Wonton cupcakes literally save my life.
Who knew a cute little square of wonton dough could make a cupcake that can be filled with dinner or dessert and satisfy any picky eater. Whether you are a busy mom who doesn’t have the time to cook, need an adventurous way to mix things up, have leftovers you don’t want to waste but need to repurpose, or you have the pickiest of eaters and don’t want to make a billion different meals at once, wonton cupcakes are your solution. I promise, with unlimited combinations, you can have fun, get the kids involved, and have dinners that are freezable, microwavable, homemade and yummy!
You may be thinking “I don’t even know what a wonton is.” If you’ve had them before, they likely were curled up with shrimp or crab in the middle at your favorite local Asian-based restaurant. But, there are many ways to use them as you’ll learn today. They can be called wonton wraps, wonton noodles, wonton squares, but it’s ultimately a square-shaped, flat dough. I find mine in the cooler near the “healthy” foods at my local grocer. They typically come in a package of 25-50, so depending on how many you want to make changes how many packages you’d need.
When I first learned of this amazing idea from my aunt’s Weight Watchers guide, I was skeptical. But they are a lower-calorie option so long as you don’t deep fry. I did some digging and found other combos on the EmilyBites website, and eventually, I was sold. I’ll share the basic “premise” of how to make them, but also share some of my favorite combos we’ve done in my house.
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray cupcake pan with canola or olive oil first (helps them crisp appropriately).
- Push a wonton into the bottom of each space.
- Put whatever mix/food you have (see options next) in the bottom third of the wonton.
- Place a second wonton on top. I try to alter where the corners come up to help them pop out more easily and hold the ingredients better.
- Fill the next third with more of your ingredients.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tips of the wontons just start to brown.
- Set on top of your oven and either eat immediately (may fall apart a bit) or let set until almost cool (do this if you plan to store them in the fridge or freezer).
Our favorite ingredients and wonton recipes (and yes, you can drop them in gallon bags and freeze!):
- Cincinnati Chili – think skyline chili dip, on the go. Layer cream cheese, Cincinnati chili of your choosing, cheddar cheese.
- Lasagna – any type! Veggie, lots of meat, extra cheesy. Layer the bulky ingredients in first, then the sauce and top with cheese.
- Taco cups are my husband’s favorite – I make beef or chicken in a frying pan with taco seasoning, then drop in with cheese for him, adding beans or salsa for me. We serve with fresh pico de gallo and sour cream and YUM.
- Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, green beans – whatever you have!
- Buffalo chicken – I prefer to make shredded chicken in a crockpot first, cover in buffalo sauce, and then drop into the cups to bake, adding blue cheese crumbles on the top.
- Philly cheesesteak – leftover or fresh pieces of steak or roast beef, swiss cheese, and some peppers and onions make this an easy and clean on the go option vs. the sloppy sandwich!
- Any leftover Asian stir-fry or Indian mixture works great in these.
- ANY pulled meat with sauce in the crockpot – think chicken, pork, beef. We’ll mix with salsa, Tikka Masala, or barbeque sauce and drop in with cheese or beans.
- Veggie sautés – I grab the bird’s eye or other “protein mix” options from the freezer, cook on the stovetop with some sauce, and then drop spoonfuls into the cups.
- For dessert – consider wonton options like sliced apples with brie cheese or Nutella with bananas and honey.
Happy wonton cupcake cooking!
