Santa’s Favorite Hot Cocoa Cupcakes

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NOTE: This post was updated on 11/22/2021 and originally published on 11/23/2020.


Santa’s Favorite Hot Cocoa Cupcakes are made with a chocolate boxed cake mix, making this an easy and spectacular holiday treat. The cake mix is elevated with packets of hot cocoa mix. The perfect finishing touch is the marshmallow fluff and cool whip frosting. Mini marshmallows and mini candy canes garnish this amazing dessert. Santa gets cookies everywhere he goes so why not give these babies a try?


Chocolate hot cocoa cupcakes with marshmallow frosting. topped with mini marshmallows and mini candy canes to resembles a hot cup of cocoa. Four cupcakes are photographed on an oak cutting board with red fabric table and chopped up pieces of candy cane surrounding them.


These decadent yet surprisingly light cupcakes came into existence Christmas 2019. This was especially exciting for me because my nephew had just recently had his egg allergy downgraded so he was able to eat baked goods that contained egg. This was going to be the first time that he had ever consumed my baking. Well, baking that did not include an egg substitution anyhow. I was very excited when he tried his first bite and his little eyes lit up. He ate three more that evening so they were definitely Logan approved.


I kept poor Anthony up until about 1:00am on Christmas Eve baking and doing Christmas Day cooking prep. He was less than thrilled but his frown turned upside down once he had one of these amazing cupcakes. I shouldn’t be too surprised that they’ve gone over well with Aidan and Logan as well since the two of them love hot cocoa. In fact, when fully remote schooling had started in 2020, the only way to bribe motivate them to do their work in the morning was with an extra chocolatey hot cocoa and extra marshmallows. Whatever had to be done during that horrific period of time.


These are the most amazing cupcakes. They have such a delicious, rich flavor but truly do not feel heavy when you’re eating them. Mini marshmallows lend a very special, chewy texture to the very soft and pillowy cupcake. I love this recipe so much because it’s popular with adults and children alike. BUT most importantly, it’s so simple and easy to throw together. Essentially, you’re just doctoring up and making a box cake mix more fancy. It’s the exact type of recipe that I gravitate towards during the very busy and hectic holiday season.


Christmas Day is of course, a big production and a big deal for my family. I always make a big Christmas morning breakfast. And then preparation sets in for a gigantic Christmas dinner. A dinner with so much food that people can’t move afterwards. My favorite sister-in-law and I always make a dessert spread so massive that it makes everyone groan with a combination of anticipation for sweets and dread to further fill their overly stuffed stomachs. Santa’s Favorite Hot Cocoa Cupcakes, Sprinkle Fudge, My Nana’s Classic “Better Than Sex” Cake and 20-Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Croissants are just a few favorites. Our celebrating also consists of a Yankee Swap and everyone trying to outdo the previous years’ obnoxious ugly sweaters. We top off the holiday festivities with a punch that we refer to as Jingle Juice. Nothing helps the holiday spirit like… spirits on the holiday.


Christmas is the second biggest food prep holiday that I host. Next to Thanksgiving, of course. But a lot goes into Christmas as well. Personally, for me, these major holidays are all about the sides. Some of my all-time favorite holiday sides include:

Lemony Green Bean Casserole with Sausage & Spinach
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn with Bacon
Roasted Baby Potatoes & Rainbow Carrots
Mom’s Wild Rice & Sausage Stuffing
Easy Potatoes Au Gratin with Bacon
Crispy Parmesan & Olive Oil Smashed Potatoes


Santa’s Favorite Hot Cocoa Cupcakes Substitutions

Mini marshmallows: You could definitely mix up the marshmallows. They make pumpkin spice flavored marshmallows that are available this time of year (and are delicious). Also, I have a hard time finding mini marshmallows sometimes. In a pinch, you could tear apart some larger marshmallows for the topping.

