Today I have some super cute Reindeer Cupcakes for you to make. These are crazy easy, but oh so adorable. The kids will have so much fun helping to make these.
Are you like my family and love to get messy in the kitchen? From peanut butter fudge, to Christmas tree brownies and Chocolate Covered Christmas Oreos, my kids and I love to hang out in the kitchen, especially around the holidays. Don’t you?
However… I have a lot of kids. So complicated recipes are not my thing. They (I mean me) like easy Cupcake Recipes that the don’t require a lot of thought. Make sure to check out all of Easy Christmas Recipes to make this holiday.
Why This Recipe Works:
We love that this recipe starts with a cake mix with added simple ingredients to make the best cupcakes. Adding the fun reindeer face makes these Rudolph cupcakes even better. You may even like to make these Reindeer Brownies.
You will love these Christmas cupcakes for all your holiday parties or a fun activity to do with the kids.
Ingredients you need:
For the Cupcakes:
- Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- Instant Chocolate Pudding
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Water
- Sour Cream
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
For the Decorations:
- Mini Pretzels Twists
- Nilla Wafers
- Red M&M
- Candy Eyeballs
For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card.
Variations Ideas:
- Cake Mix – Feel free to use different type of cake mix. Red velvet is a classic holiday cake and would be perfect for this Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes.
- Homemade Frosting – I love making frosting from scratch as it made with simple ingredients. But you can make these cupcakes with store bought frosting. You can also use chocolate frosting or melted chocolate.
- Red Nose – We made the red nose with an M&M. But you can use a red hot candy or a red sprinkle.
- Reindeer Eyes – Instead of candy eyes use chocolate chips for they eyes. Just use what you have.
Step by Step Instructions:
- Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 cupcake pans with liners.
Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix and pudding mix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 3 – Next mix in the large eggs, vegetable oil and water. Gently stir in the sour cream until a batter is formed.
Step 4 – Pour the batter into each cupcake tin, filling them up approximately ¾ of the way full.
Step 5 – Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely on wire racks before topping with the frosting.
Step 6 – In a large mixing bowl add the butter and beat until creamy (approximately 3 minutes).
Step 7 – Add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and salt. Mix on low speed until combined and then move the speed up to high and mix for 3 minutes. Chill until ready to use to decorate the cupcakes
Step 8 – Add a flat layer of the frosting on top of each of the cupcakes (reserve some frosting for decorations).
Step 9 – Add a villa wafer and 2 pretzel twists onto each cupcake to form the muzzle and antlers of each of the reindeers.
Step 10 – Place the remaining in a piping bag fitted with a small circle tip or place in a bag with a small corner cut off one end. Apply the candy eyes and red candy nose.
Step 11 – Then the cupcakes are ready to serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips:
- Piping Bag – You can use a ziplock bag or a piping bag for the icing. Just use what you prefer. If you use a zip lock bag, just cut off the corner to make the tiny frosting dots.
- Frosting – Check the consistency of the frosting and add more heavy whipping (1 tablespoon at a time) if needed to thin out the frosting.
How to Store Leftovers:
Store you leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. These chocolate cupcakes will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
Can I Make Ahead of Time?
Yes, this can easily be prepared ahead of time. To make sure your cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, we like to prepare the cupcakes the night before.
Then frost and decorate when you are read to serve.
Try these other Christmas Desserts:
We love hearing from you. If you make these Reindeer Cupcakes, please leave us a comment or star review.
Reindeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:Â
- 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 1 box Instant Chocolate Pudding (3.9 ounces)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup water
- 8 ounces sour cream
For the Frosting:Â
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)Â
- 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)Â
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons Heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the Decorations:Â
- 48 pretzel twists
- 24 Vanilla wafers
- 24 Red M&Ms
- 48 Candy Eyes
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:Â
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 standard muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix and instant pudding mix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Add the eggs, vegetable oil, water, and sour cream. Mix until the batter is smooth and well combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:Â
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and salt.
- Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- If needed, add additional heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
To Assemble the Cupcakes:Â
- Spread an even layer of frosting over each cooled cupcake, reserving a small amount of frosting for attaching the decorations.
- Press 1 vanilla wafer near the bottom of each cupcake to form the reindeer's muzzle.
- Insert 2 pretzel twists above the wafer to create the antlers.
- Place the reserved frosting into a piping bag (or zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off). Pipe a small dot of frosting onto the backs of the candy eyes and M&M's.
- Attach 2 candy eyes above the vanilla wafer and 1 red M&M on the wafer for Rudolph's nose.
- Serve immediately or store until ready to enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Store the decorated cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- If making ahead, bake the cupcakes one day in advance and decorate the day you plan to serve them.
- For the best texture, use block-style cream cheese and full-fat sour cream if substituting frosting recipes.
These reindeer cupcakes are such a fun dessert to make around the holidays! I really enjoy these!
so fun to make with the kids , loved them
Easy to follow and the results were fantastic!
My toddler LOVED these
These turned out so cute!