Easy Santa Claus Cupcakes Recipe

These Santa Claus cupcakes are easy and a hit with all ages. If your kids can work with sprinkles and like to bake, this is a fun project for them.

I looked at loads of other recipes that were labor intensive but ultimately developed these based on what I already had in the pantry. This post was originally published in 2011, but many larger recipe sites have replicated them since then!

Yield: 12

Easy Santa Claus Cupcakes

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Make these really easy Santa Claus cupcakes for your next holiday gathering with simple ingredients you may already have.

Ingredients

• One dozen cooled cupcakes
• White frosting, either a tub or homemade
• 3oz jar of red sugar crystal sprinkles (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (you'll need about 108 individual chips)
• 24 mini chocolate chips
• 12 Red M&Ms
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened is best)

Instructions

1. Frost the cupcake.
2. Before the frosting sets, sprinkle red sugar crystals on about 1/3 of the cupcake. You can also spread the sprinkles on a plate and roll the edge cupcake in them, depending on what's easier for you.
   
3. Place white chocolate chips along the bottom of the sugar crystals to create the hat brim. This hides any unevenness as well.
4. Place one white chocolate chip at the top of the cupcake to complete the hat.
   
5. Put two mini chocolate chips on the cupcake for Santa's eyes.
6. Add a red M&M for Santa's nose.
7. Press coconut on the opposite side of the sprinkles, below the nose, to create the beard. Press the coconut in a crescent shape all the way up to the hat.
   

Notes

The key is to assemble the cupcake before the frosting sets. So, I frost one cupcake and decorate. Then frost a second cupcake and decorate, and so on.

I suggest you use the best banana muffin or cupcake recipe for these, as they have coconut in them too. Top with buttercream frosting, and you’ll be in heaven. Get the Sprinkles vanilla buttercream frosting recipe. I learned how to make it at the Sprinkles in La Jolla and how they frost their cupcakes!

So, don’t panic if you need to bring a dessert to a Christmas party. Kids and adults will love these!