Halloween Cupcakes make the holiday feel like a party! These Graveyard Cupcakes are a box mix hack that are SO easy to make and everyone loves them!
This Halloween treat will be the star of your Halloween party, class party or to celebrate the holiday anytime.
I promise you anyone you serve them to will be so excited and will never know how easy they are to make.
Graveyard Halloween Cupcakes will become a holiday tradition everyone begs for!
Graveyard Halloween Cupcakes
We do it up big for Halloween every year from the decorations to the food. But I often don’t have time to labor over intricate treats.
Ever feel like that yourself?
These Halloween Cupcakes pack a WOW punch but are really so easy to make.
Simple frosted chocolate cupcakes transform into a spooky graveyard scene with a few tricks and a few props!
Ingredients and Supplies for Halloween Cupcakes recipe
Everything you need is easy to find at a grocery or craft store, or online.
- Chocolate Cupcakes (mix or from-scratch)
- Chocolate Frosting (mix or prepared tub)
- Chocolate cookies/wafers (to make ‘dirt’)
- White Cardstock (to print the tombstone cupcake toppers)
- Lollipop Sticks (to stick ‘tombstones’ into cupcakes)
- Tape (to attach the ‘tombstones’ to the lollipop sticks)
- Gummy Worms
- Chopstick (to make a hole for the gummy worm in the cupcake)
Halloween cupcake papers are optional but a great finishing touch!
Time Saving Tip: to make these Halloween cupcakes ever faster buy frosted chocolate cupcakes.
Making DIY Halloween cocktail napkins is easy too. Instructions here.
Make Them Gluten-Free or Allergy-Friendly
Any cupcake mix and frosting can be used. Choose a box mix or from scratch recipe for your dietary needs.
Often prepared gluten-free cupcakes can be found at the grocery store too.
A Fun Halloween Activity for Kids to Make
These Halloween Cupcakes are part baking and part craft. They are a fun holiday recipe kids love to make too.
Even if kids are too young for the baking, sticking the tombstones and worms in the Halloween cupcakes is fun at any age.
Halloween Cupcakes Decorations
Fake dirt, a creepy worm and mini tombstones are all that’s needed for exciting cupcake decorations.
The Tombstone Toppers steal the scene and are easy to create.
Free Printable Tombstone Toppers are cut out and attached to lollipop sticks to insert into the cupcakes.
How to Make Graveyard Halloween Cupcakes – Step-by-Step
For a detailed printable version of the recipe refer to the recipe card at the end of the blog post.
STEP 1: Print the tombstones on white cardstock. Cut them out.
STEP 2: Place a lollipop stick on the back of each tombstone. Position it so the bottom of the tombstone will be sitting flush with the top of the cupcake.
STEP 3: Place ground cookie crumbs in a small bowl.
STEP 4: Frost a cupcake and place top side down in the crumbs.
STEP 5: Gently turn the cupcake in the crumbs until covered (photo 1) with no frosting showing (photo 2).
STEP 6: Insert the tombstone in the cupcake (photo 3).
STEP 7: Insert a chopstick into the cupcake to create a hole for the gummy worm (photo 4).
STEP 8: Stick the gummy worm in the hole (photo 5).
PRO FROSTING TIP
To ensure the crumbs (dirt) stick in the frosting, frost cupcakes one at a time. After frosting put immediately into the crumbs.
If using store-bought chocolate cupcakes, adding some frosting to the top before dipping into the crumbs will ensure the crumbs stick.
Storing Halloween Cupcakes
Assembled Halloween cupcakes can stay at room temperature for the day unless the temperature is very warm outside.
If serving cupcakes later, refrigerate the frosted cupcakes with crumbs/dirt for 3-5 days in an airtight container. Finally assemble before serving.
If storing leftover Halloween Cupcakes, remove the tombstone topper and the gummy worm. The gummy worm will become hard if chilled.
More Fun Halloween Recipes
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: The Best Method Ever!
- Grave Digger Cocktail
- Creepy Shirley Temple Drink Recipe
- Squirm Jello Shots: A Perfect Halloween Party Recipe
Try these Easy Dinner Recipes too
- Easy Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Green Chile Stew: Hearty New Mexico Comfort Food
- Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe: Quick & Easy Comfort Food
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Graveyard Cupcakes
These cupcakes are very simple, delicious and bring a Halloween festivity whenever they are served!
Ingredients
- 12 chocolate cupcakes (preferably baked in Halloween themed cupcake papers)
- 1 batch chocolate frosting
- Chocolate cookies/wafers , processed in a blender/chopper/food processor to yield 1/2-3/4 cups
- 1-2 pieces white cardstock
- Lollipop sticks (note: I used 6 inch sticks, cut in half and each half worked great)
- Tape
- Gummy worms (one package)
- Chopstick (or other implement the width of a gummy worm to make a hole in the cupcake)
- Tombstone Cupcake Toppers
Instructions
Print the tombstones on the white cardstock (link in instructions).
