Easy Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes are just as delicious as they are adorable! Oreo cupcakes topped with frosting and coconut create the perfect furry polar bear paw! An Oreo cookie and chocolate candies finish the look and make these cupcakes universally appealing to kids and adults alike!
Looking for more easy treats the kids can help with? Try these Rolo Pretzel Buttons and Peppermint Patties!
Looking for a fun and easy treat for the holidays? These Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes are incredibly adorable and easy to make thanks to all the shortcuts we’re using.
To start, I’m using a box mix and flavoring it with yummy Oreos for a tasty twist that takes no time at all. The cupcakes are then frosting with whipped white frosting for a light as air topping that’s perfectly white. The “paws” get their classic polar bear furry look with a quick dip or dusting into sweetened, shredded coconut.
To finish the look, we’re using Oreo halves and Hershey’s drops for the toes and pad on the bottom of the paw. It’s simple, fun, and easy that your kiddos will have a blast making them!
Trish’s Tips
Feel free to use your favorite cake flavor – chocolate would be amazing go the homemade route and use this homemade vanilla cake recipe! The frosting can also be homemade if you like.
The cream cheese frosting from my Carrot Cake recipe is a delicious match. Just use clear vanilla extract or coconut extract for a more pure white color and really whip it good so it’s nice and light.
More Tasty Christmas Treats
There is no better time than the holiday season to spend time with loved ones baking and cooking up all sorts of fun treats. Here are some of our favorites:
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
- Snow Day Snack Mix
- Reindeer Cookie Bars
- Holiday Dipped Peppermint Oreos – How To + Tips!
- Hot Cocoa Fudge
Love polar bears? Check out my easy Polar Bear Ornaments! They are such a fun and easy craft for the kiddos!
What You’ll Need
This short list is sure to inspire you to get in the kitchen and get baking! As always, you can find the full printable recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need for this recipe:
- White cake mix: You can substitute another cake mix if you prefer, even a chocolate cake would taste great in this recipe.
- Oreos: I used Caramel Coconut Oreos because they complement the coconut flavors very nicely but you can substitute any other chocolate Oreo or sandwich cookie of your choice.
- Whipped white frosting: The whipped white frosting is whiter but you can use a regular vanilla frosting in a pinch. You can also make your own! Cream cheese frosting is especially delicious in this recipe, you can use my Carrot Cake frosting recipe if you like.
- Coconut extract: You can use vanilla extract instead.
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Hershey’s milk chocolate drops: You can substitute brown peanut or peanut butter M&Ms if you prefer but they will not look as uniform as the chocolate drops.
How To Make Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven and prepare two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
- Prepare the white cake mix as directed on the box.
- Remove 10 Oreos from the package and gently cut or twist them in half so that you have 20 halves.
- Process the remaining Oreos in a food processor or blender (35 cookies.
- Fold the processed Oreos into the prepared white cake mix.
- Fill each cupcake liner ¾ full and bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes.
- Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.
Food processor: This makes crushing the Oreos quicker but it isn’t absolutely necessary. The Oreos can be crushed in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin or in a large mixing bowl with a potato masher.
To Decorate
- Gently fold together the whipped white frosting and the coconut extract.
- Place the shredded coconut in a shallow bowl.
- Frost a cupcake using a knife or a piping bag and immediately dip the frosted cupcake in the coconut or sprinkle the coconut on top.
- Place one Oreo half, word side up, on the bottom middle of the frosting and place three Hershey’s drops, word side down, above the Oreo to be the “toes”.
- Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and enjoy your Polar Bear Paws!
Storage Information
These Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They are best when warmed to room temperature before serving. The Oreo on top may get stale if you store them uncovered but otherwise they will be fine. They can also be frozen for up to 6 months if thawed and brought to room temperature before serving.
Kid Friendly Recipe
This is a great recipe to make with kids! Most of the steps are easy and safe, as long as an adult is responsible for the actual baking and the knives used for frosting the cupcakes are dull.
My boys love mixing up the cake mix for me and since you will be dipping these cupcakes in coconut it really doesn’t matter how well they are frosted so it is a great chance for little hands to get involved (don’t be surprised if some frosting ends up on their little nose and fingers!). Pressing on the Oreo halves and the chocolate drops is another easy and fun step that is fun for the whole family. I promise you that this recipe will become a favorite not just to eat but to make as well!
This perfect winter dessert is fun for the whole family! Get everyone together to make and eat these cute and tasty Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes.
More Fun Christmas Treats
How To Make Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes
Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 16.25 ounces white cake mix plus ingredients to prepare as directed on box (egg whites, oil, water, etc.)
- 17 ounces Oreos divided, I used Caramel Coconut but any flavor will work
- 14 ounces whipped white frosting one tub
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
- 7.6 ounces Hershey’s milk chocolate drops 1 bag
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, prepare the white cake mix as directed on the box.16.25 ounces white cake mix
- Remove 10 Oreos from the package and gently cut or twist them in half so that you have 20 halves. If one of your halves breaks, don’t worry, add it back to the package and replace it with an unbroken one.17 ounces Oreos
- Put the remaining Oreos in a food processor or blender (35 cookies) and pulse to chop them. You do not want to pulse them to a powder, just crush them so that they are broken into smaller pieces.17 ounces Oreos
- Fold the processed Oreos into the prepared white cake mix.
- Fill each cupcake liner ¾ full (you should have enough batter for about 20 cupcakes).
- Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a center cupcake comes out clean.
- Place the cupcakes on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting and decorating them.
- To decorate the cupcakes, use a medium mixing bowl and gently fold together the whipped white frosting and the coconut extract.14 ounces whipped white frosting, ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- Place the shredded coconut in a shallow bowl.7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
- Frost a cupcake using a knife or a piping bag and immediately dip the frosted cupcake in the coconut or sprinkle the coconut on top.
- Place one Oreo half, word side up, on the bottom middle of the frosting and place three Hershey’s drops, word side down, above the Oreo to be the “toes”.17 ounces Oreos, 7.6 ounces Hershey’s milk chocolate drops
- Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and enjoy your Polar Bear Paws!
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