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Make these easy Halloween bat cupcakes with your kids this Halloween! They’re moist chocolate cupcakes with creamy frosting and adorable bats made from Oreos.
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Looking for a fun activity to try with your kids this Halloween? You’ll love these adorably spooky Halloween bat cupcakes!
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make your chocolate cupcake batter and colorful buttercream frosting from scratch. But what makes these Halloween cupcakes frighteningly good is the Oreo bats atop the melt-in-the-mouth frosting!
So what are you waiting for? Make these bat Halloween cupcakes that are so sweet and cute you’ll scream with delight!
What Are Halloween Bat Cupcakes?
Halloween bat cupcakes might be the treat you need to trick kids into enjoying the spooky season more.
These Halloween desserts are deliciously moist chocolate cupcakes topped with colorful buttercream frosting and Oreo bats.
Oreos already make a great snack for the trick-or-treating season, but this is your sign to come up with something new and let your little ones unleash their creativity with Oreo cookie bat cupcakes.
I’m not a kid, but even I would not refuse a cupcake decorating party for Halloween! 😂
I think the only tip I want to share when you prepare this Halloween party activity for kids is to slice the Oreo cookies for the wings beforehand so the kids don’t have to handle knives.
Oh, and don’t forget to let everyone have fun! Let the kids mix their own cupcake batter and tint their own buttercream frosting.
I know with us adults, a messy kitchen is more terrifying than ghost stories, but as the quote says, “It’s Halloween; everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” 😅
Why You’ll Love These Bat Halloween Cupcakes
- Time For DIY: Every part of these bat Halloween cupcakes is customizable! Include add-ins to the cupcakes, tint the buttercream frosting with whatever color you want, or use different flavors of Oreos for the sweet and spooky “bats.”
- Decadent Delight: Moist chocolate cupcakes with creamy vanilla buttercream icing and Double Stuf Oreos…whether you’re an adult or child, I’m sure you won’t refuse something this sweet and rich. 🤤
- Perfect For Halloween Parties: Cupcake decorating is one of the best activities you can do for Halloween! Have your guests compete for the best-looking frosted cupcakes and Oreo bats.
What Do Oreo Cookie Bat Cupcakes Taste Like?
These cookie bat cupcakes taste sweet, chocolatey, and rich.
You can also make these treats extra chocolatey by using chocolate frosting, but I think the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth vanilla buttercream icing perfectly complements the moist chocolate cupcakes.
We’ve also used Double Stuf on these Oreo bat cupcakes, so you’ll get more “creme.” I mean, that’s the best part about Oreos, right? 🤤
But if you find these bat Oreo cupcakes too indulgent, you can always use less frosting on your cupcakes.
You can also amp up your Halloween Oreo cupcakes with mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or candied orange peels! Add “dirt” to your frosting using Oreo crumbs, or make the topping “bloodily” cute with red icing.
Ingredients For Cookie Bat Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour – While I haven’t tried them myself, I’ve seen cupcake recipes that swapped all-purpose flour with cake flour to make the cupcakes extra light and airy. But for me, the tender texture from using all-purpose flour in these Halloween bat cupcakes is just perfect for the creamy, generous dollop of frosting on top.
- Baking powder – A must-have for the batter to rise and get the perfect slight dome on top of the chocolate cupcakes.
- Cocoa powder – You can make vanilla cupcakes, but both the color and decadent taste of chocolate cupcakes just suit the spooky season really well.
- Granulated sugar – To sweeten our bat Halloween cupcakes.
- Salt – To balance the sweetness of our Oreo Halloween treats.
- Milk – A must-have for moist and tender Halloween bat cupcakes.
- Oil – Another important ingredient so you’ll never get dry and crumbly cupcakes!
- Egg – To bind everything together.
- Vanilla extract – Adds complexity to the overall taste of the bat Oreo cupcakes.
- Boiling hot water – This is our secret ingredient for making the best-tasting chocolate cupcakes! It creates a richer, deeper chocolate flavor as it blooms the cocoa powder.
- Double Stuf Oreos – We’ll use the best Oreos (I’m ready to debate those who’ll disagree 😛) for these Oreo bat cupcakes.
- Eye candies – Adorably sweet details to add to our Oreo bats.
- Unsalted butter – Want to make the most velvety smooth frosting? Beat your room-temperature butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until you achieve a consistency that melts in the mouth; a frosting test I’m willing to participate in! 😋
- Powdered sugar – Use sifted powdered sugar so it’s easier to mix with the butter.
- Vanilla extract – This just enhances the richness and sweetness of the frosting.
- Gel food color – You can use any color for the frosting.
