Ready to bring vacation vibes to your next birthday party or coastal brunch? These beach cupcakes fuse classic vanilla sponge with a wave of colorful frosting, topped with adorable Teddy graham cupcakes lounging on peach ring treats and rainbow candy cupcakes. They’re downright perfect for a beach theme party or a playful kid-friendly cupcakes table. Best part? It’s an easy cupcake recipe with adorable sand-and-sea visuals—no need to be a master chef for this fun one.
Tools & Equipment
Here’s everything you need to whip up these summery stunners:
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls (at least 2)
- Rubber spatula (for scraping down the bowl)
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Ice cream scoop or spoon (for even batter distribution)
- Offset spatula or butter knife (for frosting)
- Food processor (or zip-top bag + rolling pin for crushing cookies)
- Wire cooling rack
- Umbrella Cocktail Picks (we don’t recommend these if the cupcakes are for children under 12)
Tips for Perfect Beach Cupcakes
- Room temp ingredients = better texture. Cold butter or eggs can cause your batter to split or bake unevenly.
- Don’t overmix. Once the dry ingredients are in, mix just until incorporated to keep your cupcakes light and fluffy.
- Use an ice cream scoop. It’s the easiest way to get evenly sized cupcakes that bake at the same speed.
- Customize the beach scene. If you’re avoiding the pointy stabbies, use sprinkles like seashell mermaid style around the Teddy Grahams.
- Frost after cooling. Resist the urge to frost warm cupcakes—unless you’re going for a “melting iceberg” vibe.
- Crumb control. Sprinkle the cookie crumb “sand” immediately after frosting each cupcake so they stick before it sets. A pastry brush may help evenly distribute an smoothe any sand that has clumped up in the sprinkling process.
- Storage smarts. If storing in the fridge, place a paper towel loosely on top of the cupcakes before sealing the container. It helps absorb moisture and keeps the condensation from pooling on the frosting.
Steps to Make These Cute Beach Cupcakes
Step 1: Gather your ingredients. First things first, set out three sticks of butter to get soft. Bring both eggs to room temp also.
Step 2: Combine 1 stick of softened butter and ½ c granulated sugar.
Step 3: Add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and ½ cup of milk; beat on medium until combined and light colored.
Step 4: Add salt, baking powder, and flour to wet ingredients. Combine on low.
Step 5: Transfer batter to lined muffin cups, about 2/3 full. Batter will be thick.
Step 6: While cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Mix together soft butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.
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Step 7: Add the blue food coloring. At this stage, if using blue spirulina powder to create the blue color, 3 teaspoons will give you a lovely turquoise blue to your buttercream. Add more or less depending on your desired shade of blue.
Step 8: Process ½ c Teddy Grahams to a food processor. (If you don’t have a food processor, add them to a sealed baggie and crush under a rolling pin or meat mallet until the cookies turn into a very fine powder.)
Step 9: On a baking sheet with parchment, set out your “beach” supplies. Cutlengths of Rainbow candy a bit longer than a Teddy Graham and lay each on top of one candy. Gently pull remaining grahams through the peach rings. Set aside.
Step 10: Remove cupcakes from the oven and set on a baking rack to cool.
Step 11: Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost with blue icing. Set peach rings on half of the cupcake tops.
Step 12: On the cupcakes without the rings, dust half of the tops with graham crumbs “sand.” Then gently place the “bears on the beach towels” on the “sandy” tops. (See photos.)
Step 13: Finishing touches with the cute cocktail umbrellas. We recommend leaving these picks out of the cupcakes if these are going to be around children under 12. (They are very stabby. The picks, not the children. Hopefully.)
Fun Beach Cupcakes Anyone Can Make!
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the frosting & decorations
- 4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 – 3 tbsp milk
- Turquoise or any shade of blue food coloring, or blue spirulina powder
- ½ cup pulverized Teddy Grahams plain/honey, for the sand
- 12 – 16 whole Teddy Grahams to go on top of each cupcake
- 8 – 10 Peach Rings
- Air Heads rainbow candy
- Umbrella toothpicks to decorate
Instructions
- Prep the oven & pans.Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside. Add another piece of parchment to a counter top or baking sheet as your working area to assemble the Teddy Grahams.
- Make the cupcake batter.In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and creamy.Add in the eggs, vanilla, and milk. Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing on low to start, then increasing to medium for about a minute until the batter is smooth.
- Fill and bake.Spoon the batter into the lined cupcake cups, filling each about two-thirds full.Bake for 14–16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
- Make the frosting.In a clean mixing bowl, beat together half the powdered sugar with the softened butter, vanilla, and salt.Add in the remaining powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and a few drops of blue food coloring or 3 T of blue spirulina powder.Beat on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until fluffy and smooth. Add more milk or food coloring as needed to get the right consistency and shade.
- Create edible sand.Place about half of your Teddy Grahams (use any broken ones) into a food processor. Pulse until they resemble fine crumbs. Set aside.
- Build the beach scenes.Cut the rainbow candy into small rectangles—these are your “beach towels.” Lay one Teddy Graham on each candy towel to make sunbathers. Place a whole Teddy Graham into the center of each Peach Ring to make little gummy floaties.
- Assemble the cupcakes.Spread a layer of blue frosting on each cupcake using an offset spatula or a butter knife.For half the cupcakes:Gently press a Peach Ring with Teddy Graham “floater” into the center.For the other half:Sprinkle Teddy Graham crumbs over half of the frosting to look like sand. Place the towel-and-Teddy combo on the “sand.” Add a mini umbrella toothpick to complete the beachy look.
Notes
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Let them come to room temp before serving for the best texture and flavor.
The bottom line
These summertime dessert beauties tick all the boxes—cute, creative, and crazy delicious. With cupcake decorations that double as tasty toppers and a playful combo of fun party desserts, your guests will think you’ve bottled sunshine. Store them in the fridge and they stay fresh for up to 3 days—making them ideal for make‑ahead party snacks.
