Reindeer Cupcakes - made with a homemade vanilla cupcake recipe, chocolate frosting and fun pretzel twists, these easy Christmas cupcakes are inspired by a classic Christmas movie. Let me show you how to make these adorable Reindeer Desserts perfect for this time of year.
I have to be honest with you, I miss those days of sending in treats with the kids for classroom parties. It seems I was always baking when the kids were in grade school, not to mention when our son was on the football team.
Reindeer Cupcakes with Pretzels
Another fun idea for these reindeer cupcakes with pretzels would be to have the kids decorate their very own cupcake on Christmas Day. It's always fun to have an activity of some sort for the kids to help with all the excitement of opening gifts and getting together with the cousins.
You could even bake the Reindeer Cookies recipe and have the kids decorate those as well.
Reindeer Cakes
This is a homemade vanilla cupcake recipe with an easy homemade chocolate frosting recipe. If you're pressed for time you can always substitute a boxed cake mix and a canned frosting. However, you will be surprised at what a difference in taste there is with the homemade cupcakes and frosting.
How cute would this recipe be if you made little reindeer cakes? Or maybe used pre-packaged Swiss Cake Rolls and made those into reindeer cakes?
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, click here.
- Candy eyes
- Small pretzel twists
- Muffin/Cupcake Pan
- Cookie scoops - these help with getting the cake batter in the cupcake liners and not all over the cupcake pan. Trust me.
- Christmas cupcake wrappers - these are perfect for school parties!
More InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore Information
Main Ingredients Needed
Make sure you print out the recipe below and save it for later!
Ingredients for the Cupcakes
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups of flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup milk
Ingredients for the Frosting
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Ingredients for Decorating the Cupcakes
- 24 pretzel twists
- 12 red M and M's candy pieces
- 24 candy eyes
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1 | Make the Cupcakes
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.
- In another bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients slowly to wet, mixing between each addition.
- Stir in milk and continue to mix until all is combined.
Baking Tip - Spray the cupcake liners with non-stick cooking spray. This will help the baked cupcakes remove easily from the liners.
Step 2 | Baking Instructions
- Using a cookie scoop fill cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated 350° F oven or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for a few minutes then remove the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Step 3 | Prepare the Chocolate Frosting
- In a large bowl, mix butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix well.
- If frosting is too dry, add a tablespoon or two of milk and mix. If it is too runny, add a small amount of powdered sugar. Repeat either of these until you reach the desired consistency for your frosting.
Step 4 | Frost Reindeer Cupcakes
- Spread the frosting on the top of each cupcake using either the back of a knife or an offset spatula.
- Or you can also use disposable decorating pastry bags fitted with a swirl type tip to get a more professional look to the cupcakes.
- To make your reindeer face, use two pretzel twists for antlers, candy eyes, and red M and M's for the nose.
Like this recipe? Try these other Christmas Treats:
- Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
- Reindeer Cupcakes
- Candy Cane Parfaits
- Santa Reindeer Treats
- Hugs Pretzels with FREE Printable Gift Tags
- Three Ingredient Oreo Truffles
Easy Reindeer Cupcakes
Reindeer Cupcakes - Inspired by a classic Christmas movie, these homemade cupcakes are sure to be a hit this holiday season.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups of flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup milk
For the Frosting
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 24 pretzel twists
- 12 red M and M's
- 24 candy eyes
Instructions
How to Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line your cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.
- In another bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients slowly to wet ingredients being sure to mix completely between each addition.
- Stir in the milk and combine.
- Using a large cookie scoop, fill the cupcake liners ⅔ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for a few minutes then remove the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before adding the frosting.
How to Make the Chocolate Frosting
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix well.
- If the frosting is too dry, add a tablespoon or two of milk and mix. If it is too runny, add a small amount of powdered sugar.
- Repeat either of these until you reach the desired consistency for your frosting.
How to Decorate the Cupcakes
- Spread the frosting on the top of each cupcake using either the back of a knife or an offset spatula.
- You can even use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative swirl tip.
- To make your reindeer face, use two pretzel twists for antlers, candy eyes, and red M and M's for the nose.
Notes
- Spray the paper muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray before adding the cupcake batter. This will help the baked cupcake not stick to the paper muffin cups.
- Make sure the cupcakes are cooled completely before adding the frosting or the frosting will begin to melt.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 434Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 470mgCarbohydrates: 74gFiber: 2gSugar: 39gProtein: 6g
The nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you, please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator.
This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2017 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!
These reindeer cupcakes are so cute and I love that they are so easy to decorate because they will be really fun to make wit my kids! What great classroom treats!
oh so super cute and easy enough can't ask for more during this whimsy time of year.
Cool and very useful recipes thanks for sharing with us.