Teddy bears and Valentineās Day go together as perfectly as chocolate and peanut butter. These Chocolate Teddy Bear Cupcakes are the ultimate sweet treat for the holiday, featuring "huggable" peanut butter cup bears holding bright red candy hearts.
Whether you are a seasoned chocolatier or looking for a fun project to do with the kids, these decorated cupcakes are simple to assemble and guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's face.
Originally Published on January 20, 2016 - New Video Added in 2018
š§øWhy Youāll Love These Bear Cupcakes
Cuteness Factor: These teddy bear cupcakes are adorably cute! They'll make sweet party favors or festive desserts for Valentine's Day, a baby shower, or a birthday party.
The Perfect Combo: Rich chocolate cupcakes topped with creamy peanut butter cups. What's not to love?
Customizable: Use your favorite homemade cupcake and frosting recipes or save time with store-bought shortcuts.
No Special Molds Required: These bears are handcrafted using Reese's Cups and candies.
What Youāll Need: Ingredients & Supplies
To make these adorably cute Valentine's Day cupcakes, gather the following:
š§The Base
Chocolate Cupcakes: I recommend a sturdy chocolate cupcake (like my ultimate chocolate cupcakes recipe).
Stiff Chocolate Frosting: You need a frosting that can hold its shape. A thick chocolate ganache frosting or a crusting buttercream works best.
Pro Tip: If using store-bought frosting tubs, stir in a little extra cocoa powder and powdered sugar to thicken the consistency so the bear doesn't "sink."
š»The Teddy Bear Decorations
- Reese's Cups: Standard size for the bear's body/head.
- Candy Melts: Light Cocoa (for the ears) and Peanut Butter (for the snout).
- Candy Eyes: Small size.
- Whoppers: Chocolate malt balls for the arms.
- Heart Candies: Cherry JuJu hearts, Swedish Fish hearts, or Conversation hearts.
- Support (Optional): Pocky Cookie Sticks to help the bear stand tall.
šShop for Supplies
You can find items needed to make these adorably cute Valentine's Day cupcakes from Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)
REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups,...Shop on Amazon 
Wilton Light Cocoa Candy Me...Shop on Amazon 
Wilton Peanut Butter Candy ...Shop on Amazon 
REESE'S PIECES Chocolate Pe...Shop on Amazon
ā
" White And Black Icing ...Shop on Amazon 
Wilton Kraft Wave Baking Cu...Shop on Amazon 
WHOPPERS Malted Milk Balls ...Shop on Amazon 
Yankee Traders Ju Jube Cher...Shop on Amazon
šÆStep-by-Step: How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Bears
1. Melt the Candy Coating
Melt a small bowl of Light Cocoa Candy Melts in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring until smooth. This will act as your "glue."
2. Create the Snout and Face
- Add two candy eyes just above the snout.
- Attach one Peanut Butter Candy Melt wafer to the lower half of the Reese's Cup.
- Use a dot of melted candy to attach a small chocolate candy (or a chocolate chip) for the nose.
3. Attach the Ears
To get the ears to sit flush against the round Reese's Cup, use a small round cookie cutter or a sharp knife to cut a curved "crescent" shape out of two Light Cocoa wafers. Dip the cut edge in melted candy and press them onto the top sides of the head.
Cleaning up "Bloom": If your candy wafers have white streaks (fat bloom), simply rub them gently with the palm of your hand. The natural warmth of your skin will restore the glossy finish!
Assembling the Teddy Bear Cupcakes
- Frost: Pipe a tall, sturdy swirl of chocolate frosting onto your cooled cupcakes.
- Anchor: If your frosting feels soft, slide a Pocky stick into the center of the cupcake, leaving about an inch poking out to act as a "backrest" for the bear.
- Place the Bear: Press the decorated Reese's Cup bear into the frosting at a slight angle.
- The "Hug": Place a Cherry JuJu Heart on the bearās chest. Place two Whoppers on either side of the heart, pressing them into the frosting so it looks like the bear is hugging the heart.
Related Recipes
You might also enjoy making these other adorably cute Reese's Cup animal cupcakes.
