15 Easy Christmas Cupcakes Ideas to Help You Get into the Holiday Spirit

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Christmas is all about being with loved ones, huddled by the fireplace for warmth, and drinking a huge mug of eggnog or hot chocolate. It’s also a time filled with presents Santa sneakily left in the middle of the night, surprising excited children the moment they wake up. Most importantly for us, Christmas is all about feasting away with those we love!

Surely, you’ve dreamt of the smorgasbord of food you and the family will whip up for the holidays, from delicious Christmas dinners down to sweet endings. Speaking of sweet endings, you’re probably wondering what to serve for dessert, which is just as important as the main course!

You can do the usual Christmas cookies like the gingerbread man, or you can bake an entire cake, though this takes a lot of time. Here’s an idea: why not make cupcakes instead? They’re easy to make, decorate, and serve individually! Take a look at these healthy recipes and start prepping for holiday meals.

 

More delicious and healthy recipe ideas for you:

• 15 Easy and Delicious Christmas Dinner Ideas
• 15 Easy and Healthy Christmas Appetizers For Parties
• 20 Easy Christmas Cookies to Bake this Holiday
• 40 Easy Christmas Desserts For Any Winter Holiday

 

Pin this image so you can come back to these delicious festive cupcakes!

 

1. Tree Topper

These tree topper cupcakes really show off the holiday spirit, with delicious buttercream coconut frosting and green tree toppers made of white chocolate. It’s chocolatey goodness the kids and adults won’t ever get enough of!

The secret to the simplicity of this recipe comes from using a pre-made chocolate cake mix to lessen the time and effort. You also won’t need to possess any fancy piping and decorating skills so that newbie bakers can make these with confidence.

 

2. Gingerbread Man Cupcakes

Gingerbread cookies, houses, bread, and the list goes on when it comes to what you can do with gingerbread, a classic blend of spices fit for the holidays. You can even make gingerbread cupcakes for a change, warming people’s souls with cupcakes that just came out of the oven.

There’s no need to worry about the cupcake’s calorie content though because these are considered the “skinny” version of our favorite treat, containing less than 200 calories per serving!

 

3. The Grinch Cupcakes

The Grinch wasn’t always a selfish, grumpy being. If you watched the movie, you can see his heart form and grow by the time the credits roll!

That’s what makes these cupcakes so unique, because instead of focusing on the green, selfish part of the Grinch, the dessert features a heart within, showing the kids that it is good in everyone. The only thing these Grinch cupcakes will steal this year is YOUR heart!

 

4. Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Many of us anticipate the winter season because this is when the peppermint mocha becomes more popular in cafes. This drink can warm anyone up, delighting those with a different, slightly minty take on the typical chocolate taste. Why not make it into a dessert form, where everyone can enjoy a bite of peppermint chocolate bursting with flavor?

This recipe features a decadent cake texture topped with red peppermint frosting to match the color theme of the season.

 

5. Pretzel Christmas Tree Cupcakes

These are the perfect sweet treats to liven up the holidays, leaving everyone impressed with your decoration skills. You don’t need to tell them how simple and easy it is to make them though, because all you need are pretzel sticks, green candy melts, and sprinkles! Add more winter elements with white frosting as snow, and you’re good to go.

And did we mention these are moist chocolate cupcakes? A lovely indulgence to end a massive dinner with!

 

6. Santa Hat

Santa’s coming to town, and his hat actually arrived first! These Santa hat cupcakes are adorable desserts that feature an extremely easy yet creative trick. No need to pipe red frosting to create the hats, just top it with a refreshing strawberry and white frosting to complete the look.

It’s a sneaky way to get fruit (or two) in, with strawberries containing vitamins and antioxidants!

 

7. Polar Bear Cupcakes

Dedicate this dessert to everyone’s favorite fluffy animal at the North Pole: The polar bear! We can’t see polar bears up close, but we can always give children the next best thing by serving these cupcakes at the end of a yummy meal.

Everyone will love the frosting overload with a hint of coconut flavors, so it will be a pleasant surprise. If you love coconut and chocolate together, then this recipe’s a must-try.

 

8. Hot Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Woah, hold up. We can make TRIPLE chocolate cupcakes healthy? If you’re ready to take your sweet tooth to the next level, then it’s time to create this recipe and satisfy even the most obsessed chocolate lover out there.

The most shocking part about this recipe is that they contain zucchini, quinoa, and banana, contributing to a unique yet moist texture. No one will ever be able to tell these contain nutritious ingredients until you ‘fess up!

 

9. Reindeer Cupcakes

Sorry, Santa can’t visit the house tonight, because we stole his reindeer! These reindeer cupcakes are so cute yet simple to do, and you can get the kids involved in making these desserts, too.

This is a chocolate overload that uses organic cacao powder for a richer, deeper flavor with every bite. Use red M&M’s to create bright red noses just like Rudolph, and watch the kids devour these treats until the plate is empty!

 

10. Healthy Christmas Tree Cupcakes

The holidays don’t feel complete with the traditional tree set up in the living area. Whether you have a tree up or not, you can always make these little treats as a favorite Christmas dessert to commemorate the season.

Don’t feel intimidated by the tower of a Christmas tree this recipe features. Anyone will be able to decorate these baked goods thanks to a little secret: ice cream cones to help keep the tree erect!

 

11. Vegan Christmas Cupcakes with Cinnamon

These are one of the desserts that will have you go, “Holy mackerel, this is vegan? How?!”

Even your favorite desserts can be made vegan and dairy-free with wholesome ingredients like dairy-free yogurt, butter, and the like. You’ll end up with something that looks as if it deserves to be displayed in the front windows of a bakery. Each bite will be filled with warm spices from the gingerbread cupcake itself, followed by a rich and creamy buttercream that pairs well with black coffee.

 

12. Vegan Red Velvet

While everyone’s dreaming of a white Christmas, don’t forget RED, one of the classic colors of the season! Incorporate more red into your feast with these vegan, dairy-free red velvet cupcakes.

These are super quick to make so if you’re in a pinch for time after focusing on other last-minute Christmas preparations, this recipe is perfect. Once these are out of the oven, you can serve them for everyone to enjoy these extremely moist desserts topped with slightly tart vegan cream cheese frosting to pair with the cake.

 

13. Cute Snowman Cupcakes

The holidays don’t always mean you have to constantly worry about the weight you can potentially gain. You can still make the feast an indulgent one without the calorie overload, starting with dessert.

These “skinny” snowman cupcakes are low-fat and so easy to whip up. It’s so easy that you can also have the kiddos be Santa’s helpers and lead the task of decorating the snowmen.

 

14. Coffee Cake

Speaking of black coffee, we couldn’t resist adding a recipe dedicated to one of the most commonly consumed drinks among adults! These coffee cupcakes will definitely wake anyone up not just from the caffeine, but because of how indulgent they are!

Guests won’t have to worry about their carb intake with this dessert as well, because these are keto-friendly and contain almost no sugar, using erythritol as a sweetener. These aren’t only fantastic dessert ideas for the holidays, but you can have these for breakfast or a quick snack!

 

15. Almond Flour Cupcakes

Are you on a low-carb diet? No need to sacrifice dessert and watch people enjoy sweets in pain because you can make keto cupcakes perfect for the holidays. These cupcakes use powdered erythritol as a low-calorie sweetener, vanilla extract, almond milk, almond flour, and other keto-friendly ingredients that keep the carb count low.

As a result, you have a vanilla cupcake with a unique buttercream frosting with a tinge of coconut flavors. Moreover, these cupcakes have less than 313 calories and no more than 3g of net carbs!