Easy Reindeer Cupcakes

These fun reindeer cupcakes are simple to make with just store-bought cake mix, chocolate dipped Nutter Butters, and a few mix-ins that’ll make it so no one knows they aren’t made from scratch! They’re adorable, delicious, and make the perfect Christmas treat for kids or adults!

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below and we’ll send this idea straight to your inbox (plus you’ll receive fun weekly ideas from us too!)

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

Email *

Save

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Cupcakes

My boys are very into Rudolph right now. It’s probably because we did a whole reindeer games with my family this year or maybe just because it’s a fun song to sing!

So of course I had to make them reindeer cupcakes! These are just simple chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting and then a chocolate dipped Nutter Butter designed to look like reindeer!

And if you want to feel like they’re bit more homemade, you could even do homemade nutter butters instead if you want! They’re even better than store-bought!

Serve them up with some of this reindeer chow for the perfect Christmas movie night watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

1. Chocolate cake mix – any brand of box mix will work or you can use your favorite chocolate cake recipe to make the cupcakes.. You can also use your favorite from-scratch recipe. As long as it is chocolate, it will work. You’ll also need the ingredients the box mix calls for (e.g., eggs, vegetable oil, water) to make the cupcakes.
2. Candy melts – any type of melted chocolate will work, if you prefer the taste of white chocolate you can easily dye it brown.
3. M&Ms – I used a red M&M for the nose but using other small circular candy or pipping on colored frosting works.

4. Nutter Butter – these are the perfect shape for a reindeer head but any hard cookie will work regardless of shape.
5. Heavy cream – whole milk is an easy substitute.
6. Peanut butter – peanut allergy? No worries, simply use your favorite nut butter instead and use some like Vanilla Wafers instead.
7. Sprinkles – I used black pearl sprinkles for the eyes, but you could also use candy eyeballs if you wanted to. I also added Christmas sprinkles to the frosting but this is optional.

Let’s get started making these festive cupcakes. I promise with these easy-to-follow instructions, they are practically fool-proof. Not to mention they are a lot of fun to make.

1 – Make the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners so that there will be 24 total cupcakes.
2. Make the cupcake batter according to the package instructions.
3. After the box mix ingredients are thoroughly combined, fold in the semisweet chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

4. Add the cake mix to the cupcake pan by adding about two tablespoons or filling them about 2/3 full.

5. Place the cupcakes into the preheated oven and bake for 14 to 19 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick placed inside the cupcakes comes out clean.
6. Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding frosting or decoration.

2 – Make The Reindeer antlers

1. Begin by lining three baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
2. In a medium bowl melt the black candy melts. To do this, melt the chocolate in 30 second increments making sure to stir in between each one until the chocolate is fully melted.
3. Pour melted chocolate into a piping bag and use a Wilton number four tip. If you don’t have piping bags, you can use a zipper top bag and just cut a small hole at the corner of the bag.

4. Using the black chocolate that you just melted pipe different shapes onto one of the parchment-lined baking sheets prepared earlier. These are the antlers so they can be whatever shape you want them to be.
5. Once they are all piped place in the refrigerator so they can set.

3 – Assemble The Reindeer

1. Once the antlers have set, melt dark chocolate wafers using a double boiler or using my favorite Wilton Melting Pot (I love the mine).
2. After the chocolate is melted, dip one of the nutter butter cookies into the chocolate making sure it is evenly coated. Place the cookie onto the baking sheet after it is covered in chocolate.
3. Once you’ve dipped one of the reindeer, add its face before the chocolate hardens instead of dipping all of them and adding all of the faces at the end.

4. Using either candy eyes or small black pearl beads, place two side by side roughly 1/3 of the way down from the top where eyes would be.
5. Next add the nose by placing a small brown or red candy roughly 1/3 of the way up from the bottom where a nose would be.
6. Carefully remove an antler from the parchment paper and place it on the top edge of the cookie. Make sure to not put it too close to the edge where they slide off of the melted chocolate.

7. Repeat this process until you have enough reindeer heads to go on top of each cupcake.
8. Once all are completed allow to set in the fridge for roughly ten minutes.

4 – Make The Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

1. Start by adding butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer.
2. Mix butter on low speed while you slowly add powdered sugar to the bowl.
3. Once all the powdered sugar has been combined add in the cocoa powder, again on low speed until combined.

4. Then add creamy peanut butter to the mixture, mixing thoroughly until smooth and creamy.
5. Add in vanilla and one tablespoon of heavy cream.
6. Turn the mixer to medium speed then mix until it has reached the desired consistency.

