It’s been so fun participating in the #SocialCircus this month, and as we inch closer to May, I have one more circus-inspired recipe to share with you—these circus animal cookie cupcakes! Ready for a bite?
While I’m in favor of homemade recipes, there are times, particularly surrounding the hustle and bustle of birthday parties or baby showers, when you just want to grab a cake mix.
For these animal cookie cupcakes, I grabbed my favorite cake mix, doctored it up a bit with vanilla and sprinkles and boom, cute funfetti cupcakes emerged from the oven.
I whipped up my favorite cream cheese frosting, but, you could certainly go easy and opt for the premade frosting as well. I won’t tell anyone!
I used a classic animal cracker/cookie for the tops of the cupcakes. I brushed the cookies with a bit of melted butter which brings out the features on the animals and gives the cookies a nice color and sheen.
Add a few hundred more sprinkles to the tops of your circus-themed cupcakes and you have the most adorable sweet treats.
Seriously, so cute, and they taste great. I do NOT know that because I ate three of them. Nope. Someone told me.
You can finish the look of your circus animal cookie cupcakes with these adorable big top cupcake wrappers that I found on Etsy.
These circus-inspired cupcakes are so easy to make, taste great, and look quite impressive if I do say so myself. Be sure to leave a comment if you incorporate them into your upcoming circus party or shower!
Also, be sure to check out my mini soft pretzels which are also great for a circus-themed party!
Circus animal cookie cupcakes
Ingredients
- Betty Crocker Supermoist Vanilla Cake Mix 1 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons multicolor sprinkles
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare cake mix according to box, adding water, oil, and eggs. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly stir-in sprinkles, do not overmix.
3. Fill 24 cupcakes to about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when pressed.
Cream cheese frosting
1. With electric mixer, mix cream cheese and butter together until very smooth.
2. Add vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach desired thickness and sweetness.
14 Comments on “Circus Animal Cookie Cupcakes”
I’m curious what brand animal cookies you used for this? They are really cute and I can’t seem to find anything close to these.
Hello,
Where did you get these cute animal cookies?
Thank you!
Walmart! I can’t recall what brand they were though, sorry!
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Those cupcake wrappers are no longer available on her etsy site — I’d also like to know where you purchased those animal crackers. These cupcakes will be perfect for my Daughters joint Circus birthday party this January.
i can not find this animal cookies/crackers at wal mart…where did you find yours???
I googled these — I believe they are Keebler Animal Crackers!!
What brand animal crackers did you use?
Same question what brand animal crackers?
These are so cute! My kids would go crazy over the cupcakes. They love animals.
Thank you for using my cupcake wrappers for this post and linking to me! These are the cutest. I love the animal cracker on top and the sprinkles. Now I have to make this recipe!
Do you no longer sell the cupcake wrappers?
These are SOOOO stickin’ cute. You know I pinned these babies!
Very cute and looks delicious!