Three mini donuts on a stick, a few candies, and you’ve got a snowman that’s more about assembly than baking. The trick isn’t technique, it’s picking the right donuts.
The powdered sugar coating is what makes these snowman donut skewers work, providing enough grip that the stack doesn’t slide apart when you’re decorating. Forget about round snowballs; these are intentionally lumpy and charming, and the margin for error is wide as long as you push the candies in firmly.
I see people just poke the Mike & Ike on and then wonder why it drops off the second someone looks at it. You need a good dab of frosting, not just a tiny smudge.
Three Donuts, One Stick
Stacking three mini donuts on a single stick gives you the classic snowman silhouette, round, tapered, and stable. The powdered sugar coating on each donut creates enough friction between layers to keep them from sliding around.
Inserting the stick through the center holes lines everything up straight; off-center stacks wobble and lean. You want a torso that’s proportional: three donuts looks balanced, while two feels stubby and four gets awkwardly tall.
Reese’s Hat Trick
An upside-down miniature Reese’s peanut butter cup makes a hat because its flat bottom sits flush on the top donut, and the fluted edge mimics a hat brim. No glue needed, the cup’s weight and shape hold it in place without sliding off. It’s a recognizable snowman topper that takes zero effort, unlike piping chocolate or cutting shapes.
Face and Buttons
Mini chocolate chips have pointed ends that pierce the donut easily, staying put without extra adhesive. For buttons, M&M’s flat bottoms press into the donut surface and won’t roll away.
The dark brown against the white powdered donut gives strong contrast so the face reads clearly. Stick to these two candies, anything softer squishes, and anything rounder won’t stay embedded.
Carrot Nose Hold
An orange Mike & Ike looks like a tiny carrot, but its hard candy surface won’t stick to the donut on its own. A dab of white frosting acts as edible glue, holding the nose in place so it doesn’t slide off or tip sideways. Use just a smear, too much frosting squishes out and makes a mess around the nose area.
Servings: 4 · Calories: 130 kcal
Donut and Candy Shopping Notes
Mini donuts with powdered sugar: The powdered sugar coating adds friction to keep stacked donuts from sliding on the stick.
Miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups: Upside down, the flat bottom sits flush on the donut; fluted edges mimic a hat brim.
Miniature chocolate chips: Their pointed ends pierce the donut easily and stay put without extra adhesive.
Brown M&M’s: Flat bottoms press into the donut surface and won’t roll away like rounder candies.
Orange Mike & Ike candies: The hard candy surface won’t stick to the donut; use a dab of frosting as edible glue.
Stack and Decorate Your Snowman
Build the Body
Thread three mini donuts onto a stick, lining up the holes. The powdered sugar grips each donut, so they stay stacked without slipping. If the stack wobbles, you’ve missed the center hole, pull off and rethread.
Top with the Hat
Set a mini Reese’s cup upside down on the top donut. It sits flat and stays put from its own weight. No need to push, just center it and let the fluted edges look like a brim.
Set the Face
Push mini chocolate chips point-first into the top donut for eyes and a smile. The points pierce easily and hold firm. If a chip falls out, you didn’t push deep enough, reinsert until flush.
Add the Buttons
Press brown M&M’s into the middle of the lower two donuts. Their flat bottoms sit flush and won’t roll off. If they don’t stay, press gently until they’re embedded halfway.
Attach the Nose
Smear a dab of white frosting on one end of an orange Mike & Ike, then press it into the top donut’s center. The frosting acts as glue; if the nose slides off, use a bit more frosting.
Make the Optional Bow
Melt red chocolate and fill a silicone bow mold, leveling off the excess. Let it sit until firm, refrigerating a few minutes speeds it up. Pop out the bow and attach with frosting.
Snowman Donut Skewers with Reese’s Hats
Ingredients
- 12 mini donuts with powdered sugar
- 4 miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups
- 28 miniature chocolate chips (for eyes and mouth)
- 8 brown M&M’s (for buttons)
- 4 orange Mike & Ike candies (for the nose)
- 1 tsp white frosting (to attach nose and optional bow)
- Optional: red chocolate (for bow)
Instructions
Assemble Donut Torso:
Assemble the body: Slide 3 mini powdered donuts onto a white treat stick to create the snowman’s torso.Attach Reese’s Hat:
Attach the hat: Position a mini Reese’s cup upside down on the stick’s top.Add Chocolate Chip Face:
Create the face: Insert mini chocolate chips point-first into the uppermost donut for eyes and a smile.Press M&M Buttons:
Add buttons: Press brown M&M’s gently into the middle of the two lower donuts.Insert Mike & Ike Nose:
Form the nose: Apply a small amount of white frosting to one end of an orange Mike & Ike, then press it into the top donut’s center.Make and Attach Bow:
Optional bow: Melt red chocolate and fill a silicone bow mold with it. Level off excess chocolate. Let the mold sit until the chocolate sets and hardens; refrigerate for a few minutes to speed up. Remove the bows from the mold and attach them to the snowman skewers.
Storage and Serving
These skewers are best assembled and served immediately. The donuts start to dry out and the candies can slide off within an hour at room temperature. If you must store leftovers, keep the skewers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 hours; after that the donuts become stale and the chocolate chips may soften.
Do not refrigerate uncovered; condensation will make the powdered sugar dissolve and the donuts soggy. For longer storage, freeze the components separately: store mini donuts in a freezer bag and candies in a sealed container.
Assemble skewers straight from the freezer? The donuts will be firmer, but the candies may not stick as well. To serve, let frozen donuts thaw at room temperature for 10 minutes before stacking and decorating.
The optional chocolate bow can be made ahead and kept in a cool, dry place for up to a week; attach it with frosting just before serving so it stays crisp.
Stick with Powdered Donuts for the Stack
Mini donuts with powdered sugar: Glazed donut holes. Glazed donut holes are slick, they slide on the stick and don’t grip each other.
The stack wobbles and the decorations peel off. Stick with powdered sugar donuts for friction.
Miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups: Mini chocolate-covered peanut butter candies. Any flat-bottomed candy that mimics a hat brim works, as long as it’s wider than the top donut. If the candy is too small or domed, it won’t sit flush and tips off.
Orange Mike & Ike candies: Orange jelly bean or orange slice candy. Softer candies like jelly beans don’t hold their shape when pressed in, they squish or droop. Mike & Ike’s hard shell keeps the nose pointy.
If you swap, accept a squashed nose.
Tips
- Insert the skewer slowly while gently twisting it; this prevents the powdered sugar coating from scraping off and the donut from cracking, which would make the stack unstable.
- Use a serrated knife to trim the flat side of the bottom donut if it is uneven; a level base keeps the entire snowman from tilting on the serving plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these snowman donut skewers ahead of time?
Assemble them just before serving for the best texture. The donuts dry out and candies can slide off within an hour at room temperature. The optional chocolate bow can be made up to a week ahead and stored in a cool, dry place; attach it with frosting right before serving.
For longer storage, freeze the components separately and assemble after a quick thaw.
How do I keep the donuts from sliding off the skewer?
The powdered sugar coating on the mini donuts provides enough friction between layers to grip the stick and each other. When threading, make sure the stick goes through the center hole of each donut, off-center stacks wobble and slide. If a donut slips, you probably missed the hole; pull off and rethread straight.
What’s the best way to melt chocolate for the optional bow?
Use a microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between each, until the chocolate is just melted and smooth. Overheating seizes the chocolate, making it thick and grainy. Fill the silicone mold, level off the excess, then refrigerate a few minutes until firm so the bow pops out cleanly.
