There’s just something about peppermint that instantly screams Christmas, right?! The cool, minty flavor, the red-and-white swirls, the way a single candy cane can transform any dessert into a full-blown holiday moment. These Peppermint Swirl Christmas Cupcakes are everything I love about festive baking: easy, adorable, and so nostalgic it practically jingles!

Peppermint Swirl Christmas Cupcakes (with Candy Cane Crunch!)

And here’s the sweetest part - growing up, my mom always had peppermints in her purse. Seriously, 24/7, like it was part of her official mom uniform. Whether we were at the doctor’s office, church, or standing in line at the grocery store, you could count on her pulling out one of those little red-and-white candies. So adding crushed candy canes to these cupcakes is like inviting her to join our holiday celebration - and honestly, I can’t think of a more heartwarming (or pepperminty!) way to remember her!

Now let’s bake some holiday magic!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

15.5 oz box white cake mix
1 ¼ cups water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 egg whites
Red food coloring
2–3 cups vanilla frosting
¼ cup crushed candy canes

Supplies:

Measuring cups
Large mixing bowl
Electric mixer or stand mixer
Cupcake pan + liners (bonus points for red & white ones!)
Piping bag
Wilton 1A frosting tip (or your fave!)

Directions:

Crush your candy canes like you're releasing all that holiday stress in the most delicious way possible! Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with festive liners.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), combine the cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites. Beat on medium for 2 minutes until smooth and slightly fluffy.

Divide the batter in half. In one bowl, add 4 drops of red food coloring and stir until you’ve got a merry, bright red batter.

Add your batters to the liners in alternating layers - white, red, white, red - to get that dreamy swirl effect. No precision needed, just have fun with it!

Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely (about 1 hour).

While the cupcakes cool, mix about ⅓ of your frosting with a few drops of red food coloring.

Layer your frosting into the piping bag like this: half white, then red, then the rest of the white. This gives you that gorgeous peppermint swirl when you pipe!

Pipe tall, fluffy swirls of frosting onto each cooled cupcake.

Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top like edible Christmas confetti. Done and dazzling!

Tara’s Tips & Sweet Substitutions:

🎄 Want a little extra flair? Add a mini candy cane or peppermint bark shard as a cupcake topper!
🧁 No piping bag? Use a zip-top bag and snip the corner - your secret’s safe with me.
🍫 Feeling chocolatey? Swap the white cake for chocolate mix and make a peppermint mocha cupcake situation. YES PLEASE!

Yield: 24

Peppermint Swirl Christmas Cupcakes

Name: Peppermint Swirl Christmas Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15.5 oz box white cake mix; 1 ¼ cups water; ½ cup vegetable oil; 4 egg whites; Red food coloring; 2-3 cups vanilla frosting; ¼ cup crushed candy canes

Aa festive holiday dessert with fluffy vanilla cake swirled with red for a peppermint-inspired look. Topped with creamy frosting and crushed candy canes, they’re as pretty as they are delicious.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

15.5 oz box white cake mix
1 ¼ cups water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 egg whites
Red food coloring
2-3 cups vanilla frosting
¼ cup crushed candy canes

Instructions

Crush the candy canes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cupcake pan with liners. (we used red and white and plain red ones)
In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, add the cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add half the batter to a separate bowl and add 4 drops of red food coloring. Stir well.
Add a small amount of white batter to the cupcake liners, then red, then white, then red.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Add about ⅓ of the frosting to a bowl and add a few drops of red food coloring. Stir well.
To a piping bag, layer half the white frosting, red frosting, then the rest of the white frosting.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Top with crushed candy canes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 394Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 192mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 0gSugar: 50gProtein: 2g

These cupcakes are such a simple yet magical Christmas dessert idea - they’re perfect for cookie swaps, classroom parties, or just cozy nights when you want something sweet and special. The red swirl is festive and fun, and that candy cane crunch on top? Chef’s kiss! Honestly, every bite feels like a holiday hug from someone you love.

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