These nacho 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.
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These are nacho average cupcakes (get it? haha..food pun)
These Nacho 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 party or get together.
They'd be great for a taco or fiesta themed party "Taco 'Bout a Party" or "Taco Twosday" for example.
Some other great foods to serve would be Lazy Enchiladas With Taquitos, Easy Dorito Taco Salad, and this Quick Horchata Recipe.
We love to create fun and unique cupcakes for the kids and these nacho cupcakes are only one of the many. For more ideas make sure to check out my Dinosaur Cupcakes and Seedling Cupcakes.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 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.
- They're fun! My kids talked about these Nacho Cupcakes 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).
- 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!
🛒 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.
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!
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Cupcake Base. Swap yellow cake mix for chocolate, white, funfetti, or whatever flavor you have on hand.
Nacho "chips." Use cinnamon sugar cereal pieces, broken waffle cones, or homemade Air Fried Cinnamon Sugar Chips for a more realistic chip texture.
Extra toppings. Add strawberry jam for "salsa," a drizzle of caramel for "nacho cheese," or sprinkles for a colorful twist.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use store brands. Generic cake mix, frosting, and food coloring taste the same but cost less.
Stretch the candy. One small box of Mike & Ikes is enough for an entire batch since you only use a few pieces per cupcake.
Buy cereal on sale. Any neutral-colored cereal works for the "chips"; choose whatever is cheapest.
Skip piping bags. A sandwich bag with the corner snipped off works perfectly for frosting.
🥄 Instructions for Nacho Cupcakes
Step 1: Add your cake mix, eggs, oil and water to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Whisk together to combine.
Step 3: Divide the batter into paper lined muffin pans.
Step 4: Bake as directed on the cake mix package.
Step 5: 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.
Step 6: Separate the red and green Mike and Ikes from the rest. You can discard the other colors.
Step 7: Chop the red ones into pieces and slice the green ones thinly.
Step 8: Place the frosting into a piping bag or a sandwich baggie with the corner snipped.
Step 9: Pipe a smooth flat swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.
Step 11: Spread out the frosting to make a cheesy base.
Step 12: Place a few cereal pieces on top of the frosting. Pipe a little more frosting on top of the cereal to resemble melted cheese.
Step 13: Put a few pieces of the cut candy on top of the "cheese."
Serve & enjoy!
❄️ Storage
Room Temperature: Keep Nacho Cupcakes in an airtight container for 3-5 days. The cereal will soften over time, so assemble just before serving for the crispiest "chips."
Freezer: Freeze undecorated cupcakes for up to 3 months. Frosting and cereal toppings freeze well too but are best added fresh for texture.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve these Nacho Cupcakes with kid-friendly snacks like fruit trays, pretzels, or nacho-style spreads. They pair perfectly with fun themed meals like tacos, enchiladas, or mini quesadillas.
- Mac and Cheese QuesadillaRecipe $0.40
- Mississippi Pot Roast TacosRecipe $31.94 / Serving $3.19
- Taco Mac and Cheese (with Rotel)Recipe $7.69 / Serving $0.96
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla ChipsRecipe $1.95 / Serving $0.49
❓ Nacho Cupcakes FAQs
Absolutely! I used boxed cake mix recipes because they're so convenient and easy, but you are more than welcome to use homemade cakes and frostings for this!
Mix together ¼ cup of granulated 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.
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.
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🐝 If you tried these Nacho Cupcakes, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Nacho Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix, prepared according to package directions - ($1.80)
- 1 box (5 ounces) Mike and Ike candy - ($1.24)
- 4-6 drops yellow food coloring
- 1 tub (16 ounces) vanilla frosting - ($1.58)
- 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal - ($0.39)
Instructions
- Bake. Prepare and bake the cupcakes according to the cake mix directions. Cool completely.
- Prep Candy. Separate the Mike and Ike candies by color. Chop the red candies into small pieces and thinly slice the green candies. Discard remaining colors.
- Color Frosting. Stir the yellow food coloring into the frosting until evenly colored, adding drops gradually until it resembles melted cheese.
- Pipe Base. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or zip top bag with the corner snipped. Pipe a flat swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.
- Add Crunch. Place a few pieces of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal on top of the frosting.
- Finish. Pipe a small amount of frosting over the cereal to mimic melted cheese. Top with pieces of the prepared candy.
- Serve. Serve immediately or store until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Cake Flavor. Any cake mix flavor can be used.
- Topping Swap. Cinnamon sugar chips or homemade cinnamon sugar cereal pieces work well in place of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
- Storage. Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Assemble close to serving time for best texture.
- Freezing. Freeze assembled cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Information
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