Red White and Blue Cupcakes are a fun patriotic cupcake for Memorial Day and 4th of July dessert, or any summer barbecue. Fun to make and eat, these cupcakes are dyed blue and red and filled with yummy sprinkles for a sugary bite!
These delicious red white and blue cupcakes are made with blue and red cupcake batter and are stuffed with sugar sprinkles.
I also call them "firecracker cupcakes" because when you get to the center, it's like a pop of sugar in your mouth! They are made complete with a homemade cream cheese frosting and patriotic sprinkles.
Red white and blue cupcakes make a fantastic 4th of July or Memorial Day dessert and compliment healthier barbecue foods, like a red, white and blue charcuterie board or refreshing lemon and mint potato salad.
Ingredients and Tools Needed
In addition to the ingredients below, you will need red and blue food coloring, patriotic sprinkles, 3 piping bags and piping tips, and muffin liners. I recommend using an electric hand or stand mixer when making the frosting.
Cupcakes
You have 2 options when making these patriotic cupcakes: using boxed cake mix or homemade cupcake batter.
The recipe I am sharing with you makes a fantastic moist cupcake, but if you find it easier to pop open a box of cupcake mix and make the batter that way, that's great too.
To make the homemade cupcake mix, you need: flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, butter, sugar, and milk.
Frosting
You also have 2 options for the frosting: using store bought or making a homemade frosting. I make patriotic cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting this recipe includes, but feel free to make your favorite frosting recipe or use packaged frosting for simplicity.
To make the cream cheese frosting, you need: cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and confectioner's sugar.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Mix the homemade cupcake batter in a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, use a vanilla or white boxed cake mix.
STEP 2: Divide the batter into 2 bowls and add red or blue food coloring to each bowl. Start with 4-5 drops of dye, mix, and add as needed for the color you like.
STEP 3: Once you have the red and blue batter mixed thoroughly, pour it into piping bags. Make sure to secure the end of the bags with rubber bands. If you don't, you risk the batter coming out the top and making a giant mess.
STEP 4: Line the muffin tin and squeeze a few tablespoons of each color batter into the cups until they are ⅔ of the way full.
STEP 5: Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool for 15 minutes before filling with the sprinkles and icing.
STEP 6: Once those delicious red, white, and blue cupcakes have cooled, it's time to insert the sprinkles!
To make a hole in the center of each cupcake, insert a straw and twist it just a little bit. This will either push the insides down a little or pull them out with the straw, making room for the sprinkles.
Put a funnel into the hole and dump some sprinkles in.
Shake the funnel a little bit to help them slide down.
STEP 7: Make the cream cheese frosting. Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until smooth. Put the frosting into another piping bag with your choice of piping tip and cover the cupcakes with the icing.
And the very last step, add the sprinkles.
And they are ready to eat!
Storing
They can be made ahead of time and stored at room temperature or in the fridge. You can ice them ahead of time too, and store them in the fridge for about 3 days before eating.
MORE RED WHITE AND BLUE RECIPES
Recipe
Red White and Blue Cupcakes
Ingredients
Homemade Cupcakes
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- blue food coloring
- red food coloring
- red white or blue sugar sprinkles
Packaged Cupcakes
- 1 package white cake mix, plus package ingredients
Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- patriotic sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to temperature indicated on cake mix package. Line muffin tins. If making homemade cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F.
- For packaged cupcakes, make cake mix according to package. For homemade cupcakes, beat the sugar and butter on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and milk and beat for 2 minutes. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Divide the batter between 2 bowls. Dye 1 bowl red and 1 bowl blue with food coloring. Use 3-4 drops to start, adding more to reach your desired hue. Transfer icing to piping bags and secure end with a rubber bands. Alternate adding drops of blue and red icing to each cup until they are ⅔ full.
- Bake for time indicated on package, or 15 minutes for homemade cupcakes. Let cool 15 minutes before stuffing with sprinkles and frosting.
- Fill cupcakes with sprinkles by inserting a straw into the center of each cupcake to form a hole. Use a funnel to pour sprinkles into the hole.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until smooth. Transfer icing to a piping bag.Frost cupcakes in the pattern you'd like. Alternatively, use a knife to spread on icing. Top with red and blue sprinkles.
Bernice
These are cupcake perfection. The first thing I want to do is take a big lick of that frosting peak! Seriously though, I really love that you included instructions for boxed mix and making them from scratch. Not everyone loves to bake but for those that do, this is a great basic recipe.
Gloria
Cupcakes are a hit with kids and adults. Love the colours. Very festive for the day.
Marta
These Red, White, and Blue cupcakes are so fun to make and even more fun to eat. I'll be sharing these with friends and family for Independence Day and Labor Day for sure.
Sean
I love cupcakes like this and with the summer holidays just around the corner this red white and blue cupcakes will be a hit.
Lauren Michael Harris
These cupcakes are so pretty and absolutely perfect for the upcoming holidays. My kids will love helping me make these!
Jenny Graves
These patriotic cupcakes are moist and delicious. I love the frosting. They’re great to have around the house for any occasion.
Enjoy!
Enriqueta E Lemoine
I made these cupcakes with no coloring because that was unnecessary. But on this coming Fourth of July, I'll make them in technicolor. They are simply delicious, and the kids loved them.
Dani
Loved how it easy it was to make these Red White and Blue Cupcakes. Especially the frosting was to die out of this world. They are a must make for Memorial Day weekend and of course 4th of July!
Hayley Dhanecha
These are super cute cupcakes, perfect for 4th of July celebrations! Thanks for sharing a such a bealtiful recipe.
Ramona
These cupcakes are so pretty and they look super delicious. I cant wait to try this recipe out, thank you for sharing!