We love Halloween in our house and my kids and I love making these Easy Spider Cupcakes! They are not only delicious but they are also lots of fun to make.
If you loved our Spider pudding pies then you are going to love this fun Halloween treat, Spider Cupcakes. Kids of all ages will love to add the fun topping for the perfect Halloween dessert or activity.
Now these are great for Halloween, but they are perfect for a Spider party too. They are super cute but the real fun is making them. My kids had a blast with that part.
More family favorites are White Chocolate Mummy Truffles, Halloween Rice Krispie Treats and Jack-O-Lantern Chocolate Covered Oreos.
Why This Recipe Works
I love that this Halloween treat starts with a cake mix. You only need a few ingredients and these cupcakes will be loved by all ages. They can easily be made with a variety of ingredients and are perfect for any occasion.
If you love making holiday memories with your kids, try these cupcakes for a fun Halloween treat. You may even like these 10 easy Halloween dinner recipes to enjoy before rrick-or-treating!
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cake Mix – Use your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix.
- Cake Mix Ingredients – Use the eggs, oil, and water listed on the cake mix box.
- Chocolate Frosting – Store bought frosting keeps these cupcakes quick and easy.
- Oreos – Crush or break them into pieces for decorating.
- Pretzel Twists – You can also use pretzel sticks, but we like using pretzel twists to make it more “life-like”.
- Candy Eyeballs – Add two to each cupcake to finish the spider look.
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Make Spider Cupcakes
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 – Then I mixed the cake mix based on the package instructions in a large bowl.
Step 3 – Next I filled muffin cups lined with a liner with about ½ full with the batter. Bake for 14-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle came out clean.
Step 4 – Then allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
Step 5 – Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, you get to do the fun part which is decorating the cupcakes. My kids loved this part, so I recommend getting the entire family involved!
Step 6 – First place the Oreos in a freezer plastic bag and then beat them with a kitchen tenderizer or a rolling pin until you have crushed Oreos. Just crush them until they are the size that you prefer.
Step 7 – Then frost cupcakes with the chocolate icing. The icing is important as it’s the glue for the Oreos.
Step 8 – Next top each cupcake with the crushed Oreos. These Oreos represent the “fur” of the spider and it adds great flavor to the cupcake too.
Step 9 – After topping with the Oreos, push in 8 pretzel twists (4 on each side) into the side of the cupcakes for your spider legs.
Step 10 – Then top the cupcakes with 2 eyes – or 6 or 8 (as my kids did). Then you have adorable spider cupcakes for your family and friends to devour and they are perfect for any Halloween party!
Expert Tips
- Cupcake Pan – To easily serve the cupcakes, line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners. We like to use fun holiday ones to go with the theme of the cupcakes.
- Crushing Oreos- Crush the Oreos with a rolling pin in a freezer bag as it holds up better during the crushing of the Oreos.
- Frosting the Cupcakes – Make sure the cupcakes have completely cooled before adding the frosting. This allows the frosting to go on smoothly.
Variation Ideas
- Cupcakes – Use your favorite flavor of cupcakes. We used chocolate as it goes great with the Oreos, but vanilla would be delicious too.
- Frosting – Again, use your favorite flavor. I would recommend chocolate or white frosting for this recipe but use what you have on hand! You can also use food color to help the frosting blend in better with your spider cupcakes if needed. If you don’t have any frosting at all, you can also mix powdered sugar and water together to make an easy glue for your Oreos.
- Pretzels – I have used regular black licorice for the legs as well and they are so adorable. Sometimes kids don’t love black licorice, but if your family loves it, it would work great fore the legs of your spiders!
- Candy Eyeballs – Chocolate chips or red hots also work great for the spider eyes on these Halloween cupcakes.
- Chocolate Sprinkles – Dip the frosted cupcakes in chocolate sprinkles instead of crushed Oreos for a different spider texture.
- Whole Oreo Spider – Place a whole Oreo on top of each cupcake for the spider body, then add the legs with icing or melted chocolate.
- Gluten Free – Use a gluten free cake mix and gluten free sandwich cookies for a delicious variation.
Storage and Make Ahead
Storing
- Store the finished spider cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Make Ahead
- You can bake the plain cupcakes 1 to 2 days ahead and store them covered at room temperature. Frost them the day before serving if needed.
Freezing
- Feel free to make the cupcakes and freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge when ready to decorate.
For the best appearance, add the Oreo pieces, pretzels, and candy eyes shortly before serving. The pretzels can soften over time, and some candy eyes may bleed if refrigerated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Add the candy eyes and pretzel legs shortly before serving. This helps keep the pretzels crisp and the candy eyes looking their best.
Yes. This cupcake recipe can be made with your favorite flavor box cake mix or homemade cake that goes good with Oreo.
Yes. This is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time. Make the cupcakes 1 to 2 days before decorating for a fun activity to do with the kids.
More Easy Halloween Desserts
We love to hear from you. If you make Easy Spider Cupcakes, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Easy Spider Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake Pan
- Cupcake Liners
- freezer bag
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cake Mix
- Ingredients needed to make the Cupcakes based on the Cake Mix Egg, Oil, Water, etc.
- 1 Container of Chocolate Frosting
- ½ Package of Oreos
- 1 Package of Pretzel Twists
- 48 Candy Eyeballs
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Prepare the chocolate cupcakes based on the package instructions. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 14-19 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
- Crush the Oreos in a large freezer bag.
- Frosting the cupcakes with the chocolate icing.
- Sprinkle the crushed Oreos on top of the chocolate frosting. Press them down slightly so that the Oreos do not fall off immediately.
- Push 8 pretzel twists (4 on each side) into the sides of the cupcakes.
- Then top each cupcake with the 2 candy eyes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Perfect way to let the kiddos create food for Halloween parties!
Thank you, Angel! Decorating them is half the fun! Such an easy way to get the kids involved in the Halloween treats.
These are adorable and perfect for a kids party! Trick or treat street hit instantly!
Thank you, Makenna! It’s such a fun addition to the Halloween snack table. I hope everyone loves it!
These are definitely a must-try for all of us that enjoy anything with OREOs in/on it. I’ll definitely try the variations during the first go-round as well for the Halloween party.
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These are definitely a must-try for all of us that enjoy anything with OREOs in/on it. I’ll definitely try the variations during the first go-round as well for the Halloween party.
This looks really cute I’ll have to try this!
Brandi – Thank you! Let me know what you think!
Cute. Fun to make
So happy you enjoyed it, Kirsten! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!