Beach Cupcakes
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These Beach Cupcakes are the ultimate fun dessert for Summer parties, pool days, beach-themed birthdays, or backyard BBQs. With bright blue “ocean” frosting, sweet cookie crumb “sand,” and an adorable teddy graham lounging in a peach ring float, these cupcakes look like tiny beach scenes that are almost too cute to eat.
The best part? They’re incredibly easy to make using a boxed cake mix and simple decorating steps. Kids love helping assemble them, making this recipe perfect for family baking days or summer celebrations.
Why You’ll Love These Beach Cupcakes
- Super easy recipe using boxed cake mix
- Kid-friendly decorating activity
- Perfect for summer parties, beach days, and pool parties
- Cute and Instagram-worthy dessert table centerpiece
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) box white cake mix, plus ingredients listed on the box (water, oil, eggs)
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tbsp milk, as needed
- Blue gel food coloring
- 24 peach ring candies
- 24 teddy grahams
- About 36 Nilla wafers, crushed into fine crumbs (best done in a food processor)
- 24 blue cupcake liners
- 24 cocktail umbrellas (optional)
How to Make Beach Cupcakes
Step 1: Bake the Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit, and line a cupcake pan with blue cupcake liners.
Prepare the white cake mix, according to the package directions. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
Step 2: Make the Blue “Ocean” Frosting
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, mixing until well combined.
If the frosting seems too thick, add 1 tbsp. of milk at a time, until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. Colder butter may require a little extra milk.
Add about 1 teaspoon of blue gel food coloring and mix until the color is evenly blended with no streaks. Add more coloring, if needed, to reach your desired Ocean-blue shade.
Step 3: Frost the Cupcakes
Using an icing spatula or butter knife, spread a thin layer of blue frosting over each cupcake.
Step 4: Add the “Sand”
Sprinkle about 1 spoonful of crushed Nilla wafer crumbs onto half of each cupcake to create the beach sand effect.
Step 5: Create the Teddy Graham Floaties
For each cupcakes, place one teddy graham inside a peach ring candy. Set the teddy graham “float” into the blue frosting “water.”
Step 6: Add the finishing touches
For an extra beachy vibe, stick a mini cocktail umbrella into each cupcake. Serve and enjoy your adorable mini edible beach scenes!
Tips & Tricks
- Use a food processor to quickly turn Nilla wafers into fine sand-like crumbs.
- If frosting gets too soft while decorating, chill it for 10 minutes before continuing.
- For brighter ocean colors, use a tiny drop of teal gel coloring.
Fun Variations
- Graham cracker crumbs can replace Nilla wafers for sand.
- Add gummy sharks or fish to the water for a playful twist.
- Use funfetti cake mix for a colorful surprise inside (just be sure to heat treat it first!)
More Fun Summer Recipes
Beach Cupcakes
These Beach Cupcakes are the ultimate fun and festive summer dessert! Made with a soft and fluffy vanilla cake base, creamy ocean-blue buttercream frosting, and a playful “sand” topping made from crushed cookies, each cupcake is transformed into a mini beach scene. The adorable finishing touch, a teddy graham lounging in a peach ring float, makes these cupcakes a huge hit with kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) box of white cake mix + ingredients on the back (water, oil, eggs)
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 tsp. Vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp. Milk, as needed
- Blue gel food coloring
- 24 peach ring candies
- 24 teddy grahams
- About 36 nilla wafers, crushed to fine crumbs (best done in a food processor)
- 24 blue cupcake liners
- 24 cocktail umbrellas, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit, and prepare cupcakes according to package directions. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
- For the frosting, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla and powdered sugar, until well combined.
- If needed, add 1 tbsp. Of milk at a time to the frosting to get the right consistency. This may not be needed if the butter is softer, but the colder the butter the more likely it may need a bit of milk to all come together.
- Add about 1 tsp. Of blue gel color, and mix to combine until there are no streaks. Add more, if needed, to get the right shade of blue.
- Frost the cupcakes with an icing spatula (or a butter knife), adding just a thin layer to the cakes.
- Sprinkle about a spoon full of nilla wafer crumbs over half of each frosted cupcake to make the “sand”.
- For each cupcake, place a teddy graham inside of a peach ring and add to the “water” on the cupcakes.
- If desired, add a cocktail umbrella to each.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 368