Christmas cupcake ideas for kids
These fun, festive cupcakes are perfect for baking and decorating with the kids over the holidays. From iced sponges to Rudolph-themed cupcakes, we've got plenty to inspire.
Baking is a great way to unwind over the Christmas holidays, and it's a fun activity for all the family to enjoy together. Whether you fancy whipping up some classic frosted vanilla sponges, mini fruit cakes or a whole Christmas tree out of cupcakes, we've got some fabulous festive ideas to inspire you.
There's no better time than Christmas to go all out with the decoration, so prepare to stock up on sweets, chocolates, icing pens, edible glitter and much more. These brilliant bakes are sure to get everyone in the festive spirit.
For more festive baking inspiration, check out our Christmas baking recipes, Christmas cake recipes and Christmas cupcake recipes.
1. Elf & Santa cupcakes
If your little ones love colouring, these cheerful spiced cupcakes are an ideal way to unleash their creativity. Use our printable template for the chimney-style paper cases and let them put their artistic stamp on each cupcake. The comic Santa and elf feet decorations look impressive, but are easy to achieve using a few candy canes, fondant icing and sweets.
2. Christmas cupcakes
We all know the best part of making cupcakes is the decorating, so keep things simple with a classic vanilla sponge, then prepare to get creative with your toppings. Whip up a simple frosting to use as your base before creating myriad Christmas characters using food colouring, sweets, sprinkles and white chocolate stars. We've suggested some decorating themes, but would love to see what designs you've come up with, too.
3. Rudolph cupcakes
Little chocoholics will love these cute reindeer-themed cupcakes. After the baking is done, you can relax with a cup of tea and let the kids get on with the fun part using chocolate buttons, sweets and pretzels. If you're stuck for time, there's nothing to stop you using shop-bought cakes to decorate. The only problem is they're (almost) too cute to eat.
4. Chocolate orange cupcakes
Nothing says Christmas quite like chocolate orange. The moist chocolate sponge is infused with zingy orange zest and topped with a rich buttercream icing. Decorate with a dusting of shaved chocolate and a sprinkle of orange zest to make this extra-special.
5. Biscuit cupcakes
Biscuit cupcakes may sound a little unconventional, but don't knock this magical hybrid until you've tried it. These attractive cupcakes incorporate crumbled biscuit pieces into the sponges and are topped with whole biscuits. We've used mini chocolate sandwich cookies, jam sandwich cookies and gingerbread people, but feel free to sub in your favourites. The combination of thick, silky buttercream and crunchy cookies works a treat, so we implore you to give the 'biscake' a go.
Check out our Christmas biscuit recipes for cookies, biscotti, gingerbread and more.
6. Salted caramel cupcakes
These crowd-pleasing salted caramel cupcakes are sure to go down a storm with the whole family at Christmastime. Add a dollop of slated caramel to the centre of each, top with a generous swirl of buttercream and drizzle with extra caramel sauce. To make these extra-festive, add some Christmas sprinkles, edible glitter or gold leaf on top.
7. Cupcake Christmas tree
Who needs a real Christmas tree when you've got one in cupcake form? Bake to impress with this towering sweet centrepiece, which can also make a good alternative to a traditional Christmas pudding. Kids will love decorating the tree with a final flourish of coloured jelly sweets.
8. Spiced apple cupcakes
Fans of fruity bakes will love these gently spiced apple cupcakes covered in brightly coloured frosting. Give them a sparkly finish with coloured sanding sugar crystals and a hand-crafted fondant icing apple leaf. Friends and family will be delighted to receive a box of these goodies as a gourmet gift.
9. Christmas cake cupcakes
These beautiful, classy little cupcakes make lovely gifts and are filled with the flavours of cinnamon, rum, nuts, orange and marzipan. If you can't find the gold and silver sugared almonds in a supermarket, there are plenty of online retailers. They can be made up to three weeks ahead, so you can prepare in advance.
10. Coconut cupcakes
Bring a taste of the tropics to your festivities. These elegant cupcakes deliver a triple dose of coconut: in the sponge, whipped cream and 'snowy' topping. As an added bonus, they are free of both gluten and dairy.
11. Stollen muffins
While these technically aren't quite cupcakes, they're filled with all the festive, fruity flavours of Christmas, so we couldn't resist. Try serving them on Christmas morning with a cheeky mimosa for the ultimate start to the day.
12. Christmas pudding cupcakes
We fell in love with these cute chocolate and sour cherry Christmas pudding cupcakes. Topped with a smooth icing glaze and bay leaves, they make a dainty alternative for the real thing. They're best eaten on the day, so this is one to tackle on the morning of a party.
Get more Christmas recipe inspiration...
Our best Christmas cakes
Christmas cookies for kids
Christmas projects for kids
Top 10 Christmas brownies
Easy Christmas desserts
All of our Christmas kids’ recipes
Have you tried any of our Christmas cupcake recipes? We'd love to hear what you think below...
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