• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Frugal
  • Resources
  • About
  • Shop
  • Subscribe

BeeyondCereal logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Frugal
  • Resources
  • About
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Frugal
    • Resources
    • About
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published: Jul 3, 2022 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Nacho Cupcakes

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional graphic for Nacho Cupcakes

    These nacho themed cupcakes are a fun treat to serve up to the kiddos. Perfect for any taco theme party, fiesta, or when you're looking to get creative with your desserts.

    several nacho themed cupcakes

    These are nacho average cupcakes (get it? haha..food pun)

    These cupcakes are sweet little works of art and each one can be customized to look unique. They are sure to turn a few heads at any get together.

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. The recipe is easy! From boxed mixes to canned frosting, this recipe is super quick and easy to assemble. Just a few ingredients and steps from start to finish.
    2. They're fun! My kids talked about them for days because they couldn't get over the idea of nachos for dessert (they must have forgotten about me making them Ice Cream Nachos a few months ago).
    3. These are kid friendly. From the prep steps to the assembly and of course, the snacking, this recipe is very easy to put together and can enjoy. Grab your kids and set up an assembly line and everyone can decorate their own!
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🧾 Substitutions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Storage
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    ingredients needed to make nacho cupcakes

    🥘 Ingredients

    Yellow cake mix- you will need to use a box of yellow cake mix that has been prepared according to the package directions for making cupcakes.

    Vanilla frosting- Use a can of vanilla frosting to cut down on time and effort. Any brand will work fine.

    Yellow food coloring- This is what is needed to give the frosting a melted cheese appearance.

    Cinnamon toast crunch cereal- For a nacho chip look but with a better taste, I recommend using cinnamon toast crunch cereal.

    Mike & Ike candy- We only need the red and green candies from the box, so feel free to enjoy the other colors as a snack while prepping!

    For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Muffin Pan
    • Paper Liners
    • Piping bag
    • Measuring Cups
    • Spoon

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make nacho cupcakes with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Bake cupcakes per package recipe and cool completely.

    baked yellow cupcakes in muffin pan

    Separate the Mike and Ike candies by color. Chop the red ones into pieces and slice the green ones thinly. Discard the remaining colors.

    red and green mike and ike candies on a cutting board chopped into pieces

    Swirl the yellow food coloring into the frosting until completely blended. You want a few drops of yellow so that it looks like melted cheese. Adjust the color as needed.

    drops of yellow food coloring added to a can of white frosting
    yellow colored frosting in a can

    Place the frosting into a piping bag or a sandwich baggie with the corner snipped.

    Pipe a smooth flat swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.

    yellow frosting spread over the top of a yellow cupcake

    Place a few cereal pieces on top of the frosting.

    Pipe a little more frosting on top of cereal to resemble melted cheese.

    cinnamon toast crunch and yello frosting on a cupcake

    Put a few pieces of the cut candy on top of the “cheese.”

    Serve & enjoy!

    mike and ike candies on a yellow frosting and cinnamon toast crunch topped cupcake

    🧾 Substitutions

    Cupcake flavors

    If desired, you can use any flavor of cake mix underneath your nacho-like toppings. This means you can select chocolate cake mix, or any other flavor you may already have on hand.

    Nacho chip variation

    Instead of cinnamon toast crunch cereal, you can select cinnamon sugar chips (like Pita chips) or homemade Air Fried Cinnamon Sugar Chips. This will give you larger cinnamon chip pieces but they can also help to really achieve a more believable appearance.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Storage

    Room temp

    These cupcakes can be store in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days at room temperature. The cereal will soften as the cupcakes age, so if you want them crispy, it's best to assemble right before serving.

    Freezer

    Yes, these cupcakes can be frozen and thawed later. To freeze them, assemble them in a single layer in an air tight container for up to 3 months.

    💭 FAQs

    Can I use homemade cupcakes instead of boxed mix?

    Absolutely! I used box mixes because it's so convenient and easy but you are more than welcome to use homemade cakes and frostings for this!

    How to make cinnamon sugar tortilla chips

    Mix together ¼ cup of grnualated sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon until blended. Cut 2 large flour tortillas into small triangles with a pizza cutter. Spray the tortillas with olive oil and coat all sides in the sugar mixture. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 5 minutes at 425F.

