This post may contain affiliate links.
These chocolatey Christmas tree Christmas cupcakes are at the top of my baking list this year! Rich, moist cupcakes get topped with a dusting of icing sugar and a bright, studded buttercream Christmas tree to make the most gorgeous looking cupcakes ever!
Team them up with some Christmas sandwich cookies or my favorite Christmas tree meringue cookies– they’ll be a fantastic addition to your holiday dessert spread.
Holidays are all about getting together with the family, celebrating and enjoying those little traditions that make things so wholesome, and making these cupcakes are a great way to do just that.
They’re not only delicious but also a blast to decorate- just like my old fashioned cream cheese mints. We have so much fun swirling the green frosting to create little edible Christmas trees.
Quick Look: Christmas Tree Christmas Cupcakes
- ⏱ Prep Time: 40 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 25 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 365kcal
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: Sweet and chocolatey, just like my Christmas Grinch cupcakes.
- 👌 Difficulty: Medium, perfect for Christmas parties and get-togethers.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
HERE IS WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING:
“Will have to try this this year!” – Denise
Jump to:
Why this Recipe Works
- Decorating these cupcakes as Christmas trees is so much fun- perfect for the holiday season- just like my holiday Oreo truffles.
- You’ll be using simple pantry items to make these cupcakes. Plus, the recipe is easy to follow and great for bakers of all levels.
- The combination of moist chocolate cake and rich buttercream frosting makes these cupcakes irresistible.
Key Ingredients
- Eggs + vanilla: Use large, room temperature eggs and a bit of vanilla extract for the flavor.
- Sugar: I used brown sugar for the cupcake batter and some powdered sugar (or icing sugar) for the topping! Brown sugar lends such a beautiful flavor (I used it for my brown sugar frosting too), but you can also use white sugar if you want to.
- Flour + baking powder + baking soda: The basics that help the cupcakes hold their shape and have that soft, spongy texture.
- Cocoa powder: For that deep, chocolatey flavor. Use the best quality cocoa powder you can find.
- Greek yogurt + milk: To make the cupcakes extra moist and more flavorful.
- Chocolate chips: For the richness.
- Butter + food coloring: The base for the buttercream. Quickly go through my post about how to make the perfect buttercream frosting to nail it!
- Toppings: Powdered sugar and sprinkles! You can also use sanding sugar if you want to.
- Sugar cones: To pipe the buttercream Christmas trees on.
Variations & Substitutions
- Use red velvet cupcakes as the base instead of chocolate for a colorful surprise.
- For a minty twist, use peppermint extract instead of vanilla.
- You can also decorate the cupcakes with crushed candy canes, edible glitter, holiday sprinkles, or star shaped sprinkles- whatever you want to.
- Swap the chocolate chips with roughly chopped nuts for a bit of texture.
- Swap the regular chocolate chips with white chocolate chips and make a vanilla white chocolate cupcake base. I like to chop up some of my cinnamon sugar roasted pecans and add them into the batter too!
How to Make Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture becomes frothy.
- Gradually add half of the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda, sifting, and mix until just combined.
- Add the yogurt to the mixture and blend until smooth.
- Mix in the cocoa powder, chocolate chips, vanilla extract and milk until everything is well combined.
- Add the remaining flour and gently fold it into the batter until just incorporated with no dry patches.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full or 3 tablespoons of batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk softened butter in an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add green gel food coloring and mix until the color is evenly distributed.
- Cover each sugar cone with a layer of green buttercream. Gently press a coated sugar cone onto the top of each cupcake. Pipe the remaining buttercream onto each cone to create the appearance of tree branches. Add sprinkles and lightly dust with powdered sugar.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Ensure eggs, butter, and yogurt are at room temperature before you use them for the recipe. This will ensure a smoother batter.
- You can also just use a boxed cake mix to make your batch of cupcakes in a jiffy if you don’t want to make them from scratch. That’s actually exactly what I did when I made my flowerpot cupcakes.
- Gently fold in the dry ingredients to keep the cupcakes light and fluffy. Don’t overmix.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to pipe the tree branches.
- Make sure you cool the cupcakes on a wire rack before you start decorating them. This will help prevent soggy bottoms, which I realized when I was making my pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Feature these adorable Christmas tree Christmas cupcakes on your holiday spread along with some brown sugar glazed ham or a whole roasted turkey, a side of slow cooker creamed corn with green chilies or a nice cheesy rice casserole and a beautiful Christmas tree pull-apart bread.
Finish up with some winter white wine sangria or my Christmas mimosa mocktails, and some crunchy homemade spiced nuts to go with it.
Christmas Tree Cupcakes FAQs
Store assembled cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can definitely make these cupcakes ahead of time! Bake the cupcakes and prepare the buttercream frosting up to 1-2 days in advance. Assemble and decorate the cupcakes just before serving to keep them looking fresh and festive.
Freeze undecorated cupcakes wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then decorate before serving.
More Christmas Sweet Treats
If you tried this Christmas tree Christmas cupcakes or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Christmas Tree Christmas Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons chocolate chips optional
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Buttercream:
- 2/3 cup salted butter softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Green gel food coloring
For Assembly:
- 12 Sugar cones
- red hots or sprinkles
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture becomes frothy.2 large eggs, ½ cup dark brown sugar
- Gradually add half of the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda, sifting, and mix until just combined.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Add the yogurt to the mixture and blend until smooth.1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- Mix in the cocoa powder, chocolate chips, vanilla extract and milk until everything is well combined.1/4 cup cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons chocolate chips, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the remaining flour and gently fold it into the batter until just incorporated with no dry patches.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full or 3 tablespoons of batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Buttercream:
- In a stand mixer or in a large bowl bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter until creamy.2/3 cup salted butter
- Sift in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined and smooth. If the buttercream is too thick, add one tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Add a few drops of green gel food coloring and mix until the color is evenly distributed.Green gel food coloring
Assembly:
- Cover each sugar cone with a thin layer of green buttercream, ensuring it’s fully coated.12 Sugar cones
- Lightly dust the tops of the cupcakes with powdered sugar, optional
- Gently press a coated sugar cone onto the top of each cupcake, ensuring it is secure.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a small star tip, pipe the remaining buttercream onto each cone to create the appearance of tree branches.
- Add sprinkles to the buttercream trees and lightly dust with powdered sugar to mimic snow.red hots or sprinkles, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
- Ensure eggs, butter, and yogurt are at room temperature for a smoother batter.
- Gently fold in the dry ingredients to keep the cupcakes light and fluffy.
- Cool cupcakes on a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
Will have to try this this year!