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The sweetest Strawberry Conversation Heart Cupcakes. Lightly sweetened strawberry cupcakes made with real strawberry jam and hinted with lemon and vanilla. Each cupcake is generously frosted with the most delicious strawberry cream cheese frosting and finished off with a light lemony glaze. These are easy, fun, and so very delicious! The loveliest cupcakes to bake up, tomorrow, this weekend, or really…any time of year.
I wasn’t really planning on any Valentine’s Day desserts this year, but then? Well, then these happened and here we are! To be honest, my content these days is very spur of the moment. It’s whatever I’m feeling that day or whatever my family suggests. I know they say that when you’re busy it’s best to be organized. But I find that really, really challenging…and I do consider myself an organized person. Well, at least for the most part!
Anyway, my point is, I wasn’t planning to make these, but then little Miss Asher popped up in my text messages late Saturday night with an idea. Conversation Hearts for Valentine’s Day, but make them chocolate. I think she must have seen something online because she had the whole idea and it went like this…
“You know those candy hearts with the cute messages on them? What if you made like a large chocolate-covered version of those. I don’t know what you would write on the chocolate on yet though”.
“So what do you think?”
I loved, and still love, her idea, but essentially she just wanted chocolate hearts or really one giant chocolate heart. Aside from a chocolate cake, I was stumped on what to do, but then this idea hit me. I was about to make something totally different and suddenly I thought about strawberry cupcakes.
It was very, very random, but I figured I could probably make a strawberry cupcake into a pretty cute Conversation Heart strawberry cupcake. So I switched gears completely and made these. They took a few batches to get just right, but they were worth the effort.
I mean, I know they’re not perfect by any means, but personally, I love um. And what’s even more important? They’re delicious and made with double the amounts of strawberry. The moisture and the flavor are pretty darn perfect.
When I set out to make these, I knew I wanted them to be easy. I also knew that I wanted to make them with only real strawberries. I’ve found so many strawberry cupcakes made with everything but strawberries and instead use a lot of food coloring. So I knew using real berries was key.
I tried a few things out, but in the end, I ended up using a combination of strawberry jam and freeze-dried strawberries to create the perfect cupcake. The jam has real chunks of strawberries and all the flavor, while the freeze-dried berries add both flavor and color. I tested with fresh berries too, but the jam gives the most concentrated and delicious strawberry flavor. Plus…the jam keeps the cupcakes EASY. Almost no prep work is involved and no special equipment.
Just mix, bake, then frost. So simple and easy.
To create the heart shape, I used broken pretzel rods and the tiniest amount of foil wedged between the cupcake and the mold. This may sound like an odd method, but they actually worked out so well. I took photos so you would have a visual.
Try not to stress too much about making the shape perfect. I ended up loving that mine came out imperfect. Each was unique, cute, and so sweet!
Which is maybe the best part? Nah, it’s really the cupcakes as a whole that makes these so delicious.
I did a cream cheese frosting with a light lemon glaze to create my “conversations”. For the cream cheese frosting, I love the pairing with the strawberries. I used all freeze-dried strawberries, they add flavor and color, while allowing us not to have to use food coloring.
If you’re new to freeze-dried strawberries, most grocery stores carry them in the dried fruit aisle. And you can of course order them on Amazon. To make them into a powder, you’ll need to grind them in a food processor or blender. It’s an extra step, but the freeze-dried berries are key to creating that perfect cupcake. If you’re ordering via Amazon, I just discovered they carry dried strawberry powder too. So another option is to order this and save yourself a step!
To create a “conversion” on top of my cupcakes, I made a simple Meyer lemon glaze. I colored it with a couple of drops of blood orange juice. This gives the glaze the daintiest pink color…exactly what I wanted. With food coloring, you tend to end up with this unnatural neon-like color. But the blood orange juice works so perfectly to create a light shade of pink. You can also just make the glaze white, either works, and the lemony glaze is delicious no matter what!
