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These fun and colorful Monster Cupcakes are the perfect treat for Halloween! Devil’s Food cupcakes are topped with bright homemade buttercream and plenty of candy eyes to create silly little monsters that kids will love.

I originally got the idea for these cupcakes after seeing a package of monster cookies at the store. They were covered in bright colors and candy eyes, and I immediately thought they were adorable. But I knew my boys would be much more excited about cupcakes than cookies, so Monster Cupcakes it was!

Of course, I had to use Devil’s Food cake because it just seemed appropriate for Halloween. Then I whipped up a batch of homemade buttercream, divided it into a few bowls, and made each one a different bright color. Add some candy eyes and suddenly every cupcake has its own goofy little monster personality.

The best part is that these cupcakes don’t have to look perfect. In fact, the crazier the frosting and the more ridiculous the eyes look, the better! They’re an easy Halloween dessert that’s just as much fun to decorate as it is to eat.

Why You’ll Love These Monster Cupcakes

These Monster Cupcakes are such a fun Halloween treat because you really can’t mess them up! The sillier and crazier your little monsters look, the better.

• Easy to make: Starting with a cake mix keeps these cupcakes simple, while homemade buttercream makes them extra delicious.
• Fun for the kids: Let the kids choose their frosting colors and decorate their own monsters with candy eyes.
• No decorating skills needed: There’s no need to make every cupcake look the same. Messy frosting just gives your monsters more personality!
• Perfect for Halloween: These colorful cupcakes are great for Halloween parties, classroom treats, or a fun dessert at home.
• Easy to customize: Change the frosting colors, use different candy eyes, or give every cupcake its own crazy monster face.
  

  Ingredients You’ll Need

  You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these fun Monster Cupcakes. The cupcakes start with a cake mix to keep things easy, while the colorful homemade buttercream and candy eyes are what really bring the monsters to life.

  • Devil’s Food Cake Mix: I love using Devil’s Food cake for these because it’s rich and chocolatey, plus the name is just too perfect for Halloween!
  • Butter: The base of the homemade buttercream frosting. I prefer unsalted butter so you have better control over the flavor.
  • Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the buttercream and gives it that thick, fluffy consistency that’s perfect for piping.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds a little extra flavor to the frosting.
  • Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half: Helps make the buttercream smooth and creamy. Add it gradually until the frosting reaches the consistency you want.
  • Food Coloring: Bright colors make the monsters extra fun. Green, purple, orange, and blue are all great Halloween choices, but you can use whatever colors you have.
  • Candy Eyes: The finishing touch! Use different sizes and numbers of eyes to give each cupcake its own silly monster face.

  See the recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

  

  How to Make Monster Cupcakes

  These cupcakes are super easy to put together, and decorating them is definitely the best part!

  1. Bake the cupcakes.
  Prepare the Devil’s Food cake mix according to the package directions. Divide the batter between cupcake liners and bake until done. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.

  2. Make the buttercream.
  Beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla and enough heavy cream or half-and-half to get a fluffy, pipeable frosting.

  3. Make your monster colors.
  Divide the buttercream between several bowls and add a different food coloring to each one. Go as bright and crazy as you want!

  4. Decorate your monsters.
  Pipe the colorful frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and add candy eyes. Give them one eye, two eyes, five eyes—there really are no rules when you’re making monsters!

  This is also a great part of the recipe to let the kids take over. Set out the frosting colors and candy eyes and see what kind of crazy little monsters they come up with!

  Tips & Fun Monster Ideas

  The best thing about Monster Cupcakes is that every single one can look completely different. There’s really no wrong way to decorate them, but here are a few tips and ideas to make them extra fun.

  • Let the cupcakes cool completely. If they’re still warm, your buttercream will melt and slide right off your little monsters.
  • Use bright food coloring. Gel or neon food coloring works especially well when you want really bold monster colors without adding too much liquid to the frosting.
  • Don’t add too much cream at once. Add the heavy cream or half-and-half a little at a time until your buttercream is fluffy but still thick enough to hold its shape.
  • Mix up the eyes. Give some monsters one giant eye, others two eyes, and cover a few with a whole bunch of little eyes. The weirder they look, the better!
  • Try different frosting colors. Purple, green, orange, blue, and bright pink all make great monsters. You can even swirl two colors together.
  • Use different piping tips. Stars, swirls, spikes, and messy strands of frosting can all create completely different-looking monsters.
  • Let the kids decorate. Put out bowls of frosting, candy eyes, and sprinkles and let everyone create their own monster. This is definitely one of those desserts where messy decorating is part of the fun!
    

