Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes and 13+ Other Cupcake Recipes
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Cupcakes are magical—perfectly portioned, easy to share, and fun to decorate. Today’s the day to celebrate with a batch of festive treats. One of my favorite ways to dress them up: Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes.
This from-scratch chocolate cupcake recipe is rich, moist, and surprisingly simple. Short on time? A box mix works too. The homemade version is nearly as quick, though, and totally worth it.
Decorating is the best part. Make mini Christmas trees with pretzel sticks, green candy melts, and nonpareil sprinkles. Once cupcakes are baked and cooled, frost with fluffy white icing, sprinkle with shredded coconut, and top with your candy trees. You’ll have a snowy forest you can eat.
Want more cupcake inspiration? I’ve teamed up with my #CelebratingFoodHolidays crew to share 13+ amazing recipes—classic flavors, creative twists, and plenty of sweet ideas to keep the celebration going.
Grab your apron, turn on the oven, and bake something beautiful. Happy National Cupcake Day!
Ingredients for Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- SUGAR
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- HERSHEY’S COCOA POWDER
- BAKING POWDER
- BAKING SODA
- SALT
- EGGS
- MILK
- CANOLA OIL
- VANILLA EXTRACT
- BOILING WATER
- PRETZEL STICKS
- GREEN CANDY MELTS
- NON-PAREIL SPRINKLES
- BUTTER
- CREAM CHEESE
- VANILLA
- POWDERED SUGAR
- SHREDDED COCONUT
Instructions for Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Let’s begin with the cupcakes:
First, preheat your oven to 350°F and line 30 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients—sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt—until well combined.
Next, add the wet ingredients: eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat everything together with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth and glossy. Then, carefully stir in the boiling water. Don’t be alarmed—the batter will be thin, which helps create a moist cupcake. Once mixed, fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After baking, allow the cupcakes to cool completely before moving on to the decorations.
Meanwhile, prepare the festive trees:
Begin by melting the green candy melts according to the package directions. Once melted, transfer the candy to a piping bag. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper, and space out pretzel sticks about 2–3 inches apart. Pipe the candy melts over each stick in the shape of a Christmas tree, then immediately sprinkle with nonpareils before the candy sets. Set the tray aside and let the trees cool and harden completely.
Now it’s time to make the frosting:
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar, beating just until everything is well blended.
Once the cupcakes are cool, frost each one with a generous swirl of frosting. Immediately sprinkle with shredded coconut to create a snowy base. Just before serving, gently lift the candy trees from the parchment paper using an offset spatula, and press the pretzel base into the center of each cupcake.
In the end, you’ll have 30 charming cupcakes, each topped with a whimsical Christmas tree—perfect for holiday parties, classroom celebrations, or a cozy baking day at home!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a boxed cake mix instead of making the cupcakes from scratch?
Yes! A boxed chocolate cake mix works perfectly if you’re short on time. The from-scratch version is simple, but both yield delicious results.
Do I need to boil the water before adding it to the batter?
Yes—boiling water helps bloom the cocoa powder, enhancing the chocolate flavor and creating a smoother batter. Don’t skip this step!
Can I make the cupcakes ahead of time?
Absolutely. Bake and cool the cupcakes up to 2 days in advance, then store them in an airtight container. Frost and decorate the day you plan to serve.
What kind of candy melts should I use for the trees?
Use green candy melts from craft stores, Walmart, or online. You can also tint white candy melts with oil-based food coloring if needed.
How long do the candy trees take to set?
They typically set in 30–60 minutes at room temperature. You can speed things up by placing them in the fridge for 15–20 minutes.
Can I use a different frosting?
Yes! While the butter–cream cheese frosting pairs beautifully with chocolate, you can use vanilla buttercream, whipped cream frosting, or even store-bought frosting.
How do I keep the pretzel trees from breaking?
Use a gentle touch and an offset spatula to lift them from the parchment paper. Make sure they’re fully set before handling.
Can kids help with decorating?
Definitely! Piping the trees and adding sprinkles is a fun, kid-friendly activity. Just supervise the candy melting step, as it involves heat.
FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS, TRY:
- Christmas Tree Brownies
- Pita Christmas Tree Appetizers
- Christmas Tree Krispie Treats
- Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls
Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcake:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Trees:
- 30 pretzel sticks
- 1 ¼ cup green candy melts
- non-pareil sprinkles
Frosting:
- ½ cup butter softened
- 6 oz cream cheese or light cream cheese softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 ½ cups shredded coconut
Instructions
- For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line 30 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Then add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla to the flour mixture. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the boiling water and stir until well combined (batter will be thin so do not be alarmed).
- Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 for 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- For the trees, melting the candy melts according to package directions. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag.
- Place the pretzel sticks on a wax paper or parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart. Pipe the candy melts over the pretzel sticks in the shape of a tree then immediately top the trees with the sprinkles. Allow the trees to sit until the trees have fully set.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese with a mixer until well blended. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, beating just until combined.
- Frost cooled cupcakes, then sprinkle immediately with the shredded coconut.
- Just before serving, use an offset spatula to carefully release the trees from the waxed paper or parchment paper. Push the bottoms of the pretzel trees into the tops of the cupcakes. Makes 30 cupcakes.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Just a Taste.
Celebrating Food Bloggers Cupcake Recipes (all pictured above)
- Santa Hat and Holly Wreath Cupcakes from Jamie Cooks It Up!
- Churro Cupcakes from The Baker Upstairs
- 2 Ingredient Lemon Cupcakes from Yummy Healthy Easy
- Smore Cupcakes from Ashlee Marie
- Mint Chocolate Cupcakes + How to make a Boxed Cake Mix Taste Better from Butter with a side of Bread
- Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Life Made Simple
More Recipes from Real Mom Kitchen
- Perfect Cake Mix Cupcakes
- Basic White Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream
- Red Velvet Angel Food Cupcakes with Whipped Cheesecake Frosting
- Chocolate Peppermint Twist Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream
- Pistachio Cupcakes
- Dulce de Leche Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Cream-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Gingerbread Cupcakes
More Cupcake Recipes from the #celebratingfoodholidays Bloggers
- Mint and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes – Jamie Cooks It Up!
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling – Jamie Cooks It Up!
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes – The Baker Upstairs
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes – Jamie Cooks It Up!
- Vanilla Bean Cupcakes – The Baker Upstairs
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes – The Baker Upstairs
- Red Velvet (Beet) Cupcakes – Yummy Healthy Easy
- Strawberry Soda Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting – Yummy Healthy Easy
- Maple Bacon Cupcakes – Ashlee Marie
- Snickers Cupcakes – Ashlee Marie
- Rootbeer Float Cupcakes – Butter with a Side of Bread
- Red, White & Blue Swirl Cupcakes – Butter with a side of Bread (you could make red, white, and green swirl cupcakes for Christmas)
- Berries & Cream Cupcakes – Butter with a side of Bread
- Banana Cupcakes with Lemon Marshmallow Frosting – Butter with a side of Bread
- Pina Colada Cupcakes – Life Made Simple
- Cherry Almond Cupcakes – Life Made Simple
