Coca-Cola Christmas Cupcakes + DIY Coke Bottle Christmas Characters

Today’s post featuring an incredible recipe for Christmas Coca-Cola Cupcakes and a fun holiday craft, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareHolidayJoy #CollectiveBias

Coca-Cola Christmas Cupcakes Recipe & DIY Coke Bottle Christmas Characters 

Can you believe the holidays are almost here?! This time of year is my favorite for so many reasons! I love the cooler temperatures, the smell of smoke from people’s fireplaces in the cold night air, the beautiful twinkling lights, the joyful music, and spending lots of time with friends and family. I also love the holiday parties, the traditions, and my personal favorite – the fun holiday crafts and delicious recipes to make! 

Speaking of the traditions, every year I make a point to #ShareHolidayJoy with my friends and neighbors by creating a handmade gift. Most of the time this involves baked goods and another fun treat. This year, I decided to make my family’s favorite Coca-Cola Christmas Cupcakes topped with rich Chocolate Coca-Cola Icing! This recipe is so good, that I wanted to share it with you as well – plus a fun craft you can do with the empty bottles! Now I know what you’re thinking, “another Coca-Cola Cupcake recipe?!”. Well yes, and no. You see there is something unique about this recipe, something that makes it stand out from the rest. You want to know my secret?

Coke de Mexico Coca-Cola! Yep, instead of using the Coca-Cola we have here in the US, I prefer to use Coke de Mexico because it is made with real sugar and no high fructose corn syrup! And let me tell you, it makes all the difference! Don’t they look amazing?!

Want to give these cupcakes a try for yourself – and see how to make these adorable candy-filled Coke Bottle Christmas Characters that double as a gift? Keep reading!

Before you get started, you will need to head to your local Sam’s Club to pick up a 24 pack of 355ml glass bottles of Coke de Mexico Coca-Cola. I found it towards the front corner of the store, near the bakery where all of their drinks are located. 

The 24 pack is the perfect size for all your holiday entertaining needs, whether it’s for cooking, parties or a holiday dinner with the entire family! Plus, Sam’s Club has a special holiday price of $3.98 on their 4 pack of 2-liter Coke and Diet Coke! That price is good for the whole holiday season! Now, let’s get cooking!

Coca-Cola Christmas Cupcakes with Chocolate Coca-Cola Icing

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes
1 cup Coca-Cola (Coke de Mexico works best!)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. plus 1/8  tsp. baking soda
1/2  tsp. salt
1 egg

For the Icing
1/2 cup butter 
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup Coca-Cola (Coke de Mexico is best!)
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a cupcake pan with baking papers.

In a small saucepan, add the Coca-Cola, cocoa powder, and butter. 

Stir over medium heat until butter is melted.

Add the sugars and whisk until they are completely dissolved. 

Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool.

Once the mixture has cooled, in a separate large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

In another, smaller bowl, whisk egg until just beaten.

Now whisk the egg into the cooled cocoa mixture.

Follow that with the flour mixture, adding just a little bit at a time, and stirring gently until completely combined. 

Using a small measuring cup or spoon, pour the batter into the cupcake papers until each one is about 3/4 full. Tip: use the foil lined cupcake wrappers as a way to keep the batter from sticking.

Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the middle.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. 

For the Icing

This easy-to-make icing has a consistency that is more like a glaze than a frosting. It adds the perfect amount of chocolate-y sweetness to the Coca-Cola Cupcakes – just don’t overdo it as it is quite sweet! While the cupcakes are cooling is the perfect time to start it. You will want to add the icing to the cupcakes as soon as you finish making it, and while the cupcakes are still slightly warm. Begin by combining the butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 

 

Stir until butter melts and the ingredients are completely combined. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and start adding the powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Last of all, add the vanilla flavoring, and stir well.

That’s it! Your icing is finished. Now you can use a spoon to drizzle it over the cupcakes while it is still warm. Once the icing begins to dry, it will harden slightly. 

Decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles or small candies if desired, and enjoy! And keep in mind, these tasty cupcakes make a great holiday gift!

 

Ready to add a little something more to make the holidays even sweeter? How about these adorable candy-filled Coke Bottle Christmas Characters! Not only does this DIY craft make a great treat or gift idea, it’s a great way to use up all those empty Coca-Cola bottles, too! Aren’t they cute?

 

Want to see how to make them?

DIY Coke Bottle Christmas Characters!  

