Today I’m going to show you how to make the CUTEST Cookout Cupcakes!
This tutorial is so simple, and would make any cookout even more festive and fun! These sweet cupcake toppers are simple enough for little ones to make too. Okay, so who wants to invite me to a cookout? I’m ready!
How to Make Easy Cookout Cupcakes
Here’s what we did:
First, I knew that I wanted to have a checked pattern somewhere (besides on my apron)– so I decided to do a little painting….
I cut out fondant circles and let them sit out to set up a bit. Next, I painted them with coloring gel mixed with a bit of vodka. (You can also use lemon extract).
Combining the color with vodka or lemon extract helps the “paint” to dry quickly.
Now for the burger cupcake toppers!
You can see the progression in the photo below– We used mini Vanilla Wafers for the buns, and used tinted buttercream for the burger and toppings. Use small round tips (or just tip the end of your piping bag away) for all but the lettuce. For the lettuce, we used a tip 104 (any small petal tip works!)
Next, I’ll show you how to make hot dog cupcake toppers!
Again, we used mini Vanilla Wafers. Simply saw them in half with a serrated knife to create the two sides of the hot dog bun.
Did I mention that I love Mini Vanilla Wafers?
Place the two wafer halves into the buttercream frosting, and the fill with tinted buttercream to create the hot dog!
Add extras if you’d like! I’ll take mine with mustard and ketchup please….
If you don’t like fondant…this next cupcake is for you! I piped intersecting lines of red buttercream with my tip 3. 
As an optional step, you can gently smooth the checked lines with a Viva paper towel (Viva paper towels have no impressions) once the frosting has crusted.
Top with your little hamburgers and hot dogs! SO cute!
We’re finished! Look at this cuteness! 
**For our cupcakes, we used our delicious Classic Vanilla Buttercream. Don’t miss our full collection of tried and true cake, cupcake, and frosting recipes in our Recipes Section! These are our FAVORITES!
More Cookout Fun- Here’s an Easy Cheeseburger Cake!
If you’re looking for the perfect cake to go along with your cookout cupcakes, we have just the one! Check out this CUTE and easy Cheeseburger Cake in our free video tutorial! How to Make an Easy Cheeseburger Cake
Cookout Cupcakes!~ Free Blog Tutorial
These cute and easy cookout cupcakes are so much fun to make!
Materials
- Use your cupcakes of choice with Vanilla Buttercream (we used our Classic Vanilla Buttercream Recipe)
- White Fondant- optional for white checked circle toppers
- Mini Vanilla Wafers
- Coloring Gel- Red, Green, Yellow, brown
- Vodka or Lemon Extract (for painting)
- Piping Tips - 104, 3
Instructions
- Frost your cupcakes.
- To make hamburger cupcake toppers, use mini vanilla wafers for the buns and tinted frosting to create the hamburger & toppings. We used a 104 tip for the lettuce, and small round tip for everything else.
- For the hotdog cupcake toppers, use mini vanilla wafers (halved) for each side of the hot dog buns and fill with buttercream tinted for hot dog & toppings.
- If you would like to pipe a checkered design on top of a smooth frosting cupcake, pipe intersecting red lines of buttercream using a tip 3. If using a crusting buttercream, you can gently smooth over the design with a Viva paper towel after the frosting has crusted.
ok, this is where my insomnia SO PAYS OFF!! I am first to comment on these little cutie patooties! I. might. fall. off. my. chair. GREAT JOB! I think these just went to the top of my TO DO list. THANKS! ~ trish http://www.sweetology101.blogspot.com
Ha! Yes, insomniacs unite! :0) — Just popped in on your wonderful blog–you ALWAYS have something new and fun to read! Loved all of the quotes too.
I so love how you used mini burger/dogs on top of the cupcakes so so clever..Yet another being added to my list of ‘Must” try!
Melissa, you are so talented !! Love these, plus everything else you do !Thanks for the inspiration !!!
Oh my gosh, these are so adorable!! What a great idea! Can’t wait to try them out this summer.
These are so stinkin’ cute!!!! Can NOT wait to try these!! I love everything you post! seriously!!
Thanks everybody!!! I appreciate all of your comments–you’ll have to try them! I could have made those little hamburgers all day–they were my favorite! :0)
HOW ADORABLE!!! I was trying to think of something to make for our church hot dog picnic, and I have found it!!! These are sooooo cute.
You are so creative – I love your work, blog, everything! There are not enough hours in the day, or days in the year to try all your great creations! Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Kristin—So glad that you are going to try them! —Beth, thank you for such a nice comment!! I really appreciate it!
Amazing and so creative! love it
These cupcakes are absolutely awesome! Bought some ingredients today to try it out myself!! My parents always host a Memorial day BBQ, and these would be the perfect treat!
I made these…..they were such a hit. Thanks Madame M…you ROCK – see the pix here with a link to your blog for the how-tos.
http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/2011/05/happy-memorial-day-and-big-thank-you.html
Cute! Cute! Cute!. These R Awesome!
Thank U
ColleenB.
I can’t wait to make these!!!! Perfect for the fourth of July BBQ! And super cute with the yummy nilla wafers!
Adorable! Love the checkered tablecloths!
I am so glad I couldn’t sleep. I can’t wait to make these!
These are so awesome, they look so real. Perfect. However, I’m in the UK and never heard of these wafers. Is there anything else I can substitute with? I soooo want to make these and fool the kiddos, hehe.
Thanks for sharing, Melissa.
Hi Lisa, you could use a small sugar cookie, preferably one that is light brown in color to look like a hamburger bun. The mini vanilla wafers we used are very small, maybe only 1 inch across (I don’t have one here to measure). You could use a cookie cutter to cut a regular sized cookie into smaller circles. We have had success doing this for other projects. Even if yours are bigger than the ones we made they would still be very cute toppers. Good Luck.
I love these! My husband has concession trailers in which we serve hamburgers & hot dogs. I can’t wait to surprise him with these cupcakes