't use sugar-free sweetener for my daughter (she's only 16 months old), but I would use this recipe with regular lemonade. My daughter is also very small, so she can use the extra fat from regular recipes. Every child is different in their dietary needs.
Gina, I look forward to making these very soon!!
Gina I made these on Saturday when I saw the post- it was the perfect light treat to make to bring to a short getaway with friends! everyone was so impressed that they were only 97 calories and I was so happy to have something light for dessert, they were soooooooo good! will definitely be making these a lot this summer! Thanks so much for the recipe =)
Brittany – sorry it took so long!
I actually made a glaze to go on top but didn't use it in the end, I thought they were sweet enough but what I did was mix powdered sugar with a little pink lemonade mix and a little water.
Made these today – mmmmm they are good! Thanks Gina!
http://redsie05.blogspot.com/2011/07/pink-lemonade-confetti-cupcakes-ww-3.html
So cute! What a fun summer cupcake recipe.
It baffles me why you would want the skinny version for adults and feed the kids a full fat version…why??? Are the kids less worthy of a healthier option??
Brittany – thank you SO much for posting the original! I really appreciate being able to offer both versions for my daughter's party!
Gina, Thank you SO much for answering my request for this cupcake! It is my favorite, and I couldn't be more excited for this WW option!!!!!!!! YOU are amazing!!!!!!! 🙂
For the person that asked for the original recipe, the one I use all the time is at http://www.ericasweettooth.com/2010/04/pink-lemonade-cupcakes.html
It's delicious! (and the decorative straw would be cute for a party)
Gina, again…thank you very very much. My friends will be so very excited to know that the next time I bring my favorite treat to a party it will be WW friendly!
Shared on FB! They are cooking right now, and can't wait to eat them! 🙂
I think you could also just use the lemondaide that does not have sweetner in it ( the kind you would add your own sugar to)
Ok….I have a barbeque to go to tomorrow. Would love to try these. The only cake mix I have in the cupboard that would work (other than chocolate) is yellow and lemon. Do you think the lemeon would make it to lemony?? Or maybe omit the lemonade mix?
Do you think these would be good with ff cool whip or reddi whip?
I didn't use any eggs in this recipe.
I don't have the original, I was actually looking at several online just to get an understanding for what it should taste like.
You could try using real lemon juice in place of the pink lemonade if you prefer. It would probably just taste like a lemon cupcake, which I'm sure would be great.
I didn't freeze any but I would assume that would be fine.
do you have to use applesauce?
Have these in the oven as we speak! LOVE< LOVE< LOVE this site. A lifesaver for sure!!!
Did you prepare the cake mix as direction or did you omit the eggs?
I know this goes against your grain, but could you reference me to the original recipe you trimmed down? I'm doing a pink lemonade theme for my daughters birthday and have been trying so hard to find a pink lemonade cupcake version. I want to offer the skinny version for the adults and full fat version for the kids!
Looks delicious and yummy….
And the Confetti looks so cute 🙂
What about just adding fresh lemon juice, I don't like the artificial sweetners too much, think it would work cause the cake mix is so sweet? I hate to be one of those recipe "changers" I think you are so awesome!!! Pam
I'd like to try this with the soda cake recipe using sprite or 7-up! Another suggestion if someone really wants a bit of frosting is a low-fat cream cheese frosting and add the same pink lemonade crystals and zest to the frosting!
Can I freeze these?
Love these! The confetti really makes these so pretty 🙂
Delicious recipe. Tested it on a party last weekend. Everybody loved it.
These look yummy, and so summery! I love confetti cake mix, reminds me of when I was a little kid!
Mmm. I've definitely been looking for some recipes to satisfy my sweet cravings now that I am trying to be more careful about my food intake. These are super adorable looking as well.
Those are so cute and perfect for summer! Have you ever tried the WW recipe that uses a box of angel food cake and 1 can of cherry pie filling or pinapple? Also light and summery!
www.luvwhatyoudo.wordpress.com
Yum! This is perfect for the mood I'm in! Thank yous!
You are amazing! You made a cupcake with only 97 calories! I'm totally going to make these!
these look wonderful for a birthday party or baby or wedding shower too!
These are regular sized cupcakes. I would call them mini if I used smaller ones.
Why Just Eat – Never dawned on me either until someone asked me to lighten it.
Oh my goodness! I was just searching the web on how to lighten a box of cake mix besides adding a can of diet soda. You saved the day! 🙂
Yes please, these are so pretty
I would never have thought to put lemonade flavor in cupcakes – it sounds so good!
These are beautiful.. and look light and tasty. Will be making them for my husband who doesn't like icing.
These look so summery & delicious, I can't wait to try them!
perfection. and only 97 calories?!
Are you using mini cupcake pan or a regular size one?
Although I only tested this recipe with confetti mix, I think it should work out the same with white mix.
Oh my goodness! You literally read my mind today, Gina! I'm having a summer sweet tooth today and this sounds absolutely delish. Can't wait to try it. 🙂
This looks great! I'm going to try these out for my daughter's birthday. She's allergic to eggs, and most of the recipes I've found are way too crumbly.
Instead of using confetti cake mix, would white cake mix work just the same and I could still use the pink food coloring? My family isn't a big fan of the confetti mix.
Salvation! Food Network posted Paula Deen's pink lemonade cake on Facebook yesterday and it looked REALLY tempting. I'm sure these will help me get that fix if I need it, without doing too much damage!
Mmm these are so cute and I really love that you left off the frosting, they definitely sound like they can handle on their own!
I know my comment will defeat the purpose of me coming to this blog but those would look soooooo good with frosting. Shame on me!
Going to a 'sixties' party; I think these will fit right in! Thanks.
how fun!! Definitely going on my to-do list :0)
Holy. Moly.
Yes, Crystal Light would work, I used a generic brand.
I dont have a cake miix can I use, flour and baking powder?
Plus no apple sauce either, any replica?
Do you have to use applesauce?
Can this be made with Crystal Light packets?
These are next on my list to make after I make the chocolate chip ricotta muffins. I just made your homemade granola bars and they seriously rock! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! These new muffins sound amazing. Kind of recipes me of the frozen strawberry lemonade from McDonalds, but in muffin form lol
"powdered sugar-free pink lemonade mix".. do you mean like Crystal Light? (just want to make sure.. I'm dying to make these!)
These look amazing! My husband LOVES confetti cake/cookies. He is getting back from an 8 month deployment next Friday. I am going to whip some up for him!
Most definitely will be making these!!!! Thank you!