These Reindeer Cupcakes are super fun to make — and delicious to eat! Made with chocolate cupcakes and a fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting, this is an easy, fun and festive dessert that you can make with kids of all ages.
Making holiday desserts should be just as fun to do and fun to look at as they are to eat!
We love making Gingerbread everything around the holidays: Gingerbread Cake Rolls, Gingerbread Bundt Cakes, Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies.
But chocolate + chocolate is also a winning combo any time of year, especially during the holidays! And if they’re fun and cute desserts that the whole family will love? Bonus!
These Reindeer Cupcakes fit the bill, with easy-to-follow instructions that anyone can do.
Jump to:
🌟 Why this recipe works
There are so many things to love about these reindeer cupcakes!
- They are easy to make.
- There are many steps that even young kids ages 4 and up can help with.
- The recipe includes decorating instructions, but you can decorate these as you wish — get creative!
- The chocolate cupcake is moist and fluffy.
- You can use our easy chocolate buttercream frosting recipe, or your favorite store-bought frosting.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Eggs – I use large organic free range brown eggs for most of my baking recipes. Make sure you take the eggs out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start baking. They should be at room temperature when you add them to the batter so that they mix smoothly.
Cocoa Powder – You’ll want to use Dutch process cocoa powder. This has a richer flavor and color.
Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own! Simply add one teaspoon of lemon juice to any milk (including almondmilk). Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, then use as directed in the recipe.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.
3. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, then pour in half of the buttermilk, and whisk all together.
4. Then whisk in the remaining wet ingredients and remaining buttermilk.
5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the batter (it will be liquidy), and fill each muffin tin just about halfway.
6. Bake at 350°F for 18-21 minutes.
7. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, then you can decorate!
To decorate the reindeer cupcakes
- Frost with either homemade chocolate frosting or your favorite store-bought frosting.
- Add chocolate-covered pretzels or pretzels for the reindeer ears.
3. Then add two candy eyes below the pretzels for the eyes.
4. Place one red M & M in the center of each cupcake for the nose.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
You can use regular mini pretzels or even pretzel sticks to create the ears. Or you can make ears from piping chocolate icing onto wax paper in the shape of reindeer ears, letting it set, then adding to the cupcakes. For the eyes, you can use mini chocolate chips instead of candy eyes. For the nose, you can use Red Hots candy or a small slice of red licorice.
The top two reasons cupcakes end up dense and not moist are from over-mixing the batter and over-baking the cupcakes. Make sure you only mix the batter *just* until all ingredients are incorporated. If you overmix, the air bubbles that help create moist, fluffy cupcakes will collapse, resulting in tough cupcakes. Make sure you take the cupcakes out of the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. The tops should be set, not jiggly, but still a little shiny.
If unfrosted, you can store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
If frosted with chocolate buttercream, store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
🍽 Serving ideas
These reindeer cupcakes will look so festive on any holiday dessert table!
Consider serving them alongside Easy Oreo Truffles, Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Star Cookies, Red Velvet Cookies, or Soft Decorator Gingerbread Cookies.
Making a full Christmas dinner? Make this fun and festive Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread (which was featured on The Drew Barrymore Show!), Cranberry Meatballs, and Christmas Tree Veggie Tray as appetizers or side dishes.
For the main course? Try this One Pan Garlic Rosemary Sirloin Roast.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
- Stand mixer – or a large bowl and hand mixer
- A 12-cup muffin tin
- Cookie/ice cream scoop
- Cupcake liners
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
More holiday dessert recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Reindeer Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.
- Pour half of the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, then pour in half of the buttermilk, and whisk all together. Then whisk in the remaining wet ingredients and remaining buttermilk.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the batter (it will be liquidy), and fill each muffin tin just about halfway.
- Bake at 350°F for 18-21 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, then you can decorate!
To decorate the reindeer cupcakes
- Frost with either homemade chocolate frosting or your favorite store-bought frosting.
- Add chocolate-covered pretzels or pretzels for the reindeer ears.
- Then add two candy eyes below the pretzels for the eyes.
- Place one red M & M in the center of each cupcake for the nose.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these cupcakes over the weekend with my kids and they loved them! So easy to make and adorable!
These are so cute! My kids had a lot of fun making them.
What a fun and festive holiday dessert option! I bet it would also be a fun addition to a class party!
This was a such a delicious and easy recipe! I went perfect with my dinner meal. So good!
My teen loves to bake, and these will be the perfect cupcakes for her to make for her friends for Christmas. What adorable little reindeer!