It was 1975 and the year my Mom got a hockey puck for Mother's Day. If only the internet existed back then, Mom could have this Flower Pot Cupcake filled with pudding and oreo cookies for Mother's Day instead.
Fortunately for you, the internet exists and YOU can have this! If you are looking for easy Mother’s Day gift ideas DIY that kids will have a blast making, slip this under Dad's pillow. Believe me, simply hinting is far too subtle. However, if you are a Dad reading this, you’ll want to print this out and make these for Mom with your kids. Trust me, these Cupcake flower pots are the perfect easy Mother’s Day gifts that older kids can do on their own and little kids can do with Dad's help.
Although I thought Mom gave a stellar performance, feigning her excitement and appreciation for the hockey puck that year, I thought it was a little over the top, especially considering it was a used hockey puck.
Little did I know, her reaction was indeed genuine, and sincere. And that when you become a mother, things change. And some things are just not as important as they once were; like gifts.
It's hard to explain this to someone who doesn't have kids. It's hard to explain a lot of things about having kids to someone who doesn't have them. Like how getting a used hockey puck was probably one of the most meaningful gifts mom ever received. And I had zero understanding of that myself, until I became a mother too.
And because I am lucky enough to be a Mom, I get to do baking, cooking and crafts with my daughter's Girl Guides group~! We did these DIY cupcake flowers as an edible spring craft and they loved it! My daughter is 10 and she made the cupcake flower in all these photos - she did an amazing job and I'm so proud of her! They are perfect for Earth Day as well! And if you're looking for additional fun recipes for Earth day, you might also like my Jello Worms and Dirt recipe! You can also make these for a kids' garden party theme!
🥘Ingredients
For this easy recipe, you'll need:
- all-purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- milk
- vegetable or canola oil
- egg
- vanilla extract
- whipped vanilla icing *I use Betty Crocker whipped vanilla
- rose or pink icing color
- yellow jumbo nonpareils
- chocolate pudding snack pack containers
- Oreo cookies
- gummy worms
🔪Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Line mini muffin/cupcake tin with mini muffin/cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and combine using a whisk or an electric mixer until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into mini muffin/cupcake tin, filling to ¾ full only.
- Bake the cupcakes or about 13- 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes are baking, begin to prepare the rest of the craft.
- When cupcakes are done, let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack.
- Flower pot 'dirt': Line a plastic flower pot with saran wrap.
- Pour 3 chocolate snack pack puddings inside.
- Add 10 oreo cookies (per flower pot) to a large ziplock bag and close the bag. Then crush into small chunks with a rolling pin. It is best to do this step on the floor.
- Pour the Oreo cookie crumbs on top of the pudding.
- Stem: Cut 2 leaf shapes out of the crepe paper. We just did this free-hand, as it's pretty simple. Glue leaves onto straw with tacky glue (or a strong clear glue).
- Place straw (stem) into flower pot.
- Color the icing (if desired). I used a pink icing color. Then fit pastry bag with IM or 2D tip and ice in circular motion, beginning in the middle of the cupcake and moving towards the outer edges, turning the cupcake as you pipe. *You will have additional cupcakes, but some may break, not go on correctly etc... And it's nice to have extra cupcakes for the kids to eat!
- See VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS (below ) on how to ice a cupcake if you're not sure how to ice a cupcake with a IM tip. *** USE THE ROSE SWIRL, Place the candy decoration in the center of the flower.
- Assembly: Cut a hole into bottom of the middle of the cupcake with a sharp knife. Make sure that it's not too big- you can always make it a little bigger if it doesn't go on the first time, but you can't make it smaller
- Place cupcake on top of straw.
- Trim excess saran wrap from edges of pot.
- Add gummy worms. You are done!
🎥 Video
Video: HOW TO ICE A CUPCAKE ** USE THE ROSE SWIRL
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Cupcakes - You can use any recipe for cupcakes or a box cake mix. You can also use chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting instead of vanilla. This Old Fashioned Sour Cream Chocolate Cake is perfect for cupcakes (just cook it for half the time of the cake!)
- Frosting Color - you can use any color you prefer for the frosting
👪 Serving Size
This flower pot cupcake recipe makes 15 cupcake flower pots. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You'll just need additional supplies.
🍽Equipment
For this flower pot cupcake recipe, you'll need an electric hand mixer, rolling pins (affiliate links), mixing bowls, spoons and the following supplies (many of which you can find at you local craft store or on Amazon):
- green crepe paper/streamers
- tacky clear glue ( some kind of strong, clear glue)
- milkshake straws (or other thick straws) *a green straw is ideal
- 1M tip
- disposable piping bag (s)
- saran wrap
- Ziplock freezer bags
- mini cupcake liners
- plastic flower pots (or you could use terracotta pots or any little pots)
- mini cupcake/muffin pan
🌡️Storage
Store these at room temperature for 2 days.
