Easy Reindeer Cupcakes Recipe tastes like fudgy chocolate, creamy frosting, and a little salty crunch from pretzel antlers. It suits kid-friendly baking, office potlucks, and anyone who wants holiday cupcakes in about 45 minutes start to finish. I baked my first batch while my kid stole half the pretzels, which felt on brand for December.
Why You Should Try This Reindeer Cupcakes Recipe
This Easy Reindeer Cupcakes Recipe delivers festive looks with simple steps and pantry shortcuts. You get rich chocolate cupcakes, a smooth cocoa frosting, and playful faces that steal the dessert table spotlight.
You can bake the cupcakes from a mix or scratch, so the recipe fits your time and mood. The decorations go on fast, and the antlers double as a built-in salty snack.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cupcakes
- Chocolate frosting
- Reindeer decorations
- Equipment
How to Make Reindeer Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Mix the batter. For the mix, follow the box directions. For scratch, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add egg, milk, oil, and vanilla, then whisk smooth. Pour in the hot coffee or water and whisk until glossy.
- Fill each liner about two-thirds full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick; it should show a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely. A cool cupcake holds frosting and decorations best.
- Make the frosting. Beat the butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons cream. Beat until fluffy, adding more cream as needed for a smooth, pipeable texture. Shortcut fans can open the cans and stir to loosen.
- Frost the cupcakes. Pipe or spread a round mound of chocolate frosting on each cupcake. Aim for a smooth surface so the face sits neatly.
- Decorate the reindeer. Press a vanilla wafer near the lower third for the snout. Dab a dot of frosting on the wafer and stick on an M&M nose. Place candy eyes above the snout. Break pretzels in half and press two halves into the top edge for antlers.
- Set the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes if you need the faces to travel. Pull them back to room temp before serving for the best texture.
Tips & Tricks
- Add pretzel antlers close to serving time to keep them crisp.
- If pretzels snap, trim the broken edges with a sharp knife and run with it. Uneven antlers look cute.
- Use frosting as glue for eyes and noses. A small dot holds better than melted chocolate in a warm kitchen.
- Want extra shine on noses? Use peanut or caramel M&M’s.
- For smooth frosting, sift powdered sugar and cocoa and beat the butter until pale and fluffy.
- For gluten-free cupcakes, use a gluten-free cake mix and gluten-free pretzels.
- For dairy-free, use vegan butter, dairy-free milk, and safe candies.
- If cupcakes dome a lot, level the tops slightly for easier decorating.
What to Serve with Reindeer Cupcakes
These reindeer cupcakes love a hot cocoa bar with marshmallows, crushed candy cane, and whipped cream. Coffee or a strong black tea balances the sweet frosting. Set them on a dessert board with gingerbread cookies, peppermint bark, and clementines for a festive spread. A bowl of salty popcorn adds a nice contrast if you want a sweet-salty theme.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Bake the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. Make the frosting up to 1 week ahead and chill it; beat it briefly before piping. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature in the closed container to keep moisture in.
Store decorated cupcakes at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge up to 4 days. Add pretzels on the day you plan to serve to keep them snappy. Bring chilled cupcakes to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before eating, or microwave a cupcake for 5 to 8 seconds without pretzels to soften the crumb.
Nutrition Information
Per decorated cupcake, about: 400 calories; 18 g fat; 9 g saturated fat; 58 g carbohydrates; 42 g sugars; 3 g protein; 260 mg sodium; 2 g fiber. Numbers vary based on brands, mix vs scratch, and how heavy you go with frosting and candies.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the package instructions, using the eggs, oil, and water.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Frost each cupcake with chocolate frosting.
- Decorate each cupcake with two mini pretzels for antlers, two candy eyes, and one red candy for the nose to create reindeer faces.