Cute Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes for Kids

These ridiculously moist chocolate cupcakes are made from scratch and completely adorable. Kids will love the fun, festive reindeer design, but adults with dig the rich, delicious chocolatey flavor. Bring them to a holiday potluck or send them with your kids to school. No matter the holiday occasion, your cupcakes are sure to gather compliments.

Homemade cupcakes are always the best, but if you’re crunched for time, there’s no shame in the boxed cupcake mix game either. Just pick up a package of your favorite cupcake mix and frosting and bake according to the box. Let cool, and decorate per the instructions below.

Happy holidays!

Cute Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes for Kids

Makes about two dozen+ cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

What else you’ll need

muffin baking sheet
foil or holiday cupcake liners
toothpick or knife
electric mixer
Nilla Wafer cookies
brown and red M&M’s
candy eyes (you can find these at most craft stores, baking aisles, candy stories, or order online)
small pretzels

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line muffin pan with foil or holiday liners. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add butter and sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well blended. Add vanilla and store. Add 1/2 flour mixture and beat well, add milk, beat well. Then repeat.
Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. This should let your cupcakes rise slightly above the rim without looking like heavy-topped muffins, but adjust accordingly.
Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes. When done, cupcakes should pass the toothpick test.
Let cupcakes cool completely.
Top with a generous coat of frosting. Then, top with one Nilla Wafer for the snout. Add a tiny dot of frosting to the back of a red or brown M&M (to allow it to stick) and center above Nilla Wafer. Next, add two candy eyes directly above the Nilla Wafer on top of the frosting, then stick two pretzels into the frosting, above the eyes, for antlers.