Switch Up Your Holiday Baking With These 50 Best Christmas Cupcakes
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Christmas cookies might be everyone's go-to yummy treat when it comes to holiday dessert. But there's always plenty of room on the platter for a whole smattering of deliciously festive confections: from candy bark and layer cakes to fudge and pudding. So this year, consider making room for some delicious, unique and super cute cupcakes too! Trust us, you won't regret it!
Related: 45 Best Chocolate Cookies For Santa
What Is The Most Popular Cupcake Flavor?
Like most desserts, we all have our favorite cupcake flavor, whether that's chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, or carrot cake. When it comes to Christmas cupcakes, though, the more holiday-esque flavors include:
Peppermint
Mocha
Coconut
Eggnog
White chocolate
Gingerbread
Related: 65 Make-Ahead Holiday Desserts
The Secret To Moist Christmas Cupcakes
If you've ever had cupcakes come out dry and unappealing, you might be hesitant to try again. Don't fret. The key to moist, fluffy cupcakes is really quite easy: Don't over-mix your batter. Always mix on a low speed or by hand until the ingredients are just combined or until there are streaks in the batter. When you mix the batter just until streaks remain, you create air pockets that expand in the oven, resulting in the perfect cupcake texture.
How To Decorate Christmas Cupcakes
Once you have your perfectly baked cupcakes, now comes the fun part—decorating! Just like Christmas cookies, holiday cupcakes can be as simple or as intricate as you want.
The Christmas Light Cupcakes in this collection use chocolate candies and are perfect for little hands.
The Snow Globe Cupcakes are something a little more complicated, but sure to be a showstopper centerpiece.
The Christmas Swirl Cupcakes simply use red, green and white for an eye-catching color palate.
The Christmas Tree Cupcakes have green frosting piped over an upside-down ice cream cone, and then decorated like a real tree!
Let your imagination run wild when it comes to decorating and always remember, the most important thing is to have fun with it.
Best Christmas Cupcake Recipes
It's absolutely necessary to get your fill of sugar cookies, to sip on eggnog as you cozy up with a good holiday movie, and gather round the fire to make a gingerbread house. But this year, I also hope you add some of these 50 Christmas cupcakes recipe to your holly-jolly baking list! These are a surefire way to spread holiday cheer to those you call your family friends, and these decadent baked goods are definitely going to impress Santa and Mrs. Claus!
50 Best Christmas Cupcakes
Lori Lange
Here's a recipe that takes a boxed mix and turns it into a much better flavored cake to make the best snowy cupcakes ever.
Get the recipe: Cake Mix Cupcakes
Related: Last-Minute Christmas Finger Foods
Sandra Lee
For these holiday treats, Semi Homemade queen Sandra Lee dresses up box-mix cupcakes with creative decorations using goodies available in any supermarket.
Get the recipe: Sandra Lee's Snowman Cupcakes
A thick slather of fudgy ganache makes these cupcakes an extra-special chocolaty treat.
Maria's Mixing Bowl
Tender, soft perfectly spiced cupcakes topped off with a fluffy cream cheese frosting.
Get the recipe: Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
Deliciously spiced, lightly apple flavored cupcakes that are perfect for Christmas.
Get the recipe: Applesauce Spice Cupcakes
Related: 24 Best Applesauce Recipes
The Country Cook
When it comes to desserts, these Cherry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are where it’s at! Filled with chocolate chips and cherries and topped with a cherry buttercream frosting, they are a Christmas miracle.
Get the recipe: Cherry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Half Baked Harvest
Pecan pie, but in cupcake form.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes
Julie's Eats and Treats
Christmas trees you can eat!
Get the recipe: Christmas Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
Rich chocolate paired with creamy luscious caramel with hints of salt – you just can’t go wrong here.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Cooking Classy
A classic for a reason.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes
Half Baked Harvest
Rudolph and his friends in the form of a super moist, super chocolatey cupcake.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Reindeer Cupcakes
Half Baked Harvest
Chocolate and peanut butter covered in butterscotch. How can it be bad?
Get the recipe: Chocolate Covered Pretzel Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Butterscotch Frosting
Half Baked Harvest
You can’t beat these cute little latte cupcakes.
Get the recipe: Chai Latte Cupcakes with Caramel Brule?e Frosting
Maria's Mixing Bowl
Talk about having a holly jolly Christmas!
Get the recipe: Christmas Holly Cupcakes
Plain Chicken
This is a quick and easy cupcake with a Christmas twist. You probably have everything in your pantry to make these cupcakes today. The recipe calls for box cake mix, but feel free to make the cake from scratch.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Two Sisters
The delicious red, green and white Buttercream frosting on these Christmas cupcakes will make them a stand out at any party.
Get the recipe: Christmas Swirl Cupcakes
Onion Rings and Things
Christmas Wreath Cupcakes are a sweet treat everyone will love this merry season. They’re a festive addition to any holiday party and make a great edible gift.
Get the recipe: Christmas Wreath Cupcakes
Maria's Mixing Bowl
Rich Devil’s Food Cake is topped with creamy frosting and decorated to look like it’s covered in Christmas lights!
Get the recipe: Christmas Lights Cupcakes
Jenny Cookies
Santa won't be able to get enough!