To decorate, I use a mix of candy Conversation Hearts and real shredded roses. Yes, roses are edible, but make sure to use organic roses or culinary roses. Just cut using a sharp knife and sprinkle them over the cookies. As I’ve said before, flowers are my “sprinkle” of choice.
These are obviously great for Valentine’s Day, but honestly? I’ll be making them year-round. I already want to make them again come March when the fresh spring strawberries start to arrive so I can first do a homemade jam with the berries!!
The awesome thing about these cupcakes…they’re actually really simple and even more fun to make. They’d be great for baking up with young kids this week and allowing them to decorate the tops.
I’m not skilled when it comes to writing with frosting, so the best I could do was XO, XOXO, and LOVE. I’m sure you guys are better and will create the cutest cupcakes…I can’t wait to see them!!
Looking for more Valentine’s Day desserts? Here are a few to try:
Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake
Vegan Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
Lastly, if you make these Strawberry Conversation Heart Cupcakes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Hi I just have a quick question!
It calls for 1/2 cup melted coconut oil. I have coconut oil already melted. Do I use the same measurement? Also can I substitute butter if I want?
My family loves your recipes!
Hey Susy,
Yes, you will want to measure the coconut oil once it is melt and butter will work too. Please let me know if I can help in any other way, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Can I replace coconut oil with canola oil?
Hey there,
Yes, that will work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can you use fresh strawberries?
Hi there! I haven’t ever made these with fresh strawberries so I’m not too sure how the cupcakes would turn out. I prefer using freeze dried strawberries so that the cupcakes don’t get all mushy from using fresh ones. Hope this helps! xTieghan
I’m hoping to make the cupcakes “no sugar added” do you think I could substitute the sugar for maple syrup? Or do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!
Hey Sidney,
So sorry I’ve only tested this recipe with the ingredients listed, I am really unsure what the outcome would be if you substituted the sugar. Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
So fun to make and even better the look on everyone’s faces when they saw how pretty they came out. Frosting is super delicious too. I cooked them a little long in the oven as the bottoms got browner than I like and the cake was not as airy as I like, but it was the first time making them.
Hey Patrick,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Loved this recipe but do they need to be refrigerated?
Hey Karla,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! No, you do not need to keep these in the fridge. Have a great week:) xTieghan
Just made these! Tasty, tasty, tasty. Very moist. I did have to swap out the freeze dried strawberries (could not get) for frozen strawberries, but that worked just fine.
Hey Dee,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
These cupcakes are really good and sooo cute! My glaze didn’t turn out as nicely as yours, I think a squeeze bottle would have helped me. Thanks for the recipe.
Hey Nancy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Hi! We can’t do coconut in this house. Would you recommend just replacing with a neutral oil? Same amount?
Hey Jessica,
Yes, that will work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Nothing short of brilliant. As my 92 year old mom said, “Why didn’t someone think of this earlier?” Great across generations. My 24 year old daughter said, “These are really, really good. This recipe is a keeper!” Thanks for helping me spread love to my mom, daughter, postal delivery gal, neighbors, hubby and so many more! Keep up the GREAT work! Cathy
Hey Cathy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
Tried this today as a heart layer cake. Added some extra strawberry jam between the layers. Absolutely delicious. So glad you decided to throw this recipe together!
Hey Mia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
Hi! Love your recipes! To make these gluten free – would coconut or almond flour work well?
Hey Sarah,
I would recommend using an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you think I could do buttercream frosting instead of cream cheese? How could I make that modification? Thank you in advance — you always have the best recipes!
Hey Colette,
You can skip the cream cheese:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could this be made gluten free by swapping the all-purpose flour for a gluten free flour? Thanks!
Hey Anna,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were delicious. I made them without any modifications, and they turned out light and flavorful. The freeze dried strawberries add a nice sour taste to the icing.
Hey Krista,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan