Captain Sergio Ramos returned after two months, as Federico Valverde, Isco and Vincius Junior replaced Luka Modric, Marco Asensio and Rodrygo.
Real looked to hit the break from a smart opportunity by Karim Benzema inside a quiet opening, but was denied as a forced change saw Elche introduce Miguel Angel Cifuentes for Antonio Barragan.
Los Blancos were presented a clearer chance to go ahead in the last ten minutes to the interval after Benzema feed a cross from Vinicius only to fire wide from the far post.
At the other end, Real nearly allowed the visitors in from a cross-cum shot out wide by Tete Morente but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois repelled the delivery away from the area thus the half concluded.
Elche weren't out of danger as the start of the second half brought Benzema on goal from a floating ball by Ferland Mendy, but the side-netting rescued the away side.
However, it was the visitors who went ahead 15 minutes from the break after Dani Calvo rose high for a corner to head in off the underside of the crossbar.
This led Zinedine Zidane to run the changes 25 minutes before time in Modric, Rodrygo and Toni Kroos in favour of Ramos, Isco and Valverde respectively.
Zidane's approach paid off on 73 minutes when Modric floated a ball into the area which Benzema collected to head home.
Real targeted a second and after persistent probing, were rewarded late on when a first-time shot from the inside of the area by Benzema nestled the bottom-corner to bring the clash to a close.
