These adorable reindeer cupcakes are a delicious chocolate cupcake, topped with cute decorations to make them look like reindeer. They are a super cute, and easy holiday treat.
I love all the cute reindeer treats this time of year, and have already shared several of them with you including our reindeer cookies, rolo pretzel reindeer, and Oreo reindeer.
These cupcakes are a great one to add to the mix. They’re such a fun option for a holiday party, or even to share with your neighbors for a holiday treat.
These cute cupcakes are made from a doctored up cake mix, keeping them super easy, super moist, and super delicious. Then they’re topped with a smooth homemade chocolate frosting. But you could of course use a store bought option for that too.
Top the cupcakes with a chocolate candy bar for the reindeer, that is topped with a big red candy nose, candy eyes, and a couple pretzels for the antlers.
Ingredients needed:
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Reindeer Cupcakes Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- chocolate cake mix – just the dry mix, without the regular ingredients as called for on the box
- instant chocolate pudding mix – to keep the cake extra soft, and extra chocolatey
- sour cream – this keeps the cake extra moist
- eggs – an extra egg to give the cake extra moisture, and richness
- vegetable oil
- milk
- vanilla extract – to add a little extra flavor
- salt – to balance out the sweetness of the cake, and the frosting
- butter – to give the buttercream frosting a nice smooth texture and flavor
- powdered sugar – this is what sweetens the frosting and gives it the bulk
- cocoa powder – this gives the frosting its nice chocolatey flavor
- heavy cream – this makes the frosting smooth and creamy
- candy eyes – you can find these near the sprinkles at the grocery store.
- mini pretzels
- red or brown M&Ms – you can use peanut, peanut butter, or regular m&ms depending what size you want your reindeer nose to be
How to make Reindeer Cupcakes?
Add all the ingredients for the chocolate cupcakes to a large bowl and stir them together until they are well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Line a cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners and add between 3-4 tablespoons of cake batter to each cupcake liner, filling them each to be about 3/4 of the way full.
Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick can be inserted in the middle and comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Add the butter for the buttercream to a large bowl and beat it until it’s smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and beat them into the butter until they’re smooth. Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt and mix until smooth. Then raise the speed to high and beat until the frosting is nice and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add a little more powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin, or a little more cream if it’s too thick.
Add the frosting to a piping bag, and pipe the frosting onto the top of each cupcake, and repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Add a candy bar to the middle of each cupcake. Then add a little frosting to the back of two candy eyes, and each red m&m and attach them to the candy bar. Break the pretzels in half and add them behind the candy bars to give the reindeer his antlers.
Tips for making Chicken Pot Pie:
- Take these cupcakes up a notch by adding a delicious filling. You could fill them with chocolate pudding, chocolate mousse, etc.
- You can substitute plain greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- Add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the cupcake batter to make the cupcakes extra chocolatey.
How to store Rudolph Cupcakes?
The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results I recommend frosting, and adding the cute reindeer decor right when you’re serving, but they should be okay stored as well.
These cute reindeer cupcakes are so much fun for the holiday season. They’d be a loved dessert by kids and adults alike at a Christmas party.
More chocolate holiday recipes:
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Reindeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 15 oz box chocolate cake mix (dry mix, don't follow the recipe on the box)
- 2.4 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix (dry mix, don't follow the recipe on the box)
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (sifted)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 dash salt
For Decorating:
- 24 Fun size chocolate candy bars (like milkyway, snickers, 3 musketeers, etc.)
- 48 candy eyes
- 24 red or brown m&ms
- 30 mini pretzels
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
- Add all the ingredients for the cupcakes to a large mixing bowl. Stir them all together till combined.
- Add about 3 TBS of batter into each cupcake spot, filling them all evenly.
- Bake the cupcakes for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is smooth. A stand mixer, or bowl with a hand mixer works best.
- Add in the powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Beat until they're well mixed together.
- Add in the vanilla extract, heavy cream, and salt and mix until smooth.
- Turn the mixer up to medium high speed, and beat until it is nice and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add more powdered sugar, or more heavy cream 1 TBS at a time as needed to get the frosting the right consistency.
- Scoop your frosting into a piping bag with a piping tip (I like the 1M tip) and frost the cupcakes.
For Decorating:
- Pipe the frosting onto the top of the cooled cupcakes.
- Add 1 candy bar to each cupcake.
- Add a little frosting to the back of the candy eyes, and attach them to the candy bar.
- Add a little frosting to the m side of the m&m and attach it to the candy bar.
- Break mini pretzels in half, and cut off the top corner to make them look like antlers, as pictures. Place two into the frosting and cupcake on each side of the head.
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