These Christmas Tree Cupcakes are easy, delicious, and so much fun to make. And you know what? They’re so stinkin’ cute that you won’t even want to eat them (but everyone else will).
I’m telling you, the whole family will want in on these fun holiday treats. So if you’re looking for a Christmas activity for your loved ones, this is it!
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Right after Thanksgiving, you’ll want to make this and other fun Christmas desserts. You can make enough for everyone or use them as dessert table centerpieces.
By the way, looking for more delicious Christmas treats? Don’t forget to explore our easy and fun Christmas cake pops, Christmas cookies, or peanut butter balls.
Pin to your favorite Christmas board! ⤵️
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They’re edible and decorative. Actually, at a distance, they look more like decorations than a dessert!
- Have fun decorating them your way! Once you frost the sugar cones so they look like trees, decorate them any way you like. For this batch, we chose sugar pearls and candy stars. Little kids and big kids (read: adults) will love this Christmas craft.
- While some decorative desserts look better than they tastes, it’s the exact opposite with our Christmas Tree Cupcakes. They taste as good as they look! You have soft and fluffy cupcakes topped with creamy and rich buttercream frosting.
- They’re really impressive! Bring them to a Christmas party and everyone will compliment your creation.
Ingredients
- Cupcakes – make a batch of cupcakes according to cake mix box instructions.
- Frosting – make homemade frosting or buy frosting and add food coloring to color it green for the Christmas trees. We used a 50/50mixture of butter and shortening for our American buttercream frosting. It holds up great.
- Sugar cones – this is for the Christmas trees.
- Sugar pearls (optional) – for decorating.
- Candy stars (optional) – for decorating.
See the recipe card for amounts.
How to Make Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Spread a layer of white frosting on top of each cupcake. Set them aside.
Use a butter knife or small spatula to spread green frosting around each sugar cone, but don’t cover the very top. Leave a small space so you can hold the cone without getting messy.
Carefully place each frosted cone upside down on top of a frosted cupcake. The green cone should look like a tree sitting on top of snow.
Fill a piping bag with green frosting and use a grass tip (#233) to pipe frosting around the cone. Start at the bottom and work your way up. If you don’t have a grass tip, a star tip will work as well.
Add white pearl sprinkles to look like ornaments and place a gold star on top of each tree.
Repeat for the rest of the cupcakes, then serve and enjoy your cute Christmas tree treats!
How to Store Christmas Tree Cupcakes
The best way to store Christmas tree cupcakes to prevent them from drying out is to use a cupcake holder tall enough to fit them, like this one.
If you don’t have one, a tall enough container or box covered with foil can also work.
Top tip
We used a #233 Wilton frosting tip for these cupcakes to add a Christmas tree-like texture, but you can decorate them in a variety of ways.
For example, to make the design easier and more fun, use a star tip to add texture that looks like evergreen trees.
FAQ
Yes! You can bake the cupcakes a day or two in advance. Store them in a covered container and decorate them the day you plan to serve them.
We used a thick American buttercream as it holds its shape well for the detailed texture of the “tree.” Plus, it tastes great!
Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 12 Chocolate Cupcakes Homemade or Boxed Cake Mix
- 12 Sugar Cones
- 2 Cups White Frosting Store Bought or Homemade
- 2 Cups Green Frosting
- Pearl Sprinkles
- Gold Star Sprinkles
Instructions
- Spread a layer of white frosting on top of each cupcake. Set them aside.
- Use a butter knife or small spatula to spread green frosting around each sugar cone, but don’t cover the very top. Leave a small space so you can hold the cone without getting messy.
- Carefully place each frosted cone upside down on top of a frosted cupcake. The green cone should look like a tree sitting on top of snow.
- Fill a piping bag with green frosting and use a grass tip (#233) to pipe frosting around the cone. Start at the bottom and work your way up. If you don’t have a grass tip, a star tip will work as well.
- Add white pearl sprinkles to look like ornaments and place a gold star on top of each tree.
- Repeat for the rest of the cupcakes, then serve and enjoy your cute Christmas tree treats!
Notes
- These cupcakes are best eaten the same day since the frosting on the cones starts to harden.
- Store the cupcakes in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Have fun with the sprinkles to decorate the trees.
Nutrition
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