We absolutely love Minions around here. And these easy Minion cupcakes are a total favorite! And with a new Minions movie out, it seemed like a great time to make these cute cupcakes again!
If you’re planning a Minion celebration in the near future, you need to make these Minion cupcakes!
Whether you have a Minion-athon and watch all 4 of the Despicable Me movies to get ready for the newest movie, your throwing a minion-themed birthday party, or you’re just looking for a fun snack while you watch one of the Minion movies, these cupcakes will be a HUGE hit!
Here’s What You’ll Need To Make Minion Cupcakes
- Box Yellow Cake Mix or White Cake Mix (plus 3 eggs, 1/2 cup butter softened, and 1 cup water or whatever ingredients are included on your box’s directions)
- 24 Twinkies
- White Frosting or Buttercream Frosting (If you want to make your own buttercream frosting, I’ve included directions below)
- Wilton Candy Eyes
- Black Gel Icing Tube
- Blue Gel Food Coloring
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. I think blue cupcake liners are really fun, but you may need to double them up so that the yellow cake doesn’t make them look green.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, eggs, and water. {Most boxes of cake mix call for oil, but I think they taste so much better when you use softened butter instead of oil.}
Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds or until ingredients are combined. Then turn your mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes.
Fill each cupcake liner 1/2 to 3/4 full with batter.
Bake according to cupcake package directions.
While your cupcakes are baking, cut each Twinkie in half and place on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
To make the faces of the minions, use your black frosting to add 1 or 2 black dots where the minions’ eyes will go. Then gently press the your candy googly eyes onto the black dots.
This will make it look like they’re wearing goggles. Next you’ll want to make the straps of the goggles by adding a line of black icing towards the back of the minions head. You can finish off the cute little minions faces by adding little mouths in a variety of expressions. {The fun little mouth expressions are one of my favorite parts of these cupcakes!}
I like to make some of them look like some of my favorite minions by varying the amount of eyes and the smiles.
Once the cupcakes have been taken out of the oven, allow them to cool completely.
Take your buttercream frosting and mix in approximately 20 drops of blue gel food coloring. You may need more depending on how dark you want the icing.
I like to use an electric mixer to make sure the color is even. When your frosting is the color you want, add it to a piping bag or cake decorating tool to
Frost the cupcakes using lots of frosting on each one. This will help to keep your twinkie minions in place better. {And maybe I like frosting and I just made up the whole part of keeping the minions in place…you’ll never know…so use lots of frosting}.
Add the minion bodies on top of the cupcakes and enjoy!!
Make sure to keep scrolling down if you want to make your own buttercream frosting.
Helpful Hints and FAQs
A few years ago, there was a Twinkie shortage. And when I went to make these cupcakes they were nowhere to be found. In place of the Twinkies, I used Nutter Butters covered in yellow frosting. You could also use ladyfinger cookies.
Also, you could microwave candy melts to coat your minion cookies. Just make sure your candy coating is hard before you try to add your minion eyes and goggles. You don’t want to add frosting to melted candy or you’ll have a mess.
No, you can totally use chocolate cupcakes, but since the color will definitely show through, I recommend using blue silicone baking cups.
Want to make your own buttercream frosting?
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 to 6 tbsp milk
Buttercream Frosting Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Makes about 3 cups.
Make sure to pin this for your next Minion Party!
Originally published July 2015.
Easy Minion Cupcakes
If you love Despicable Me, you're going to love these Minion Cupcakes! They're so easy to make and are a huge hit with kids and adults alike!
Ingredients
- Box Yellow Cake Mix or White Cake Mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup water or whatever ingredients are included on your box's directions)
- 24 Twinkies
- White Frosting or Buttercream Frosting
- Wilton Candy Eyes
- Black Gel Icing Tube
- Blue Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, eggs, and water.
- Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds or until ingredients are combined.
- Then turn your mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes.
- Fill each cupcake liner 1/2 to 3/4 full with batter.
- Bake according to cupcake package directions.
- While your cupcakes are baking, cut each Twinkie in half and place on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
- To make the faces of the minions, use your black frosting to add 1 or 2 black dots where the minions' eyes will go.
- Next you'll want to make the straps of the goggles by adding a line of black icing towards the back of the minions head.
- You can finish off the cute little minions faces by adding little mouths in a variety of expressions.
- Once the cupcakes have been taken out of the oven, allow them to cool completely.
- Take your buttercream frosting and mix in approximately 20 drops of blue gel food coloring, you may need more depending on how dark you want the icing.
- When your frosting is the color you want, add it to a piping bag or cake decorating tool to.
- Frost the cupcakes using lots of frosting on each one.
- Add the minion bodies on top of the cupcakes.
- Voila! Enjoy your Easy Minion Cupcakes!
Kathy says
These look so good. They turned out amazing. So cute! I will have to make them with my daughters. They are going to love this.
Tara Pittman says
What a creative use of Twinkies. I love how thes cupcakes look and would be perfect for a party/
Catalina says
OMG! These cupcakes are fabulous! And they are so easy to make! Love them!
Ruth I says
Oh I love this idea. It’s so cute and so easy to make!