Mini Candy Canes: Again, like the mini marshmallows, sometimes it is very difficult for me to get my mitts on mini candy canes. Everyone and their brother must be out buying every baking supply that I need for the holiday festivities (haha). In this event, I have chopped up peppermint starlight candies to garnish over the top with the marshmallows. Also, I have cut regular sized candy canes and just stuck straight pieces of candy cane straight out of the top of the cupcakes for a garnish. In a super pinch, I have used thick pieces of soft peppermint candy stir sticks in this recipe.

Additional Garnish Ideas: You could decorate these in so many different ways. There are endless ways to make these look as delicious as they taste. You could drizzle some chocolate, caramel or peanut butter syrup back and forth over the tops. You could add some mini chocolate chips or butterscotch chips onto the frosting. Powder a little bit of cinnamon or cocoa powder over the cupcakes. Or if you’re feeling extra fancy, throw a cute little sprig of fresh mint over the top.


Instructions


Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions. Add the packets of hot cocoa mix and stir well. Divide the cake mix into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.


Allow the cupcakes to cool completely prior to frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the marshmallow fluff, vanilla extract and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add cool whip and mix about 2 minutes until fully combined.


Add the frosting to a pastry bag with a piping tip. You may also use a freezer bag. When filling the bags with frosting, I like to place the bags into a tall cup prior to filling. Get the frosting as far down into the corner of the bag as possible and make sure to get the air out of the bag. Take care not to overfill the bag. Cut the tip off of the pastry bag to expose the piping tip. Or cut a very small corner off if using a freezer bag. Start small and you can enlarge the hole if necessary. Squeeze the frosting slowly around the cupcake. Start by frosting around the outer edge of the cupcake and work your way in.


Add about 6 mini marshmallows per cupcake and press very lightly into the top of the frosting. Optional: Push a mini candy cane into the outer edge of the cupcake.

three hot cocoa cupcakes with marshmallow frosting and covered with mini marshmallows and a mini candy cane coming out from the top. Three cupcakes are pictured on a square white plate with two peppermint red and white striped spoons criss crossed. There is a blue plated pictured in the background full of decorated cupcakes.


Drop your favorite Christmas time sweet treats in the comments below. I love trying new recipes and seeing what everyone’s different traditions are. What’s your favorite part of the holiday season? Least favorite part? I would love to hear it all. Thank you very much for supporting the Spice and Sugar Mama blog. And I wish you and your loved ones all of the best this upcoming season. Have a beautiful holiday and a happy and prosperous New Year, friends!


Santa’s Favorite Hot Cocoa Cupcakes

Dominique Collins-Bloomfield
Santa's Favorite Hot Cocoa Cupcakes are made with a chocolate boxed cake mix, making this an easy and spectacular holiday treat. The perfect finishing touch is the marshmallow frosting. Santa gets cookies everywhere he goes so why not give these babies a try?
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Box Chocolate cake mix Note: You will need water, vegetable oil and eggs to make the boxed cake mix.
  • 6 Packets Hot cocoa mix
  • 5 Ounces Mini marshmallows
  • 24 Mini candy canes Optional

Cupcake Frosting

  • 8 Ounces Marshmallow Fluff
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • 8 Ounces Cool whip

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions. Add the packets of hot cocoa mix and stir well. Divide the cake mix into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool completely prior to frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the marshmallow fluff, vanilla extract and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add cool whip and mix about 2 minutes until fully combined.
  • Add the frosting to a pastry bag with a piping tip. You may also use a freezer bag. When filling the bags with frosting, I like to place the bags into a tall cup prior to filling. Get the frosting as far down into the corner of the bag as possible and make sure to get the air out of the bag. Take care not to overfill the bag. Cut the tip off of the pastry bag to expose the piping tip. Or cut a very small corner off if using a freezer bag. Start small and you can enlarge the hole if necessary. Squeeze the frosting slowly around the cupcake. Start by frosting around the outer edge of the cupcake and work your way in.
  • Add about 6 mini marshmallows per cupcake and press very lightly into the top of the frosting. Optional: Push a mini candy cane into the outer edge of the cupcake. Serve with a cold glass of milk and leave out for Mr. Claus 🙂

Notes

Recipe yields about 24 cupcakes. 
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