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These delightful football cupcakes will take your game day experience to the next level! Chocolate cupcakes are decorated with creative icing techniques that mimic a football field, including a goalpost! This recipe will have everyone talking long after the final whistle.
Whether you are just kicking off the football season or throwing a Super Bowl party, we can all agree to be on the same team: Team Snacks. Food is the best part of watching football, and cupcakes are the ultimate crowd-pleaser. So, gather your ingredients and get ready to impress your friends and family with a treat that scores points on both taste and aesthetics!

Football Cupcakes Ingredients
To make these football party cupcakes, you will need the following ingredients (see the recipe card below for exact amounts):
- Chocolate cake mix: I like to use cake mixes when making decorated cupcakes because they are simple and have consistent results, but any cupcake recipe will work great!
- Whole milk
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Sour cream: Sour cream helps make the cupcakes be a little moist, which counterbalances the tendency for cake mixes to be slightly dry. It also causes the batter a little thick, so don’t be concerned if it seems thicker than normal.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Green food dye
- Yellow food dye
- White chocolate chips
- Coconut oil: I like to use coconut oil to help thin the chocolate for dipping, and coconut oil firms up well. If you would like to avoid having a mild coconut flavor, you can use refined coconut oil.
- Pretzel sticks
- Nonpareil rainbow sprinkles: The sprinkles represent the crowd cheering on their team! You can leave these out if you desire.
- Chocolate covered almonds: Substitute chocolate covered almonds for chocolate covered peanuts, raisons, or make your own chocolate footballs by using a small silicone football mold.

Special Tools Needed
To make these cupcakes, you will need a hand mixer, large mixing bowls, standard muffin pan, cupcake liners, parchment paper, and piping bags and piping tips (I used size 2A and 3 piping tips). You can also cut a very small hold in the corner of a Ziploc bag if the piping tips are not available.
How to Make Football Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and sour cream. Combine with a hand mixer until well incorporated (about 30-60 seconds).
- Pour about 1/8 cup of batter into each cupcake liner (about halfway full each) and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the cupcakes are firm enough to bounce back when gently pressed with your finger. Move cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- To prepare frosting, combine the butter, one cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt with a hand mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Continue adding one cup of powdered sugar at a time until the frosting holds its shape (if needed, you can add more milk if frosting is too stiff or more powdered sugar if it is too runny). Remove a half cup of white frosting and set aside. Add the green food coloring to the remaining frosting and combine. Set aside.
- To prepare the goalposts: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring in between until fully melted (about 60-70 seconds total). Stir in yellow food dye. Break each pretzel stick in half and dip in the melted chocolate, then place on parchment paper forming a goal post shape (to do this, place two halves parallel to each other about an inch apart, followed by another in between them at the bottom center. Then place the final half on top ensuring that it is touching the other three pieces. It’s important that it touches so that the chocolate will glue the pieces into place). Repeat process for 24 goalposts. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to or until chocolate is firm.
- Pipe the green frosting onto each cupcake with a size 2A piping tip. Use the flat side of a butter knife to lightly scrape off the top of the frosting to create a smooth top. Sprinkle the nonpareils on one side of the cupcake. Using a size 3 piping tip, use the white frosting to pipe yard lines and numbers. Add a chocolate covered almond and pipe on the football stitching. Carefully remove the pretzel goalposts from the parchment paper and press into the cupcake. Repeat process until all the cupcakes are complete.

Storage Instructions
Cover cupcakes or place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Tips
- You can use an index card as a straight edge to help make a straight line when sprinkling the nonpareils if desired.
- Simplify this recipe by using pre-made cupcakes.

More Football Party Food
- Chicken Parm Sliders
- Crockpot Cheese Dip
- Pull Apart Pizza Bread
- Crack Chicken Dip
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Football Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 pinch salt
- green food dye
For the Toppings:
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 cup pretzel sticks broken in half
- yellow food dye
- 1/4 cup nonpareil rainbow sprinkles
- 24 chocolate covered almonds
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and sour cream. Combine with a hand mixer until well incorporated (about 30-60 seconds).
- Pour about 1/8 cup of batter into each cupcake liner (about halfway full each) and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the cupcakes are firm enough to bounce back when gently pressed with your finger.
- Move cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Prepare the Frosting:
- Combine butter, one cup of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and salt with a hand mixer in a large bowl until smooth.
- Continue adding one cup of powdered sugar at a time until the frosting holds its shape (if needed, you can add more milk if frosting is too stiff or more powdered sugar if it is too runny).
- Remove a half cup of white frosting and set aside. Add the green food coloring to the remaining frosting and combine. Set aside.
Make the Goalposts:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring in between until fully melted (about 60-70 seconds total). Stir in yellow food dye.
- Break each pretzel stick in half and dip in the melted chocolate, then place on parchment paper forming a goal post shape. Place two halves parallel to each other about an inch apart, followed by another in between them at the bottom center. Then place the final half on top ensuring that it is touching the other three pieces. It’s important that it touches so that the chocolate will glue the pieces into place.
- Repeat process for 24 goalposts. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
Assemble the Cupcakes:
- Pipe the green frosting onto each cupcake with a size 2A piping tip. Use the flat side of a butter knife to lightly scrape off the top of the frosting to create a smooth top.
- Sprinkle the nonpareils on one side of the cupcake.
- Using a size 3 piping tip, use the white frosting to pipe yard lines and numbers.
- Add a chocolate covered almond and pipe on the football stitching.
- Carefully remove the pretzel goalposts from the parchment paper and press into the cupcake.
- Repeat process until all the cupcakes are complete.
Notes
- If you don’t have piping bags and tips, cut a small hole in the corner of a Ziploc bag.
- Use an index card as a straight edge to help make a straight line when sprinkling the nonpareils.
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Nutrition
The nutrition information is calculated using online nutrition calculators and may not be accurate. It is provided as a general guide only.
The recipe and photos contained herein are the property of Emily Enchanted© and may not be copied.