Reindeer Cupcakes

These Reindeer Cupcakes might just be the cutest Christmas dessert ever! Tender, moist cupcakes are topped generously with chocolate buttercream then decorated to look like Rudolph – red nose and all. So sweet – literally!

The Story Behind the Recipe

I wanted to share an easy, kid-friendly, adorable Christmas dessert this year, and these Reindeer Cupcakes were perfect! I love how easy they are to make – just pipe on the chocolate buttercream, plop on the antlers, nose, and eyes, and adorableness awaits.

Why You’ll Love These Reindeer Cupcakes

• From scratch recipe – The homemade cupcakes and that chocolate buttercream are to die for! But no shade if you go with cake mix and premade frosting – you can still easily add antlers, eyes, and nose for Reindeer Cupcakes!
• SUPER easy – I love that there’s no extra work to prepping the elements for decorating your reindeer cupcakes. All you need are store-bought chocolate covered pretzels, red M&Ms, and candy eyes.
• Make ahead – You can make these reindeer cupcakes ahead of time and refrigerate them until you’re ready to serve them. Less work over the busy holidays!

Reindeer Cupcakes Recipe Ingredients

For the chocolate cupcakes:

• Cocoa powder – You’ll want unsweetened cocoa powder; Dutch process is the way to go. I use straight up Hershey’s or Ghirardelli for my cocoa powder.
• Coffee – Freshly brewed coffee. I promise your chocolate cupcakes won’t taste like coffee! Just a half cup or so really highlights the chocolate flavors.
• Eggs – Two large eggs.
• Sour cream – I like to use full-fat sour cream. You can substitute buttermilk here, too, if that’s all you have.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract.
• Flour – All-purpose flour.
• Baking soda & baking powder
• Salt – I like to use fine-grain sea salt in my baking.

For the chocolate buttercream:

• Butter – Make sure it’s at room temp so it’s nice and soft, otherwise it will be hard to blend.
• Powdered sugar
• Salt
• Cocoa powder
• Vanilla
• Heavy whipping cream

For decorating:

• Chocolate covered pretzels – You can find these in the snack section or sometimes I find them in bulk.
• M&Ms – Red M&Ms make the perfect nose. Buy a bag of M&Ms and pick out the red ones, then enjoy the rest while you’re whipping up your reindeer cupcakes!
• Candy eyes – Found the baking section of many grocery stores.

How to Make the Cupcakes & Frosting

1. First, make your cupcakes. You’ll want to whisk together the cocoa powder and the coffee in a small bowl until liquified into chocolatey goodness.
2. Next, whisk together the wet ingredients, then sift the dry ingredients over the top. Mix together just until combined, and fill your lined muffin cups.
3. Bake the cupcakes just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, then pull them out to cool.
4. Whip up the frosting by beating the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together, then drizzle in the vanilla and heavy whipping cream and whip until light and fluffy.

How to Decorate Reindeer Cupcakes

1. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes with an open-star tip.
2. Press the pretzels into each side of the frosting.
3. Gently press in the nose and the eyes.

Tips for Success

• Don’t skip the step of whisking cocoa powder with hot coffee first as it “blooms” the cocoa, unlocking its deepest flavor and creating that luxurious dark-chocolate color.
• The batter will be runnier than a typical cupcake mix, which is what makes these cupcakes light and plush once baked.
• Bake cupcakes JUST until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This helps ensure moist – not overbaked and dry – cupcakes.
• Make sure your frosting is thick. You want to be able to place the “antler” pretzels into the frosting and have them hold.
• When whipping the buttercream, take your time. Several minutes of beating transforms it from dense to cloud-like. If the frosting feels too thick, add a tablespoon of cream at a time until it reaches the perfect piping consistency. Conversely, if it’s too soft, pop it into the fridge for 10–15 minutes before decorating.
• Work quickly after piping on the frosting. For neat reindeer faces, press the pretzels and candies into the frosting immediately
• Refrigerate for sturdier Rudolph cupcakes. 15-30 minutes in the fridge will help firm up the frosting, helping the decorations to stay put especially when having to pack up these cupcakes and take them somewhere.

I hope you love these Reindeer Cupcakes as much as my family and I do! They’re cute and festive and absolutely delicious. Rudolph approves!

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Reindeer Cupcakes Recipe

Prep: 25 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Author: Kare

Yield: 12 cupcakes

These cute Christmas cupcakes are guaranteed to steal the show at any holiday potluck or party! The cake is rich, moist, and tender and topped with the creamiest whipped chocolate buttercream frosting. Chocolate covered pretzels make the perfect antlers, then they're finished with candy eyes and an M&M nose.

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Ingredients

For the chocolate cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed black coffee*
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or table salt)

For the chocolate buttercream:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature; 2 sticks)
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or table salt)
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For decorating:

• 24 chocolate-covered pretzels
• 12 red M&Ms
• 24 candy eyes

Equipment

• 1 standard-size muffin tin
• 1 stand mixer or hand-held mixer

Instructions

Make the chocolate cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
• In a small heatproof bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot coffee until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla until well-combined, about 1 minute. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk again until the batter is uniform in color.
• Place a sifter over the bowl and sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt directly over the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together just until combined. The batter will be thin – this is exactly how it should look.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full.
• Bake in the center of the oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22-28 minutes (for my oven, it took more like 28 minutes, but if your oven runs hotter, it may more on the 22 minute side. I suggest checking them early on.) The cupcakes will be flat on top, not rounded like a muffin.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the chocolate buttercream:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt and mix on low speed until the mixture looks combined but still crumbly.
• Slowly add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the cream while on low speed, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 4-5 minutes until light, fluffy, and smooth. If the frosting seems too thick to pipe onto the cupcakes, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream.
• Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large open-star top (such as Wilton 1M). Pipe generous swirls onto each cooled cupcake.
• Press two pretzels into the top for antlers, add a red M&M nose, and finish with two candy eyes.
• Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days until ready to serve.

Notes

* If you prefer not to use coffee, you can simply replace it with ½ cup of boiling water instead. The purpose of the coffee is to intensify the chocolate flavor, not to add a coffee taste, so the cupcakes will still be deliciously chocolatey without it.

Tips for Success

• Don’t skip the step of whisking cocoa powder with hot coffee first as it “blooms” the cocoa, unlocking its deepest flavor and creating that luxurious dark-chocolate color.
• The batter will be runnier than a typical cupcake mix, which is what makes these cupcakes light and plush once baked.
• Bake cupcakes JUST until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This helps ensure moist – not overbaked and dry – cupcakes.
• Make sure your frosting is thick. You want to be able to place the “antler” pretzels into the frosting and have them hold.
• When whipping the buttercream, take your time. Several minutes of beating transforms it from dense to cloud-like. If the frosting feels too thick, add a tablespoon of cream at a time until it reaches the perfect piping consistency. Conversely, if it’s too soft, pop it into the fridge for 10–15 minutes before decorating.
• Work quickly after piping on the frosting. For neat reindeer faces, press the pretzels and candies into the frosting immediately
• Refrigerate for sturdier Rudolph cupcakes. 15-30 minutes in the fridge will help firm up the frosting, helping the decorations to stay put especially when having to pack up these cupcakes and take them somewhere.

Storage

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerator: Keeps up to 5 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
• Freezer: Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and frost fresh.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 385kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 181mg, Potassium: 162mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 629IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg

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