Go Back

Spider Cupcakes for Halloween Recipe (gluten-free, whole grain, all-purpose flour options)

Spider Cupcakes for Halloween Recipe (gluten-free, whole grain, all-purpose flour options) - Easy to make spider cupcakes with a pumpkin cupcake base and cream cheese frosting! With grain-free, gluten-free, whole grain, all-purpose flour options. Can also be made vegan. Perfect for Halloween!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 4 minutes
Servings 20 cupcakes

Ingredients
  

Cupcakes:

  • 2 cups 250 grams whole wheat flour, whole spelt flour, all-purpose flour or 1 cup (134 grams) 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour for a GF version
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 large eggs 50 grams each, out of shell, room temperature
  • 2 cups 480 grams canned pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups 400 grams brown sugar, raw sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 cup 240 milliliters olive oil1 (or another neutral-tasting oil that's liquid at room temperature like canola oil)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup 113 grams unsalted butter, softened
  • 12 ounces 340 grams cream cheese, softened2
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups 195 grams powdered sugar

Decoration:

  • 20 Oreos use these for a gluten-free version or these homemade Paleo Oreo Cookies for a grain-free version - see the post for other homemade options
  • 1 cup 170 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
  • 40 candy eyes use the homemade chocolate eyes in my monster mouth post for a much less processed version

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line two muffin pans with 20 paper liners.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
  • In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, and oil.
  • Add the dry mix to the wet and stir just until combined. Do not over mix!
  • Divide the batter among the liners, filling each one almost full, and bake for about 20 – 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 3 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
  • Once the cupcakes have cooled, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese until soft and smooth. Add the salt and vanilla and beat until combined. Add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy.
  • Spread about 1 ½ tablespoons of frosting over each cooled cupcake.
  • Twist the Oreos apart and place the side without frosting face up on the cupcake. You can also use whole Oreos if you prefer.
  • Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Pour into a piping bag.
  • Pipe 4 legs on both sides of the Oreo. Pipe a tiny bit of chocolate on the bottom of two eyes and place on the Oreo.
  • Keep decorated cupcakes refrigerated for one day until ready to serve. Keep undecorated cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days. The Oreos get slightly soft over time so decorate just a few hours before serving, if possible.

Notes

  • If you use olive oil, the batter will taste like olive oil but the taste disappears after baking.
  • If you live outside of North America and have the kind of cream cheese that's meant for toast (that comes in a little plastic tub) rather than American style brick cream cheese, then get a 300 grams of cream cheese, place it in the center of a cheesecloth, and wring out the liquid until you have 225 grams of cream cheese left.