These quick and easy Reindeer Cupcakes start with cake mix and are topped with store-brought chocolate frosting, candy eyeballs, pretzels and red candies to make them look like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer! Such a cute and easy Christmas treat for parties or the perfect dessert for gatherings!

Red and black napkin with reindeer cupcake on it

Reindeer cupcakes made with chocolate cake mix, store-bought frosting, and decorations are such an easy and fun holiday recipe! I like to keep things simple during the Christmas season, don’t you?

These treats are perfect for your Christmas party or for sharing with family and friends. They couldn’t be easier to make, and they look so sweet when they’re finished!

The kids will love helping mix, bake and decorate these quick and easy cupcakes.

Table of Contents

Why This Recipe Works

You can use your favorite homemade chocolate cupcake recipe or your favorite cake mix.
For the frosting, I pick up a tub of prepared chocolate frosting, but if you have a homemade version you love, feel free to go the DIY route!
Pretzels, chocolate candies, and cute candy eyes are the only decorations you need.

Christmas cupcakes are always so fun – we love to make Grinch cupcakes, too – and I know you’re going to love this easy recipe.

Ingredients

Chocolate cake mix – Plus the ingredients listed on the box to make the cupcakes. You can also use your favorite homemade chocolate cake if you want.
Store-bought chocolate frosting – Or your favorite homemade chocolate frosting recipe.
Candy eyes – Find them in the baking aisle or at craft stores.
Chocolate candies – M&Ms work great! Flip them so the M is facing down!
Mini twist pretzels – Slice them in half to make the reindeer antlers.

Helpful Tools

How to Make Rudolph Cupcakes

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the mix.

Make and bake the chocolate cupcakes following the instructions on the cake mix. You will need 24 cupcakes.

Glass bowl with chocolate cake mix ingredients

Glass bowl with chocolate cake mix in it

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

When cupcakes are cooled, frost the tops with chocolate frosting using an offset spatula. Make the reindeer’s face by placing the eyes and red M&M on top of the cupcake. Stick the pretzel halves into the cupcake, so they stick up above the eyes.

Serve or store them in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Cutting pretzels to make antlers for cupcakes

Wire rack with partial assembled reindeer cupcakes

Recipe Tips

Make-Ahead: You can make and bake the cupcakes the day before. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Decorating Tip: I love making these with my kids! I make the cupcakes and then organize all of the decorating supplies for them. They love to practice their frosting skills and use the candy to make the cute reindeer faces.

Storage Tip: The decorated cupcakes will keep for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a few days longer.

Have a lot of leftover pretzels? You can use them to make other Christmas recipes like my reindeer pretzels or reindeer graham cracker treats!

Overhead image of Reindeer Cupcakes on wooden circle board

If you need an easy sweet treat this holiday season, you have to make these reindeer cupcakes! I know you’re going to love them, and your family will, too. Enjoy!

More Christmas Activities

Make adorable Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments! You only need two ingredients, and you can save them to display for years to come.
Gingerbread Puppets are an easy craft project for the kiddos!
Make a batch of Reindeer Food to leave for Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve!
Play a game of Christmas Charades that the whole family will love!

If you take a picture and share them on Instagram, make sure to #kidsactivityzone or tag us @kidsactivityzoneblog so we can see them!