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These fun Halloween spider cupcakes are an absolute must! They’re so easy to decorate, kid-friendly to assemble, and a huge party hit!

Why you’ll love these Halloween spider cupcakes

  • So easy to make. The spider cupcakes may look intimidating to make, but these cupcakes are so easy to whip up, easier than traditional cupcakes! There’s absolutely no piping involved – all you need are chocolate sprinkles, candy eyeballs, and black licorice.
  • 100% kid-friendly. Not only will the kids love gobbling these up but they’ll have so much fun helping out in the kitchen and assembling the eyes and legs for the spiders.
  • Guaranteed party hit. Whether it’s a bake sale, school party, or holiday get-together, these cupcakes are sure to stand out at any dessert table.

Key Ingredients

  • The base: vanilla (or chocolate) cupcake with a chocolate glaze
  • The hairy body: chocolate sprinkles (or black and orange sprinkles)
  • The eyes: candy eyeballs
  • The legs: black licorice (or pretzel sticks)

How to make halloween spider cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Combine the wet and dry. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, mixing just until smooth. Pro tip: do not overmix.
  6. Bake. Transfer the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Pro tip: use a large cookie scoop to scoop the batter into each well to ensure a consistent size and even baking for each cupcake.
  7. Let cool. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack prior to glazing.
  8. Glaze the cupcakes. Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until smooth. Use a small offset spatula to spread an even layer of the glaze to completely cover the tops of the cupcakes.
  9. Add texture. Dip the glazed top of each cupcake into a bowl of chocolate sprinkles for a fuzzy, textured spider body.
  10. Add the eyes. Press two candy eyes onto the front center of each cupcake.
  11. Add the legs. Cut the black licorice string into 2-inch pieces and insert 2-4 pieces into each side of the cupcake (note: a spider has 8 legs total).

More holiday favorites

Tools For This Recipe

Halloween Spider Cupcakes: Frequently Asked Questions

How can I easily transfer the batter to the muffin pan?

A large cookie scoop should work very well here without making a mess.

How do you make the spider legs?

You can cut black licorice string into 2-inch pieces for each leg.

What else can I use for the spider legs?

Thin pretzel sticks, pretzel twists, and chocolate biscuit sticks (ex. Pocky) are all great options.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes! The cupcake base can be made 1-2 days in advance, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Halloween Spider Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour
These fun Halloween spider cupcakes are an absolute must! They're so easy to decorate, kid-friendly to assemble, and a huge party hit!
5 stars (6 ratings)
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Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup milk

For the chocolate glaze

  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon milk

For the spiders

  • ½ cup chocolate sprinkles
  • 24 candy eyeballs
  • Black string licorice, cut into 2-inch strips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Beat in egg, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in vanilla just until incorporated.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and milk alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and beating just until incorporated.
  • Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray.
  • Place into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the chocolate glaze

  • Combine confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and milk, whisking until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk as needed.

For the spiders

  • Use a small offset spatula to frost the cupcakes, covering the tops.
  • Dip in chocolate sprinkles.
  • Place 2 candy eyeballs on each cupcake.
  • Use a metal or wooden skewer to poke holes on opposite sides of each cupcake; insert licorice into each hole.

Equipment

Muffin Pan
Electric Mixer
Cooling Rack

Notes

  • Avoid overmixing the batter. Stop the mixer when the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing will lead to dry, dense cupcakes.
  • Fill 3/4 full. Fill each cavity in the muffin pan about 3/4 full to give the batter room to rise without spilling over the edges.
  • Check for doneness. Test with a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake – it should come out clean with a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool completely. Let the cupcakes cool completely before glazing as warm cupcakes will melt the glaze.
  • Make ahead of time. Bake the cupcakes 1-2 days ahead of time, decorating the same day as serving.
Course: Dessert

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