Christmas Cupcakes: 13 Easy Decorating Ideas Even Beginners Can Pipe

Christmas cupcakes are the easiest way to put a dozen smiling faces on the holiday table. Google searches for them jumped from zero to almost their highest point in just two weeks this fall, and decorating videos pull hundreds of thousands to more than a million views. The good news is you do not need to be a pastry chef. Each slide below pairs one easy flavor with one easy decoration, so a beginner with a zip bag and one piping tip can copy it. There are cute ones for the kids, grown up flavors like peppermint mocha and eggnog, and a pull apart wreath for a crowd. Grab your sprinkles..

Christmas Cupcakes Start With Three Piping Tips

You do not need a drawer full of tools. One batch of cupcakes, three piping tips and a jar of sprinkles make every design in this gallery. A large open star tip makes swirls and trees, a round tip makes dots, faces and pom poms, and a small leaf tip makes holly and wreaths. For a step by step look at piping, this Preppy Kitchen video is a great place to start. Which design would you try first..

You will need: 24 cupcakes (vanilla, chocolate or both), 6 cups buttercream, gel food coloring in red and green, a large open star tip (1M), a round tip (12), a leaf tip (352), piping bags, sprinkles

How to make it: 1. Bake and fully cool the cupcakes, at least 1 hour. 2. Divide the buttercream into bowls and tint them. 3. Fit each bag with a tip and fill it halfway. 4. Practice a few swirls on a plate first. 5. Decorate, then chill the cupcakes for 15 minutes to set the frosting.

Christmas Tree Cupcakes Piped With One Star Tip

These are the easiest Christmas cupcakes to make look professional. Tint vanilla buttercream green, then pipe a tall cone of stars from the bottom up with a large star tip. Press in a few sprinkles for ornaments and a yellow star candy on top. Kids can do the sprinkles while you pipe. Which ornaments would you use: A: rainbow nonpareils, B: red candies, or C: gold pearls?

You will need: 12 vanilla cupcakes, 3 cups vanilla buttercream, green gel food coloring, a large open star tip (1M), rainbow nonpareils, 12 yellow star sprinkles

How to make it: 1. Bake and fully cool the cupcakes. 2. Tint the buttercream bright green. 3. Fit a piping bag with the star tip and fill it. 4. Pipe stacked circles of stars, smaller as you go up, to make a cone. 5. Add sprinkles and a star on top.

Santa Hat Cupcakes With a Strawberry Hat

A whole strawberry turned upside down makes the perfect little Santa hat. Pipe a ring of white frosting around the base, set the strawberry on top and add a tiny dot of white at the tip for the pom pom. They are cute, fresh and take seconds each. These Christmas cupcakes always get photographed first at a party.

You will need: 12 vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, 2 cups white buttercream, 12 large strawberries with tops cut flat, a round piping tip

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the strawberries well and cut off the tops. 2. Pipe a thick swirl of white frosting on each cupcake. 3. Set a strawberry on top, cut side down. 4. Pipe a small white dot on the tip of each berry. 5. Chill until serving, up to 4 hours.

Snowman Christmas Cupcakes Made With Marshmallows

A big marshmallow becomes the snowman head and two mini chocolate chips are the eyes. An orange candy or a sliver of dried apricot makes the carrot nose, and a strip of fruit leather makes the scarf. Pipe white frosting like fluffy snow underneath. Who would be in charge of the faces at your house?

You will need: 12 cupcakes, 2 cups white frosting, 12 large marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, orange sprinkles or candy for noses, fruit leather strips, shredded coconut (optional)

How to make it: 1. Frost each cupcake with a rough swirl of white frosting. 2. Sprinkle with coconut for snow if you like. 3. Use a dab of frosting to stick on eyes and a nose on each marshmallow. 4. Wrap a fruit leather scarf around the base. 5. Press a marshmallow snowman into each cupcake.

Reindeer Cupcakes With Pretzel Antlers

Chocolate frosting, two mini pretzel twists for antlers, candy eyes and a red candy nose: that is all it takes to make a whole herd of reindeer. Give one of them a shiny red nose and watch the kids fight over it. They are one of the fastest Christmas cupcakes to decorate for a class party.

You will need: 12 chocolate cupcakes, 2 cups chocolate frosting, 24 mini pretzel twists, 24 candy eyes, 11 brown and 1 red round candy for noses

How to make it: 1. Frost each cupcake smoothly with chocolate frosting. 2. Press 2 pretzels into the top for antlers. 3. Add 2 candy eyes. 4. Press on a candy nose. 5. Give one cupcake the red nose.

Wreath Christmas Cupcakes With a Leaf Tip

A small leaf piping tip turns green frosting into a ring of holly leaves. Pipe the leaves in a circle around the edge of each cupcake, then add red sprinkles for berries and a tiny bow. They look elegant enough for a grown up holiday party. Do you like Christmas desserts that are A: cute or B: elegant?

You will need: 12 white cupcakes, 1 cup white frosting, 2 cups green buttercream, a leaf piping tip (352), red round sprinkles or red candies

How to make it: 1. Spread a thin layer of white frosting on each cupcake. 2. Fill a bag with green buttercream and the leaf tip. 3. Pipe small leaves in a ring around the edge. 4. Add red sprinkles as berries. 5. Pipe a small red bow at the bottom if you like.