5 – Assemble And Serve

1. Frost each cooled cupcake using a spatula or pipping bag.
2. Place one cooled reindeer cookie on top of each cookie.
3. Arrange on your favorite long tray and serve!

Recipe FAQs

If you like cupcakes, you have to try some of thees delicious Christmas treats! They’re as easy, if not easier, than these reindeer cupcakes!

• Grinch cupcakes – delicious cupcakes that are decorated to look just like the Grinch!
• Elf cupcakes – cupcakes inspired by Buddy the Elf’s four favorite food groups! Delicious and fun!
• Santa hat cupcakes – simple cupcakes get a fun Christmas upgrade with the addition of a Santa hat on top!
• Gingerbread cupcakes – these cupcakes are full of holiday spice and topped with a spiced buttercream!
• Hot chocolate cupcakes – these cute cupcakes look just like a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top!

Want more Goodies?

Want more delicious recipes just like this one? Enter your first name and email address in the form below to join the Play Party Plan community! You’ll receive weekly recipes and party ideas directly to your inbox!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

First Name

Email *

Join Now

Print Rate

5 from 2 votes

Reindeer Cupcakes

These fun reindeer cupcakes are simple to make with just store-bought cake mix, chocolate dipped Nutter Butters, and a few mix-ins that’ll make it so no one knows they aren’t made from scratch! 

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep: 45 minutes minutes

Cook: 14 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour 9 minutes minutes

Serves 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• ▢ 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
• ▢ ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Reindeers

• ▢ 1 cup black candy melts
• ▢ 2 (10 oz) packages ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers
• ▢ 24 Nutter Butters
• ▢ black sugar pearl sprinkles
• ▢ red and brown M&M’s

Chocolate peanut butter frosting

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ▢ ½ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 1-2 tbs heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Cupcakes

• For the cupcakes follow the instructrions on the packaged mix. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with cupcake liners so that there will be 24 total cupcakes.
• Add all the ingredients recomended on the box mix to mixing bowl and mix until combined. Fold in the semisweet chocoalte chips.
  1 box chocolate fudge cake mix, 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Add the cake mix to the muffin tins by adding about two tablespoons or filling them about 2/3 full.
• Place the cupcakes into the preheated oven and bake for 14 to 19 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick placed inside the cupcakes comes out clean.

Reindeer Decorations

• Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside to use later.
• In a medium microwave safe bowl melt the black candy melts.
  1 cup black candy melts
• Pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag and use a Wilton number four tip.
• Pipe different shapes onto one of the parchment lined baking sheet prepared earlier. These are the antlers so they can be whatever shape you want them to be. Try to keep the antler shapes to one and a half inches
• In a double boiler melt the dark chocoalte wafers. 
  2 (10 oz) packages ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers
• After the chocolate is melted Dip one of the nutter butter cookies into the chocoalte making sure it is evenly coated. Place the cookie onto the baking sheet after it is covered in chocolate.
  24 Nutter Butters
• To decorate these cute reindeer cookies, use two sugar pearls on the top of the cookie for eyes. Then add an M&M either red or brown for the nose of the reindeer. Add the antlers you piped earlier by gently removing them from the baking sheet and place them on the cookie just a little higher than the eyes. 
  black sugar pearl sprinkles, red and brown M&M’s
• Place the cookies into the fridge for about ten minutes or until the chocolate has set.

Frosting

• To make the frosting add butter to a large bowl if using a hand mixer, or you can use a stand mixer. Then slowly add the powdered sugar to the butter as you continue to mix the butter and sugar together on low speed. Then add in the cocoa powder and mix again. Mix in the peanut butter unti lmixed in completely. Finally mix in the vanilla and one tablespoon of heavy cream. Mix all ingredients together on high until the frosting reaches a consistency you like. 
  1 cup unsalted butter, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1-2 tbs heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Frost the cupcakes (once they are cooled) using a spatula or you can use a piping bag to pipe on the frosting. Top the cookies withyour favorite holiday sprinkles and then top each one with a nutter butter reindeer.

Tips & Notes:

If you don’t have a double boiler, you can simply microwave the chocolate in thirty-second increments until melted, stirring in between intervals.

Using a fork to dip the cookies makes it easier to get full coverage. Make sure to tap the excess off on the side of the bowl before placing it on the tray.

Store the baked cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or cupcakes begin to stale.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 340kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 228mg, Potassium: 142mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 248IU, Vitamin C: 0.004mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Author: Britni Vigil

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American