Reindeer Cupcakes
These Reindeer Cupcakes are such a cute Christmas dessert idea. Get the kids involved with the decorating because let's face it, everyone is going to love making Rudolph the red nosed cupcake!
Why This Recipe Works
- A cute Christmas dessert idea for kids
- An easy baking project with no need for a piping bag or buy candy eyeballs
- Reindeer cupcakes are legit the cutest Christmas cupcake idea!
Ingredients you will need
- Chocolate cupcakes
- Jaffas or red peanut M&Ms
- Large white chocolate buttons
- Small milk chocolate drops
- Pretzels
- Chocolate buttercream
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
- Chocolate cupcakes: You can use any cupcakes, homemade, store-bought or a boxed cake mix. You can also of course bake my vanilla cupcake recipe or dairy-free cupcake recipe
- Gluten-free pretzels are a thing!
- Jaffas or red M&M's: Jaffas are a kiwi candy (candy-coated orange chocolate balls), you need a red ball-shaped candy that will act as Rudolph's nose.
- Chocolate buttercream: Any chocolate icing or frosting is fine, even store-bought, you just need it to be brown.
- Chocolate buttons and drops: I use the white chocolate buttons and dark chocolate drops to make eyes for the reindeer, you could of course use candy eyes instead.
Step-by-step instructions
Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Reindeer Cupcake Recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.
Prep: Bake your cupcakes and make sure that once they are out of the oven they have completely cooled before you begin decorating them.
Step one: Use the chocolate buttercream to ice the top of each cupcake, you want a relatively thick layer. I do this with a knife or small spatula but you could pipe the buttercream if you prefer.
Step two: Place a jaffa in the centre of the chocolate frosting, this is Rudoph's nose
Step three Now the eyes, place two white chocolate buttons just above the red nose.
Step four: Take a chocolate drop, dip it into the chocolate frosting and pop it on the white chocolate button, voila, you have eyes!
Step five: Take a pretzel, and snap it in half, these will be the Reindeer antlers, place them in antler appropriate position, i.e. one on either side at the top of the cupcake.
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Top Tips
Here is how you can make these Rudolph Cupcakes perfectly every time!
- Don't worry about perfection let your kids have fun!
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before attempting to decorate them
FAQs
There are a few cute ways to make antlers for cupcakes, you can snap pretzels in half, pipe melted chocolate in an antler sheet and harden them in the fridge, cut antler shapes out of cardboard or I have seen tiny teddy cookies used as antlers as well.
Christmas Cupcakes - Easy Chocolate Reindeer
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I'll email this post to you, so you can easily come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 12 chocolate cupcakes
- 12 jaffas Candy coated orange chocolate balls
- 24 large white chocolate buttons
- 24 small milk chocolate drops
- 12 pretzels
- 1 cup chocolate buttercream
Instructions
- Use the chocolate buttercream to ice the top of each cupcake, you want a relatively thick layer.
- Place a jaffa in the centre of the chocolate frosting, this is Rudoph's nose
- Now the eyes, place two white chocolate buttons just above the red nose.
- Take a chocolate drop, dip it into the chocolate frosting and pop it on the white chocolate button, voila, you have eyes!
- Take a pretzel, and snap it in half, these will be the Reindeer antlers, place them in antler appropriate position, i.e one on either side at the top of the cupcake.
Video
Notes
- Don't worry about perfection let your kids have fun!
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before attempting to decorate them
- Chocolate cupcakes: You can use any cupcakes, homemade, store-bought or a boxed cake mix. You can also of course bake my vanilla cupcake recipe or dairy-free cupcake recipe
- Jaffas or red M&M's: Jaffas are a kiwi candy (candy-coated orange chocolate balls), you need a red ball-shaped candy that will act as Rudolph's nose.
- Chocolate buttercream: Any chocolate icing or frosting is fine, even store-bought, you just need it to be brown.
- Chocolate buttons and drops: I use the white chocolate buttons and dark chocolate drops to make eyes for the reindeer, you could of course use candy eyes instead.
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