Magical Snow Globe Cupcakes: Easy No-Bake Tutorial

If you’re looking for a festive and stress-free treat this holiday season, these Snow Globe cupcakes are exactly what you need – no baking required! Turn those store-bought cupcakes into a whimsical and showstopping dessert that is perfect for holiday parties or family fun. They’re quick to make, kid-approved, and sure to impress.

Magical Snow Globe Cupcakes

I remember scrolling through Instagram a few weeks ago, and I kept running across these adorable Snow Globe cupcakes, which immediately caught my eye.

The cupcakes looked magical, and I knew I had to make them for my kids. But, like with most Pinterest-worthy ideas, my first attempt didn’t go as planned, and I almost scrapped the entire project.

To keep this holiday treat simple, I grabbed some store-bought cupcakes that were already frosted. I stuck with white to resemble the snow. But as soon as I tried to fit the Snow Globe top (half of a clear ornament) on the top, I realized that it didn’t work. The frosting was too high, and the globe didn’t fit.

After a bit of trial and error (and a few messy cupcakes), I figured out that I just needed to remove some of the frosting to make everything fit “just right.”

After learning the hard way (because, let’s be real, social media doesn’t always share the fails), I’m excited to share all my tips and tricks with you so that your attempt is smoother and more frustration-free.

Follow along, and you’ll have these adorable Snow Globe cupcakes ready to impress your family and friends in no time!

Supplies for Snowglobe Cupcakes

You can find most of the supplies you need to purchase ahead of time here for your conveince.

• You can use store-bought or homemade cupcakes. I suggest ones with white icing to mimic snow, but this is up to you.
• Christmas Icing Decorations (I’ve listed my favorites here).
• Powdered Sugar (for snow effect)
• Clear plastic ornaments for the Snow Globe top.
• Additional Christmas sprinkles are just for decoration.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Supplies

First, you’ll want to gather all the supplies I’ve listed above. You’ll need Christmas icing decorations and clear plastic ornaments. (I was able to have these shipped overnight with Amazon Prime.)

Step 2: Cupcake selection

Decide if you’ll be using store-bought cupcakes or homemade cupcakes. For this project, I wanted something simple that everyone could enjoy, so I opted for store-bought cupcakes.

Store-bought: I recommend finding cupcakes with white icing to mimic the snow. Most places I checked only had white cupcakes with sprinkles, which were not Christmas-themed. You can probably ask a bakery to leave off the sprinkles, but I did find plain white cupcakes at our local Target bakery.

Homemade: You can also make your cupcakes at home if you prefer. White cupcakes work best, but this is up to your personal preference.

Step 3: Prepping Cupcakes

If you decide to use store-bought cupcakes, you’ll likely need to remove some of the icing.

Although the vanilla cupcakes I purchased from Target were beautiful, the amount of icing didn’t allow the ornament to fit perfectly on top. I took a butter knife and just removed the top half of the icing.

If you’re making homemade cupcakes, remember only to do a thin layer of icing.

Step 4: Decorate

The first thing I did was add a little powdered sugar to all the cupcakes, which gave a whimsical snow effect.

Then, I added my icing decorations.

You can add as many, or as few, ornaments as you’d like. I made these for my kids so I opted to put two icing decorations on each cupcake. I then topped them with small red, white, and green round sprinkles.

Step 5: Add the ornament top

The last step for your Snow Globe cupcakes is to add half of an ornament to the top of your cupcake.

As long ad you’ve kept your icing low, the tops should fit your cupcake perfectly. Enjoy your Snowglobe cupcakes.

Tips for Success

Icing Decorations: I have listed the toppings we used here. I tried several, some from Target & a few Wilton from Amazon and the Target decorations were too large. The Target decorations would work if you laid them down but not standing straight up.

The Wilton can work but the candy canes broke easily, these are the decorations that are made up of several tiny dots (pictured above). If you are letting little kids help make these, I’d avoid the Wilton because I can see a child crying because their icing decoration broke. My daughter actually had a little meltdown because one broke on her while we were getting things ready.

Icing: As I mentioned above, if your icing is too high on your cupcake these ornaments will not fit on the top. I almost threw out this project after a few times because I was convinced I had bought the wrong ornament tops. Much to my surprise, once I cup the top off the icing, they fit perfectly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Happy Baking & Happy Holidays!

These magical snow globe cupcakes are such a fun way to add a little extra holiday magic to your home. I hope this tutorial (and all the little tips I’ve learned from my own trial and error) makes it super easy for you to create these adorable treats with your family. Whether you’re whipping these up for a festive party, a classroom treat, or just a cozy weekend activity, they’re sure to bring lots of smiles!

I’d love to see your snow globe cupcake creations! If you give this project a try, be sure to snap a photo and share it on Instagram—tag me @TandraNicoleHome so I can see all the holiday magic you’re creating. And don’t forget to check out my other easy, family-friendly recipes and DIY projects to keep the festive spirit going all season long.

Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more inspiration on nurturing homes and hearts for the season!

Happy holidays, and happy baking!