My little brother Danny, the giver of this priceless hockey puck, was about 4 years old at the time and just discovering the concept of giving. He would wrap up pretty much anything he cherished and altruistically share it with those that he loved. My kids did the same thing at that tender age and I remember it with such heartfelt nostalgia. It's such a special time in a child’s development; where they begin to think beyond themselves. And as a parent, it’s an incredible and beautiful thing to witness unfolding. I'm forever grateful to have had that experience. If you know me, you'll know I was told I couldn't have kids at all, so I am, as I said, forever grateful....
And if memory serves me correctly, I believe we all got a used hockey puck for Christmas the year my brother was 4. But obviously, it didn't hold the same meaning for me as it did for Mom. But that would have been hard for her to explain, especially to a kid.
Happy Mother's Day!
⭐ Reviews
Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below and leave a comment!
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🌼 Flower Pot Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Super Easy White Mini Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- dash of salt
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
- 4 12 ounce containers of whipped vanilla icing I use Betty Crocker whipped vanilla
- ½ teaspoon rose or pink icing color * amount you add will vary, depending on color you want to achieve
- 1 1.8 ounce container yellow jumbo nonpareils
Flower pot "dirt"
- 45 3.25 ounce chocolate pudding snack pack containers *This ingredient link is just to show you, but Walmart carries the full chocolate packages of 12
- 5 19.1 family packages of oreo cookies (10 cookies each)
Garnish:
- 45 gummy worms
Supplies:
- 1 roll green crepe paper/streamers
- 1 bottle tacky clear glue ( some kind of strong, clear glue)
- 15 milkshake straws (or other thick straws)
- 2 1M tip kids can share
- 1 package disposable pastry bags
- 1 package saran wrap
- 15 large ziplock freezer bags
- 3 rolling pins
- 1 package of mini cupcake liners
- 15 plastic flower pots
- 1 mini cupcake/muffin pan
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Line mini muffin/cupcake tin with mini muffin/cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and combine using a whisk or an electric mixer until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into mini muffin/cupcake tin, filling to ¾ full only.
- Bake cupcakes for about 13- 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes are baking, begin to prepare the rest of the craft.
- When cupcakes are done, let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack.
Flower pot 'dirt':
- Line a plastic flower pot with saran wrap.
- Pour 3 chocolate snack pack puddings inside.
- Add 10 oreo cookies (per flower pot) to a large ziplock bag and close the bag. Then crush into small chunks with a rolling pin. It is best to do this step on the floor.
- Pour the crushed oreos on top of the pudding.
Stem:
- Cut 2 leaf shapes out of the crepe paper. We just did this free-hand, as it's pretty simple.
- Glue leaves onto straw with tacky glue (or a strong clear glue).
- Place straw (stem) into flower pot.
Ice cupcake:
- Color the icing (if desired). I used a pink icing color. Then fit pastry bag with IM or 2D tip and ice in circular motion, beginning in the middle of the cupcake and moving towards the outer edges, turning the cupcake as you pipe.
- You will have additional cupcakes, but some may break, not go on correctly etc... And it's nice to have extra cupcakes for the kids to eat!
- See VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS IN NOTES on how to ice a cupcake if you're not sure how to ice a cupcake with a IM tip. *** USE THE ROSE SWIRLPlace the candy decoration in the middle of the rose
Assembly:
- Cut a hole into bottom of the middle of the cupcake with a sharp knife. Make sure that it's not too big- you can always make it a little bigger if it doesn't go on the first time, but you can't make it smaller.
- Place cupcake on top of straw.
- Trim excess saran wrap from edges of pot.
- Add gummy worms. You are done!
colleen kennedy
This is the cutest idea! I am all about making food fun for the kiddos. Thanks for the idea!
Terri Gilson
Thanks! Yeah, my daughter's girl guide group had so much fun making them and giving them to their Moms!
Anne Lawton
These are almost too pretty to eat!
Terri Gilson
Thanks! But they really are delicious!
Jersey Girl Cooks
These are adorable for Mother’s Day!
Terri Gilson
Thanks!
Eileen Kelly
So much fun to make these cupcakes with the kids. A great Mothers Day treat too
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Eileen! Yes, my daughter's girl guides group had a blast making them!
Carlos at Spoonabilities
The cupcakes are SO PRETTY! You have art to decorate. I want to learn to make cupcakes so pretty like yours.
Terri Gilson
Thank you so much, Carlos! I spent many years as a hobby cake decorator so it sort of never leaves you!
Caroline
That's a great story, and so true how your perspective changes being a mother. These are such a lovely idea, and an adorable (and no doubt tasty) treat for mothers day.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Caroline.Yes, motherhood definitely makes some things matter more than others....
Laura
This is such a great idea. And perfect for Mother's Day
Terri Gilson
Thanks!They are fun and easy - my daughter made this one when she was 101