    What can I use for fake salsa on my nachos?

    If desired you can add a dollop of strawberry jam to the toppings on your nachos. This will look a lot like salsa, which adds a little more color, flavor and helps to make your nachos look a little more realistic.

    a close up of a nacho themed cupcake

    More great kid-approved recipes to check out soon

    • PBJ On A Stick
    • No Bake Apple Donuts
    • Peanut Butter Jelly Spider Sandwiches
    • Easy Microwave Scotcheroos
    • Air Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
    • Peanut Butter Apple Nachos

    📖 Recipe

    several nacho cupcakes with toppings
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Nacho Cupcakes

    These nacho themed cupcakes are a fun treat to serve up to the kiddos. Perfect for any taco theme party, fiesta, or when you're looking to get creative with your desserts.
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Servings: 24 cupcakes
    Calories: 159kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Muffin Pan
    • Paper Liners
    • Piping bag
    • Measuring Cups
    • Spoon

    Ingredients

    • 1 box yellow cake mix + additional ingredients ($1.48)
    • 1 can vanilla frosting ($1.74)
    • 4-6 drops Yellow food coloring
    • 1 cup Cinnamon toast crunch cereal ($0.44)
    • 1 box (5oz) Mike and Ike Candy ($1.24)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Bake cupcakes per package recipe and cool completely.
    • Separate the Mike and Ike candies by color. Chop the red ones into pieces and slice the green ones thinly. Discard the remaining colors.
    • Swirl the yellow food coloring into the frosting until completely blended. You want a few drops of yellow so that it looks like melted cheese. Adjust the color as needed.
    • Place the frosting into a piping bag or a sandwich baggie with the corner snipped.
    • Pipe a smooth flat swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.
    • Place a few cereal pieces on top of the frosting.
    • Pipe a little more frosting on top of cereal to resemble melted cheese.
    • Put a few pieces of the cut candy on top of the “cheese.”
    • Serve & enjoy!

    Notes

    • If desired, you can use any flavor of cake mix underneath your nacho-like toppings. This means you can select chocolate cake mix, or any other flavor you may already have on hand.
    • Instead of cinnamon toast crunch cereal, you can select cinnamon sugar chips (like Pita chips) or homemade Cinnamon Sugar Chips.
    • This will give you larger cinnamon chip pieces but they can also help to really achieve a more believable appearance. 
    • These cupcakes can be store in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days at room temperature. The cereal will soften as the cupcakes age, so if you want them crispy, it's best to assemble right before serving.
    • These cupcakes can be frozen and thawed later. To freeze them, assemble them in a single layer in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.


    More Cake Recipes

    • recipes made with cake mix
      Recipes with Boxed Cake Mixes
    • an upclose view of easter confetti cake with easter peeps and candies
      Easter Confetti Cake
    • an upclose view of chocolate lava cake in a crockpot with powdered sugar a wooden spoon and red berries
      Chocolate Crockpot Lava Cake
    • apple cider cupcakes with caramel frosting and seasonal sprinkles. Fresh apples in background
      Apple Cider Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A photo of Nicole from Beeyond Cereal

    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

    More About Me →

    Trending NOW

    • two bbq chicken thighs on a plate with more on a baking dish in the background
      Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
    • roasted chicken, carrots and potatoes in a baking dish with a sprig of rosemary on top
      Roasted Whole Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
    • a close up of taquitos enchiladas in a bowl with a board filled with toppings in background
      20 Minute Lazy Enchiladas
    • an upclose view of honey lemon pepper wings on a plate
      Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

    Seasonal Recipes

    • bunny biscuits on a baking sheet
      Easy Easter Bunny Biscuits
    • an upclose view of a mug filled with easter egg hot chocoalte and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles
      Easter Egg Hot Chocolate
    • an upclose view of easter confetti cake with easter peeps and candies
      Easter Confetti Cake
    • a plate filled with mini egg fudge pieces
      Easter Mini Eggs Fudge

    As Seen In

    parade yummyle foodgawker the pioneer woman

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Public Sharing Policy
    • Pricing Disclosure

    Follow

    • Sign Up! for emails
    • Follow on Facebook
    • Follow on Instagram
    • Follow on Pinterest

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Beeyond Cereal --Brunch Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Save & Accept