OREO owl cupcakes were the hit of our Woodland-themed party

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiftDeliciously #CollectiveBias Do you love holiday baking as much as I do? With so many events, birthday parties, and more this time of year, I look forward to working side-by-side with my favorite little bakers and I plan all year for recipes I want to try. It just so happens that my birthday falls at the perfect time to kick off holiday baking season, so every year we use it as a great excuse to get creative in the kitchen while bonding with the kids.

This year, the kids and I created a fun recipe we like to call OREOwl cupcakes using some of our favorite brands, like OREO. Since we adore owls, this recipe was a huge hit for the kiddos, and it went over really well at my birthday gathering once guests showed up.

I am fully stocked on baking supplies, but since we were doing something a bit different with the owls, I made a quick trip to Walmart with my littlest shopper for supplies. I was expecting an easy trip, but I wasn’t expecting to get all the supplies I needed for decorating our cupcakes, including OREO cookies as well as an assortment of crackers and cookies, before I had even passed the registers. This little grab bin of boxes held everything I needed for decorating our cupcakes and hosting the party including OREO, Chips Ahoy!, Nutter Butter, and RITZ Crackers. They are inexpensive, which makes them perfect for placing in gift baskets, and stocking up for parties and get togethers. Plus, they come in a convenient package perfect for recipes like this where you don’t need a family size box!

1) Your favorite chocolate cupcake and frosting recipe
2) OREO, Nutter Butter, and Chips Ahoy! cookies to create your OREOwls
3) Colored candies for eyes and beak

Step 1: bake the cupcakes

Once we had all of our baking and party supplies, it was time to get baking. We started with the actual cupcakes, which are a recipe we got from one of my favorite bloggers {check out Simmworks Family Blog Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread here}. To add to the fun factor, we used some cool reusable fortune cookie-inspired cupcake liners, which I think are perfect for birthdays and gatherings. Step 2: let cupcakes cool and add frosting

While the cupcakes were baking, we mixed up some chocolate frosting. The next part is the hardest: waiting for the cupcakes to cool completely. But, once they do cool you can start decorating by adding frosting. This is a great step for the kids to help with since you don’t need to worry about it looking pretty because it will be covered up with cookies. Step 3: create cookie crumble

While they are frosting the cupcakes, you can use that time to create the cookie crumble for the owl’s body. We crushed up Nutter Butters and Chips Ahoy! cookies in a bowl and when the cupcakes were frosted, I had the kids sprinkle the crushed up cookies across half of the cupcake top to cover the body of the owl. Step 4: owl eyes

The eyes are as easy as they look – simply twist open two OREO cookies and use the side with the crème filling for each eye. Tip: if you like a lot of filling, go with OREO Double Stuf cookies over regular OREO. Place them on the frosted side of the cupcake that doesn’t have cookie crumble over it so they are touching each other. Step 5: give them wings

Take the plain cookie pieces leftover from the eyes and cut them in half. I found that using a serrated knife and scoring them slightly made for an easy break, but don’t worry if some cookies break into smaller pieces when you cut them because those are perfect for owl ears.  Take the half cookies and place them at the sides of your cupcake for wings. Take smaller pieces of cookie and make owl ears and place at the top of the cupcake, between the eyes.Step 6: finishing touches

Add in candy pieces for eyeballs and a beak and voila, you have a sweet little owl ready for holiday parties! To go along with the owls, I went with a sweet woodland theme for our party. By utilizing flowers, décor, and linens we already had and then by purchasing some new dishes, it made for a fun and simple way to decorate. For snacks, I served up the remainder of the OREO and Chips Ahoy! cookies I didn't use while baking, and then put out a RITZ cracker platter to pair with all the sweets. The snacks and treats were a huge hit, but the OREOwls were everyone's favorite. Just look at how happy our little guests were. A party is made by its finishing touches, and we had a lot of fun with the little details. I especially love the owl drink labels I made up to fit our Woodland theme. If you are having a Woodland party, you can download and print by clicking the image below. Simply cut labels apart and tape over any beverage brand labels, or peel them first and then add the printable. To get the kids involved with decorating, I added in one of their favorite art pieces in the house – a place where we post love notes to each other. For the record, I didn't even pay her to write this! All in all, it was a great birthday, and a fun day of baking with my kiddos. The kiddos were so proud of their creations and we had fun delivering some OREOwl Cupcakes to friends that weren't able to make it to the party.While you are out shopping at Walmart this season, swing by the bins at the front registers and stock up on your favorite cookies and crackers. Who doesn't love OREO, Chips Ahoy!, Nutter Butter, RITZ cookies and crackers?
Looking for more holiday baking ideas? Find more creative recipes here!