12 Easy Halloween Chocolate Cupcake Ideas

ByViolet ParkerEditorial Policy

Halloween is the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen, and what better way to do that than with some fun and spooky chocolate cupcakes? These 12 easy chocolate Halloween cupcakes use a box cake mix as a base, making them simple to whip up (especially if you want a fun but easy project for kids) while leaving plenty of room for creativity. From creepy eyeballs to cute monster faces, these cupcakes are as festive as they are delicious. Let’s get going… 

1. Spooky Spider Web Cupcakes

spooky spiderweb cupcake

These Spooky Spider Web Cupcakes are a classic Halloween treat. With rich chocolate frosting and a white spider web design made from melted white chocolate or icing, they’re both eerie and delicious. The combination of smooth frosting and moist chocolate cake is irresistible.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup chocolate frosting
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips or white icing
  • Chocolate or gummy spiders for decoration

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting. You can use a piping bag or a pallet knife. 
  4. Melt the white chocolate chips and place the melted chocolate in a piping bag (or use white icing). Pipe a spiderweb design on each cupcake. 
  5. Top with a chocolate or gummy spider for a spooky finish.

2. Monster Eye Cupcakes

monster eye cupcakes

These Monster Eye Cupcakes are as cute as they are spooky. Rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with colorful frosting and candy eyeballs to create playful monster faces. They’re perfect for a kid-friendly Halloween celebration.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup vanilla frosting
  • Food coloring (green, purple, or blue, or other colors of your choice!)
  • Candy eyeballs

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Divide the vanilla frosting into separate bowls and color each with different food coloring.
  4. Frost the cupcakes with the colorful frosting.
  5. Press candy eyeballs into the frosting to create monster faces.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

3. Graveyard Tombstone Cupcakes

graveyard tombstone cupcakes

These Graveyard Tombstone Cupcakes are perfect for adding a little fright to your Halloween dessert table. The chocolate cupcakes are topped with crushed cookie “dirt” and a tombstone made from a cookie, creating an eerie scene.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup chocolate frosting
  • 6 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
  • 12 rectangular cookies 
  • Black icing for writing

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
  4. Sprinkle the crushed cookies on top of the frosting to create the “dirt.”
  5. Write “RIP” on each rectangular cookie using black icing and press it into the top of each cupcake to create a tombstone.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

4. Witch Hat Chocolate Cupcakes

witch hat chocolate cupcakes

These Witch Hat Cupcakes are a whimsical Halloween treat. The chocolate cupcakes are topped with a sugar cone “witch hat” and decorated with sprinkles, making them both delicious and festive.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup chocolate frosting
  • 12 mini sugar cones
  • Halloween sprinkles

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
  4. Place a sugar cone on top of each cupcake.
  5. Decorate with Halloween sprinkles.

5. Mummy Cupcakes

mummy cupcakes

These Mummy Cupcakes are a fun and spooky Halloween treat. The chocolate cupcakes are wrapped in strips of white frosting to resemble mummy bandages, with candy eyes peeking out for an extra eerie effect.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 2 cups white frosting
  • Candy eyes

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with white frosting.
  4. Place candy eyes on each cupcake.
  5. Use a piping bag fitted with a flat tip to pipe white frosting across the cupcakes in a crisscross pattern to create the mummy bandages.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

6. Black Cat Cupcakes

black cat cupcakes

These Black Cat Cupcakes are a simple yet festive treat that’s perfect for Halloween. The rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with black frosting and decorated with candy eyes, licorice whiskers, and chocolate ears to create an adorable black cat face.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup black frosting
  • Candy eyes
  • Cat ears, made from fondant icing 
  • Chocolate chips 
  • Black licorice (for whiskers)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with black frosting.
  4. Make cat ears from fondant icing. 
  5. Add candy eyes, chocolate chips, fondant ears, and small strips of black licorice for whiskers.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

7. Candy Corn Cupcakes

candy corn cupcakes

These Candy Corn Cupcakes are a sweet and colorful Halloween treat inspired by the classic candy. Layers of orange, yellow, and white frosting make these chocolate cupcakes festive and fun.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup vanilla frosting
  • Yellow and orange food coloring
  • Candy corn for decoration

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Divide the vanilla frosting into three equal portions. Color one portion yellow, one portion orange, and leave the last portion white.
  4. Pipe the frostings onto the cupcakes. 
  5. Top each cupcake with pieces of candy corn.

8. Eyeball Cupcakes

eyeball cupcake

These Eyeball Cupcakes are creepy and delicious! The chocolate cupcakes are topped with white frosting and a candy eyeball in the center, with red gel icing to create a bloodshot effect.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup white frosting
  • Red gel icing
  • Candy eyeballs

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with white frosting.
  4. Place a candy eyeball in the center of each cupcake.
  5. Use red gel icing to draw lines radiating out from the eyeball to create a bloodshot look.

9. Haunted House Cupcakes

haunted house cupcakes

These Haunted House Cupcakes are both spooky and fun. The chocolate cupcakes are decorated with black frosting and candy decorations to create a haunted house scene, making them perfect for Halloween parties.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup black frosting
  • Halloween candy decorations (ghosts, bats, pumpkins, sprinkles)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with black frosting.
  4. Use Halloween candy decorations to create a haunted house scene on each cupcake.

10. Jack-O’-Lantern Cupcakes

jack o lantern cupcakes

These Jack-O’-Lantern Cupcakes are a festive Halloween treat. The chocolate cupcakes are topped with bright orange frosting and decorated with black icing to create a jack-o’-lantern face.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup vanilla frosting
  • Orange food coloring
  • Black icing for decorating

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Color the vanilla frosting with orange food coloring and frost the cupcakes.
  4. Use black icing to create jack-o’-lantern faces on each cupcake.

11. Vampire Bite Cupcakes

vampire bite cupcakes

These Vampire Bite Cupcakes are both spooky and delicious. The rich chocolate cupcakes are filled with cherry preserves for a “bloody” surprise and topped with white frosting and a drip of red icing to resemble vampire bites.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1/2 cup cherry preserves
  • 1 cup white frosting
  • Red gel icing

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake and fill it with cherry preserves.
  4. Frost the cupcakes with white frosting.
  5. Use red gel icing for a spooky effect.

12. Bat Cupcakes

bat cupcakes

These Bat Cupcakes are simple yet fun. The chocolate cupcakes are topped with dark chocolate frosting and decorated with halved chocolate sandwich cookies to create bat wings, with candy eyes for a finishing touch.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
  • 1 cup dark chocolate frosting
  • 12 chocolate sandwich cookies, halved
  • Candy eyes

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box instructions and divide the batter evenly among a lined cupcake tin.
  2. Bake according to package directions and let the cupcakes cool completely.
  3. Frost the cupcakes with dark chocolate frosting.
  4. Place two halved chocolate sandwich cookies on each cupcake to create bat wings.
  5. Add candy eyes to complete the look.

These 12 easy chocolate Halloween cupcakes are the perfect blend of spooky and sweet. Whether you’re hosting a Halloween bash or just looking for a fun treat, these cupcakes are sure to impress. Plus, using a box mix as a base makes them quick and simple, so you can focus on decorating and having fun!