When I set out to make these Disney Princess Moana Cupcakes, I didn’t realize how adorable–and easy they’d turn out to be. I love the look–and the best part is that the kids ADORED them. Bonus: they’re so freaking tasty, we ate them all in one day. Is that really a bonus though?!
Disney Princess Moana Cupcakes
The kids are absolutely obsessed with Moana–and her friends Maui and Hei Hei. There’s just something about that chicken.
So, when I set out to make a Heart of Te Fiti cupcake, well, I knew I needed to bring some of that to life. Hei Hei was a little out of my range of abilities, but I figured out how to easily make Maui’s hook and the Heart of Te Fiti from marshmallow fondant, and the rest is sweet, tasty history! LOL!
Tips to make these Disney Princess Moana Cupcakes
- Don’t rush. The faster you try to make the things, the less yummy the cupcake will be and the more frustrated you’ll get. So, take your time.
- Definitely use marshmallow fondant (I love this simple marshmallow fondant recipe I found). It tastes a million times better than regular fondant or gum paste–trust me.
Ingredients for these Moana-Inspired Cupcakes
- Vanilla Cupcakes:
- 2 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 can of your favorite vanilla frosting
- 2 cups marshmallow fondant or white modeling chocolate
- Blue food coloring
- NEON blue food coloring
- Black GEL food coloring
- Green GEL food coloring
- 6 vanilla wafer cookies
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- Wax paper (just to set your marshmallow fondant creations on)
- Star decorating tip and bag
How to make these Heart of Te Fiti Cupcakes
Step 1
To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350-degrees. Then just combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and then combine wet ingredients (including butter) in a second medium sized bowl.
Step 2
Add your dry ingredients to wet ingredients in ⅓ increments, mixing thoroughly between each. You want it to be thick, but if it’s not, you can add a liiiiittle more flour–I have had to do this and it is just fine. Spoon batter into lined cupcake pan. Bake for 30-minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before decorating.
Step 3
Break your marshmallow fondant in half. To form the Hearts of Te Fiti, with the green GEL food coloring, work in 10 drops of food coloring into one portion of the fondant until the color is consistently green.
Step 4
Break off ⅓ of the now green marshmallow fondant and work in an additional 10 drops of food coloring into this ⅓ portion until this is a consistently darker color green. Break this dark green fondant into 6 pieces. Roll each dark green piece into a long, thin cylinder.
Step 5
Break the light green fondant into 6 pieces. Roll each light green piece into a long, thin cylinder and lay them next to one darker green piece.
Step 6
Starting at one end, roll the two green cylinders together into a spiral, making sure the dark green is visible between the rolls of light green. Smooth the rolls a little of these Hearts of Te Fiti. All done with the Heart of Te Fiti!
Step 7
To form the Maui Hooks, with the black GEL food coloring, work in 6-7 drops of food coloring into the remaining white portion of fondant until the color is consistently grey. Break off ⅓ of the now grey marshmallow fondant and work in an additional 10 drops of food coloring into this ⅓ portion until the color is a consistently dark grey or black.
Step 8
Break the lighter grey piece into 6 pieces. Roll each lighter grey piece into a short, thick cylinder (about 3 inches long).
Step 9
Flatten each cylinder with your fingers and turn one end up to form a hook.
Step 10
Break off a small, minuscule portion of the darker grey fondant and place it across the top ⅓ of the hook, giving it texture with a spoon or your fingernail.
Step 11
Place all the Hearts of Te Fiti and Maui Hooks in the refrigerator until you’re ready to put them on the cupcakes.
Step 12
With your largest decorating tip, press into the top of the cupcake off-center, creating a well. Save hole tops.
Step 13
Place 1 tablespoon of coconut shreds inside the well in the cupcake. Replace hole top on each cupcake.
Step 14
Mix 5-7 drops of blue food coloring and 2-3 drops of neon blue food coloring into your vanilla frosting, stirring until the color is consistent. Place star tip in piping bag and fill with frosting. Frost each cupcake in a swirl, turning the piping bag as you pipe.
Step 15
Place vanilla wafer cookies into a zipper baggie. Crush vanilla wafer cookies with a rolling pin or your hand. Sprinkle about 1 cookie worth of crushed vanilla wafer cookie onto the top of each cupcake, rolling the cupcake in the crushed cookie, if necessary to get it to stick.
