These reindeer cupcakes are a favorite at school bakes sales. Start with my best chocolate cupcake and frosting recipe and add pretzels, vanilla wafers, and candy to create these adorable guys.
I also have more dessert recipes here.
Reindeer Cupcake Recipe
We always make these for the annual holiday fundraiser at my daughter’s school and they sell out fast. And why not? They are as delicious as they are cute.
It all starts with the best chocolate cupcakes and frosting: I have included the recipe below.
Creating the reindeer faces is pretty simple when you have the right supplies. You will find all of the ingredients listed in the recipe.
Related: Mini Oreo Cheesecakes Recipe
Recipe
Reindeer Cupcakes
These adorable reindeer cupcakes start with the best chocolate cupcake and frosting recipe. Adorable and delicious!
Servings: 16 cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 large Eggs
- 1¼ cups White sugar
- 1 cup Buttermilk or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ⅔ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1½ cups Flour, white, all-purpose all-purpose
- ½ cup Cocoa powder
- 1¼ teaspoons Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Chocolate Frosting
- ⅓ cup Butter unsalted, softened
- 3 cups Icing sugar
- ⅓ cup Cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup Milk
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Reindeer Decorations
- 32 Pretzels for antlers
- 32 Chocolate sticks for ears
- 48 M&Ms for eyes and nose (Smarties)
- 16 Vanilla wafers for muzzle
- Black soft gel paste food color for mouth
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Heat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Combine eggs and sugar in electric mixer.
- Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- Gradually add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt until everything is well combined.The batter will be fairly liquid-y but don't worry—this is just right for baking.
- Fill muffin tins ⅔ full, leaving room for cupcakes to expand in oven.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before icing.
Chocolate Frosting
- If you want to make your reindeer look like mine, first mix the icing without the cocoa, Set a tablespoon of this white icing aside, and then mix the 1/3 cup cocoa powder in the remaining icing. The white icing is used for the eyes.
- Combine butter and icing sugar in electric mixer.
- Gradually add milk and vanilla.
- Set aside tablespoon of white icing for reindeer eyes.
- Gently blend cocoa powder into icing.
- When well-combined, increase speed until nice and fluffy.
- Set aside heaping tablespoon of chocolate frosting for attaching decorations.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and apply vanilla wafer muzzles as you go before icing dries.
Reindeer Decorations
- Create the faces first and add ears and antlers last.
- Use extra chocolate icing to attach noses (red m&ms).
- Draw smiling mouth with black soft gel.
- Add dabs of white icing and attach brown m&m eyes.
- Use chocolate sticks as ears.
- Insert pretzels as antlers.
- Store in airtight container in fridge up to 7 days.
Notes
Pretzels: You'll need 2 pretzels per cupcake plus lots of extras for mistakes (if you're a klutz like me). Break them up into matching pairs or use the small oval type of pretzel.
Nutritional values are approximate only and do not include decorations.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 372kcal | Total Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Fiber: 2g
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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
Melissa J. Will says
This is the best chocolate cupcake recipe we have ever tried. The reindeers are easy to design and really cute.