25 Halloween Cupcakes That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat

The only thing that can upstage all the candy? These sweet treats!

Updated on September 27, 2023

By: Food Network Kitchen

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Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Ryan Liebe

Our Best Halloween Cupcake Ideas

Looking for the perfect Halloween dessert for your little ones? You can’t go wrong with cupcakes. They’re easy to theme like other kid-friendly treats (we’re looking at you, creepy cookies!) but feature a whole lot more frosting—which is a definite plus on a treat-yourself kind of day like Halloween. Best of all, these ones are all downright adorable. You’ll find friendly ghosts, candy-embellished witch hats and even these smiling jack-o-lanterns. These cupcakes not only look the part but they taste great too, thanks to a bit of pumpkin pie spice and brown butter.

Get the Recipe: Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Witch Hat Cupcakes

Decorated ice cream cones make an adorable topper for these treats. As the cupcake base, you can use our easy one-bowl recipe or a boxed mix. The toppers can be made up to 8 hours in advance and kept uncovered on a tray in the freezer.

Get the Recipe: Witch Hat Cupcakes

Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes

Although it looks almost like a cake, this graveyard is made up of individual cupcakes, making it a self-serve party option. Just grab your cupcake and go — no knives necessary.

Get the Recipe: Pull-Apart Graveyard Cupcakes

Chocolate Spider Web Cupcakes

What’s better than a double-chocolate cupcake for Halloween? One with a deliciously creepy-crawly marshmallow web! Top with store-bought spider gummy candies for the perfect Halloween treat.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Spider Web Cupcakes

Ghostly Cupcakes

Spook your guests with these "boo-tiful" cupcakes topped with chocolate ghosts. For the design, you simply glaze plain cupcakes with melted dark and white chocolate.

Get the Recipe: Ghostly Cupcakes

Halloween Confetti Cupcakes

Confetti cupcakes get a twist for spooky gatherings thanks to a generous addition of festive Halloween sprinkles. We mixed the sprinkles into the batter and then added more on top for a crunchy, picture-perfect garnish. Just make sure to use flat or long sprinkles for this recipe; round nonpareils or sanding sugar will melt and bleed into the batter rather than staying festively confetti-like.

Get the Recipe: Halloween Confetti Cupcakes

Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes

No, these cupcakes don't need bandages. What looks like a gory encounter with the Count himself is just raspberry jam brightened with a drop of red food coloring.

Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes

Witch Crash Cupcakes

You can call these witches clumsy for not yet mastering their landings, but crashing into these decadent chocolate cupcakes seems like a sweet plan!

Get the Recipe: Witch Crash Cupcakes

Angel's Food Cupcakes

A pillowy meringue frosting and white candy halos make these super-light cupcakes especially angelic. Use the leftover egg yolks to make lemon curd.

Get the Recipe: Angel's Food Cupcakes

S'mores Monster Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcake, marshmallow frosting and a graham cracker cookie topper make the perfect s'mores combination. Add in the monster decorations, and you have yourself a real "s'monster" treat.

Get the Recipe: S'mores Monster Cupcakes

Monster Mouth Cupcakes

No one will be able to resist sinking their fangs (see what we did there?) into these devilishly delicious chocolate cupcakes from Food Network Magazine. Variously shaped marshmallows are the true star of these, so be sure to buy both regular and mini-sized ones to achieve the full effect!

Get the Recipe: Monster Mouth Cupcakes

Wicked Cupcakes

Add green food coloring to peanut butter frosting to make a witch's face, then top with a cone-shaped piece of cupcake.

Get the Recipe: Wicked Cupcakes

Red Velvet Spider Cupcakes

This creepy-crawly fondant spider is hiding a smooth surprise: creamy frosting piped into the cupcake's hollowed-out center.

Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Spider Cupcakes

Candy Corn Hi-Hat Cupcakes

Hi-hat cupcakes are one of the most beautiful and decadent ways to enjoy a cupcake; while they can seem intimidating, they are actually very easy to make. These hat cupcakes hide a sweet fall-inspired surprise that replicates the colors of candy corn.

Get the Recipe: Candy Corn Hi-Hat Cupcakes

Jack-O-Lantern Cupcakes

Sandra's easy cupcakes use store-bought cupcakes topped with orange fondant faces.

Get the Recipe: Jack-O-Lantern Cupcakes

Devil's Food Cupcakes

These devilish dark cupcakes with a bittersweet chocolatey glaze make a perfectly sinful snack.

Get the Recipe: Devil's Food Cupcakes

Monster Eye Cupcakes

These boo-tiful cupcakes are truly eye-catching in person. Piping on small dots of frosting before pulling your decorating tip away in the same direction is the key to creating the treats’ furry werewolf-esque border.

Get the Recipe: Monster Eye Cupcakes

Ghouly Cupcakes

Decorate chocolate cupcakes with meringue piping to make a ghost or monster of your choice. Decorate each with candied eyeballs.

Get the Recipe: Ghouly Cupcakes

Brain Cupcakes

You’ll never guess that these brain cupcakes are oozing with buttercream frosting and sweet candy filling!

Get the Recipe: Brain Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Nonpareils

Style your next batch of cupcakes after the colorful leaves outside your window. Give cream cheese frosting seasonal flair with red, yellow and brown nonpareils.

Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Nonpareils

Monster Cupcakes

Pipe a monster face onto these cupcakes with green frosting. Make eyes with jelly candies and horns out of cashew nuts.

Get the Recipe: Monster Cupcakes

Monster Paw Cupcakes

These creatively shaped cupcakes deserve a loud round of a-paw-lause! We can't get enough of their extra-sharp "claws," which are made from slivered almond slices.

Get the Recipe: Monster Paw Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

These festive cupcakes look and taste like their pumpkin namesakes.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cupcakes

Caramel Corn Cupcakes

Though eating crunchy caramel corn by the handful is great, it's even better atop creamy frosting. These cupcakes are finished with pumpkin pie-spiced frosting that's simply fitting for fall, and the dulce de leche swirl is easier to create than you think.

Get the Recipe: Caramel Corn Cupcakes

Chocolate-Orange Meringue Cupcakes

Give your usual chocolate cupcake recipe an orange update. These fluffy-topped beauties feature citrusy notes in the batter and in the meringue.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate-Orange Meringue Cupcakes