These chocolate frosted Halloween dirt cupcakes are poked with pudding, then layered with cookie crumbles and creepy crawly candies. Great for your Halloween party dessert spread!
Why this recipe works
Let’s creep it real, Halloween dirt cupcakes look downright adorable (or, should I say spooky?), but in reality, they’re quite easy to make. If you’ve ever heard of dirt cups, they’re essentially the same but in cupcake form.
In short, it’s a chocolate cupcake base that’s poked with chocolate pudding and topped with dreamy chocolate fudge frosting. On top of all of that, you’ll sprinkle on some crushed Oreo cookies to mimic the look of dirt and squeeze in some gummy worms as if they’re bursting through the surface of the earth. Easy peasy. Especially if you take the shortcut and use a cake mix!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CUPCAKE – We like to keep things easy around here, so a chocolate cake mix does the trick. Of course, you can make your own chocolate cupcakes if preferred, that’s entirely up to you!
PUDDING – We made ours into poke cupcakes with the pudding. This part is totally optional. You can’t really see the pudding when you break the cupcakes open but you can taste it! It didn’t take much pudding, so we had plenty left over to pop in the fridge for quickie snacks. You can also use it (and any leftover Oreo crumbs) to make our Halloween Dirt Cups!
FROSTING – My homemade chocolate fudge frosting is excellent here. It has the best pipeable consistency and stands up well with additional toppings. Chocolate buttercream is also a great option! You can also use canned frosting instead of homemade if needed. You will need to thicken it first by adding powdered sugar until you achieve a thicker piping consistency.
How to Make Halloween Dirt Cupcakes
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- If you would like to make these into poke cupcakes, use a chopstick or similar sized object to make three holes in the top of each cupcake.
- With pudding in a piping bag, squeeze pudding into the holes and level off the top.
- Frost the cupcakes. We used a large star tip, but if you like you can simply spread the frosting on.
- Run the Oreo cookies through your mini chopper or food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the cupcakes.
- Decorate with gummy worms by placing them on top and inserting them into the frosting. We found that cutting the worms in half worked best!
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Absolutely. You can prepare, frost, and decorate these cupcakes a day in advance. I would recommend storing them in an air-tight container or cupcake carrier kept in the refrigerator due to the frosting containing dairy. Allow them to rest at room temperature for around 30 minutes to take the chill off before enjoying.
Store your Halloween dirt cupcakes in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Variations for Halloween Dirt Cupcakes
During the Halloween season, many stores carry festive candy and gummy candies. Look for gummy “body parts”, skulls, and eyeballs. Big box stores like Walmart and Target usually have a large selection.
- Top your cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles instead of crushed Oreos for an alternative “dirt” effect.
- Instead of gummy worms, you can add candy pumpkins, candy corn, chocolate spiders, or candy skeletons.
- For more of a graveyard look, try adding a tombstone made out of either Nutter Butter or Milano cookies. Use black gel icing to write “R.I.P.” on the cookies, then place on top of the frosting. They’d be extra cute with a candy pumpkin on the side.
- Marshmallow ghosts (you can find them in stores), or marshmallow Frankenstein’s, are also a good idea!
- You can slightly melt marshmallows to create a spiderweb on top. Use your fingers to stretch the melted marshmallow over your candy toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your Halloween dirt cupcakes just above room temperature. You won’t want to bite into them chilled as the gummy worms harden when cold.
I raised four children to adulthood and made plenty of treats along the way. I’ll never forget the first time I made my Kitty Litter Cake for my daughter’s Halloween party when she was in 6th grade. Oh, the faces of those kids! I think there were only 2 kids out of the whole lot that actually tried it. These cupcakes are a much safer bet, as most kids love gummy worms.
More Halloween Recipes
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Halloween Dirt Cupcakes
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 21 cupcakes chocolate or vanilla
- 1 recipe Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 10 Oreo cookies
- 6 ounces gummy worms sour or regular. cut in half
Optional
- instant chocolate pudding prepared
Things You’ll Need
- Chopstick or large skewer, if using pudding
- Piping bag and tip optional, we used a large star tip
- Food processor or mini food chopper
Before You Begin
- Cake mix is great for this recipe, preferably chocolate – but you can use white or yellow as well! You can of course use homemade cupcakes if that’s your preference.
- We made ours into poke cupcakes with the pudding. This part is totally optional. You can’t really see the pudding when you break the cupcakes open but you can taste it! It didn’t take much pudding so we had plenty left over to pop in the fridge for quickie snacks. You can also use it (and any leftover Oreo crumbs) to make our Halloween Dirt Cups!
- If you don’t have piping bags and tips, you can use a plastic zipper bag and cut off the corner.
Instructions
- If you would like to make these into poke cupcakes, use a chopstick or similar sized object to make three holes in the top of each cupcakes.
- With pudding in a piping bag, squeeze pudding into the holes and level off the top.
- Frost the cupcakes. We used a large star tip, but if you like you can simply spread the frosting on.
- Run the Oreo cookies through your mini chopper or food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the cupcakes.
- Decorate with gummy worms by placing them on top and inserting them into the frosting. We found that cutting the worms in half worked best!
Expert Tips & FAQs
- The nutritional values listed here will vary depending upon what type of cake mix or homemade cupcakes you use. Please refer to the individual box or recipe for more accurate values. Values listed below do not include the optional pudding.
- Store your Halloween dirt cupcakes in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- You can prepare, frost, and decorate these cupcakes a day in advance. I would recommend storing them in an air-tight container or cupcake carrier kept in the refrigerator due to the frosting containing dairy. Allow them to rest at room temperature for around 30 minutes to take the chill off before enjoying.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
Amanda Davis
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