Recipe and Video
These adorable cupcakes feature a rich chocolate base topped with a "huggable" teddy bear made from a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Perfect for Valentine's Day or any occasion that needs a bit of sweetness, they combine classic chocolate and peanut butter flavors with a whimsical, handcrafted look.
- 12 Chocolate Cupcakes, baked and cooled
- 2 cups Stiff Chocolate Frosting
- 12 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Standard size
- 24 Light Cocoa Candy Melt wafers for ears
- 12 Peanut Butter Candy Melt wafers for snouts
- 24 Candy eyes
- 12 Cherry JuJu Hearts, or similar heart candy
- 24 Whopper Malted Milk Balls
- Ā¼ cup Light Cocoa Candy Melts, melted, for assembly
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Prepare the Bears: Use melted candy coating to "glue" the peanut butter wafer (snout), eyes, and nose onto the Reese's Cup.
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Trim Ears: Cut a small curve into the Light Cocoa wafers and attach them to the top of the Reese's Cup using melted candy. Let set for 5 minutes.
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Frost Cupcakes: Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.
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Assemble: Press the bear into the frosting. Place the candy heart on the bear's "lap" and tuck two Whoppers on the sides to create the arms.
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Set: Allow the cupcakes to sit for 15 minutes to ensure the "glue" is fully set before transporting.
Recipe Video
Make-Ahead Tips: While fully assembled cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, for the best results, I highly recommend decorating the Reese's Cup Bears in advance. Store the completed bears in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Ā
Frosting is Key: If you are using a crusting frosting, such as a traditional buttercream, it is best to attach the bears to freshly piped frosting. Plan to frost your cupcakes immediately before final assembly to ensure the decorations stick securely.
Ā
Store-Bought Shortcut: If you are using store-bought cupcakes, choose ones with a generous, tall swirl of frosting. Ensure the frosting has not already crusted over, or the bears and candy "arms" may not stay in place.
Ā
Prep Ahead: You can bake the cupcakes well in advance and even freeze them if needed. This is a great way to save time before a big party or Valentine's Day event.
Ā
Day-of Assembly: On the day of your celebration, simply thaw the cupcakes (if frozen), pipe on a fresh swirl of frosting, and then attach the Reese's Cup Bear, malt ball paws, and candy heart for the best presentation.
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J H says
it say video tutorial, but I didn't see a link to the video. Is there a video that shows how you made this in addition to the instructions above? Making these in class and just want to get a handle on the how tos. Thanks so much they're cute!
Beth says
Hi JH, the video should show up right below this text "Reeseās Cup Teddy Bear Cupcakes Video Tutorial." The video can take a bit of time to load and there will be an ad that plays before the video. You should see a grey band at the top of the video that says "Chocolate Teddy Bear Cupcakes."
If you can't get that to load you can also watch it on YouTube here - https://youtu.be/wsJfCD8S-Y8
Have fun making the cupcakes!
tina says
one last question, i promise! I can use regular chocolate chips melted to use as āglueā right? it doesnāt have to be the candy wafer melts? or do they adhere better?
Beth says
Chocolate chips are pure chocolate and they will need to be tempered otherwise they will remain soft. They won't harden properly and they will become spotty. Unless you want to temper the chocolate I would recommend using candy melts instead. You only need to melt the candy melts and they will harden properly and be shiny.
tina says
the cupcakes were a hit!!! i got tons of compliments and it was the talk of the school during lunch time.. haha. even though it took me all day and had trouble with making the white chocolate frosting.. it was worth it! i ruined the white chocolate ganache but thank the good lord i bought a tub of frosting from the grocery store and just thickened it up with powered sugar. thank you soo much for all your help!!
