20 Halloween Cupcake Recipe Ideas for a Sweet Start to Fall (2024)

No matter what your age, Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays of the year. You know you're already planning your squad's costume (perhaps a variety pack of La Croix?), and it won't be long until Halloween baking is completely taking over your Pinterest feed. So, to give you a jump-start on your ghoulish party desserts, we found spooky cupcake recipes that you *need* to bake alongside the rest of your sweet and savory treats. Stock up on your edible fake blood and practice your best piping skills, because these Halloween cupcake recipe ideas are going to keep you busy baking from now until the end of October.

Spooky Monster Cupcakes: These black-and-white cupcakes have all the key characters covered: mummies, spiders, and skeletons. You may even want to throw in a ghost for good measure. (via Brit + Co)

Halloween Confetti Cupcakes: Colorful, creepy, and covered in sprinkles, these zombie-licious cupcakes aren't to be missed. (via Love & Olive Oil)

Cyclops Cupcakes: Make these in mini muffin pans to enjoy a sweet dessert. These treats are much quicker than they look, and everyone at your party will be impressed with your baking chops. (via Brit + Co)

Mini "Candy Corn" Cupcakes: Pay homage to your favorite seasonal candy with these tri-color mini cupcakes. (via Grab a Plate)

The Walking Dead Cupcakes: These festive treats are for fans of zombies, murder, and intrigue. The candy knives on top are optional, but totally cool. (via Cutefetti)

Pumpkin Maple Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: We eat as much pumpkin as possible during fall, but don't forget maple! Luckily, the two flavors go together like vampires and blood, only way more tasty. (via The Novice Chef Blog)

Undead Skeleton Hand Cupcakes: Have you ever reached for a cupcake ... only to have it reach back at you? Yikes! (via Cutefetti)

DIY Halloween Monster Cupcakes: Get your family to help decorate these monster cupcakes. Each one will look a little different, but they'll *all* look extremely tasty! (via Salty Canary)

Brownie Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting: Clouds of decadent peanut butter frosting topped with chocolate spiderwebs crown these brownie cupcakes. (via Tara's Multicultural Table)

Spiced Chocolate Cupcakes With Pumpkin Cheesecake Frosting: Cocoa pairs surprisingly well with the autumn flavors you find in pumpkin spice. Top with pumpkin cream cheese frosting for a really decadent dish. (via The Baking Fairy)

Marshmallow Web Cupcake Topper: As long as you’re not afraid to get your hands a little dirty, these cupcakes are a blast to make. All it takes is a handful of mini marshmallows and willing sticky fingers to create the most delicious spider web there ever was. (via Handmade Charlotte)

Halloween Two-Tone Rose Red Velvet Cupcakes: Morticia Addams would positively swoon over these sugary goth roses. (via Domestic Gothess)

Ghost Cupcakes: Chocolate chips and a swirl of frosting transform plain old cupcakes into a ghostly dessert. If your swirls don't come out quite so neat, no worries — everyone knows malevolent spirits can be hard to control. (via Passion for Savings)

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes: Hopefully no one will *actually* die when they eat these, but the lingering threat will keep your Halloween party guests on their toes. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Easy Spider Cupcakes: You don't have to be a master confectioner to decorate these cakes. Some mini peanut butter cups and chocolate icing are all you need. (via Chelsea's Messy Apron)

Pumpkin Cupcakes: These pumpkin cupcakes are sweet, not scary... Just don't let your Jack-o-Lantern know what they're made of. (via The First Year)

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Pomegranate Sugar Shards: "Devil's food" already gives us the chills, but when topped with shards of pomegranate sugar that look like they're doused in blood, it's a truly terrifying treat. (via How Sweet Eats)

Death by Butterbeer Cupcakes: Pretend you're in the great hall at Hogwarts when the spookiest season of the year comes around. Butterbeer cupcakes will give you a magical tingle from your taste buds to your toes. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Bloody Knife Cupcakes: Break out the edible blood (also known as red icing) to make this murderous munchie. (via A Magical Mess)

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes: Skip the trip to the coffee shop and enjoy the flavors of java and pumpkin spice in the cozy comfort of your own home with a fresh-from-the-oven cupcake. (via The Whole Bite)

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Follow us on Pinterest for more Halloween celebration ideas.

Additional reporting by Paige Johnson