These Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes make for a fun and festive dessert during the holiday season. This simple recipe uses a box of cake mix and a delicious homemade chocolate buttercream frosting topped with sweet candy and savory pretzels to create a cute rendition of Santa's reindeer!
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These cute Reindeer Cupcakes are a kid-friendly Christmas dessert perfect for holiday parties, Christmas dinner and winter baking projects. The little ones will love helping to stir the cupcake batter, squeeze on the frosting and decorate their reindeers...while sneaking some candy and licks of the frosting bowl! Love Christmas desserts? Check out our festive eggnog cupcakes.
This fun recipe is made simple by using a box of chocolate cake mix and a tasty 4 ingredient variation of buttercream frosting that's made with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and cocoa powder (or use this Nutella buttercream frosting). These chocolatey cupcakes are quick to make, with the most time spent waiting for the cupcakes to cool before decorating.
We love making cupcakes for the holidays (or just because). Our melting snowman cupcakes are a sweet vanilla Christmas cupcake. We also have recipes for Thanksgiving turkey cupcakes, candy corn cupcakes for October and zombie cupcakes for Halloween.
So grab your aprons and mixing bowls and lets get to baking some of the cutest Christmas cupcakes!
Ingredients
- Chocolate cake mix: plus eggs and oil as indicated on the package.
- Buttercream frosting: the frosting is made with softened butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar.
- Mini pretzel twists
- Rolo candies
- Red m&m candies
- Candy eyes
Equipment
You'll need a large mixing bowl, 2 standard size cupcake pans and a whisk to make the cupcake batter. To make the frosting, you'll need an electric stand mixer or electric hand mixer, plus a good piping bag and piping tips. I use this reusable piping bag and love it because it's easy to clean and you can change the piping tip while the bag is full of frosting without making a mess.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This recipe yields 18 cupcakes using 1 box of cake mix.
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on the box of cupcake mix (usually 350° Fahrenheit). Line the muffin tin with the liners. Make the cupcake batter as indicated on the package and fill each liner ⅔ full. Bake for the time indicated on the box, usually 18-20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven when done and place on your decorating workspace. Let the cupcakes cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.
STEP 2: When the cupcakes have cooled make the chocolate frosting. Combine the softened butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using the electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add unsweetened cocoa powder and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and continue to beat on low speed until smooth.
STEP 3: Choose your piping tip and secure it to the piping bag. Fill the piping bag with frosting. Twist the top where the frosting ends and hold securely while squeezing the frosting in a circular fashion onto each cupcake.
STEP 4: Unwrap the rolo candies and squeeze a small bit of frosting onto each. Press a red m&m candy onto the frosted rolo to secure it in place. Place 2 candy eyes on the center of each frosted cupcake. Gently press the rolo candy into the frosting underneath the eyes, where the reindeer's nose would be. For the antlers, press the mini pretzel twists a little into the top of the cupcake so they stand securely.
Transfer decorated cupcakes to the fridge to chill and set the frosting. Serve within a few hours or within 2 days for the best results.
How To Store Reindeer Cupcakes
These reindeer cupcakes are best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, with 2 days being the best for quality.
Recipe Tips
- It's important to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. I usually prepare the cupcakes the day before decorating. This ensures that the cupcakes are cool enough to not melt the frosting.
- Add some chocolate sprinkles or white sugar crystals to the icing to make some reindeer fur.
- The nose can be made with reese's peanut butter cups also and the red Rudolph nose can be made with any small red candy, such as skittles, cinnamon imperials, etc.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe yields 18 standard size cupcakes.
Yes! Reindeer cupcakes can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. Store them in the fridge to preserve quality. The pretzel antlers will become soft in the fridge, so you may want to decorate with the antlers the day of serving.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Reindeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix, plus eggs and oil as indicated on package
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 36 mini pretzel twists
- 18 rolo candies
- 18 red m&m candies
- 36 candy eyes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on the box of cupcake mix (usually 350° Fahrenheit). Line the muffin tin with the liners. Make the cupcake batter as indicated on the package and fill each liner ⅔ full. Bake for the time indicated on the box, usually 18-20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven when done and place on your decorating workspace. Let the cupcakes cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.
- When the cupcakes have cooled make the chocolate frosting. Combine the softened butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using the electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add unsweetened cocoa powder and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and continue to beat on low speed until smooth.
- Choose your piping tip and secure it to the piping bag. Fill the piping bag with frosting. Twist the top where the frosting ends and hold securely while squeezing the frosting in a circular fashion onto each cupcake.
- Unwrap the rolo candies and squeeze a small bit of frosting onto each. Press a red m&m candy onto the frosted rolo to secure it in place. Place 2 candy eyes on the center of each frosted cupcake. Gently press the rolo candy into the frosting underneath the eyes, where the reindeer's nose would be. For the antlers, press the mini pretzel twists a little into the top of the cupcake so they stand securely.
- Transfer decorated cupcakes to the fridge to chill and set the frosting. Serve within a few hours or within 2 days for the best results.
Notes
Nutrition
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