Easy Halloween Cupcakes are the perfect spooky-sweet treat to bring to parties, classrooms, or a cozy night of Halloween movies. These moist chocolate cupcakes are topped with orange-tinted buttercream and decorated to look like bats, black cats, and jack-o’-lanterns—with no piping skills required! Made with simple ingredients and a playful twist, these cupcakes are guaranteed to delight both kids and grown-up ghouls alike.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 👻 One-bowl chocolate cupcakes = minimal cleanup
- 🎨 Easy decorations using Oreos, pretzels, and M&Ms
- 🎃 No fancy tools or skills needed—great for kids
- 🍊 Optional orange frosting for festive flavor
- 🧁 Can be made ahead or frozen without decorations
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1⅓ cups (170g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (42g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 2¾ cups (330g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2–3 Tbsp heavy cream or milk
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or zest of 2 oranges + ½ tsp orange extract
- Orange gel food coloring (or orange + a touch of copper for deeper tone)
Decorations:
- Oreos
- Green M&Ms
- Pretzel sticks
- Orange sprinkles
- Edible black food marker
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Prep oven & pan: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and lightly spray the pan top.
- Whisk dry ingredients: Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly into liners. Bake 19–23 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Make the Frosting:
- Mix frosting: Beat powdered sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla (or orange zest/extract) until combined.
- Add cream: Slowly add cream until light and fluffy. Tint with food coloring. Set aside 2 Tbsp for decorating.
Decorate:
- Cats: Use a whole Oreo as the face. Cut Oreo halves into triangles for ears. M&Ms make the eyes, and an orange sprinkle or dot of icing for the nose.
- Bats: Oreo center as the body, Oreo halves cut into wings. Add eyes and a sprinkle for a mouth.
- Jack-o’-Lanterns: Oreo scraps for triangle eyes and nose, curved pieces for the mouth. Add a pretzel stick for the stem and green M&Ms as leaves.
Recipe Details
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 12 cupcakes
- Difficulty: Easy
Nutrition Facts (Per Cupcake)
- Calories: 452
- Fat: 19g
- Carbs: 69g
- Sugar: 51g
- Protein: 4g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sodium: 251mg
Tips & Variations
- 🧁 No piping bag? Use a spoon or offset spatula for frosting.
- 🥶 Make ahead: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months.
- 💡 Creative toppings: Use licorice strings, candy corn, or gummy worms.
- 🍊 Flavor twist: Swap vanilla for orange zest & extract for that chocolate-orange combo.
Easy Halloween Cupcakes
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Muffin tin
- – Cupcake liners
- – Hand mixer
- – Offset spatula or piping bag
Ingredients
- **Cupcakes:**
- – 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- – 1 cup granulated sugar
- – ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- – ½ tsp baking soda
- – ½ tsp salt
- – 1 cup buttermilk
- – ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- – 1 egg
- – 2 tsp vanilla extract
- **Frosting:**
- – 2¾ cups powdered sugar
- – ½ cup butter
- – 2–3 Tbsp heavy cream
- – ⅛ tsp salt
- – 1 tsp vanilla or orange flavoring
- – Orange food coloring
- **Decorations:**
- – Oreos
- – Green M&Ms
- – Pretzel sticks
- – Edible marker
- – Orange sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin.
- Mix dry cupcake ingredients.
- Add wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Divide batter and bake 19–23 minutes. Cool completely.
- Beat frosting ingredients and tint orange.
- Decorate cupcakes as bats, cats, or pumpkins
Notes
– Swap vanilla frosting for orange zest/extract for extra flavor
– Cupcakes freeze well before decorating
FAQs
Can I use store-bought cake mix?
Yes! A chocolate mix works fine—just tint the frosting orange and decorate.
Do I need piping tips?
No! These are made to be fuss-free. You can decorate using a butter knife or small spoon.
How do I store them?
Keep in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add Oreo decorations just before serving if storing longer.
Conclusion
These Easy Halloween Cupcakes are festive, fun, and foolproof. With their rich chocolate base, vibrant orange frosting, and playful toppings, they bring just the right balance of spooky and sweet. Whether you’re baking with kids or whipping up treats for a party, this recipe makes it simple to impress—no magic wand required.