These adorable Santa Cupcakes are the perfect festive dessert for your next holiday party! Soft red velvet cupcakes, creamy white icing and a fluffy mini marshmallow pom pom create the cutest Santa hat cupcakes that are as fun to make as they are to eat.
Whether you’re hosting a Christmas party, baking with kids, or looking for a simple way to spread holiday cheer, these cupcakes will steal the show on your dessert table.
We are sharing tips to help you get the best results when making this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and printable recipe card.
❤️ Why You’ll Love These Santa Hat Cupcakes
- ? Festive & Fun – The red frosting and marshmallow “pom pom” make them perfect for the Christmas season.
- ?? Super Easy – Start with a boxed cake mix and simple decorations—no fancy baking skills needed.
- ? Crowd Favorite – These easy Santa hat cupcakes look impressive and taste amazing.
- ? Make Ahead – Store them in an airtight container and they’ll stay fresh for your next holiday party.
? Ingredients for Santa Cupcakes
? Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with quantities and step-by-step instructions!
Cupcakes
- 1 box red velvet cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
- Cupcake liners
Frosting & Decorations:
- 2 tubs white frosting (or cream cheese frosting)
- Red food coloring
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- Mini marshmallows (for the hat pom pom)
Tools You’ll Need
? How to Make Santa Hat Cupcakes
Step 1: Bake the Cupcakes
Preheat oven and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Prepare the cupcake batter according to the instructions on the boxed cake mix.
Fill liners halfway full and bake cupcakes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. (This is key—if they’re warm, your frosting will melt!)
Step 2: Make the Red Frosting
In a large bowl, add one tub of white frosting.
Mix in about 10 drops of red food coloring using an electric mixer on low speed.
Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to deepen the red color, then mix again.
Keep adding red coloring until you get your desired deep red shade.
Spoon into a piping bag fitted with your preferred large piping tip.
? Pro tip: If you want a richer flavor, swap canned frosting for homemade buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting.
Step 3: Decorate Your Santa Hats
Use white frosting to pipe a thick ring around the edge of the cupcake—this forms the brim of Santa’s hat.
Fill the center with your red frosting, spiraling upward to form a hat shape.
Add a small dot of white frosting on the top of each hat and place a mini marshmallow on top.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a little snow effect if desired!
You’ll instantly see those Santa hats come to life—and they’re almost too cute to eat!
? Tips for the Best Santa Cupcakes
- ✅ Cool completely – Always decorate cooled cupcakes to prevent melting frosting.
- ✅ Use room temperature frosting – It pipes more smoothly.
- ✅ Don’t overfill liners – Half full gives the perfect height for frosting.
- ✅ Get creative – Try using strawberry Santa hats instead for a fruity twist.
- ✅ Store smart – Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5.
? Fun Variations
- ? Use chocolate cupcakes or white cake mix for different looks.
- ? Top with hulled strawberries for a Santa’s hat look without frosting.
- ❄️ Pipe snowflakes or Christmas trees on extra cupcakes for variety.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
More Christmas Recipes
- Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Christmas Oreo Cupcakes
- Peppermint Bark Christmas Cupcakes
- The Best Christmas Toffee Bars
? Santa Hat Cupcakes (Easy Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes)
Ingredients
- 1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix and the ingredients box calls for
- 2 tubs White Icing
- Red Food Coloring
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
- Mini Marshmallows
Directions
- Start by preparing your red velvet cake batter according to the box instructions. This usually involves oil and eggs; you know the drill!
- Fill cupcake liners 1/2 of the way full and bake according to the box instructions. You will not want to overfill these because it will interfere with how you do your icing, and you need a thick layer for the Santa hat.
- While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare your red icing.
- Place 1 tub of white icing in a large mixing bowl. Add about 10 drops of red food coloring (it takes quite a bit for a deep red color) and mix until well blended with a hand mixer.
- At this time, your icing is probably pretty close to pink, and no problem!
- Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, which will darken the mixture, and mix well.
- Add in ten more drops of red food coloring and mix until well blended.
- Repeat this process until you have achieved the color red you desire.
- I chose to use a piping kit for my icing. At this time, I filled one icing bag with white icing and one with red icing.
- Let cupcakes cool completely after baking and before icing.
- Now start on your Santa hats by icing just the outer edge of each cupcake with white icing.
- Fill in the center of each cupcake, working your way up into a hat shape, with red icing.
- You should see your Santa hat take form.
- Top each hat off with a mini marshmallow.
Nutrition
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