Get the recipe: Easy Reindeer Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
They look like fresh snow!
Get the recipe: Coconut Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
These cupcakes combine the best of two other Christmas-perfect desserts into a small delicious package.
Get the recipe: Eggnog Cheesecake Cupcakes
Related: Best Christmas Eve Dinner Recipes
Cooking Classy
A soft and tender chocolate cupcake topped with an ooey gooey coconuty topping and its finished with a border of creamy chocolate frosting!
Get the recipe: German Chocolate Cupcakes
Life Love and Sugar
These Eggnog Latte Cupcakes are made with an eggnog cupcake and coffee espresso frosting!
Get the recipe: Eggnog Latte Cupcakes
Two Sisters
Each bite of these boozy baked good is like a sip of spiked Eggnog.
Get the recipe: Eggnog Cupcakes with Butter Rum Frosting
Simplistically Living
You can turn this festive treat into an afternoon baking session with your little one’s or even make these for your Christmas party.
Get the recipe: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Butternut Bakery
Each moist gingerbread cake is topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and adorned with a mini homemade gingerbread cookie. They’re festive, adorable, and taste so delicious.
Get the recipe: Gingerbread Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
Each moist gingerbread cake is topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and adorned with a mini homemade gingerbread cookie. They’re festive, adorable, and taste so delicious.
Get the recipe: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Big Bear's Wife
Gingerbread Cupcakes – tender, fluffy cake is brimming with well spiced, deep molasses flavor, then it’s finished with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting.
Get the recipe: Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
The Country Cook
This recipe for Homemade Green Velvet Cupcakes tastes just like red velvet cake but is green instead of red, because it's Christmas!
Get the recipe: Green Velvet Cupcakes
Simplistically Living
Whether you’re hosting a Christmas party, a Grinch movie night, or simply want to spread some seasonal joy, these Easy Grinch Cupcakes are the perfect treat to make your heart grow three sizes this Christmas season.
Get the recipe: Grinch Cupcakes
Life Love and Sugar
These practically melt in your mouth and are full of delicious Nutella flavor!
Get the recipe: Nutella Chocolate Cupcakes
Related: Unique Christmas Dinner Ideas
Plain Chicken
Easy chocolate cupcakes topped with a homemade mint chocolate chip buttercream!
Get the recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Big Bear's Wife
These treats are perfect if you are running behind and need a quick Christmas themed treat!
Get the recipe: Mini Santa Hat Cupcakes
The Country Cook
This recipe for Homemade Pecan Pie Cupcakes is a moist butter pecan cupcake, a thick pecan pie filling and topped with butter pecan frosting!
Get the recipe: Pecan Pie Cupcakes
The Creative Bite
These swirly whirly minty bites start out with a moist homemade chocolate cupcake and are topped with the best buttercream in a candy cane swirl, then finished off with a sprinkle of crushed candy canes for the ultimate holiday sweet!
Get the recipe: Peppermint Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes
Plain Chicken
What is the surprise you ask? A delicious peppermint cake ball baked in the middle of a chocolate cupcake.
Get the recipe: Peppermint Surprise Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
Peppermint and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Get the recipe: Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes
Sugar Hero
These gorgeous Snow Globe Cupcakes are topped with edible gelatin bubbles. That’s right–you can eat both the cupcakes AND the globe! They look so amazing and impressive, and are perfect for the holidays!
Get the recipe: Snowglobe Cupcakes
Sally's Baking Addiction
Deep chocolate cupcakes flavored with peppermint and coffee, topped with peppermint vanilla frosting, candy canes, and a chocolate drizzle.
Get the recipe: Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
These simple yet sophisticated vanilla cupcakes are destined to be covered with festive sprinkles.
Get the recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes
Sally's Baking Addiction
These magical Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and filled with fruity jam.
Get the recipe: Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes
Cooking Classy
You can use any cupcake flavor base that you want, and top them with a buttercream frosting. From there, you can build your marshmallow snowman!
Get the recipe: Snowman Cupcakes
Half Baked Harvest
Christmas cheer packed into one cute cupcake.
Get the recipe: Sugar Cookie Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
Two Sisters
A unique twist on a classic – pumpkin cake plus whipped cream frosting with a yummy buttery crust.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
The Country Cook
Chocolate cake, graham crackers, marshmallows, oh my!
Get the recipe: S'mores Cupcakes
Half Baked Harvest
Extra pumpkin-y, chai-spiced pumpkin cake cupcakes made with warming spices and brown sugar.
Get the recipe: Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes
Life Love and Sugar
These Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes are the ultimate dessert for Christmas or New Year’s Eve! Moist vanilla cupcakes are filled with cranberry mascarpone, topped with white chocolate buttercream and garnished with sparkling sugar cranberries.
Get the recipe: Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes
Butternut Bakery
Spread some holiday cheer with these pretty white chocolate peppermint cupcakes!
Get the recipe: White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Half Baked Harvest
These cupcakes are moist, full of warming spices, so delicious, and simple enough to make any day of the week for a fun December treat.
Get the recipe: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Browned Butter Buttercream
These decadent treats are perfect for Christmas and happen to be completely vegan.
Get the recipe: Cinnamon Mocha Cupcakes
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