Learn how to make adorable Chocolate Reindeer Cupcakes with this easy recipe! They're perfect for holiday gatherings and bringing some festive cheer to your holiday table.
Made with a boxed mix, homemade frosting, pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and a red M&M nose for a festive treat kids and adults will love.
For even more festive fun, be sure to check out our collection of Reindeer Desserts that are perfect for spreading holiday cheer!
These reindeer cupcakes are irresistibly delicious and easy since we paired a boxed mix with a rich and creamy homemade chocolate frosting.
They're decorated to look like Rudolph and his friends, so this fun recipe is perfect for baking with kids or impressing guests at a holiday party.
With simple ingredients and a creative touch, these fun cupcakes will quickly become a holiday favorite. Grab your mixing bowl and let’s get started on this fun holiday treat!
Looking for more cute reindeer Christmas Snacks? Try my Nutter Butter Reindeer, or my Reindeer Cupcake Cake. Yum!
Table of Contents
Looking for MORE treats to make for Santa and his reindeer?
Check out my Santa's Treats Digital Cookbook. It's filled with 10 deliciously simple recipes for reindeer treats, cupcakes, pretzels, candies, and hot cocoa. They're perfect for spreading the joy of FOOD this holiday season!
Recipe Notes
- When making these Chocolate Reindeer Cupcakes, be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely to avoid melting the frosting. Adjust the frosting consistency by adding milk a little at a time until it’s thick enough to pipe and hold its shape.
- To make piping easier, use a piping bag with a 1M star tip or even a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off if you don’t have a piping bag.
- When decorating the cupcakes to look like Rudolph, use a red M&M, Red Hots, or red Skittles. If you don’t have candy eyes, mini marshmallows or white chocolate chips with a dot of melted chocolate or black icing can make a cute substitute.
- For the antlers, carefully break pretzels in half, or use whole pretzels for a whimsical look.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Tamodan Piping Bags 100PCS & 16 Inches Tipless Piping Bags, Extra Thick Pastry Bags Disposable, Non-Slip Icing Piping Bags Disposable Design, Cake Decoration.
3pcs 1M Cake Piping Tips, Cake Decorating Supplies Piping Tips, Piping Nozzles Decorating Tips, Baking Tools For Buttercream, Icing, Birthday Cake, Cupcake, DIY ArtFestival Candy Eyes Treat Toppers, 2.9 OunceM&M’S Red Milk Chocolate Candy, 2lbs of M&M'S in Resealable Pack for Candy Bars, Birthday Parties, 4th of July, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Dessert Tables & DIY Party Favors
Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
- Use your favorite flavor cake mix or make homemade chocolate cupcakes with my Christmas Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting recipe.
- If you need it to be even easier than this recipe for chocolate frosting, feel free to use a canned frosting. (You may need to add a little extra powdered sugar to it to make it stiff enough to pipe.)
- Use a red M&M, Red Hots, or red Skittles for Rudolph's nose.
- If you don’t have candy eyes, mini marshmallows or white chocolate chips with a dot of melted chocolate or black icing can make a cute substitute.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the cupcakes according to the box instructions, then whip the room temperature melted butter until fluffy.
Step 2: Add half the powdered sugar and cocoa to the butter and mix. Once incorporated, mix in the remaining cocoa and powdered sugar.
Step 3: Add in the vanilla extract and a tablespoon of milk and mix well.
Step 4: Add another tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Kitchen Tool Spotlight
Disposable piping bags make decorating cupcakes a breeze and make clean up easy. They're perfect for creating professional looking designs with minimal effort!
- Thickened Durable Piping Bags and Tips Set: Iwokerfull disposable piping bag is made of durable, anti-burst, non-slip and food grade material that is flexible, reliable and thick enough to withstand pressure of squeezing and frosting without any burst or leakage, not easy to damage, and is good value for money. you can use it safely. Also good cake decorating supplies kit for beginners.
Step 5: Pipe a swirl of frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Step 6: Cut a pretzel twist in half and place the pieces into the frosting to create the antlers.
Quick Tip
Fill your piping bag easily by folding over the top of the bag to create a cuff. Place the bag in a tall drinking glass to help hold it up while you fill it with frosting.
Step 7: Add the candy eyes towards the middle of the cupcake.
Step 8: Add the red mini M&M below the eyes to create the nose.
Before You Begin!
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Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
Absolutely! You can bake the cupcakes and prepare the frosting a day in advance. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature and refrigerate the frosting. Decorate the cupcakes the day of serving for the best presentation.
Mini reindeer cupcakes are definitely doable! Just remember to reduce the baking time, use smaller decorations, and adjust frosting consistency as needed for these bite-sized treats.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate: Decorated cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
Freezer: Want to enjoy your cupcakes later? Freezing is a great option! For best results, freeze them before you add any frosting or decorations. Simply place the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container. This way, they'll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frosting and decorating after thawing helps maintain the texture and quality of your cupcakes.
Thaw: When ready to serve, remove the cupcakes from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours. Then decorate according to recipe card below.
More Recipes You'll Love!
Check out my other recipe for Easy Reindeer Cupcakes Recipe. Or you might like this recipe for Gingerbread Cupcakes.
📖 Recipe Card
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Chocolate Reindeer Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1M piping tip
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix (plus the ingredients on the box)
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup melted salted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-3 tablespoons milk
For the Decorations:
- 12 pretzels
- 12 red mini M&M's
- 24 candy eyes
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes according to the directions on the box.
- Make the frosting by whipping the melted, room temperature butter with a mixer on medium speed until slightly fluffy.
- To the butter, add half of the sugar and half of the cocoa powder. Mix until combined, then repeat with the remaining sugar and cocoa powder.
- Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix until smooth. Add an extra tablespoon of milk until the desired consistency is reached.
- Make sure the cupcakes have cooled before decorating. Fill the piping bag with the frosting and pipe onto the cupcakes in a large spiral motion.
- Break or cut the pretzel into smaller pieces and poke them into the top of the icing to create antlers.
- Stick on the eyes towards the middle of the cupcake. Place a red M&M underneath the eyes for the nose.
Notes
- When making these Chocolate Reindeer Cupcakes, be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely to avoid melting the frosting. Adjust the frosting consistency by adding milk a little at a time until it’s thick enough to pipe and hold its shape.
- To make piping easier, use a piping bag with a 1M star tip or even a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off if you don’t have a piping bag.
- When decorating the cupcakes to look like Rudolph, use a red M&M, Red Hots, or red Skittles. If you don’t have candy eyes, mini marshmallows or white chocolate chips with a dot of melted chocolate or black icing can make a cute substitute.
- For the antlers, carefully break pretzels in half, or use whole pretzels for a whimsical look.
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