These Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes Are Exactly What Dreams Are Made Of

Sometimes in life, we need a little “pick me up” to help get through a trying day and for me, nothing can quite deliver as well as a trip to my local bakery for my favorite cupcake. Though I’ll head over to my bakery at the drop of a dime, since they are not open 24/7, I’ve started trying out baking recipes for myself at home, so I wouldn’t need to go any further than my kitchen to lift my spirits. And thanks to accomplished food blogger and photographer, Entirely Elizabeth, I’ve got a new recipe to add to my lineup.

The Arkansas-based creator took to her Instagram page to show off her recipe for Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes, and I immediately bookmarked it for my next flavorful trek around the kitchen. While the full recipe is a little layered and too long to fit in her Instagram caption, Elizabeth does a great job at breaking it down in simple steps for novice bakers like myself.

To start, you will need four major ingredients: vanilla cupcakes (which she breaks down how to make on her blog), Strawberry Jell-O, vanilla not-so-sweet buttercream, and strawberry crunch. Begin by making the vanilla cupcakes and letting them chill. Then, move on to the strawberry-flavored Jell-O and let that cool to room temperature. Using a fork, poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes and pour 1 tablespoon of Jell-O over each. Chill for 3 to 4 hours or until the Jell-O has set.  

To make the strawberry crunch, combine freeze-dried strawberries, vanilla-flavored Oreos, and butter in a food processor and pulse the ingredients until they are crumbs. Top the chilled cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, followed by a layer of strawberry crunch, and then a final dollop of vanilla buttercream. And voilà! Strawberry bliss.

You can slide on over to her site, Entirely Elizabeth, for the full recipe, but if you’re looking for more sweet treats to try, this Black Bottom Cupcake recipe is the dreamy mixture of cupcake and brownie that is likely to turn any day around. And if you’re truly looking for something different, Pizza Cupcakes take all the fuss out of making a pizza and the best part is, you don’t even need a plate!