Step 16
Place one Maui Hook on each cupcake. Place a Heart of Te Fiti on each cupcake on the other side.
Step 17
Enjoy!
Be sure to PIN this Disney Cupcake recipe so you can come back and make it again!
Other Kid-Friendly Cupcakes You Might Like
- Thin Mint Cupcakes – With your favorite Girl Scout cookie on top?! Oh heck yeah.
- Sherbet Cupcakes – Perfect for those hot summer afternoons…
- Dory Cupcakes– If you love Finding Nemo and Dory, these easy Dory cupcakes are totally for you!
Disney Princess Moana Cupcakes

When I set out to make these Disney Princess Moana Cupcakes, I didn't realize how adorable--and easy they'd turn out to be. I love the look--and the best part is that the kids ADORED them. Bonus: they're so freaking tasty, we ate them all in one day. Is that really a bonus though?!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tspn baking soda
- 1/2 tspn salt
- 1 tspn vinegar
- 2 tspn vanilla
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 can of your favorite vanilla frosting
- 2 cups marshmallow fondant or white modeling chocolate
- Blue food coloring
- NEON blue food coloring
- Black GEL food coloring
- Green GEL food coloring
- 6 vanilla wafer cookies
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- Wax paper (just to set your marshmallow fondant creations on)
- Star decorating tip and bag
Instructions
- To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350-degrees.
- Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients (including butter) in a second medium sized bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in ⅓ increments, mixing thoroughly between each increment.
- Spoon into lined cupcake pan.
- Bake for 30-minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes completely before decorating.
- Break your marshmallow fondant in half.
- To form the Hearts of Te Fiti, with the green GEL food coloring, work in 10 drops of food coloring into one portion of the fondant until the color is consistently green.
- Break off ⅓ of the now green marshmallow fondant and work in an additional 10 drops of food coloring into this ⅓ portion until this is a consistently darker color green.
- Break this dark green fondant into 6 pieces.
- Roll each dark green piece into a long, thin cylinder.
- Break the light green fondant into 6 pieces.
- Roll each light green piece into a long, thin cylinder and lay them next to one darker green piece.
- Starting at one end, roll the two green cylinders together into a spiral, making sure the dark green is visible between the rolls of light green.
- Smooth the rolls a little of these Hearts of Te Fiti.
- To form the Maui Hooks, with the black GEL food coloring, work in 6-7 drops of food coloring into the remaining white portion of fondant until the color is consistently grey.
- Break off ⅓ of the now grey marshmallow fondant and work in an additional 10 drops of food coloring into this ⅓ portion until the color is a consistently dark grey or black.
- Break the lighter grey piece into 6 pieces.
- Roll each lighter grey piece into a short, thick cylinder (about 3 inches long).
- Flatten each cylinder with your fingers and turn one end up to form a hook.
- Break off a small, miniscule portion of the darker grey fondant and place it across the top ⅓ of the hook, giving it texture with a spoon or your fingernail.
- Place all the Hearts of Te Fiti and Maui Hooks in the refrigerator until you’re ready to put them on the cupcakes.
- Using your fingernail or a spoon, press into the front of Pascal’s face to form a smile.
- With your largest decorating tip, press into the top of the cupcake off-center, creating a well. Save hole tops.
- Place 1 tablespoon of coconut shreds inside the well in the cupcake.
- Replace hole top on each cupcake.
- Mix 5-7 drops of blue food coloring and 2-3 drops of neon blue food coloring into your vanilla frosting, stirring until the color is consistent.
- Place star tip in piping bag and fill with frosting.
- Frost each cupcake in a swirl, turning the piping bag as you pipe.
- Place vanilla wafer cookies into a zipper baggie.
- Crush vanilla wafer cookies with a rolling pin or your hand.
- Sprinkle about 1 cookie worth of crushed vanilla wafer cookie onto the top of each cupcake, rolling the cupcake in the crushed cookie, if necessary to get it to stick.
- Place one Maui Hook on each cupcake.
- Place a Heart of Te Fiti on each cupcake on the other side.
- Serve!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 212mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 1gSugar: 32gProtein: 3g
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