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

All the flavor of the holiday coffee drink in cupcake form. A chocolate cupcake made with brewed coffee gets a cool peppermint buttercream and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes. Grown ups love these with an afternoon coffee. Peppermint mocha fans, raise your hand. For more holiday hosting ideas, see our Ina Garten Christmas ideas.

You will need: 1 box chocolate cake mix (or your recipe) made with brewed coffee in place of water, 3 cups buttercream, 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, crushed candy canes, chocolate shavings

How to make it: 1. Bake the chocolate cupcakes with coffee and cool. 2. Beat peppermint extract into the buttercream. 3. Pipe a tall swirl on each cupcake. 4. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. 5. Add chocolate shavings just before serving.

Gingerbread Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Molasses, ginger and cinnamon give these cupcakes the warm, cozy taste of gingerbread cookies but in a soft, moist cake. A tangy cinnamon cream cheese frosting balances the spice. Top each one with a mini gingerbread man cookie. These are the Christmas cupcakes that make the whole house smell like the holidays.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 1 egg, 1/2 cup hot water. Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and line a muffin pan. 2. Beat butter, sugar, molasses and egg. 3. Stir in the dry ingredients, then the hot water. 4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes and cool. 5. Beat the frosting, pipe it on and add a mini cookie.

Eggnog Cupcakes With Nutmeg Frosting

Use alcohol free eggnog from the store in both the batter and the frosting for a creamy, lightly spiced cupcake. A dusting of fresh nutmeg on top makes them smell like a holiday morning. They are a lovely surprise on a cookie tray. Have you ever baked with eggnog?

You will need: 1 box white cake mix, 1 1/4 cups store bought eggnog (alcohol free), 1/3 cup oil, 3 eggs, 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Frosting: 1 cup butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp eggnog, extra nutmeg

How to make it: 1. Mix the cake mix, eggnog, oil, eggs and nutmeg. 2. Fill lined cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 F for 18 to 20 minutes. 3. Cool completely. 4. Beat butter, sugar and eggnog until fluffy. 5. Pipe on and dust with nutmeg.

Hot Cocoa Christmas Cupcakes With Marshmallow Topping

These taste like a mug of hot chocolate. A rich chocolate cupcake gets a swirl of marshmallow frosting, a sprinkle of cocoa and a few mini marshmallows on top. Stick a mini candy cane in the side as a little mug handle. Kids go wild for these Christmas cupcakes on a snow day. Whipped cream or marshmallows in your cocoa?

You will need: 12 chocolate cupcakes, 1 cup butter, 1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, mini marshmallows, cocoa powder, 12 mini candy canes

How to make it: 1. Beat butter until fluffy, then add marshmallow creme. 2. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. 3. Pipe a swirl on each cupcake. 4. Top with mini marshmallows and a dusting of cocoa. 5. Push a mini candy cane into the side as a handle.

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Sugar Snowflakes

Red velvet is made for Christmas: deep red cake, white cream cheese frosting and a sugar snowflake on top. You can buy edible snowflakes or pipe your own with melted white chocolate on parchment and let them set in the fridge. They look like they came from a bakery window. Red velvet or chocolate: which is your pick?

You will need: 12 red velvet cupcakes, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, edible sugar snowflakes or 1/2 cup melted white chocolate

How to make it: 1. Pipe white chocolate snowflakes on parchment and chill 15 minutes, or use store bought ones. 2. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla. 3. Pipe a tall swirl on each cupcake. 4. Stand a snowflake in the top. 5. Keep chilled until serving.

Candy Cane Swirl Christmas Cupcakes

A two color swirl looks fancy but it is a simple trick. Spoon red frosting down one side of the piping bag and white down the other, then pipe a swirl and watch the stripes appear. Top with a crushed candy cane or a mini candy cane hook. They are some of the prettiest Christmas cupcakes for a bake sale. Would you sell these for A: 2 dollars or B: 3 dollars?

You will need: 12 vanilla cupcakes, 3 cups white buttercream, red gel food coloring, a large star tip, crushed or mini candy canes

How to make it: 1. Tint one third of the buttercream red. 2. Spread red frosting along one side of a piping bag fitted with a star tip. 3. Fill the rest of the bag with white frosting. 4. Pipe swirls on each cupcake. 5. Top with candy cane pieces.

Pull Apart Cupcake Christmas Wreath

Arrange 24 cupcakes in a ring on a big board, then frost them all together with green buttercream using a star or leaf tip so they look like one big wreath. Add a red frosting bow and candy berries. Guests just pull off a cupcake, no knife needed. Thanksgiving is November 26, and this is a great project for the long weekend after.

You will need: 24 cupcakes, 5 cups green buttercream, a star or leaf tip, 1 cup red frosting, red candies or sprinkles, a large round board

How to make it: 1. Arrange the cupcakes in a tight double ring on the board. 2. Pipe green stars or leaves across all the tops, covering the gaps. 3. Dot with red candies for berries. 4. Pipe a big red bow at the bottom. 5. Chill until serving.