Seedling Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

These Seedling Cupcakes are completely edible and look adorable. Made to look like a little plant growing in the dirt, what better way to celebrate the Earth?

Recipe: $7.15 | Per Serving: $0.30 | Yields: 24 cupcakes

one in focus plant cupcake with dirt cookie crumbs.

Making these gardening cupcakes is super simple and fun. It only takes a few ingredients and the kids can help along the way. Or you can simply make a plate of cupcakes and tell them to dig in (dirt pun intended).

We love cupcakes of all types. From Microwave Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes to Nacho Cupcakes, Dinosaur Cupcakes, and Honey Bee Cupcakes, they always find a way into our homes. These cookie crumb cupcakes are just one of the latest fun variations to get thought up.

Oreo dirt cupcakes are a great Earth Day cupcake recipe to share with the kiddos because what better way to celebrate the planet than by getting the little ones interested in nature? For a similar recipe, make sure to check out my Earth Day Parfaits.

Jump to:

🍯 Why This Recipe Works
🥘 Ingredients
🧾 Substitutions
📖 Variations
🔪 Instructions for Seedling Cupcakes
🍴 Recipe Tips
💭 Recipe FAQs
❤️ More Delicious Spring Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🍯 Why This Recipe Works

They're easy to make. Made with boxed cake mix cupcakes, chocolate frosting, Oreo cookies, and sprigs of fresh mint these Seedling Cupcakes are almost too cute to eat!
The kids can help make them. Assemble the ingredients and let everyone decorate their own cupcakes.
It can be educational for the kids. You can easily turn this snack into a full-on teaching moment with the kids explaining how plants grow and survive. The chocolate will help to hold their attention longer.

🥘 Ingredients

Ingredient Notes:

Chocolate cake mix- You will need a box of chocolate cake mix made according to the package directions for cupcakes including the eggs, oil, and water. If you have more cake mix to use up check out our Rainbow Heart Cake!

Chocolate frosting- You will want to use a can of chocolate frosting but you can use a homemade chocolate buttercream instead if desired.

Oreo cookies- Use chocolate cookies and cream Oreos for a "dirt" look once crumbled.

Fresh mint leaves- You'll need fresh mint leaves for the little plant on top of the cupcakes. These are edible, but kids may prefer picking them off and eating chocolate cupcakes.

For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.

🧾 Substitutions

Different cake mixes. For these easy gardening themed cupcakes, you can use any box flavor of cake mix. I chose chocolate because it looks the most like dirt but you can just as easily use a yellow cake mix, spiced cake mix, or any other flavor.

Homemade options. Homemade frosting or homemade cupcakes can be used in place of the store-bought versions.

📖 Variations

Mint Leaves: Mint leaves are effortless and resemble new plants, pairing well with chocolate.

Fresh Rosemary or Parsley: Alternatively, use fresh rosemary or parsley for different looks. Upside-down rosemary resembles pine trees, ideal for holiday themes.

Green Taffy or Fondant: You can also use green taffy or fondant to shape fake plants, although it requires more effort to warm and mold the candies.

🔪 Instructions for Seedling Cupcakes

Step 1: Prepare cake batter according to the package directions.

chocolate cupcake batter in cupcake liners.

Step 2: Divide batter into paper lined muffin pan.

baked chocolate cupcakes in a muffin tin.

Step 3: Bake according to the package directions and let cool completely.

Step 4: Crush Oreo cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a large shallow dish or cereal bowl. Set aside.

spreading chocolate frosting to top of the cupcakes.

Step 5: Frost the top of the cupcakes with chocolate frosting.

dipping the chocolate cupcakes in oreo crumb mixture.

Step 6: Roll the frosted cupcakes in the Oreo crumbs, making sure to evenly coat the top of the frosting so that as much frosting is covered as possible.

cupcake covered in oreo crumbs to look like dirt.

Step 7: Repeat the frosting and crumbs for all cupcakes.

cupcake covered in cookie crumbs to look like dirt and with a green mint leaf plant inserted into the center.

Step 8: Take a fresh mint leaf and place the stem into the cupcake's center so that it stands upright.

See the tips below on how to secure the leaves if you find this to be more difficult than anticipated.

Step 9: Repeat for all cupcakes.

Serve and enjoy!

arranged earth day cupcakes with dirt tops and green plants.

🍴 Recipe Tips

Making Oreo Crumbs: If you lack a food processor, place the Oreo cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush them into crumbs by rolling a rolling pin over them until finely crushed.
Attaching Mint Leaves: For easier insertion of mint leaves into cupcakes, use a toothpick to push down on the stem, allowing it to be inserted deeper into the cupcake.
Variety of Herbs: While any mint leaf can be used, consider using the tip of the sprig where small leaves are bundled together. The thicker stem allows for easier insertion and provides a more realistic appearance to the "plants" or "seedlings" for these Seedling Cupcakes.

💭 Recipe FAQs

How long are chocolate cupcakes good for?

These Seedling Cupcakes are good for up to 3-5 days if kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I do not recommend adding the mint leaves until closer to serving time if these are made for an event. This is because the mint leaves will wilt within a few hours and should look dried by the next day.

Can I eat mint leaves?

Yes, you can eat the mint leaves from these Seedling Cupcakes if you want to. They are totally safe and edible to consume. Almost all of us pulled our mint leaves off after admiring them but feel free to eat them or remove them as you please. They are safe to consume.

Do I make Oreo dirt with the whole cookie?

Yes, when you pulse or crush the Oreo cookies into a dirt-like crumb mixture you will be using the chocolate cookies and the white cream filling. Once blended the two will look practically indistinguishable.

a girls hands holding an earth day cupcake in her palms.

❤️ More Delicious Spring Recipes

If you tried these Seedling Cupcakes, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!