Fourth of July Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Lucky you to have stumbled upon this perfect idea for an easy summer dessert to have at your next 4th of July party. Learn how to make, and also how to transport, these patriotic Fourth of July ice cream cone cupcakes. My step-by-step directions will teach you how to make ice cream cone cupcakes from start to finish, guaranteed!

Ice cream cone cupcakes bring me back to my childhood. My memory isn’t always the greatest but I most definitely remember the first time I ever had an ice cream cone cupcake was when my grandma made a batch for me to bring to school as a little girl.

I’m not sure what grade I was in, or if she made them for my birthday or a holiday, but I do remember they were absolutely delicious. I also remember being amazed that she was able to make a cupcake inside of an ice cream cone. It was pretty mind-blowing for my little brain at the time!

Besides that one memory, I don’t recall my grandma ever making ice cream cone cupcakes again. I’m sure she did make them at least one more time, but they weren’t necessarily a staple dessert in our home.

I can’t say exactly why she didn’t make them often, but I can probably guess it had something to do with the process of putting them together. It can be frustrating if you don’t know the proper steps to take when making these cupcakes.

If done incorrectly, you can have a real disaster on your hands when baking ice cream cone cupcakes. I’m talking spilled batter all over the counter, cones ending up on the floor on your way to the oven, and soggy ice cream cones when you finally make it to the end of the process.

On the other hand, if done right!, you’ll end up with a fun treat to make for your kids, family, and friends. A treat that’s so delicious and fabulous, they’ll be devouring it as if it were a real ice cream cone starting to melt.

Because of the upcoming holiday, I decided to make Fourth of July ice cream cone cupcakes to show my patriotism. The cool thing about these cupcakes though, is that you can change the color of the frosting and sprinkles to coordinate with ANY holiday or party celebration. They truly are so versatile and make the perfect dessert for any occasion.

Fourth of July Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Here’s what you’ll need:

Flat-bottomed ice cream cones (I used the jumbo variety), any flavor cupcake batter (a box mix or homemade will work), any flavor frosting (store-bought or homemade will work), any type of sprinkles, 9×13 casserole dish, heavy-duty aluminum foil, piping bag and tip (this is optional but I love the look it creates for your cupcakes)

*Note: You can go as hard or as simple as you want in terms of the cupcake batter and frosting for these ice cream cone cupcakes. I went homemade for both this time by using this recipe by Crazy for Crust. If I was crunched for time, I’d totally go with a box mix and a can of frosting. Time always dictates which route I end up taking!

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Cover your casserole dish with foil.

Using a small knife, make 12 x’s in your aluminum foil.

I did a 3 by 4 grid like this.

Gently press one cone into the center of each of the x’s.

You’ll probably need to spread the hole a little wider to get the cone inside completely.

The aluminum foil helps the ice cream cones stand up straight without toppling over when pulling them in and out of the oven.

Next, fill your ice cream cones ⅔ of the way full. I like to use an ice cream scooper to make my life easier and ensure that all the cones have an equal amount of batter.

If you’re looking at the cone, you want the batter to reach right at the bottom line of the upper portion of the cone. See picture below.

Carefully place your cupcakes in the oven and bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Because I used the jumbo cones, it took my ice cream cones about 28-30 minutes to bake completely. I would start checking regular-sized cones at the 25-minute mark.

Once the ice cream cone cupcakes are baked, pull them out of the oven and let them hang out on the counter for a couple of minutes.

When the cupcakes are cool enough to touch, place a small hole in the bottom of each of them. This allows the steam to release from the cupcake and prevents the cone from becoming soggy during the cooling process.

Place the cones on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting.

Because I wanted my cupcakes to look like real ice cream cones, I opted to use a piping bag and 1M star tip to apply my frosting.

This method made it easy for me to swirl the buttercream frosting on top and create the effect of a soft-serve ice cream cone. Feel free to just add a dollop of frosting on each cupcake instead if you don’t have a piping bag and tip on hand.

I added red and blue sprinkles and these adorable silver stars to make Fourth of July ice cream cone cupcakes. Again, feel free to tint the frosting a different color and add any type of sprinkles you would like to fit your theme.

All that’s left to do now is eat these delicious treats!

If you have any cupcakes left or plan on taking these to a party, simply cover your 9×13 casserole dish with another piece of aluminum foil like we did in the beginning. Make the x’s with your paring knife and gently place the decorated cupcakes inside.

My husband, Patrick, took these to work with him and they made it safely in one piece. This is saying a lot because he tends to drive like a maniac. The proof is in this Banana Pudding Trifle post where the entire dessert I made for his Thanksgiving potluck ended up on the floor of his truck!!!

Following these easy directions will have you creating a successful batch of Fourth of July ice cream cone cupcakes in no time. I mean really, what can be better than an ice cream cone that won’t melt! I hope you enjoy them!

Want to remember this? Post this Fourth of July Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes recipe to your favorite Pinterest board!