Santa Bottle

Supplies

1 empty, clean Coca-Cola bottle

Red candies

1 small styrofoam ball

1 small, white pom-pom

Cotton

Black felt

Yellow construction paper

Wiggly eyes

Red or rose-colored marker

Red fabric (I used an old red sock)

Decorative self-adhesive rhinestones

 

Instructions

Begin by filling the empty, clean Coca-Cola bottle with red colored candies.

For the head, use a knife to dig out a hole in a styrofoam ball big enough to fit over the top of the bottle. I actually started a small hole, and was then able to get mine on by pushing down and twisting at the same time. This part can be messy, so you may want to do it over some newspaper. 

 

For the hat – if you want an easy way to do this – use construction paper.  I did it the hard way and used an old red sock. I cut off the top part of the sock (about 3″ worth), then folded the ‘collar’ of the sock a tiny amount and fit it over the head, securing it with hot glue. Since I don’t sew, I then used even more hot glue to form it into the shape I wanted. Finally I hot glued a white pom-pom to the tip, and folded it over to one side. Once the hat was on, I added the mustache and beard which were made out of cotton balls. Next I glued on the eyes, and then drew a mouth using a marker.

 

For the belt, I cut a strip of black felt about 2″ wide, and hot glued it around the bottle. I then added a buckle made of yellow construction paper.  Last, but not least, I added a few self-adhesive rhinestones for buttons going down the front of the bottle. And there’s Santa!

 

Reindeer Bottle

Supplies

1 empty, clean Coca-Cola bottle

Brown candies

Brown pipe cleaners

Wiggly Eyes

Small red pom-pom

 

Instructions

Begin by filling the Coca-Cola bottle with brown colored candies.

 

For the antlers, cut off two pieces of a brown pipe cleaner measuring about 2″ long. Twist one of the small pieces around one end of the pipe cleaner, and then do the same with the second small piece to the other end of the pipe cleaner. Now bend the pipe cleaner around the neck of the bottle, twist it together in the back, and bend the antlers up and out.

 

Last, but not least, use hot glue to add the eyes and the nose. And your reindeer bottle is finished!

 

Snowman Bottle

Supplies

White candies

1 empty, clean Coca-Cola bottle

1 small styrofoam ball

Patterned fabric for the scarf and earmuffs

2 small pom -poms (your choice of color)

Wiggly eyes

Black marker

Orange construction paper for carrot nose

3 black buttons

 

Instructions

Begin by filling an empty, clean Coca-Cola bottle with white colored candies.

Next, just like you did with the Santa bottle, attach the styrofoam ball to the top of the bottle for the head.

 

Once the head is attached, measure and cut a tiny strip of fabric for the earmuffs (the part that goes across the top of the head), and another larger piece for the scarf.

Use hot glue to attach the smallest piece of fabric across the top of the head (from ear to ear), and then hot glue one pom-pom on either end for the fuzzy parts that go over the ears. Now tie the scarf around the neck and secure with a little hot glue, and then glue the eyes and the nose to the head. Use a black marker to draw the mouth.

 

Finally, hot glue 3 black buttons going down the front of the bottle, and you have a snowman!

 

And there you have it, three cute candy-filled Coke Bottle Christmas Characters! 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe and craft! One last thing, the handy-dandy printable recipe…

Print

Coca-Cola Christmas Cupcakes with Coca Cola Icing

These made-from-scratch Coca-Cola Christmas Cupcakes have a rich, chocolatey Coca-Cola flavored icing. Perfect for holiday parties!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• For the Cupcakes
• 1 cup Coca-Cola
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• For the Icing
• 1/3 Coca Cola soft drink
• 1/2 cup butter cut into slices
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Instructions
2. For the Cupcakes
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with baking papers.
4. In a small saucepan, heat Coca-Cola, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until butter is melted.
5. Add in the brown sugar and white sugar, whisking until dissolved.
6. Remove from heat and let cool.
7. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
8. In a small bowl, whisk the egg until just beaten.
9. Whisk the egg into the cooled cocoa mixture until completely combined.
10. The gently stir the flour mixture into cocoa mixture.
11. Pour batter into the cupcake papers, filling them about 3/4 full.
12. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed in the middle.
13. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
14. For the Icing
15. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola, stirring until butter melts.
16. Remove from heat then stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
17. Spoon immediately over warm cake.

Recipe Notes

Tip: use foil lined cupcake liners to prevent cupcakes from sticking

 

 

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe or craft that you use to #ShareHolidayJoy? Share with us below! I’d love to know!