    Perfect for Halloween Parties

    These Monster Cupcakes are such a fun treat for Halloween parties because they’re colorful, easy to serve, and guaranteed to stand out on the dessert table. Make a whole batch of different colored monsters and no two cupcakes have to look exactly alike.

    They’re also perfect for classroom parties, Halloween movie nights, or just a fun afternoon of baking with the kids. You can even bake the cupcakes ahead of time and turn decorating them into a Halloween activity. Just set out the different frosting colors, candy eyes, and sprinkles and let everyone create their own monster!

    Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

    Storing: Keep your decorated Monster Cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is especially warm, you can store them in the refrigerator instead. Let refrigerated cupcakes come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.

    Make Ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a day or two ahead of time and store them covered at room temperature. The buttercream can also be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let it soften at room temperature and give it a quick mix before decorating.

    Freezing: The unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap them well and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw them completely at room temperature before adding the buttercream and candy eyes.

    Continue to Content

    

    Monster Cupcakes

    Yield: 24

    Prep Time: 25 minutes

    Cook Time: 20 minutes

    Total Time: 45 minutes

    These easy Monster Cupcakes are a fun and colorful Halloween treat made with Devil’s Food cupcakes, fluffy homemade buttercream, bright colors, and candy eyes. They’re easy enough for the kids to help decorate and perfect for Halloween parties!

    5.0 Stars (3 Reviews)

    Print

    Ingredients

    • 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix, plus ingredients called for on the box
    • 3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 pound powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Heavy cream or half-and-half, as needed
    • Food coloring
    • Candy eyes

    Instructions

    1. Prepare and bake the Devil’s Food cupcakes according to the package directions. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.
       
    2. Add the softened butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
       
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract.
       
    4. Add the heavy cream or half-and-half, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the buttercream reaches your desired piping consistency.
       
    5. Divide the buttercream evenly between 4 bowls and tint each bowl a different color with food coloring.
       
    6. Transfer each color of buttercream to a piping bag or zip-top bag with one corner snipped off.
       
    7. Pipe the frosting high onto each cooled cupcake.
       
    8. Decorate each cupcake with candy eyes to create your monsters.
       
    9. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting them. For bright monster colors, neon or gel food coloring works especially well. There’s no need to make every monster look the same—use different frosting colors and different numbers of candy eyes to give each one its own personality.

    Monster Cupcakes FAQ

    Can I use canned frosting instead of homemade buttercream?

    Absolutely! Homemade buttercream tastes delicious and is easy to color, but canned vanilla frosting will work if you want to make these cupcakes even quicker. Divide the frosting into bowls, add your food coloring, and decorate as usual.

    What kind of food coloring is best for Monster Cupcakes?

    Gel or neon food coloring is great for getting those bright monster colors. Gel coloring is especially helpful because you can get really vibrant colors without adding a lot of extra liquid to your buttercream.

    Can I make Monster Cupcakes ahead of time?

    Yes! You can bake the cupcakes a day or two ahead and decorate them closer to when you plan to serve them. You can also make the buttercream ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to decorate.

    How many Monster Cupcakes does this recipe make?

    This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes, making it a great option when you need enough treats for a Halloween party, classroom celebration, or a house full of hungry little monsters.

    More Fun Halloween Treats

    If you love these Monster Cupcakes, there are plenty more spooky treats to make Halloween extra fun! From colorful cookies and cheesecakes to creepy graveyard desserts, these easy Halloween recipes are perfect for parties, movie nights, or making something special with the kids.

    Halloween Bark – colorful swirled chocolate, cookie eyes, candy, and spooky sprinkles make this an easy Halloween treat that’s just as much fun to make as it is to eat.

    Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars – thick and chewy colorful sugar cookie bars topped with bright buttercream and Halloween sprinkles make an easy party dessert.

    Mini Halloween Cheesecakes – colorful swirled mini cheesecakes with an Oreo crust make an adorable bite-sized Halloween dessert.

    Graveyard Pudding Cups – layers of Devil’s Food cake, colorful pudding, cookie crumbs, and spooky gravestones turn these little dessert cups into an edible graveyard.

    Peanut Butter Cream Pumpkins – creamy homemade peanut butter treats dipped in chocolate and decorated like little pumpkins are perfect for Halloween.

    Pumpkin Caramel Trifle – layers of cozy pumpkin and caramel flavors make this festive trifle a delicious dessert for Halloween or any fall gathering.