These Ugly Christmas Sweater Cupcakes are the perfect way to show off your holiday spirit and spread some cheer. With their bright colors, festive decorations, and delicious taste, these cupcakes make a great addition to any Christmas party!
Whether you’re hosting a small gathering of family or throwing a large office bash, everyone will love these sweet treats. And, they would be even better to take to an ugly sweater party.
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Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. The full list can be found in the recipe card.
- Cake mix – You will need a box of your favorite cake mix plus the ingredients called for on the back of the box. I used vanilla.
- Sprinkles – Pull out those holiday sprinkles. A variety works great.
- Frosting – You can whip a batch of homemade buttercream, use store-bought in a variety of colors, or use leftover frosting from cookie decorating.
- Candy – Sometimes this candy is called sour strips. I used a bag of Haribo Sour Streamers.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps that you need to make these festive cupcakes. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Make the cupcakes according to the package directions. Cool them completely. While they cool gather your supplies, and color your frosting.
Frost the cupcakes in a variety of colors and designs. And, add the Christmas sprinkles and decorations if desired.
Make the bow by dividing the streamer in half. Then snip a small square from on streamer, and set aside for the bow. Fold the cut streamer in half, and then use the remaining streamer to bring the ends together in the middle. Press together. Place the small square on top and press firmly for it to stick.
Add the bow to the top of the cupcakes. Then allow the cupcakes to set up for 30 minutes to an hour so the decorations are set up.
Hint: I used a boxed cake mix and store-bought white frosting that I dyed colors. However, you can use your favorite homemade recipes as well.
Variations
- Frosting – I used green, white, and red frosting. You can use blue, neon green, purple, pink, or even primary yellow.
- Cupcakes – I used a mix of vanilla cake mix and chocolate cake mix to cupcakes of both flavors. You can make both or make one or the other.
- Sprinkles – Feel free to get creative and use any type of sprinkles that you have on hand. I used Christmas Lights shaped sprinkles to make a string of lights, nonpareils, and jimmie style sprinkles. But, feel free to use any type of holiday garnishes that you have on hand.
These Instant Pot Dr Pepper Meatballs and Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Sliders are both great party appetizers for your holiday parties this year.
Equipment
- Cupcake pan
- Piping bag – This is optional but helpful.
- Kitchen shears
Storage
Store these cupcakes in an airtight container for up to three days. You can also freeze the cupcakes but I don’t recommend freezing them with the frosting on them. Frost them after they are thawed completely.
Test Kitchen Tips
- If you have trouble getting your bows to stick on top of the cupcake, you can use clear treat picks to hold them on. Just make sure that you warn your guests that they are there.
- Feel free to get creative with your toppings you don’t have to stick to just red icing or green frosting. You can add mini marshmallows for snow, or candy canes for an extra festive touch.
- This dessert would be so much fun to make at your ugly sweater holiday party. You can have a competition to see who can get their cupcake to match their Christmas sweaters.
FAQ
An ugly sweater party is when people dress up in holiday sweaters that are intentionally tacky or “ugly” and socialize. It’s a popular Christmas and holiday themed party idea.
Yes, you can make them up to 24 hours in advance. I don’t recommend making them earlier than that as they may dry out.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Ugly Sweater Cupcakes for special occasions:
Ugly Sweater Cupcakes
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Cupcake Pan
- Scissors
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce vanilla cake mix plus required ingredients like eggs, oil, and water as per the package instructions
- Frosting in various colors store-bought or homemade
- Sprinkles in various sizes and shapes
- 24 strips gummy streamers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the cake mix box. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Prepare the cake batter following the instructions on the box.
- Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with the cake batter.
- Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven as per the package instructions.
- Once baked, let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, decorate the cupcakes with various frostings, decorations, and designs to resemble Christmas sweaters.
- To make the bows: Divide each gummy stream in half through the length.
- Snip a small square from one streamer and reserve for the bow knot.
- Fold the rest of the cut streamer in half and place on the cupcake.
- With the remaining streamer, bring the ends together in the middle, folding it into the bow and pressing together in the middle where the seams meet. Place the small square on top of the seams and press to make it stick.
- Place the bow on top of the streamer on the cupcake.
- Allow the decorated cupcakes to set for a little while, so the decorations stay in place.
Notes
- You can buy sour strip candies on Amazon to make your ribbons but Haribo Sour Streamers would also work well.
- I used nonpareils and Christmas light sprinkles but you can use any type of that you have on hand.
- Make sure that the cupcakes cool completely before you frost them overwise the frosting will melt off.