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–+ servings
A tray of April Fool's cupcakes
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5 from 2 votes

April Fools' TV Dinner Cupcakes

Feed and fool your friends and family this April! These April Fools' Food Pranks are easy to make, fun to serve and are super tasty too!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: April Fools' Food Pranks
Servings: 6
Calories: 274kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 6 vanilla cupcakes baked in silver foil liners

FOR THE DRUMSTICKS:

  • pretzel rods
  • 1 cup vanilla frosting
  • 3 plain store-bought doughnut holes
  • 1 cup cornflake crumbs or graham cracker crumbs

FOR THE MASHED POTATOES:

  • 1 yellow fruit chew such as Laffy Taffys or Starbursts, cut into a 1-inch square
  • 3 tablespoons vanilla frosting
  • 1/2 tablespoon caramel ice cream topping heated

FOR THE PEAS AND CARROTS:

  • 3 orange Starbursts cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting
  • green food coloring
  • 2 tablespoons hard green candies Runts work the best

Instructions

To make the drumsticks:

  • Break off about 3 inches of a pretzel rod and place the broken end into a donut hole.  
    A donut hole on a piece of pretzel rod
  • Frost the donut hole and about 1/2 inch of the pretzel rod giving it a drumstick shape.
    Donut holes on a piece of pretzel stick, dipped in frosting.
  • Place cornflake crumbs in a medium bowl.  Roll the "drumstick" in the cornflake crumbs making it look like a fried piece of chicken.
    Donut holes on a piece of pretzel stick, dipped in frosting and rolled in cornflakes
  • Gently press frosted cupcakes in crumbs to cover completely then place a drumstick on top of each cupcake.  
    Donut holes on a piece of pretzel stick, dipped in frosting and rolled in cornflakes on a cupcake
  • Place cupcakes in a 6-cup disposable aluminum cupcake baking tray.
    A tray of April Fool's day cupcakes

To make the mashed potatoes:

  • Spread vanilla frosting on 1 cupcake, mounding it slightly. Use a small spoon to create a well in the center of the frosting. Place cupcake in aluminum baking tray. 
    A cupcake with white frosting
  • Place yellow fruit chew (smoosh it around the sides so it flattens and looks more like it is melting) in the well at an angle. 
    Cupcake with white frosting and a yellow starburst in the middle
  • Drizzle caramel sauce on top of cupcake so that it fills the well and spills over like gravy.
    A cupcake with white frosting and caramel sauce with a yellow starburst in the middle

To make the peas and carrots:

  • Color vanilla frosting with green food coloring and spread on top of 1 cupcake.
    A cupcake with green frosting
  • Arrange orange fruit chews and green candies on top of cupcake, pressing them into the frosting. Place cupcake in aluminum baking tray.
    A cupcake with green frosting topped with pieces of orange starbursts and green runts

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg