These Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes are festive, adorable, and delicious. Made from a simple chocolate cake mix and a homemade vanilla buttercream, they’re finished with coconut “snow” and green chocolate Christmas tree toppers. They’re easy to assemble and perfect for holiday parties or cozy gatherings.
I’m excited to share this cheerful cupcake idea. These make a wonderful centerpiece on a dessert table and are simple enough to prepare in advance. The chocolate cupcakes are rich and moist, while the vanilla buttercream keeps the flavor classic and crowd-pleasing.
For the toppers, melted white chocolate is colored green and piped over Pocky sticks to form miniature Christmas trees. A sprinkle of sugar or nonpareils before the chocolate hardens gives a festive look. No advanced piping skills are required, so these are a great project for bakers of all levels.
Let’s walk through everything you need and how to make them.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How to Make Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- More Christmas Desserts
- Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes Recipe with Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 15 oz chocolate cake mix (Devil’s Food or Chocolate Fudge)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 oz coconut shavings
- Pocky Sticks (12)
- 4 oz white chocolate
- Green food coloring
- Sugar sprinkles (optional)
How to Make Christmas Tree Cupcakes
1. Prepare the chocolate cupcakes
Start here so the cupcakes have time to cool completely before decorating.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, and coffee until smooth.
- Fill each liner about 2/3 full. Do not overfill to ensure you get 12 cupcakes.
2. Bake the chocolate cupcakes
- Bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at 15 minutes as ovens vary.
- Transfer cupcakes to a rack and cool completely before frosting.
3. Make the Christmas tree toppers
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Lay Pocky sticks spaced a few inches apart.
- Melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
- Stir in green food coloring until the color is even.
- Transfer chocolate to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a small corner snipped. Pipe tree shapes over each stick.
- Before the chocolate sets, add sprinkles if desired.
- Let the trees harden at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or chill briefly to speed up setting.
4. Make the vanilla buttercream frosting
- Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract.
- Beat on low for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high and beat 2 more minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Assemble the Christmas tree cupcakes
- When cupcakes are completely cool, frost each one with vanilla buttercream and sprinkle with coconut shavings to resemble snow.
- Gently insert one chocolate tree topper into the center of each cupcake.
You can bake the cupcakes a day ahead and store them in an airtight container. For best texture, prepare the buttercream and toppers the day you plan to serve them. These cupcakes are easy to customize—use a different cake flavor or swap the coconut for finely chopped nuts or colored sugar if you prefer.
Enjoy these sweet, festive treats with family and friends this holiday season!
More Christmas Desserts
Gingerbread Caramel Corn Recipe
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe (How to Make Sugar Cookies)
Ugly Sweater Sugar Cookie Bar Cutouts
If you try this Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcake recipe, please leave a comment and share how it turned out—I love hearing from you!
Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes Recipe with Buttercream Frosting
Jessica Randhawa
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
- 15 oz box chocolate cake mix (Devil’s Food or Chocolate Fudge)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup coffee, room temperature
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 oz coconut shavings
For the Christmas Tree Toppers
- 12 Pocky Sticks
- 4 oz white chocolate
- Green food coloring
- Sugar sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
- Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and coffee until smooth.
- Fill each liner about 2/3 full.
- Bake 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
- For frosting: beat butter until creamy, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat low 30 seconds, then medium-high 2 minutes.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with coconut.
- To make toppers: line a baking sheet with parchment and lay Pocky sticks with space between them.
- Melt white chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
- Stir in green food coloring, transfer to a piping bag, and pipe tree shapes over the sticks. Add sprinkles if desired.
- Let toppers harden at least 20 minutes, or chill briefly.
- Insert tree toppers into the frosted cupcakes and serve.
Notes
- You can use a homemade cake batter or a different boxed mix if preferred.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- Optional: top trees with a small star or candy decoration.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.