Beth says
I'm so happy to hear they cupcakes were a huge hit! Sorry to hear your white chocolate ganache didn't work but I'm sure the kids loved their cupcakes with store-bought frosting.
tina says
i wanted to make a treat for my sonās kindergarten class for vday and totally need to make this!! i think some of the kids donāt like chocolate so i was thinking making a raspberry filling in the middle.. do you think itll be okay? will the pocky stick stay in place or would it move around? also for the frosting.. (iām going to make your ganache frosting you posted) can i make it the night before and keep it refrigerated til the next morning? i need to have the cupcakes ready and delivered by lunch time.. iām not sure how long itāll take me to make the frosting and pipe it in the morning. i know i can make the cupcakes and bear faces the night before so that will help with the time. Thanks so much!! iām so excited to try this but kinda stressing me out too! lol
Beth says
Hi Tina,
I know the kids will love these teddy bear cupcakes! For the kids who don't like chocolate, I would suggest making white cupcakes and use white chocolate Reese's Cups like I did when making my Polar Bear Cupcakes If you do decided to add filling then you won't be able to use the Pocky Stick to hold up the Reese's Cup. If you are making the chocolate ganache frosting, it is stiff enough to hold up the peanut butter cups on their own.
Speaking of the ganache frosting, it really should be whipped and piped the day it is made otherwise it will get too firm. It's also best to add the Reese's Cups right after you pipe on the frosting so that they easily stick to the soft frosting.
You can make and decorate the cupcakes a day before you need them. Just cover them and let them sit at room temperature. They will be fine for a day. Have fun!
tina says
polar bear cupcakes are so cute too!! can i make the frosting the same way but with white chocolate chips? about how many cupcakes does your ganache frosting cover?
Beth says
If you add a small swirl of frosting on top of a cupcake you should have enough of the chocolate ganache frosting for 20-22 cupcakes. You'll need more frosting to make the swirl for the bear cupcakes. The recipe will probably be enough for 12-16 cupcakes. I used 12 ounces of dark chocolate to 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and the frosting was quite firm. If you want a softer frosting you can use 8 ounces dark chocolate to 1 cup of cream.
White chocolate is softer than dark chocolate so when using it to make a whipped frosting you'll need to use more white chocolate. I'd suggest using 16 ounces of white chocolate to 8 ounces (1 cup) of heavy whipping cream for a firm frosting or 12 ounces white chocolate to 8 ounces heavy whipping cream for a softer frosting.
tina says
i bought semi-chocolates to make the frosting.. can i just use the same amount as the dark chocolate? or are they softer like the white chocolates? thank you so much for your help!! praying that they turn out cute and yummy!
Beth says
Hi Tina, Sorry for the confusion. Semi-sweet chocolate is dark chocolate so yes, you'll use the same amounts.
Brandee Mathena says
Trying to figure out how to print the recipe
Beth says
Hi Brandee,
Being there isn't a recipe per say for this post you can do one of two things:
You can use the printer button on the left side of the screen to print out the entire post (you can also choose which pages to print, if you don't want all the pages.)
You can also copy and paste the tutorial into a word document then print that out.
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
Well he melted my heart for sure! And who doesn't love a messy bear hug..incoming!! Thanks for the tip on the candy melts..I had never thought about that! š
Beth says
I'm so glad you feel these teddy bears are huggable. I do too!
the partiologist says
All I can say is these little cupcakes are BEARY cute!
Beth says
Thanks, Kim. I love them BEARY much!
Lena says
How did you attach the teddy bear to the cupcake? BTW...they are adorable!
Beth says
I just pushed it into the frosting and it stuck. Thanks. š
Tavette says
Another wonderfully cute creation using cupcakes and Reeses pb cups. Somehow I missed seeing the reindeer you created in Dec. so clicked on that. TWO treats in one day - whoo hoo. On the reindeer link I see the delicious recipe for the cupcakes and the ganache frosting. Oh my......
Next I noticed the fluted cupcake liners so looked on your Amazon link as I don't think I've ever seen brown cupcake liners. Wilton wave cups are what they're called. They add that little extra "touch".
Thanks for posting these adorable little teddies so we can get our ingredients together in time for Valentines Day.
Tavette - S. Fla.
Beth says
Thanks, Tavette. Yes, that cupcake recipe is amazing. It's what I used to make these teddy bear cupcakes. For fun, I added some peanut butter to the chocolate ganache frosting. It was delish, but needed some tweaking. I'll make it again and share the recipe.
I love those wavy cups. They are so pretty. I need to get some more, being I used my last one making these bears. I definitely recommend them, just know that they are a bit smaller than normal cups, so you'll make a few extra cupcakes.