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    Home » Cupcake Recipes

    Popcorn Cupcakes

    Modified: May 12, 2025 · Published: Jul 26, 2013 by Vicky · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    49 shares
    • 4
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    These Popcorn Cupcakes are great for a special occasion or anytime you are looking for easy desserts. They look like they took a lot of time to make, but actually quite easy. How easy? My kids were able to help make them!

    These cupcakes are not only adorable, but they are simple enough to make that a child can help. If you want more pretty cupcakes, check out these colorful rainbow cupcakes.

    Popcorn cupcakes are easy to make a perfect for a circus themed party or movie night.

    You will need:

    • Cupcakes
    • Frosting
    • Yellow food coloring and water
    • Small paint brush
    • Bowl
    • Mini Marshmallows
    frosted cupcake, food coloring and marshmallows

    Use you favorite cupcake recipe and bake up a batch of cupcakes. After the cupcakes cool, add some frosting. Start twisting mini marshmallows to make your pieces of "popcorn." This is a great fine motor activity for little hands.

    child twisting a marshmallow

     Place the twisted marshmallows on top of the frosting.

    cupcake with marshmallows on it

    Be sure to cover the entire top of the cupcake with the marshmallows.

    cupcake with marshmallows on it

    Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to a bowl and thin it out with some water. The more water you add the fainter the yellow color will be. You will need to experiment with this on some loose marshmallows. At first our yellow was too bright, so we kept adding drops of water until we got the perfect yellow color.

    Give your child a small paint brush and the bowl with the thinned food coloring and let them paint the cupcakes!

    My daughter was concentrating so hard as she worked on her masterpiece.

    coloring a marshmallow cupcake

    We printed out these adorable cup holders from In Place of Her Crown. How cute is that?

    If you are making these ahead of time you can loosely wrap each cupcake in saran wrap and the marshmallows will stay nice and soft for a day.

    If you are looking for more yummy cupcake ideas check out our Hot Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe.

    Yummy popcorn cupcakes

    FAQs For Popcorn Cupcakes

    How far in advance can I make these popcorn cupcakes?

    I’ve made these a day before a party and they held up really well. Just loosely wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap so the marshmallows on top stay nice and soft. I don’t recommend making them more than a day ahead or the marshmallows can start to get a little hard.

    How should I store leftover popcorn cupcakes?

    Keep them at room temperature in an airtight container. They’re best eaten within a day but will be okay for up to two days. You can also wrap each one in plastic wrap to help the marshmallows stay soft.

    📖 Recipe

    Popcorn Cupcakes

    Vicky
    Popcorn cupcakes are easy to make a perfect for a circus themed party or movie night.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    assembling time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Cupcakes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 314 kcal

    Equipment

    • Small paint brush
    • bowl

    Video

    Ingredients
      

    • 12 Vanilla cupcakes
    • 1 container Vanilla frosting
    • Yellow food coloring and water
    • Mini Marshmallows

    Instructions
     

    • Use you favorite cupcake recipe and bake up a batch of cupcakes. After the cupcakes cool, add some frosting. Start twisting mini marshmallows to make your pieces of "popcorn."
    • Place the twisted marshmallows on top of the frosting.
    • Be sure to cover the entire top of the cupcake with the marshmallows.
    • Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to a bowl and thin it out with some water. The more water you add the fainter the yellow color will be.
    • Give your child a small paint brush and the bowl with the thinned food coloring and let them paint the cupcakes!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 211mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 22IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Popcorn cupcakes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    For more fun ideas check out Painting Popcorn.

    More Cupcake Recipes

    • Oreo Cupcakes Recipe
    • Easter Bunny Butt Cupcakes
      Easter Bunny Butt Cupcakes
    • Hot Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
    • Rainbow Cupcakes

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jodi Durr says

      August 01, 2013 at 11:56 pm

      Oh my goodness. This is such an adorable idea. I'm pinning it!

      Reply
    2. PlainVanillaMom says

      August 01, 2013 at 1:54 am

      Those are adorable! We did a carnival theme for my oldest last year. I may just have to find an excuse to make these sometime though. So cute!

      Reply
    3. Mary Catherine says

      July 30, 2013 at 6:11 pm

      I've just pinned these! They look delicious -- what a cool idea to decorate the marshmallows to look like popcorn!! 🙂 We're going to try these out the next time we have a movie night.

      Reply
    4. Kate Grono says

      July 27, 2013 at 11:37 am

      Wow they look great! Pinning

      Reply
    Vicky from Mess for Less

    I'm Vicky, the founder of Mess For Less, which I started in 2011 to share easy, family-friendly recipes. With over a decade of experience as a home chef and recipe developer, I love creating meals that bring people together. I also design play and learning activities for kids, using my background as a former teacher with a Master’s degree in education. Learn more about me.

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