Peppermint Snowman Cupcakes

Make your Christmas parties a magical winter wonderland with these Peppermint Snowman Cupcakes!

Holiday baking season has arrived, and I've got a fun and festive recipe for you to try! These Peppermint Snowman Cupcakes are easy to make, taste delicious, and topped with adorable snowmen decorated cookies. These cupcakes are great for Christmas parties, winter events, and even birthday parties! Even if you are newbie to cupcake decorating, you can easily do this one with confidence. I am so excited to be sharing this recipe idea with you, and would love to hear if you make some to share with your own family this Christmas!

Mix up the vanilla peppermint cupcake batter according to the recipe below. Use a large scoop to fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full and bake for about 16 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the Oreo snowmen to be placed on top. Dip Golden Oreos into vanilla melting wafers and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

The chocolate sets quickly, so I would recommend decorating snowmen in small batches. Use 2 black sugar pearl sprinkles for eyes, and 4-5 to create a mouth. An orange tic tac in the center makes the perfect "carrot" nose! An alternative option is to use black/orange confetti sprinkles or black/orange cookie icing for snowman face decorations.

*If you want to get the face decorations in one package, I found this Snowman Sprinkles kit that includes both black sugar pearls and carrot sprinkles!

For the earmuffs, attach one peppermint candy on each side of the head. Connect the two candies with a 2-inch strand of red licorice across the top of the cookie. You may need to hold the licorice in place until the chocolate sets.

Refrigerate the Oreo snowmen on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes or completely set.

Top cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting using a spatula, or scoop frosting into a piping bag fitted with an 1M decorating tip to pipe a rosette on top of each cupcake.

For some extra color and added crunch, immediately top the frosted cupcakes with crushed peppermint candies or peppermint sprinkles.

Gently press the snowman cookies into the frosting on top of the cupcakes. Make sure they are pushed in enough that they won't fall off!

Peppermint Snowman Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2 cup butter, room temp
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 4 eggs, whites only
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well combined.
3. Add egg whites, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder and whisk until combined.
5. Slowly add half the flour mixture, then half the milk to the large bowl and mix well.
6. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and then add the remaining milk and flour mixture. Beat until smooth and creamy.
7. Pour batter evenly into the paper liners until about ⅔ full.
8. Bake 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Place baked cupcakes on a wire rack to cool completely.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ¾ cup white chocolate chips
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 12 crushed peppermint candies or peppermint sprinkles

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Directions:

1. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl on low, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy.
3. Add the melted white chocolate and beat until combined.
4. Gradually add in powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.
5. Add 1 Tbsp of whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat all ingredients together on high speed.
   *If frosting is too thick, add in remaining whipping cream and mix again until you get desired consistency. If too thin, add in a little more powdered sugar.
6. Scoop frosting into a piping bag fitted with an 1M decorating tip.
7. Pipe a rosette on top of each cupcake, and immediately top with crushed peppermint candies or sprinkles.

Snowmen Topper Ingredients:

• 24 Double Stuf Golden Oreos
• 2 - 10 oz packages Ghirardelli vanilla melting wafers
• Black sugar pearl sprinkles
• 24 orange tic tacs
• Twizzlers Pull n Peel licorice, separated and cut into 2-2.5 inch pieces
• 48 peppermint candies

Snowman Cupcake Decorating Directions:

1. Melt the melting wafers in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Stir well after each interval until completely melted and smooth.
2. Place one Oreo cookie onto a fork and dip it into the melted wafers. Remove any excess coating, and place it onto the baking sheet.
3. Add two sugar pearls for eyes, and 4-5 to make a smiling mouth.
4. Place an orange tic tac in the center to make a "carrot" nose.
5. Attach one peppermint candy on each side of the cookie head to make the earmuffs.
6. Connect the two peppermint candies together by placing a piece of licorice around the top of the head.
   *You may need to hold the licorice in place until the chocolate sets.
7. Repeat the process to decorate all of the snowmen cookies.
8. Place the snowmen on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or until fully set.
9. Gently press the snowmen toppers into the frosting on top of the cupcakes.

Tips: 

• Storage: Refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months! Be sure that the cupcakes are completely cool, unfrosted, and are wrapped well in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag. Before frosting and serving, thaw cupcakes in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours at room temperature.

Variations:

• Substitute the Golden Oreos for any flavor of Oreos, like regular or mint!
• If you are short on time, don't be afraid to use a cake mix, canned frosting, and ready-made White Fudge-Covered Oreos!

I'm so excited to make Peppermint Snowman Cupcakes to share at our Christmas parties, and hope you try them for yourself! Not only are they adorable, but they are SO yummy and the kids love them!! If you decide to give this recipe a try, I'd love to hear all about it! Please share your creations on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest!

If you like this recipe, don't forget to Pin, Like, and Share!