Fish Cupcakes
When it comes to throwing parties especially ones that involve kids you quickly learn one golden rule: cute and easy wins the day. If it’s colorful, bite-sized, and even remotely fun to make, you’ve already scored major points. And that, my friends, is exactly why I’m shouting from the rooftops about these adorable M&M Fish Cupcakes today!
Under the Sea Cupcakes
They’re bright, cheerful, and they’re super simple to make. Whether you’re throwing a beach-themed birthday party, hosting a summer pool party, or just want a fun treat for a Saturday afternoon, these little fishies are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Here’s What You’ll Need
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Bake the Cupcakes
First thing’s first: bake your cupcakes according to the directions on your box or recipe.
Quick tip from a mom who’s learned the hard way: line your cupcake tins with cute liners, even if you think it doesn’t matter. It always matters. It’s those little things that make homemade feel even more special!
Once they’re baked, let them cool completely. No shortcuts here. If you try frosting warm cupcakes, you’ll end up with a buttery, melty mess, and we don’t want that.
2. Frost the Cupcakes
Once your cupcakes are cool, grab your piping bag and swirl a generous, smooth frosting layer over each one. Don’t stress about making it perfect this is just the base coat, and once you add your candies, no one will even notice a little bump here or there.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag or tip, a plastic zip-top bag with the corner snipped off works like a charm. Real life calls for real solutions!
3. Create the Fish Scales
Starting on one side of the cupcake, start pressing your M&M’s into the frosting.
Lay them down overlapping slightly, kind of like fish scales. It doesn’t have to be perfectly lined up think of how colorful and wiggly real fish can be!
Use whatever color patterns you like:
- A rainbow fish? Go for it!
- A classic blue and green ocean fish? Gorgeous!
- Random chaos colors because your toddler was “helping”? Honestly, still adorable.
Just make sure to leave an oval-shaped blank space on the opposite side of the cupcake that’s where the fish’s little face will go.
4. Make the Face
Pop a sugar eye right onto the blank space you left. You’ll be amazed how slapping a little candy eye onto something instantly makes it a thousand times cuter.
If you can’t find sugar eyes at the store, you can totally improvise:
- A white chocolate chip with a tiny dot of black icing works too!
- Even a small candy like a white M&M could do in a pinch.
5. Add the Tail
Grab a piece of rainbow candy strip and cut it into a triangle shape.
Stick it into the back of your fish (the side opposite the face), with the wide part sticking out to look like a tail fin.
It’s the tiny finishing touch that really brings your fish to life.
6. Admire Your Adorable Fish!
And just like that, ta-da! you have the cutest cupcakes ever! Take a moment to admire your handiwork, maybe snap a quick pic (because trust me, these won’t last long), and then dive into party mode!
Why You’ll Love These Fish Cupcakes
- No stress: They’re super forgiving! No fancy decorating skills required.
- Crazy colorful: They look like they belong in an under-the-sea storybook.
- Kid-approved: Both making and eating them is a blast.
- Party-perfect: They fit right in at beach parties, aquarium birthdays, or poolside shindigs.
- Flexible: You can easily customize the candy colors, swap out frosting flavors, or even use different candy for the scales if you’re feeling creative.
Tips
Let’s be honest here: Sometimes baking with kids feels like you’re willingly signing up for chaos. And that’s okay. These cupcakes are awesome because they let kids get hands-on without needing to be super precise.
I usually set up a little decorating station:
- A couple bowls of M&M’s (okay, a lot of M&M’s half will get eaten, it’s just a fact)
- Pre-piped cupcakes ready to go
- Scissors for the candy strips
- A pile of sugar eyes
Then, I just let the kids go nuts! Some cupcakes turn out beautiful. Some end up looking like “abstract art fish.” And some… well, some might just be giant mountains of M&M’s. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. It’s about making memories (and yes, eating candy for dinner because sometimes you just need to live a little).
Quick Variations
Want to change it up? Here are a few fun spins you can try:
- Chocolate fish: Use a chocolate cupcake base and chocolate frosting for a darker underwater vibe.
- Gummy fins: Instead of rainbow candy, use little triangle-shaped pieces of gummy candy.
- Mini fish cupcakes: Make mini cupcakes for a whole school of tiny fish!
- Under-the-sea platter: Arrange your finished fish cupcakes on a blue tablecloth with a few crushed graham crackers scattered around for a “sand” effect!
If you’re feeling that little twinge of “Is it really worth it?” let me be the voice in your ear: Yes. It totally is. Not because the cupcakes are perfect (although they will look amazing!), but because making something colorful and silly with the people you love is always, always worth it.
Check Out More Cupcake Recipes
Fish Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix + additional ingredients per directions or your favorite recipe
- Buttercream frosting in a piping bag with a large cut tip
- M&M’s candy various colors
- Rainbow candy strips cut into triangles for the tail fin
- Sugar decorating eyes
Instructions
- Bake the cupcakes according to the directions on your box or recipe. Line the cupcake tins with cute liners. It always matters. Once they’re baked, let them cool completely.
- Once the cupcakes are cool, grab the piping bag and swirl a generous, smooth frosting layer over each one. Pro Tip: If you don't have a piping bag or tip, a plastic zip-top bag with the corner snipped off works.
- Starting on one side of the cupcake, start pressing your M&M’s into the frosting. Lay them down overlapping slightly, kind of like fish scales. Just make sure to leave an oval-shaped blank space on the opposite side of the cupcake that’s where the fish’s face will go.
- Pop a sugar eye right onto the blank space you left. You can also use a white chocolate chip with a tiny dot of black icing works too. Even a small candy like a white M&M could do in a pinch.
- Grab a piece of rainbow candy strip and cut it into a triangle shape. Stick it into the back of your fish (the side opposite the face), with the wide part sticking out to look like a tail fin.
