Vegan Halloween Cupcakes

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

Halloween baking is something I look forward to from the beginning of the year, and these vegan Halloween cupcakes are a huge favorite in my house. I make chocolate cupcakes with a vegan buttercream frosting and turn them into spooky ghosts, silly monsters, or adorable Oreo bats. They are light, fluffy, completely vegan, and perfect for a festive Halloween dessert table.

Everyone in my house loves chocolate cupcakes, and these vegan Halloween cupcakes take that classic dessert in a fun and spooky direction with a classic rich cocoa batter and creamy vanilla buttercream. Just like snowman cupcakes are essential for Christmas time, I never go without these cupcakes on Halloween. Make sure you add this delicious plant-based dessert to your menu this season.

The idea for these cupcakes came from baking Halloween monster cookies with kids. Usually they were happy with just the monsters, but suddenly they were arguing about bats and ghosts too. It seemed that going forward I would need a sweet treat with equal representation. The best part was when I told them that they could decorate their own batches of cupcakes. And for the amount of frosting they were sneaking into their mouths, the decorating process kept them quiet and still for a long time.

🥘 Ingredients

The ingredients for vegan Halloween cupcakes are fairly basic but still deliver quality flavor, while the decorations really take them to the next level. This is what I use:

For the cupcakes

Vegan buttermilk: I combine non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar to make my own vegan buttermilk, which adds moisture to the cupcakes.

Dry ingredients: I whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt for the structure, chocolate flavor, and lift needed for light cupcakes with a tender crumb.

Cane sugar: Organic cane sugar sweetens the cupcakes. 

Vegetable oil: I use a neutral oil to keep the cupcakes soft long after cooling.

Vanilla extract: This rounds out the chocolate flavor and adds warmth to the batter. 

For vegan vanilla buttercream

Vegan butter: I use vegan butter sticks for the base of the frosting.

Powdered sugar: Organic powdered sugar sweetens the frosting while also providing structure.

Dairy-free milk: I add this a little at a time to adjust the consistency and make the buttercream light enough to pipe.

Vanilla extract: This provides a classic flavor that works with all 3 cupcake designs.

For the monster decorations

Green food coloring: I use a small amount to create bright green frosting for the monster cupcakes.

Black sugar sprinkles: I dip the cupcake tops into these for the monster hair. 

Candy eyes: Vegan candy eyes work well for the faces.

Dairy-free chocolate chips: I use these for the monster ears. 

Black decorating gel: This is used to finish the face and to draw the scar. 

For the ghost decorations

Dairy-free chocolate chips: Regular-sized chocolate chips create the mouth for the ghost cupcakes.

Mini dairy-free chocolate chips: Smaller chocolate chips work well for the tiny ghost eyes.

For the bat decorations

Oreo cookies or similar sandwich cookies: I turn these into little bat wings and part of their bodies.

Candy eyes: Vegan candy eyes give each bat a playful face.

Black decorating gel: I use this to draw a smile onto the bat’s face.

🔪 How To Make

When making these vegan Halloween cupcakes, I like to prepare the cakes first, then set up a decorating station for the final steps. This is how I do it:

Preheat and make buttermilk: I preheat my oven to 350F then whisk the dairy-free milk with apple cider vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken and curdle.

Mix dry ingredients: Next, I whisk the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Whisk wet ingredients: In a large bowl, I whisk the vegetable oil, cane sugar, and vanilla extract together. I pour the vegan buttermilk and whisk again until the mixture is smooth.

Make batter: I add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and gently fold until I no longer see streaks of flour.

Add to muffin tin and bake: Then I divide the batter between a lined 12-cup muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes. I allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

How to Make the Vegan Buttercream Frosting

Whip butter: While the cupcakes cool, I whip the vegan butter with a hand mixer at medium speed until it looks creamy and smooth.

Add powdered sugar: Then I add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, allowing each addition to become incorporated before adding more.

Add dairy-free milk: Once all the sugar is incorporated, I add the non-dairy milk 1 tablespoon at a time while whipping the frosting. I add the vanilla extract and continue whipping for about 30 seconds until the buttercream is light and fluffy.

Decorate the Monster Cupcakes

Make green frosting: I transfer 1/3 of the buttercream to another bowl and mix in green food coloring until I reach the shade I want.

Decorate monster cupcakes: Then I spread the green frosting over 4 of the cupcakes and smooth the tops with a knife. I dip each frosted top into black sugar sprinkles to create the monster hair and add 2 candy eyes to the front and 2 chocolate chips on the sides to create ears. I finish the monster face by drawing a scar across the frosting with black decorating gel.

Decorate the Ghost Cupcakes

Make ghost cupcakes: I take another 1/3 of the frosting and place it in a piping bag fitted with a frosting tip and pipe the frosting into a tall swirl on each cupcake. Then I place 2 mini chocolate chips in the center for the eyes and one regular chocolate chip underneath for the mouth.

Decorate the Bat Cupcakes

Separate Oreo cookies: I twist each sandwich cookie apart and scrape away any extra cream from the cookie half that has less filling.

Break: I break that cookie in half to create 2 small wings.

Assemble face: I use black decorating gel to make 2 small dots, use it to secure the candy eyes, and draw a small smile underneath.

Frost and add bats: Finally, I frost the final 4 cupcakes to about 3/4 inch high and gently place the finished Oreo bat in the center. The frosting keeps the cookie in place.

📖 Variations

Decorating gives me plenty of room to change up these vegan Halloween cupcakes. These are a few ways I have served them over the years:

Purple monsters: I mix 2-3 drops of purple food coloring into ⅓ of the buttercream instead of green, then use rainbow sprinkles for the hair. My kids love making their monsters look a little silly rather than spooky.

Pumpkin faces: I add 2-3 drops of orange food coloring to a portion of my frosting and spread it over the tops of the cupcakes. Then I use black decorating gel and black sugar sprinkles to create jack-o’-lantern faces. Everyone in my family enjoys making different faces on their cupcakes. 

Witchy cupcake: I add cocoa powder or black food coloring to my buttercream frosting, then spread a thin layer of white or purple frosting over the surface of the cupcake and place a sandwich cookie in the center. I use the black frosting to create a pointy witch’s hat on top of the cookie. I love this version since I grew up watching witchy movies like Hocus Pocus.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

For a party, I like arranging these vegan Halloween cupcakes amongst all the other spooky treats. I recommend placing the monsters next to funny face Halloween apples, with a plate of vegan Rice Krispie treats between the bats and ghosts. Make sure you serve vibrantly colored drinks like apple carrot smoothies, too. 

For our last Halloween party, I started the kids off with Halloween Jack-O-Lantern quesadillas and other fun savory snacks. Then for dessert, I served these cupcakes along with healthy vegan pumpkin cupcakes. I made a witch’s potion punch using blackberry simple syrup, sparkling water, and fresh blueberries.

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Refrigeration: I store the decorated cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I prefer keeping them chilled until I am ready to serve them so the buttercream stays firm.

Freezing: I freeze unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. I like wrapping each one individually in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.

Reheating: I do not reheat these cupcakes. I let refrigerated cupcakes sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving. If frozen, I thaw completely at room temperature before adding the buttercream and decorations.

❓Recipe FAQs

🎥 Video