Let’s be upfront about this: these cupcakes have no redeeming qualities when it comes to nutrition. They are made with boxed cake mix, boxed pudding mix, soda, and whipped topping. Just so you’re warned!

But every once in awhile I think it’s OK to slide on my “real foods” morals and make something because it’s easy. These are great to make with kids for a few reasons:

• Only two ingredients in the cupcakes and four in the icing.
• Cupcakes are fun to eat and easier than slices of cake.
• Because there are no eggs in the batter, you can let your child lick the bowl without guilt. Or do it yourself.
• Lemon is yummy.
• This makes 24 cupcakes without a giant mess, huge ingredient list, or time-consuming steps.

So gather your little ones in the kitchen and bake!

Lemon Cupcakes

• 1 lemon cake mix
• 12 oz. lemon-lime soda
• 8 oz. whipped topping (Cool Whip)
• one box instant lemon pudding mix
• juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
• 1/2 c. milk

1. Line muffin tins with muffin papers. Preheat over to 350F.
2. Mix together cake mix and soda until batter is smooth. Fill muffin papers about halfway with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until done.
3. Meanwhile, fold together whipped topping, pudding mix, and lemon juice until uniform. Add milk and stir for 1-2 minutes. Scoop frosting into a large ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. When cupcakes are completely cool, push frosting down and to one side of the baggy. Snip corner off the baggy to make a pastry bag. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Decorate with lemon zest or sprinkles – or anything you can find in the fridge!

Basically any recipe where kids can dump and mix are great for cooking together. Here are some other recipes I like to bake with my kids:

• Chocolate Coconut Oat Bars
• Graham Cracker Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins