Learn how to make Piñata Cupcakes for a fun twist on traditional cupcakes! Tender cupcakes, creamy frosting, and a surprise inside – kids love them!
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Piñata Cupcakes
Today is all about celebrations and what better way to celebrate than with cupcakes?! These aren’t just any cupcake though, they’ve got a fun surprise inside because they’re Piñata Cupcakes!
And to top it off, I made TWO versions – Chocolate Piñata Cupcakes and Vanilla Piñata Cupcakes. Double the fun!
So, what are we celebrating, you ask? 10,000 followers on Instagram!

In my opinion, sprinkles are an essential part of any celebration. They just scream festive! For the vanilla piñata cupcakes, I used Sweetapolita’s Piñata Sprinkle Medley. I mean seriously, you can’t find a more appropriate sprinkle mix than that! It was 1000% made for piñata cupcakes!
For the chocolate piñata cupcakes, I used a combination of mini chocolate chips and Sweetapolita’s Chocolate Crunchy Sprinkles. You could, of course, fill your chocolate cupcakes with any sprinkle mix you want but I thought sticking with all chocolate was a fun way to go.

This pinata cupcake recipe is really easy. For the vanilla cupcakes, I made half a batch of my Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes and topped them off with my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting.
Don’t worry, if you don’t want to do the conversion yourself for the cupcakes, you can make the full batch and just make a double batch of the frosting! I’m also going to be posting my recipe for one dozen gluten free vanilla cupcakes sometime in the future. Hopefully sooner rather than later 😉
For the chocolate piñata cupcakes, I used my gluten free chocolate cupcake recipe and topped them with my standard homemade chocolate buttercream frosting recipe.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
How to Make Piñata Cupcakes
As I mentioned earlier, making these cupcakes is much easier than they look or sound. Once your cupcakes are completely cooled and you’ve made your frosting, you take a paring knife and cut a cone-shaped hole into the top of your cupcake then fill the hole with your sprinkles.
Next, you’ll cut the pointed tip off of the piece of cupcake your removed. This will leave a nice, flat top to cover your sprinkles. Place the now-flat piece of cupcake back over the sprinkles and then pipe your frosting over to cover completely.
Once you bite into the cupcake, your sprinkles will spill out, creating the Piñata effect. Easy and fun, my friends!
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Decorated Cupcakes
With the party happening on the inside of these piñata cupcakes, you can decorate the outside any way you like! Mermaid cupcakes would be super fun!
And don’t forget, if you don’t have the color sprinkles you want, you can dye your sprinkles any color with this easy tutorial.
If you make this recipe – snap a picture and share on Instagram with #whattheforkfoodblog because I LOVE seeing your creations! You could also share it in my gluten free baking community group on Facebook!
Enjoy!
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How to Make Vanilla Piñata Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 dozen Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 recipe vanilla buttercream frosting
- 1/4 cup gluten free sprinkles
Instructions
- Bake the cupcakes as directed and cool completely.
- Make the buttercream frosting as directed and transfer to a piping bag.
- Use a paring knife and place it at an angle into the top of the cupcake. Cutting on an angle, cut a cone-shaped hole into the cupcake.
- Fill the cupcake hole with 1 teaspoon of the sprinkle mix (a bit more if you cut a large hole). Then cut the tip off of the piece of cupcake that was removed. Place the flat piece of cupcake back on top of the sprinkles.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcake in a swirl, being sure to cover the top completely. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Serve cupcakes at room temperature.
Notes
- Frosted piñata cupcakes can be frozen. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Recommended Products
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.

How to Make Chocolate Piñata Cupcakes (Two Ways)
Ingredients
- 1 dozen Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate sprinkles gluten free
- 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Bake the cupcakes as directed and cool completely.
- Make the buttercream frosting as directed and transfer to a piping bag.
- Use a paring knife and place it at an angle into the top of the cupcake. Cutting on an angle, cut a cone-shaped hole into the cupcake.
- Mix the chocolate sprinkles and the mini chocolate chips together in a small bowl. Then fill the cupcake hole with 1 teaspoon of the sprinkle mix (a bit more if you cut a large hole). Then cut the tip off of the piece of cupcake that was removed. Place the flat piece of cupcake back on top of the sprinkles.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcake in a swirl, being sure to cover the top completely. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Serve cupcakes at room temperature.
Notes
- Frosted piñata cupcakes can be frozen. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Recommended Products
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
I have tried this recipe and it turned out very delicious. Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome!