3 Easy Ways to Make Edible Tea Cups

Dainty teacups that you can actually eat make a wonderful addition to children’s birthday parties or afternoon teas (and also let you channel your inner Willie Wonka!). In the article below, we'll take you step-by-step through 3 methods to make your own edible tea cups at home using candy melts , ice cream cones and cookies , or gum paste . We'll also share tips on melting chocolate for your teacups from our incredible baking and dessert experts!

How to Make Edible Tea Cups

Chocolate : Melt candy melts and pour or pipe them into cup, saucer, and handle shapes. Assemble the hardened pieces using more melted chocolate.
Ice cream cones & cookies : Slice the base off of a wafer ice cream cone and attach it to a shortbread cookie with icing. Use half of a pretzel for the handle.
Gum paste : Press gum paste onto a real teacup and saucer, let it harden overnight, then remove it. Attach a fondant handle and gum paste base to the cup with water.

Ingredients

Chocolate Teacups

14 oz (420 g) candy melts

Makes 4 teacups and saucers

Ice Cream Cone & Cookie Teacups

12 wafer ice cream cones
1 tube ready-to-use icing
12 round shortbread cookies
6 round miniature chocolate-covered pretzels

Makes 12 teacups

Gum Paste Teacup & Saucer

1 cup (226 g) prepared gum paste
Powdered sugar for dusting
1 oz (30 g) white chocolate, melted (optional)

Makes 1 teacup and saucer

Section 1 of 3:

Making Edible Chocolate Teacups Using Candy Melts

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1
Melt 14 oz (420 g) of candy melt chocolate in the microwave. Gluten-free baking expert Gladys Jahn suggests pouring the candy melts into a plastic (microwave-safe) bowl, then microwaving it for 10 seconds. Next, she says, "Take it out and stir it…put it back in the microwave for another 10 seconds and stir it again." Within 30-40 seconds, the chocolate should be melted.
- Candy melts are chocolates made with vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter. After they've been melted and poured into a mold or shaped, they harden quickly and produce a snap when you break them. Real chocolate has to be tempered first to stabilize the cocoa butter so it doesn't melt to the touch after it solidifies. ^{[1]
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- Candy melts melt faster than real chocolate, and they also come in a wider range of colors. However, candy melts aren’t quite as flavorful as traditional chocolate. If you'd rather use real chocolate instead of candy melts, custom dessert artist Maha Mohamed recommends melting white chocolate and then add oil-based food coloring (if you want it colored). Then make sure to temper it so it has a glossy finish when it hardens and holds its shape without falling apart.
2
Spoon 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of chocolate into each cavity of a dome mold. Set a silicone dome mold on your work surface and scoop 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of melted candy melts or tempered chocolate into each cavity. ^{[2]
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- For larger teacups, use a mold with 6 semi-sphere cavities. For standard-sized teacups, choose a mold with 12 to 15 dome cavities.
Variation: To make dark teacups, use milk or semisweet chocolate.

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3
Spread the chocolate into the cavities and chill the mold for 15 minutes. Use a silicone brush or the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly throughout the mold so each cavity is covered. Then put the mold in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens. ^{[3]
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- If you used a mold with smaller domes, the chocolate will harden faster.
Remove the mold from the refrigerator and place it right-side up on your work surface. Gently push up on the bottom of each cavity to release the chocolate. The chocolate should separate from the mold. ^{[4]
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Research source} Set the cups aside while you make the chocolate saucers and handles.
5
Spoon four ¹ ⁄ ₄ inch (0.64 cm) thick circles of chocolate onto parchment paper. To make the saucers, lay a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet and spread some of the remaining tempered chocolate into 4 even circles on the paper. Each circle should be about 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) in diameter. Then pipe or spoon more chocolate onto the parchment paper to make 4 handle shapes. ^{[5]
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- Each saucer should be about ¹ ⁄ ₄ inch (0.64 cm) thick.
- If you don't have parchment paper, use waxed paper instead.
6

Transfer melted chocolate into a piping bag and pipe 4 teacup handles. Spread out another sheet of parchment paper onto a second baking tray (or use the same one from the previous step). Spoon some melted chocolate into a piping bag with a spatula, then attach a round piping tip to the end of the bag with the smaller hole in it. Pipe 4 handles for your teacups onto the parchment paper in your desired shape. ^{[6]
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Put the baking sheet into the refrigerator and leave the saucers and handles to set. Remove the baking sheet once the chocolate is completely hard. Carefully peel the chocolates off the sheet so you can assemble the teacups. ^{[7]
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8
Attach the handles to the cups with melted chocolate. To assemble the teacups, dip the ends of the handles into the melted chocolate. Then hold the handles against the sides of the chocolate cups until they set well enough to stay attached on their own. Then set each teacup onto the chocolate saucers and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve them. ^{[8]
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- Work quickly so your hands don't melt the chocolate. If the chocolate teacup pieces begin to soften, put them into the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Section 2 of 3:

Making Edible Teacups with Ice Cream Cones & Cookies

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1
Slice the bases off of 12 ice cream cones. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut just below the line where the base of the cone meets the rounded cup part of the cone. Repeat this step for 11 more cones and discard the longer base pieces. ^{[9]
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- Use a gentle sawing motion as you cut so you don't break the cones.
2
Pipe icing along the base of each cup and press it onto a cookie. Take a tube of ready-to-use icing in any color and pipe it along the base of the wafer cone cup that you just cut. Then push the cone onto 1 round shortbread cookie to form the bottom of the teacup. Repeat this step for each of the wafer cone cups.
- If you don't want to work with ready-to-use icing in a tube, make your own icing and pipe it onto the cones.
Variation: If you prefer to use sandwich cookies, such as golden Oreos, pull apart 6 sandwich cookies and remove the cream filling. Then use the cookie portions for your teacup bottoms.
3
Cut 6 chocolate-covered pretzels in half and attach them to the teacups. Use a serrated knife to cut 6 mini chocolate-covered pretzels in half. Pipe a small amount of icing onto each broken end of a pretzel half, then push it onto the side of a teacup so it forms a handle. Hold it in place for a minute until the icing hardens, then let go and continue attaching the rest of the pretzel handles to the other 11 teacups. ^{[10]
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- Use plain, round pretzels if you don't want the chocolate-covered kind.
4
Chill the teacups for 2 hours before using them. Put the assembled teacups into an airtight container and refrigerate them until the icing is completely hardened. This will ensure that the teacups won't break apart if you choose to fill them.
- Once the icing has set, store the teacups at room temperature until you're ready to serve them.

Section 3 of 3:

Making Edible Teacups Using Gum Paste

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1
Roll pre-made gum paste into an ¹ ⁄ ₈ inch (0.32 cm) thick circle. Transfer 1 cup (226 g) of pre-made gum paste onto a rolling mat and use a fondant rolling pin to roll it into an ¹ ⁄ ₈ inch (0.32 cm) thick circle. Make the circle slightly larger than the size you want for your saucer. ^{[11]
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- If you don't have a fondant rolling pin, use a standard rolling pin and dust it with powdered sugar to prevent the gum paste from sticking to it.
- You can also make your own gum paste , but the pre-made version may be a quicker and more convenient option.
Did You Know? Although you can use fondant instead of gum paste, the gum paste is stabilized with egg whites, shortening, and powdered sugar which will make it easier to roll thin. Gum paste will also show more detail than fondant.
2
Press the gum paste onto a saucer, let it harden, then remove it. Dust a little powdered sugar onto the saucer you want to use as your mold and then tap off the excess with your finger. Gently lay the rolled gum paste onto the saucer and press down firmly so the paste molds to the saucer. Then use a knife or blade tool to cut the excess gum paste from around the edge of the saucer. Set the excess aside and smooth the edges of the gum paste saucer. ^{[12]
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- If you want to include details on the edges of your saucer, press in the edges to create a slight scallop.
- Once it's hardened, remove the gum paste saucer from its "mold" and set it aside while you build the teacup.
Roll a small amount of gum paste into a 3 in (7.6 cm) long rope to your desired thickness. Bend the rope into a question mark shape to form the handle for your teacup. ^{[13]
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Research source} Set the handle aside along with the saucer to set while you work on the bottom of the teacup.
4
Cut thinly rolled gum paste into a rainbow shape that fits inside the teacup. Use the fondant rolling pin to roll the leftover gum paste into an oval that's as thin as the saucer you made. Then cut a large rainbow shape out of it and place it inside the teacup with the arch at the bottom. Make sure the two ends of the arch overlap a little bit. If they don't, roll the gum paste out again and cut a larger arch. ^{[14]
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- You may need to trim or adjust the shape of the gum paste so it covers the inside of the teacup. Keep in mind there may be a small hole at the bottom of the cup.
- Before cutting the gum paste, cut out a paper template and nestle it into the teacup. Then cut it to a size that fits in the cup and use that as your template for the gum paste.
Use your fingers to push the gum paste evenly into the teacup so there aren't any gaps. Push the gum paste down to cover the hole at the bottom of the cup. Pay attention to joining the edges where the ends of the gum paste meet. Then set the teacup aside to set up overnight. ^{[15]
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6

Remove the gum paste teacup from the real teacup when it's hardened. Avoid letting it set any longer than overnight or it will become too stiff to get out of the mold! ^{[16]
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Research source} If there's a hole at the bottom of the teacup, cut a small, thin circle of gum paste and secure it by applying a tiny amount of water to it with a brush. The water works as a natural adhesive. ^{[17]
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Roll out more gum paste to an ¹ ⁄ ₈ inch (0.32 cm) thickness and cut it into a circle equal to the size of the bottom of the teacup you're using as a mold. Then let it dry overnight, as well. ^{[18]
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8
Attach the base and the handle to the teacup with water. Brush water onto the base and the bottom of the teacup and stick them together. Next, brush water on each end of the handle, then press it against the side of the teacup. Let it dry for a few minutes.
- If the water isn't making the cup stick to the base, mix a little bit of tylose powder (also called CMC powder) into the water and use this mixture as an adhesive instead.
- To complete your creation, set the teacup on top of the gum paste saucer you made earlier in this tutorial.
Tip: For an extra-strong hold, melt 1 oz (30 g) of white chocolate and paint it around the teacup's handle and base with a pastry brush . Then let the chocolate harden.

Community Q&A

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Question

Instead of filling with candies, can I put a scoop of ice cream in each one right before serving?

Kaitlyn Wislang

Community Answer

Absolutely, ice cream makes a great alternative to filling the teacups with frosting or candy. This works especially well as a refreshing treat in warm weather!

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Question

Can I cover the cups with chocolate?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. Just melt the chocolate and dip the cups before putting them on a cookie sheet. Place them in the freezer to set.

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To decorate the gum paste teacups, make edible food paint and paint floral designs on the cup. ^{[19]
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If any of the handles or cookies on your cone and cookie teacups come a little loose, simply add more icing to attach them again.

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Fill your edible teacups with ice cream, frozen yogurt, candy, or fresh fruit just before serving.

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Things You'll Need

Chocolate Teacups

Silicone dome mold
Spoon
Parchment paper
Baking sheet

Ice Cream Cone & Cookie Teacups

Serrated knife
Cutting board

Gum Paste Teacup and Saucer

Rolling mat
Teacup and saucer
Fondant rolling pin
Knife or blade tool
Pastry brush (optional)

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3 Easy Ways to Make Edible Tea Cups

How to Make Edible Tea Cups

Ingredients

Chocolate Teacups

Ice Cream Cone & Cookie Teacups

Gum Paste Teacup & Saucer

Steps

Making Edible Chocolate Teacups Using Candy Melts

Making Edible Teacups with Ice Cream Cones & Cookies

Making Edible Teacups Using Gum Paste

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Things You'll Need

Chocolate Teacups

Ice Cream Cone & Cookie Teacups

Gum Paste Teacup and Saucer

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References

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