In our family, and several of our friends’ families, it’s a Christmas morning tradition to make cupcakes together. We make them in all kinds of Christmas and holiday designs, icing and embellishing them in the afternoon, and eating them nice and fresh in the evening after dinner. We’ve been doing the same thing for so long, though, that this year we started feeling like we’d tried every Christmas design in the book! That’s why we started combing the Internet for inspiration. We didn’t expect, however, to find quite so many amazing ideas still left that we wanted to try! We came to a decision in the end, but we won’t pretend it wasn’t hard to choose.
Just in case you’ve also been on the lookout for winter, Christmas, and holiday-themed cupcakes to make over what’s left in the holidays before school and work start up again, here are 15 amazing Christmas cupcake designs that will help you celebrate the season in a sweet, fun way!
1. Pom pom and sprinkle Christmas ornament cupcakes
Are you pretty experienced in cupcake decorating and baking and you’re feeling up to a challenge this Christmas because you’d like to create something really beautiful? Then these stunning metallic iced Christmas bobble cupcakes from Pop Sugar are just the thing for you! They’re rounded like a large cake pop and they’re made with special icing and edible glitter, so they’re basically a party on a baked good.
Are you looking for an idea that’s adorable, kitschy, and Christmas-y but you still want to keep things somewhat simple? Then maybe you should stick to working with just icing and candies that are easy to come across. We love the way Your Cup of Cake created a simple wreath on top of the cupcake using green icing, used miniature M&Ms to look like bobbles, and cut pieces of Fruit By the Foot to tie a “bow”.
If you’re going to make cupcakes for your kids, do you really want to give them a treat? Then building a Christmas character on top with some of their favourite candies is a great way to amp up the sweetness of your delicious baked goods! We love the way Catch My Party covered their vanilla icing with shredded coconut to look like snow and then made snowmen from marshmallows, pretzels, Oreos, and fruit leathers.
Maybe you’re just looking for a classically pretty design that will remind everyone how lovely winter can be, even when it’s very cold outside, as long as you’re all together for the holidays? Then check out how Mommy Moment made use of pretty blue icing, fondant cut in the shape of delicate snowflakes, and metallic silver ball sprinkles to make a pretty winter scene.
So far in your scrolling, has the thing that caught your eye most actually been the delicate embellishments that you’ve seen on the cupcakes, regardless of the scene on top or the design the cupcake features? We were quite taken with those details too but the things we liked best were the little bows made from chewy fruit candies! Just in case you agree with us, here’s a tutorial for how to make them from pieces of Fruit By the Foot on Your Cup of Cake.
Would you prefer that the cupcakes you make with your family make your kids giggle when they eat them? Then we have a feeling these funny little snow-banked Santa treats will be right up your alley! Check out how Sugar Siren Cakes Mackay shows you how to make a pair of legs and shoes sticking out of the icing using jujubes. We love the way they added fine clear sprinkles to the white icing to give it a sparkle just like snow!
If you’re going to put a bow on your cupcake, would you rather put a really exciting looking bow right on top that makes your cupcake look just like a fancy Christmas present sitting under the tree on Christmas morning? Then we definitely think you should take a look at how My House and Home turned some Christmas ribbons into cupcake toppers in just a few simple steps.
8. Christmas bobble cupcakes with mini Rolos and Smarties
We know we already showed you one way of turning a batch of cupcakes into round Christmas bobble style ornaments, but that way certainly takes some dedication and patience. That’s why we thought we’d give you this simpler candy alternative too! Your Cup of Cake guides you through the process of using miniature M&Ms and miniature Rolos laid out strategically on top of simple vanilla icing.
Rather than making a Santa in a snowbank on top of your cupcake, would you rather just make the whole cupcake actually look like Santa himself? Then here’s a simple idea that’s perfect for decorating with kids because it’s simple but also a lot of fun! Take a look at how Frugal Coupon Living used sprinkles, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and M&Ms to create a friendly face and a snowy beard.
Are you still thinking about how pretty the winter scene cupcakes we showed you earlier were and how much you loved the idea of laying down a heavenly bed of icing and simply resting some beautiful sugared snowflakes on top? Then here’s another idea that might give you some inspiration for making your own winter wonderland cupcakes! We adore the way Home and Heavens wrapped their cupcakes in a pretty, intricate laser cut liner. You could design your own if you have a Cricut or a Silhouette!
Are you actually a little bit pressed for time but you’re still intent on making delicious cupcakes with your family to keep up tradition? Then perhaps all you need to do is nestle a simple miniature candy cane on top of your icing, just like Wedding Dinner did here! We personally think this chocolate cupcake and vanilla icing combination would taste best, but you can really do any kind of cake and icing flavouring you like best!
Maybe the supplies you have to work with when it comes to decorating are a little bit limited this year because you didn’t have much time to shop but you’re still determined to make your cupcakes look like wondrous winter snacks? In that case, reach for the nearest tube of green icing (or make it yourself and add a little bit of food colouring) and use mini M&Ms to act as Christmas bobbles dotted all over the place, just like Your Cup of Cake did here.
Perhaps you have some guests coming that are traveling a couple hours to get to your house for dinner but you know, because it happens every year, that everyone will probably eat so much that they won’t even make it to dessert before they have to go? Rather than trying to package up cupcakes to go without having them tip over or and having the icing sticking to the side of the box you put them in, try making a mason jar cupcake for each guest just like this one from Emmaline Bride instead! They’re quicker to make than you think.
So far we’ve shown you how to decorate your cupcakes for Christmas in many different ways, but we haven’t actually shown you that many Christmas specific recipes for cupcakes that taste a particular way for the holidays, rather than just looking like a holiday treat. We wanted to make sure we included at least one option that was a little bit different! We’ve made these lovely holly inspired red velvet cupcakes from Chef Tia several times now and they’re always a huge hit.
Have your family members always been big fans of treats that involve both a sweet and a salty taste to them so that you get the best of both worlds? Then we have a feeling you’ll be big fans of these funny little reindeer cupcakes too! Check out how Your Cup of Cake made them from M&Ms, sprinkles, mini cookies, and pretzels for the antlers.
Have you made other adorably delicious Christmas cupcake designs before that were a big hit with your family but that you don’t see on our list? Tell us all about how you decorated them or link us to pictures of your finished cupcakes in the comments section!