Cut out the tombstones and tape a lollipop stick to the back, ensuring when inserted into the cupcake the paper tombstone sits flush with the top of the cupcake.
- Place ground cookies crumbs in a small bowl.
Frost one cupcake. Place the frosted top of the cupcake in the cookie crumbs. Gently turn the cupcake until the top is covered and no frosting is showing. Repeat with remaining cupcakes one by one.
Insert a tombstone in each cupcake.
With the chopstick make a hole in a desired location of the cupcake top and insert one end of a gummy worm into the hole.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Note on Frosting: A key step with this recipe is frosting each cupcake and dipping it into the cookie crumbs one at a time to allow the ‘dirt’ to adhere to the frosting.
Recipe Time: assumes cupcakes are baked. The prep time includes preparing the tombstone toppers, frosting and assembling the Halloween cupcakes.
Originally published: October 9, 2012
These Graveyard Halloween Cupcakes are the star of the holiday and so easy to make!
Katie says
These turned out so adorable- and my kids loved helping to decorate them!
Laura says
These are so adorable and festive! The kids would love these!
Lauren Kelly says
These are so much fun! My kids are going to help me make these next weekend for our neighborhood party!
Pam Dana says
These not only look adorable, but they tasted amazing!! Thank you!
April says
These are adorable! My kids are going to have a blast helping me make some!
Melissa says
These are too cute! Adding them to the list to make for Halloween!
Sara says
These are so adorable and easy! I love the added touch of the worm coming out of the grave haha!
Sara Welch says
What a fun treat for Halloween! My kids will enjoy making these, indeed!
wilhelmina says
These are so cute and so easy to make! What a hit!
lisa says
such an easy and fun recipe to make for halloween! it would be the perfect dessert to give my kiddos right before i send them out for a night of trick or treating
Kate says
Thanks for the recipe. Great cake. My children love so much
Gloria says
My daughter is making this for her class 🙂
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Thanks Debra. What a cute and perfect idea to make tombstones out of cookies! Being gluten free we could not do that with Milano cookies but I love the idea of it (and the shape of the cookie is perfect).
Debra says
Wow–what great ideas. I love those homey decorations and those cupcakes simply rock! I saw some tombstones made out of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies that I think I am going to copy.
Ashley says
Definitely making this graveyard cupcakes this year!! 🙂
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
I hope you will Ashley! It never disappoints.
Brooks at Cakewalker says
Toni, What a ghoulishly delightful post from start to finish! I’ve never heard of Prim until now and I agree it is perfect for this holiday. The graveyard cupcakes, however, with their headstone markers are spot on…clever, creative and creepy. Brava!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Brooks, thank you! I love them because they are quick and easy as well! It always seems I have more ideas than time in October so this cupcake really helps.
Swathi says
Really spooky, love it. Great tips.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
I’m so glad Swathi! Hopefully it’s spooky in a fun way!
Jenny (vintagesugarcube) says
Toni,
You are officially SUPERMOM! Darn lucky kiddos you have. The photos are scary and gorgeous (all at the same time). Happy Halloween to YOU! 🙂
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Thanks Jenny! I have a hunch you do it big for Halloween too! The tray that the cupcakes are on with the skeleton talks, the skeleton does that is. It’s motion sensitive so it’s pretty creepy to reach for a treat and have the skull start jawing at you! Hope all is going well for you! Always love a visit from you.
Helene Dsouza I Masala Herb says
I wish I was your neighbor and that Halloween was celebrated here. Your cupcakes are so cute and creative and the idea with the gummiworm is awesome. Very nice photography, I feel inspired! Thanks for this nice post.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Oh Helene! You are so sweet! I’m definitely in the Halloween mood and decided to share some of our favorites this year despite them not being the norm for my blog! Loving having your Halloween Pinterest board to see other ideas and share these. Wish you were my neighbor too!
Lisa @ Tarte du Jour says
Well you have just about the most fortunate children around!! Those cupcakes look like so much fun to make and to eat! I love the tip on Pamela’s mix. It was so good to hear from you recently! I’ve been very busy too …mostly catering and trying to blog when I can find the time. I have a subscription to your blog too and I always look forward to seeing what my friend in Boulder is up to! Enjoy your fall!!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Hi Lisa! Thank you for your kind comment on the cupcakes. I always find this a fun time of year but will admit to be pretty spent on the holiday spirit by the time Easter rolls around! Glad to hear a word from you too! Assumed you have been busy. Such is the school year!