How To Make Elmo Cupcakes: Easy Sesame Street Sweets

Elmo Cupcakes are a delightful treat that brings joy and excitement to any occasion. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, hosting a party, or simply indulging in your sweet tooth, these cupcakes are sure to satisfy. With their bright red frosting and adorable Elmo faces on top, they’re almost too cute to eat!

easy Elmo cupcakes pin

The character Elmo is popular among children and also adults, especially those who are fans of the beloved Sesame Street character.

Elmo made his debut on the show in 1984 and quickly became a fan favorite with his high-pitched voice, infectious laugh, and adorable personality.

With Sesame Street celebrating its 54th anniversary this year, what better way to celebrate than by baking some delicious Elmo cupcakes?

Our Elmo cupcakes look harder to make than they really are. You will impress your friends, family, and your children’s friends with these easy-to-make cupcakes. Your family and friends will think you spent all day decorating.

These are perfect for an Elmo party, a Sesame Street birthday party, or for anyone who loves Elmo!

One of the great things about Elmo cupcakes is that they are very easy to make. You don’t need any special skills or equipment, just some basic baking ingredients and some red food coloring.

Another great thing about Elmo cupcakes is that they can be customized to suit your taste preferences. If you prefer chocolate cake instead of vanilla, simply swap out the recipe. You can also experiment with different frosting flavors, such as lemon or raspberry, to give your cupcakes a unique twist.

If you REALLY want to create a surprise (and aren’t feeding these cupcakes to little ones at a first birthday party), you could put three or four jelly beans in the middle of each cupcake!

Get creative with Elmo cupcakes by making mini versions of him using cake pops.

Honestly, the sky’s the limit with these adorable Sesame Street-themed cupcakes! And if you love Sesame Street cupcakes, keep your eye out for some Cookie Monster cupcakes and Oscar the Grouch cupcakes coming soon!

In the meantime, if you want more delightfully themed cupcake recipes, try my Easy Minion CupcakesJurassic Dinosaur Cupcakes, or Encanto Cupcakes.

elmo cupcakes

Ingredients Needed For Elmo Cupcake Recipe

  • White Cake Mix or chocolate cake mix – plus ingredients needed on box (or use your favorite white cake or chocolate cake recipe)
  • Red Food Coloring
  • White Frosting – homemade or store-bought buttercream frosting is yummy, but you can use regular frosting too!
  • Wilton #255 Piping Tip – for fur
  • Piping bag – for frosting
  • Black Gel Icing
  • Deco Eyes – edible, of course 😉
  • Orange Jelly Beans

How to Make Elmo Cupcakes

Step 1

Using the cake mix, bake the cupcakes as per the directions on the box. Allow to cool completely.

Step 2

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, you are ready to start decorating.

Step 3

Draw Elmo’s mouth on top of the cupcake using the black icing. 

recipe process

Step 4

Using a #233 tip, pipe on the red ‘Elmo’ fur on the rest of the surface of the cupcake and around the mouth.

recipe process

Step 5

Place the deco eyes and orange jelly bean on top of “Elmo’s fur.”

elmo cupcakes

Elmo Cupcakes Recipe Notes And Tips

  • For colored cupcakes to match the character, divide the batter into four bowls and add one color to each bowl. 
  • A cake mix will typically make about 24 cupcakes.
  • Do you have a favorite buttercream recipe? Use what you love best. You can’t go wrong with homemade or pre-made.

Variations Of Elmo Cupcakes To Try

  • Twist open Oreo cookies, remove the filling, and carefully break the cookies in half. Use half of the Oreo as the mouth instead of the black frosting. 
  • Like working with fondant? Use black fondant pieces to form Elmo’s mouth!
  • Jelly beans not your favorite? Use an orange peanut or regular M&M. Skittles are also a great alternative.
  • Use blue icing and make your cookies look like the Cookie Monster. Or green icing to make an Oscar the Grouch cupcake.
  • Double or triple the recipe and make the whole cast of Sesame Street into cupcakes. LOL
  • Use your favorite flavor cake mix. Red velvet, lemon, vanilla, and chocolate are my preferred choices.
  • Add in flavored drops to your frosting such as strawberry, cherry, watermelon, coconut or whatever flavor you desire.
elmo cupcakes

FAQs

Do you have questions about our Elmo Cupcake recipe? If you have a question and don’t see it already answered below, please leave it for me in the comments!

​How long will Elmo cupcakes stay fresh?

If you happen to have any leftover cupcakes, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze these Elmo cupcakes?

Yes! However, I recommend freezing the baked, undecorated cupcakes. You can decorate the cupcakes once the cupcakes have thawed.

Can these cupcakes be made gluten-free?

Yes, you can! All you need to do is replace your regular cupcake mix with gluten-free cake mix! Easy peasy – and just as delicious! Then, just make sure that any frosting you use is also gluten-free.

Can I make the Elmo cupcakes ahead of time?

Of course, they are always best enjoyed the same day you make them. If you make these cupcakes the day before, try to wait to decorate just before serving. If you must decorate, refrigerate them until you’re ready to display or serve them!

More Adorable and Tasty Cupcake Recipes To Try

If you’re hosting any kind of themed birthday party, we have lots of ideas for delicious cupcakes to fit the bill! Here are a few you won’t want to miss!

A cupcake decorated in red to resemble Elmo, with large white eyes and a round orange nose. The texture and color of the frosting create a playful and expressive appearance, with an open mouth made of black frosting. The background is a marble surface.

Elmo Cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Elmo Cupcakes are a delightful treat that brings joy and excitement to any occasion. Bright red and adorable, they're almost too cute to eat!

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • red food coloring
  • white frosting
  • Wilton #233 piping tip for fur
  • black gel icing
  • deco eyes
  • orange jelly beans

Instructions

  1. Bake cupcakes per recipe directions and cool completely.
  2. Use black gel icing to draw on the mouth.
  3. Use tip 233 to pipe red fur on the remainder of the cupcake from the mouth out as shown.
  4. Attach eyes and orange jelly bean for the nose.

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