Reindeer Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | $10 Giveaway

We are getting ready for the holidays over here with our little reindeer creations. There has always been something about this time of year that makes me want to bake (and bake and bake). It's better than ever this year because I have the cutest little helper in the kitchen! My daughter might actually like baking more than I do (which is saying a lot) so she keeps me motivated to try new things. I made some reindeer cookies last year, but when I saw the cinnamon cream cheese frosting recipe on Pinterest I knew I needed to try it. Klair wasn't sad about the idea. We had a lot of fun making our Rudolph's and licking the frosting from the bowl (because yes, it's that good).


Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 Box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix (We picked yellow, but chocolate would also work well)
• 1 Package of vanilla pudding mix
• Butter milk
• Candy
• Chocolate covered pretzels 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Creme de la Crumb)

• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream 

Instructions: 

Follow the instructions on the Betty Crocker box. Add the package of vanilla pudding mix and replace half of the water with buttermilk (this creates extremely soft and amazing cupcakes). 

When the cupcakes are cooled prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until it's fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of heavy cream as needed to thin the frosting to a desired consistency. (Note: If you are wanting to pipe the frosting on you'll need a thicker consistency so use less heavy cream. Depending on how thick you want the frosting you may have to double the recipe as well). Spread (or pipe) the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and store cupcakes and any leftover frosting in an airtight container.  

Next comes the fun part. I had my daughter and her cousins help me put the chocolate dipped pretzels and candies on the cupcakes to create our Rudolphs. They loved helping me decorate the reindeer while eating the candies. It's a fun Christmas tradition I definitely want to continue! And now I want to find more recipes to use this frosting on... 

$10 GIVEAWAY 

And don't forget I've partnered with WinCo, Betty Crocker, and Chex and I'm giving one lucky follower an opportunity to win $10 in Paypal cash. This giveaway will go for one week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck!

Click Here for Easy Entry $10 Giveaway! 

Click here for Betty Crocker and Chex coupons!

This post is sponsored by WinCo & Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Easy Holiday Desert | Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix Recipe | $10 Giveaway

Looking for a last minute sweet treat for your holiday entertaining that is sure to WOW your loved ones? This pumpkin harvest Chex mix (complete with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and pecans) is the perfect pre-dinner snack to get the party started tomorrow night! I don't know about you, but I absolutely love snacking before the main event. In fact... I think I might even like it more than the dinner itself. With plenty of savory options already covered at my family get together, I was tasked with finding a sweet treat to please. I found this recipe and I knew it would be perfect.

All it took was one quick trip to WinCo and I had all I needed! My love for that store is no secret to anyone who knows me. They have the best prices and their bulk foods section rivals that of any so-called "health food or natural store" (think Whole Foods) but at a fraction of the cost! They're even cheaper than Costco. I'm not sure how they do it, but I'm certainly not complaining. Click this link for Winco Chex & Betty Crocker Coupons and a chance to win a $100 gift card!


I made this last night in the slow cooker and it has already been a huge hit with my family. I might actually have to make it again because we have already eaten almost the entire batch. We just can't keep out of it. It's a good "problem" to have.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix

What You Need:

2 cups Cinnamon Chex
2 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Vanilla Chex
1 cup Pecans (chopped or whole)
2 cups mini graham crackers (I couldn't find minis so I broke regular sized ones into small pieces)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. In your slow cooker stir together the cereals, pecans, graham crackers, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

2. In a small bowl mix together melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Pour over the cereal mixture; stir (gently so you don't break the cereal pieces) until evenly coated.

3. Cook uncovered on high heat setting for 2 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes

4. Spread cereal mixture on ungreased cookie sheet or waxed paper. Cool 3 to 5 minutes before serving. 

$10 GIVEAWAY 

And lastly I've partnered with WinCo, Betty Crocker, and Chex and I'm giving one lucky follower an opportunity to win $10 in Paypal cash. This giveaway will go for one week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck! And Happy Thanksgiving!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Chex & Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed are entirely my own.