With simple ingredients like brownie mix, two kinds of store-bought cookies, peanuts, and rich chocolate ganache frosting, you too can make these adorable Groundhog Day Brownie Mix Cupcakes that will delight kids, young and old alike.

Sadly, I don't have any other Groundhog Day recipes on my website, but I have other fun food ideas that kids and grandkids alike will enjoy. Such as Homemade Marzipan Bunnies and Chicks, Blueberry and Orange Sheet Pan Pancakes, Burgerdillas, and Burrito Dogs - just to name a few.
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Jump to:
- The ingredient list:
- Ingredient information:
- Kitchen tools and equipment:
- How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
- How to make these groundhog cupcakes peanut-free:
- Can cake batter be used instead of brownie batter?
- How to store groundhog cupcakes
- Can these groundhog brownie cupcakes be frozen after baking?
- Why make chocolate ganache frosting for groundhog cupcakes?
- Can store-bought frosting be used in place of the chocolate ganache frosting?
- Can store-bought cupcakes be used instead of homemade cupcakes for this recipe?
- My top tips and tricks for recipe success:
- Additional delicious recipes featuring chocolate:
- Printable Recipe Card
The ingredient list:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
Ingredient information:
BROWNIE MIX - Feel free to use your favorite brownie mix, or make brownies from scratch if that's what you prefer. I used a Ghirardelli brand brownie mix. If using store-bought brownies, follow the package directions regarding the additional ingredients needed. You'll typically need an egg, water, and oil.
NUTTER BUTTER COOKIES - These cookies are used as the body of the groundhog due to the shape of the cookie. Long, with larger rounded ends, which help to represent the groundhog's head. Only half of each nutter butter cookie needs to be dipped in chocolate because the remainder of his "body" will be pushed into the brownie cupcake like he's coming out of his den in the winter.
OREO DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES - Since I crushed these particular cookies to look like the dirt of the groundhog's den, I went with the all-chocolate sandwich cookies. You don't need to use this specific type of cookie, but I do recommend using dark brown cookies that will crumble and crush easily.
PEANUTS - I used honey-roasted peanuts because that's what I had on hand. Feel free to use whatever kind of peanut you prefer. I split whole peanuts in half for the groundhog's cheeks, and for the ears, I cut peanut halves into halves.
MILK CHOCOLATE CHIPS - I wanted some color difference between the brown groundhog himself and the dark brown "ground" below, so I went with lighter-colored milk chocolate chips. If you're not a milk chocolate fan, feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead.
HEAVY CREAM WHIPPING CREAM - This ingredient melts the chocolate chips and turns them into chocolate ganache. I heated the heavy whipping cream in the microwave until hot (not boiling) and poured it over the chocolate chips in a bowl. Wait a few minutes for the chocolate to melt, then stir until smooth and creamy. Ta-Da! Chocolate ganache!
PURE VANILLA EXTRACT - This ingredient is optional. I mixed the boxed brownies with a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, but it's likely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things.
CONFECTIONERS SUGAR - This ingredient is used as a thickener when whipping the chocolate ganache frosting and dusting over the groundhog cupcakes after assembly to resemble snowfall.
COCONUT FLAKES - Two small coconut strips (per groundhog) are all you need to make a big impact on the adorable little groundhogs. Adding the coconut teeth before adding the peanut cheeks made the most sense, so I recommend doing that. Don't worry if his teeth aren't straight or are different lengths because that adds to his charm.
BLACK DRAGEES (6mm) - Also known as sugar pearls, these black accents up the final cuteness factor to an otherwise plain and nondescript groundhog.
*Special Note - Placing the coconut teeth, peanut cheeks, and ears and adding the black nose and eyes is fiddly work, but take your time because the cuteness factor is well worth the effort.
Kitchen tools and equipment:
- cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- gallon zip top bag
- rolling pin
- microwave sale bowl
- whisk
- spatula
- mixing bowls
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- scissors
- strainer or confectioners sugar shaker
- measuring cups and spoons
- paring knife
- hand mixer (optional for whipping chocolate ganache)
- large cookie scoop
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
As written with one box of brownie mix, this recipe makes nine Groundhog Day brownie-mix cupcakes.
How to make these groundhog cupcakes peanut-free:
To make these groundhog brownie cupcakes peanut-free, please use any other long cookie. Some suggestions are: Biscoff, Walkers Shortbread, Pepperidge Farm Milano, or graham crackers.
In place of peanuts for the cheeks and ears, brown jelly beans are a good suggestion, as well as soft caramels that can be manipulated into the sizes and shapes needed. Use your imagination, as I'm sure many other options are available.
Can cake batter be used instead of brownie batter?
You bet.
Box cake or cupcake mix will also work. Feel free to use your favorite variety or flavor.
How to store groundhog cupcakes
You can store these cupcakes loosely covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can these groundhog brownie cupcakes be frozen after baking?
Yes, they can be frozen, but I recommend freezing the groundhog and the brownie cupcake components separately in airtight freezer containers.
Freeze for 2 months, and thaw at room temperature before re-assembling and serving.
Why make chocolate ganache frosting for groundhog cupcakes?
As I was making this recipe, I wondered if chocolate ganache alone would provide enough stability to hold the groundhog's cheeks and ears in place once he was standing vertically.
