Chocolate Christmas Mice

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These adorable Chocolate Christmas Mice feature maraschino cherries wrapped in sweet almond dough and dipped in creamy milk chocolate. With bright red noses and cute little eyes, these whimsical treats are perfect for holiday festivities.

Chocolate mice on a plate with red and white decorations.

Chocolate Covered Mice

These little critters are just about the cutest treat you’ll ever make. But they’re not just adorable; these chocolate Christmas mice are incredibly delicious too.

Made with smooth, chocolate-covered cherries, chocolate kisses, and almond slices for their cute little ears, these tasty treats are completely irresistible. The best part is that the kids will love helping you make them! You can set up an assembly line and let the fun begin!

They’re the perfect, whimsical treat for holiday gatherings, school parties, or even gift-giving. For more fun treats to make with the kids, check out these Reindeer Oreo Balls and these Christmas Donuts.

A bowl of chocolates with a mouse and red cherries.

Why We Love This Recipe

Fun to make: You can get the kids involved in the decorating process, making it a fun and easy family activity.
Tasty treats: The combination of cherries, almond dough, and milk chocolate is a delicious holiday treat.
Unique and festive: These adorable little mice are the cutest treats to serve at holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

Maraschino cherries (with stems) that are well-drained and dried
Powdered sugar, sifted
Unsalted butter softened at room temperature
Corn syrup
Almond extract
Milk chocolate melting wafers
Milk chocolate almond Hershey’s Kisses, for the head
Sliced almond for the ears
Black decorative icing for the eyes
Red sugar pearls for the nose

How to Make Chocolate Mice

For The Body

Step 1. Line two baking trays with parchment paper or wax paper and set aside.

Step 2. In a large bowl, mix the butter, corn syrup, and almond extract together. Stir until smooth and well combined.

Step 3. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the bowl and knead together until a soft dough forms.

Butter in a glass bowl on a marble surface.

A bowl with flour, sugar, and butter in it.

Step 4. Pinch off ½ tablespoon-sized pieces of dough, roll into a ball, and then flatten the balls into discs.

Step 5. Wrap each disc around a maraschino cherry, keeping the stems exposed. Use your hands to carefully roll each ball into shape.

Tip: Once you drain them from the jar, place the cherries on a paper towel-lined plate and pat them dry to remove as much moisture as you can. This helps the dough stick well.

Step 6. Repeat with the rest of the cherries and dough. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, until firm.

White sugar circles on a baking sheet on a marble countertop.

Cherries on a baking sheet with sugar circles

Step 7. Once the dough is firm, melt the chocolate wafers in a double boiler or candy melting pot over low heat. Stir occasionally to ensure it is heating evenly.

Step 8. Gently hold the cherry by the stem and dip it into the chocolate candy, one at a time. You can use a fork if needed to lift it out without breaking the stem off.

Step 9. Place the chocolate covered cherries back onto the prepared baking tray and lay them on the side.

Tip: Be careful not to break the stems off. The stem will be the mouse’s tail.

Chocolate sauce in a metal bowl on a marble surface.

A person is holding a chocolate covered cherry over a pan.

For The Head

Step 1. Add a Hershey kiss to make the mouse’s head. Press the bottom of the kiss onto the opposite side of the tail.

Step 2. Next, for ears, place two almond slices between the body and the head. You can put a little melted chocolate on the back of the kiss to help keep the ears in place. Repeat with the rest of the mice.

A tray of chocolate covered cherries on a marble countertop.

Adding almond slice ears to a chocolate mouse

Step 3. Once the head, body, and ears are all attached, decorate the faces of the little mice. Using a toothpick or skewer, dab a tiny amount of melted chocolate onto the top part of the tip end of the kiss.

Step 4. While the chocolate is still wet, place a red sugar pearl for the nose. Repeat with the rest of the candy mice. To keep it from falling off, hold it in place for a few seconds

Tip: If needed, you can add a small amount of melted chocolate to bottom of the red pearl to help keep it in place.

A person putting the nose on a chocolate mouse with tweezers

Black eyes being added to a chocolate mouse

Step 5. For the eyes, add two little dots of black decorative icing onto the Hershey’s Kiss face.

Tip: Practice making the eyes on a piece of parchment paper or napkin to see how it comes out. If the icing is coming out of the tube too quickly, you can use a toothpick or skewer to dab a small amount where needed.

Step 6. Repeat with the rest of the mice.

Step 7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

A plate of chocolate mice on a white plate.

Chocolate Cherry Mice Variations

Chocolate: Instead of regular chocolate melting wafers for the coating, you can use dark chocolate melting wafers. You may also use a premium chocolate baking bar or premium baking chocolate chips.
Cherries: You can make chocolate mice with canned, pitted cherries. Just make sure you choose one with stems attached. Canned will taste a little different, but they will still be delicious.
Almonds: If you don’t have sliced almonds, you could also use peanut halves for the mouse ears.
Red hot candies: If you want your mice to have a large nose, you can use red hots instead of the red sugar pearls.
Kisses: This recipe uses Almond Kisses, but any flavor will work. You’ll just want to make sure the kiss matches the candy coating used for the cherry so that the body and head are the same color. If using a dark chocolate coating, choose dark chocolate Kisses.
Extract: We used almond, but feel free to swap up the flavor of the extract. Coconut extract, peppermint extract, or vanilla extract all work well with chocolate and cherries.

Storage Instructions:

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. I do not recommend freezing them. The cherries will shrink and turn loose from the dough.

Three chocolate mice on a plate with red and white decorations.

Christmas Mice FAQS

What can I do if the almond dough is too soft to hold?

Try to firm it up by kneading in a little more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. You may also refrigerate the dough for 5-10 minutes to help it get a little firmer and easier to mold over the cherries.

Can I make the almond dough in advance?

You sure can. Just prepare the powdered sugar mixture a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

What if I don’t like cherries?

You can experiment with other fruits like strawberries or other snacks like gumballs or marshmallows. You can also use Oreo cake balls. However, the stems are what make the tail so you may want to consider using small pretzel sticks or some marzipan for the tail instead.

Chocolate mice on a plate next to a pine cone

More Christmas Time Treats

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