Easy Christmas Wreath Cupcakes

It’s that special time of year & for my household, this time of year means baking & more baking.  Ever since I was little, Christmas not only meant a day of celebration, but a holiday season full of holiday traditions & family memories.  Now that I am a mom, I love to provide fun experiences & activities for my kids to really make the holiday season special in their eyes.  One of our favorite things to do at this time of year is gather in the kitchen together during these cold afternoons & bake fun treats with one another.  With lots of activities such as holiday parties, school Christmas shows, & fun playdates with friends, we have lots of opportunities this month to share some of our fun holiday treats with our friends.  When I am cooking with the kids, I try to keep my recipes simple & fun.  And to make things a lot easier, we often use boxed cake mixes, ready to go frosting, and simple toppings to decorate.  Below, I am sharing a fun idea we the kids & I came up with together:  Easy Wreath Cupcakes.

There isn’t really anything fancy about these cupcakes.  All you need is a box of cake mix, white & green vanilla frosting,  M&M’s®  and licorice.  I picked up everything that I need at Walmart when I was out running errands & Christmas shopping this weekend.

And now for our super simple tutorial…

Bake cupcakes using the cake mix.  Yes, Pillsbury™ Funfetti® is a favorite in our house.

Let the cupcakes cool & frost first with simple white frosting.

Then, place the green frosting in a piping bag & quickly pipe on a wreath.  It doesn’t have to look super perfect because it’s “greenery”& will be decorated.  Now, it’s all ready for the berries (aka the  M&M’s® to be added…)

After you add the M&M’s®, then add a quick licorice bow.

And now, it’s all ready to be eaten!

We often enjoy an afternoon sweet treat with a nice glass of milk.  Speaking of milk, we all know how wonderful it is for you.  It has nine essential nutrients & eight grams of protein per serving, but did you know that milk is one of the most requested items at food banks around the nation.   People don’t typically donate milk because it’s perishable, so on average, food banks are only able to provide one gallon of milk per person per year.  There is a simple way that we can help.  For a small donation at pourmilklove.com, The Great American Milk Drive will delivered a gallon of milk to a family in need in your local community.  Right now, when you purchase 2 bags of M&M’s® (9.4oz. or larger) at Walmart, a gallon of milk will be donated to the Great American Milk Drive.

 1 box of Pillsbury™ Funfetti® cake mix

1 container  of white Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Vanilla frosting

1 container of green Pillsbury™ Funfetti® Vanilla frosting

6 eggs (per cake mix instructions)

1/2 cup of oil (per cake mix instructions)

3/4 cup of water

1 package of M&M’s® White Peppermint candies for decoration

1 package of M&M’s® Holiday Milk Chocolate candies for decoration

Licorice strings

1.  Bake cupcakes according to Pillsbury™ Funfetti® package directions.

2.  Let cool & then add white frosting for a base.

3.  Put green frosting into a piping bag & make a quick wreath.

4.  Add  M&M’s® White Peppermint candies &  M&M’s® Holiday Milk Chocolate candies for decoration.

5.  Use a thin piece of licorice to make a bow & add on to cupcake.

6.  Serve with milk.