OK. I have a confession.

These cupcakes , err, “muffins” are from a box.

I couldn’t help it! I purchased these bad boys on a whim a few weeks ago out of curiosity. That and the fact that I’m a little bit Cocoa Puff obsessed.

Like, big time.

I could eat Cocoa Puffs and cheese the rest of my life and die a happy woman.

I know. Gross.

At any rate, I decided to whip these up to see what all the fuss was about. My girls loved to help bake these (they always like to put cupcake liners in the appropriate pans) and I will admit, this is a simple way to get your kids involved. Plus, duh – they are from a box so of course they will be simple.

The outcome? Although they looked pretty..

they weren’t that good. I would probably give them a 4 out of 10. You can make a MUCH better semi-homemade Cocoa Puff cupcake without the box version. (Note:  these were really called “muffins” simply because there wasn’t any frosting on them. But – I will turn my next version into a real cupcake with frosting.)

Instead of buying the box version, try this cupcake recipe. It’s just as fast and tastes better. I’ve shared this semi-homemade cake recipe before and this would work just as well with chocolate cake mix and a few Cocoa-Puff’s thrown in!

Cocoa Puff Cupcakes

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups crushed  Cocoa Puffs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mix, sour cream, oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and water. Gently stir in the Cocoa Puffs and divide batter into lined cups.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

You can use any old frosting recipe, here’s one of my favorites.  I would also dip your frosted cupcake in Cocoa Puffs when you’re done for a little extra flair – much like this one!


Oye. I already feel 10 pounds heavier! Let me know if you give them a try!

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Leslie Means

Leslie is the founder and owner of Her View From Home.com. She is also a former news anchor, published children’s book author, weekly columnist, and has several published short stories as well. She is married to a very patient man. Together they have three fantastic kids.  When she’s not sharing too much personal information online and in the newspaper – you’ll find Leslie somewhere in Nebraska hanging out with family and friends. There’s also a 75% chance at any given time, you’ll spot her in the aisles at Target.

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