Fun and Festive Christmas Tree Cupcakes To Make for Holiday
Turn your favorite cupcakes into a holiday treat with these Christmas tree cupcakes. A cute and easy dessert to make for any holiday gathering, or for a church fair. A festive dessert that people will gobble up with glee.
About Christmas Tree Cupcakes
These Christmas tree cupcakes are so easy to make. I kept it simple and went with a boxed cake mix, but here is a yummy chocolate cupcake recipe if you want to make a cupcake from scratch and prefer chocolate to vanilla. And if shredded coconut isn’t your thing, you can skip that. But it really does add a special touch to the Christmas cupcakes, making them look like they are topped with snow.
Here are the ingredients needed.
- 1 (13.25 oz) vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients listed on the box
- 16 oz canned vanilla frosting
- 12 oz green melting wafers
- 24 pretzel sticks (2 per cupcake)
- 2 cups shredded coconut
- ½ cup mini M&M’s
- 12 edible star sprinkles (1 per cupcake)
Step by Step With Photos
Preheat the oven and prepare the cake batter according to the package instructions. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and divide the batter evenly. You should get 12 cupakes per batch, but you can stretch it to about 14 if you prefer smaller cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes as directed, most likely 15-20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.
As the cupcakes cool, make the Christmas tree toppers. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place two pretzel sticks end to end to form the tree’s trunk. Melt the green melting wafers according to the package instructions.
Transfer the melted chocolate into a piping bag or a ziplock bag. Snip the end of the bag and pipe the chocolate over the pretzels in a triangular zig-zag. Make sure to add a little extra chocolate where the two pretzels meet. This will make the trees more stable. While the chocolate is still wet, decorate with mini M&Ms for the Christmas ornaments, and a star sprinkle placed at the top of each tree.
Let the trees harden completely as you decorate the cupcakes. Pipe, or spread, vanilla frosting onto each cupcake. Place the shredded coconut into a bowl and dip the cupcake into it. Repeat the process for each cupcake.
Once the cupcakes are frosted and the tree topper has set, place a tree into the center of each cupcake. And just like that you have the most adorable Christmas tree cupcakes. A quick and easy dessert that looks harder than it really is. It is a fun treat that is sure to brighten up any holiday celebration, party, or dessert table.
For more easy Christmas dessert ideas, these Christmas Tree Oreos are the perfect complement to these Christmas tree cupcakes. And if you’re looking for another easy cupcake, try these Santa Hat cupcakes.
If you try this Christmas Tree Cupcakes recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting, and happy baking!
Pretzel Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Equipment
- Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Muffin Pan
- Baking Sheet
- Piping Bag
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 13.25 oz vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients listed on the box
- 16 ounce can of vanilla frosting
- 12 ounce green melting wafers
- 24-28 pretzel sticks
- 2 cups shredded coconut
- ½ cup mini M&M’s
- 12 edible star sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the cake batter according to the package instructions. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners, divide the batter evenly, and bake as directed. Let cupcakes cool completely.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place two pretzel sticks side by side to form the “trunk” of each tree.
- Melt the green wafers according to package directions.
- Transfer to a piping or zip-lock bag. Pipe the melted candy in a zigzag triangle shape over each pair of pretzels, adding extra chocolate where the two pretzels meet to hold them together.
- Decorate with mini M&M’s and a star sprinkle while still wet. Let set until firm.
- Spread vanilla frosting over cooled cupcakes and dip the tops into shredded coconut to resemble snow.
- Once the pretzel trees are completely set, gently press one into the center of each cupcake.
Notes
- Be sure the trees are fully hardened before inserting them into cupcakes.
- Bake time may vary depending upon box directions.
Follow me on Pinterest for fun and easy cookie recipes for any occasion. If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and let me know how it went.
- Easy Pecan Desserts for Thanksgiving (That Are Not Pie) - November 18, 2025
- Rice Krispie Santa Hats Recipe: Cute, Easy Christmas Treat - November 16, 2025
- Fun Rudolph Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Candy Recipe - November 14, 2025
