These Sea Turtle Cupcakes are perfect for your summer, ocean, or beach-themed party. Made with simple ingredients like gummy rings, gummy spearmint leaves, and gumdrops, these cupcakes are as easy to assemble as they are adorable.

I love making fun food for the kids. I especially love it when the party treat is easy to make, like these fishing bobber cupcakes, Minion cupcakes, and these cute campfire-themed snacks.

These sea turtle cupcakes fit the bill for both easy and fun to make.

What you’ll love about this recipe:

KID FRIENDLY – These turtle cupcakes make the perfect food craft – fun for kids to decorate and even better as a creative activity that doubles as a snack
PERFECT FOR PARTIES – The best ocean-themed parties, summer events, or classroom follow-up activities to an ocean-themed unit.
TOTALLY CUSTOMIZABLE – Change up candies, and colors to make your own type of sea turtle.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Cupcakes baked and cooled
blue frosting
green gummy rings – apple gummy rings are usually green
Spearmint gummy leaves
green gumdrops
candy eyes

Equipment Needed

Optional: Piping bag with a star tip

How to Make Gummy Sea Turtle Cupcakes

Frost the cupcakes with blue frosting. I piped the frosting using a wide star tip, but you don’t have to do that. Spreading the frosting on is perfectly fine.

Assembling the Shell

Push a gum drop through the center of the green ring to make the shell

Assembling the Head

Put a dab of frosting onto the backs of candy eyes

Place eyes on both sides of a gumdrop

Creating the Flippers

Slice spearmint leaves in long halves for legs

Putting it all together

Place the turtle shell in the center of the frosted cupcake

Place the legs onto the four corners of the green ring

Add the head to the turtle

Expert Tips

Prep a few things ahead of time – like cutting the spearmint leaves – so the kids can jump right in and have fun assembling their turtles

FAQs

Yes! Frost your cupcakes. Assemble the heads, and shells. Cut the flippers. Store cupcake up to two days in advance in a container at room temperature. Assemble the turtle the day of your party.

Use a dab of frosting as glue.

Variations

Flippers: Try green licorice, green apple rings, or green fondant

Shell: Try an Oreo Cookie, Vanilla Wafer, or a Mound of Green frosting

What to Serve With

If you are having an ocean-themed party try

Crab Cupcakes, Beach Jello Cups, Shark Milkshake, and Octopus Hot Dogs

More Cupcakes You’ll Love

hot air balloon cupcakes — Hot Air Balloon Cupcakes

Printable Recipe