To prevent any mishaps, I decided to add some confectioner's sugar to the ganache as insurance and whipped it until it formed a thicker frosting consistency.
I was very pleased with my decision to do this as I had no problems once the groundhogs stood tall.
*Special note - For easier assembly, add the groundhog's cheeks, ears, nose, and eyes before the frosting is thoroughly dried and set.I
Can store-bought frosting be used in place of the chocolate ganache frosting?
It sure can! Stir the canned frosting well before using.
*Special Note - You may need to spread the frosting onto the cookies instead of dipping them, but other than that, it should work perfectly well.
Can store-bought cupcakes be used instead of homemade cupcakes for this recipe?
Yes! Feel free to use bakery cupcakes for these cute Groundhog Day cupcakes.
You'll want to still add the cookie crumbles as the dirt and make the frosting-covered groundhogs, but the assembly will be a breeze after that!
My top tips and tricks for recipe success:
- Use a toothpick or cake tester to ensure the brownie cupcakes are fully baked.
- For color distinction, use lighter chocolate chips or cookies as the "dirt" to feature the groundhogs prominently.
- Allow the chocolate groundhogs to dry completely (front and back) before inserting them into the cupcakes. The groundhog portion of this recipe can be made a day in advance if needed.
- Gently press the crushed cookie crumbs into the brownie batter before baking.
- For easier assembly, add the groundhog's cheeks, ears, nose, and eyes before the frosting is thoroughly dried and set.
- Placing the coconut teeth, peanut cheeks, and ears and adding the black nose and eyes is fiddly work, but take your time because the cuteness factor is well worth the effort.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before inserting the groundhogs in place.
Shadow not included (see below) LOL
Additional delicious recipes featuring chocolate:
A delicious Double Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake is a richly flavored brownie textured chocolate cake you'll want to save room for after any meal!
Chocolate Chip S'mores Cheesecake is a chocolate lovers dream come true. It's creamy texture is the perfect accompaniment to the toasted marshmallow topping and rich chocolate ganache frosting.
Double Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee wins the (self-proclaimed) blue ribbon award for the best and easiest candy you'll ever make. When you make it you'll understand why! Trust me.
When you make this recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did. Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!
Printable Recipe Card
Groundhog Day Brownie Mix Cupcakes
Equipment
- hand mixer for making ganache frosting
- gallon zip top bag for crushing cookies
- Rolling Pin for crushing cookies
Ingredients
To make the brownie cupcakes:
- 1 box (18 ounces) brownie mix made according to package directions
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional, added to the brownie mix
- 12 each chocolate filled oreo cookies crushed into crumbs
To make the ganache frosting:
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream heated to hot (not boiling) in the microwave
- 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
To make the groundhog cookie:
- 9 each nutter butter cookies
- 18 each whole peanuts 9 halved and 9 quartered (see video for clarification).
- 27 each (6mm) black dragées (candy pearls) 2 eyes and one nose
- 18 each coconut flakes for teeth
Instructions
The groundhog cookies may be made up to 2 days in advance.
To make the chocolate ganache frosting:
- Heat the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl until very hot but not boiling.
- Add the chocolate chips to a medium-size bowl and pour the hot cream over the chips. Allow to sit for 1 minute so the chocolate will start to soften and melt. After one minute stir well with a spatula or whisk until the chocolate chips are fully melted, smooth and glossy.
- Blend the chocolate ganache with 1 tablespoon of Confectioners' sugar using an electric mixer or whisk by hand so the chocolate ganache thickens. The consistency should be thick and dippable but not runny. Add more confectioners sugar (a tiny bit at a time) if needed, to achieve this consistency.
- Dip half of each nutter butter cookie into the chocolate ganache frosting (allowing any excess to drip off) and place each chocolate dipped cookie onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Continue with the remaining nutter butter cookies and ganache frosting.
- On each chocolate side of the cookie carefully place two small strips of flaked coconut (to resemble teeth) next to each other and two peanut halves above the "teeth" to resemble cheeks. Next place two peanut quarters on top of each cookie to resemble the groundhog's ears (see video for clarification if needed).
- Next place and press one black dragée between the peanut cheeks of each groundhog to replicate his nose and place and press two black dragées in place for eyes.
- Continue this same process on each groundhog cookie while the chocolate ganache is still wet. Allow to dry for at least 1 hour. Flip each cookie and allow the back of each groundhog cookie to dry for at least 1 hour.
To make the brownie cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F 165 degrees C), or follow the brownie box instructions.
- Mix the brownie batter according to the package directions adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla if desired.
- Add nine cupcake liners to a cupcake tin (if making more than 9 groundhog brownie cupcakes use additional ingredients, tins, and cupcake liners).
- Use a large cookie scoop to carefully fill each of the nine cupcake liners ¾'s full of brownie batter. Gently press enough of the prepared oreo cookie crumbles onto the tops of each unbaked brownie cupcakes to cover the surface.
- Bake for approximately 30-32 minutes on the center rack of a preheated oven, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the brownie cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool at least 30 minutes before removing them from the pan and onto a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to continue cooling on the rack for at least 2-3 hours before decorating.
- Gently press each groundhog cookie into the center of each brownie cupcake and, if desired, sprinkle them with a light dusting of confectioners sugar snow.
- Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you'll enjoy making (and eating) these fun and whimsical groundhog day sweet treats as much as I've enjoyed bringing them to you.
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