Easy Halloween Cupcakes

Easy Halloween Cupcakes are the perfect spooky treat to bake with your kids or take to a Halloween party. With rich chocolate cupcakes, a swirl of orange or vanilla frosting, and charming cookie decorations, these cupcakes are fun, festive, and frightfully simple to make. You don’t need fancy piping skills or special equipment—just some Oreos, M&M’s, and a little Halloween spirit. Get ready to impress your guests and have fun doing it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

this recipe

• Made with one-bowl chocolate cupcake batter
• No piping skills required—frosting can be spread or piped
• Two delicious frosting options: vanilla or orange
• Fun Oreo-based decorations (bats, cats, jack-o’-lanterns)
• Great for parties, school treats, and festive baking with kids

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 ⅓ 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 Frosting

• 2 ¾ cups (330g) powdered sugar
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2–3 Tbsp heavy cream
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract — or zest of 2 oranges + ½ tsp orange extract
• Orange gel food coloring (optional)

For Decorations

• Regular Oreos
• Green M&M’s
• Edible black marker
• Pretzel sticks
• Orange sprinkles or colored frosting

Instructions

1. Make the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and lightly spray the pan edges.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and combined.
4. Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full.
5. Bake 19–23 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. Make the Frosting

1. Beat butter, powdered sugar, salt, and cream until smooth.
2. Add vanilla or orange flavoring.
3. Add food coloring if using. Beat on high for 3–4 minutes until fluffy.
4. Set aside 2 Tbsp frosting for “glue” when decorating.

3. Decorate the Cupcakes

🐱 Cat Cupcakes:

• Use 1 whole Oreo for the face
• Cut Oreo halves into triangle ears
• Use green M&M’s for eyes, orange sprinkle for nose
• Use frosting to attach decorations

🦇 Bat Cupcakes:

• Use Oreo for body
• Cut Oreo halves into wings (half-moons)
• M&M eyes with drawn pupils
• Orange sprinkle or frosting for mouth
• Note: Bat wings may soften after a day

🎃 Jack-O’-Lantern Cupcakes:

• Use Oreo pieces for eyes, nose, and mouth
• Pretzel stick as pumpkin stem
• Green M&M’s as leaves

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Cooling Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: ~2 hr 20 mins
• Servings: 12 cupcakes

Nutrition Facts (Per Cupcake, with frosting & decorations)

• Calories: 452
• Fat: 19g
• Sugar: 51g
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 69g
• Fiber: 2g

Note: Nutrition may vary based on decorations and icing used.

Tips & Variations

• Use a boxed cake mix to simplify even further
• Switch to buttercream or cream cheese frosting if preferred
• Use food-safe tweezers or toothpicks to place small decorations
• If piping, use a star tip like Ateco 846 or just spread with a knife
• Add decorations just before serving to prevent Oreo softening
• Try orange, green, or purple frosting with Halloween sprinkles

Easy Halloween Cupcakes

These Easy Halloween Cupcakes are rich, moist, and fun to decorate with edible spooky designs. Great for parties or baking with kids!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 452

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• **Cupcakes:**
• – 1 ⅓ 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 large egg
• – 2 tsp vanilla extract
• **Frosting:**
• – 2 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• – ½ cup unsalted butter
• – 2–3 Tbsp heavy cream
• – ⅛ tsp salt
• – 1 tsp vanilla or orange zest + extract
• – Orange gel food coloring optional
• **Decorations:**
• – Oreos
• – Green M&M’s
• – Pretzel sticks
• – Edible black marker
• – Orange sprinkles

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• – Muffin tin + liners
• – Hand mixer
• – Piping bag or spatula
• – Cookie cutters (optional)

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with liners.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients in one bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth.
4. Fill liners ⅔ full. Bake 19–23 mins. Cool completely.
5. Beat frosting ingredients until fluffy. Tint with orange coloring.
6. Decorate:
7. – Cats: Oreo face, M&M eyes, Oreo ear pieces
8. – Bats: Oreo body, Oreo wings, M&M eyes
9. – Pumpkins: Oreo face parts, pretzel stem, M&M leaves

Notes

Decorate close to serving time to prevent Oreo softening. Store cupcakes in airtight container up to 3 days.

FAQs

Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes! Store unfrosted cupcakes in the freezer for up to 3 months. Decorate the day before or morning of serving.

What if I don’t have piping tools?
You can spread frosting with a butter knife or use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped.

Can I use store-bought frosting?
Absolutely. Just tint it with food coloring and add your decorations.

Conclusion

These Easy Halloween Cupcakes prove you don’t need to be a pro baker to make festive, fun treats. With a simple chocolate base and endless decorating possibilities, they’re a hit at school parties, Halloween bashes, or just a spooky night in. Grab your Oreos, whip up some frosting, and let your creativity fly—no tricks, just sweet Halloween treats!