Tools Needed To Prepare Oreo Bat Cupcakes
- Mixing bowls for the batter and frosting
- Whisk for mixing the dry ingredients
- Stand mixer for mixing the batter and frosting
- Cupcake pan for baking the Halloween bat cupcakes
- Cupcake liners for lining the cupcake pan
- Ice cream scoop for easier portioning of the chocolate cupcake batter
- Popsicle sticks for inserting the Oreo bats into the Halloween chocolate cupcakes
Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Halloween Oreo Cupcakes
Chocolate frosting
I thought these colorful Halloween bat cupcakes looked super adorable, but you can also keep them monochromatic for a dark-themed Halloween dessert table.
Instead of vanilla frosting, decorate the cupcakes with chocolate frosting!
Peanut butter cups
Love Oreos and Reese’s? You can have both for these Oreo bat cupcakes!
Use the peanut butter cups as the bodies of your bats. 😋
Chocolate eyes
If you have white chocolate on hand, you can melt it in the microwave and use the melted chocolate for the eyes on these Oreo cookie bat cupcakes. Once the “eyes” set in the fridge, just dot them with black coloring gel.
How to Make Halloween Bat Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 egg, large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup boiling hot water
- 24 pcs Double Stuf Oreos
- Eye candies for the Oreo bats
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened for the frosting
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pink gel food color
- Green gel food color
- Yellow gel food color
Tools you need:
Instructions:
STEP 1: Gather and measure the ingredients for your Halloween bat cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with liners.
STEP 2: Whisk the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
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STEP 3: In another bowl, beat the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract together. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture in batches, making sure the batter is well incorporated.
STEP 4: Carefully pour the boiling water in intervals into the cupcake batter. Mix until smooth.
STEP 5: Scoop out the batter into the cups of the cupcake pan, filling each liner 3/4 full.
STEP 6: Bake the Halloween cupcakes for 25 minutes.
STEP 7: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 8: While waiting for the cupcakes to cool, make the frosting. Cream the butter until light and creamy, then stir in the vanilla extract and sugar in batches.
STEP 9: Beat the frosting for 5 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
STEP 10: Divide the frosting into three. Tint them with the food coloring gels.
STEP 11: Frost the cooled cupcakes.
STEP 12: To make the Oreo bats, open up each Oreo sandwich. You’ll get one plain cookie and one with cream.
STEP 13: Cut the plain cookie in the middle with a sharp knife. These two semi-circular halves will be the bat wings.
STEP 14: For the bat’s body, open up another Oreo sandwich. Place a popsicle stick in the center of the side with the cream. Then, add the wings on the sides.
STEP 15: Top the cookie with the popsicle and wings with another cookie half with cream.
STEP 16: Stick the eye candies in the front of the Oreo bat using a bit of frosting.
STEP 17: Insert the Oreo bat into the frosted cupcake.
STEP 18: Continue decorating the rest of the cupcakes. Serve and enjoy your Oreo bat cupcakes for Halloween!
What To Serve With Bat Oreo Cupcakes
Serve these rich and chocolatey Oreo bat cupcakes with other sweet treats for a scary-good Halloween party dessert table!
You can have bowls of popular Halloween candies, platters of themed cookies, towers of cupcakes and dessert bars, or creepy but cute jellies.
Check our Halloween movie-themed food ideas to get inspired and have the most BOO-tiful dessert platter! 👻
Need some quick and easy Halloween desserts you’ll want to sink your fangs into? Try our monster pretzels and graveyard pudding cups!
Tips About Making Halloween Bat Cupcakes
- Mix your cupcake batter just until incorporated. Overmixing can make your Halloween Oreo cupcakes dense and gummy!
- These Oreo bat cupcakes bake between 22 to 25 minutes. You can always insert a toothpick into the cupcake and see if it’ll come out clean.
- Is your frosting too thick? Just beat in a tablespoon of cream at a time until the consistency is balanced.
How To Store Halloween Bat Cupcakes
- Fridge: For leftover Halloween cupcakes, just store them in an airtight container (without the Oreo bats, as they’ll turn soggy) in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. You can also make the frosting 4 to 5 days in advance. Allow it to come to room temperature, then decorate away!
- Freezer: To store them longer, freeze your chocolate cupcakes BEFORE FROSTING them. They should keep well in a freezer-safe container for 2 to 3 months. Then, defrost the cupcakes before you decorate them.
What Can I Use as a Substitute for Cocoa Powder?
You can substitute cocoa powder with semi-sweet chocolate for these Halloween bat cupcakes.
Instead of cocoa powder, melt semi-sweet chocolate and butter using the double boiler method, then add that to the cupcake batter.
Can I Use Regular Oreos Instead of Double Frosted Oreos?
You can use regular Oreos instead of double-frosted Oreos for the cupcake bats. However, the reason why we picked Double Stuf Oreos for this recipe is the thicker filling will make it easier to secure the popsicle stick and wings in the center of the cookie sandwich.
What Are Some Other Options for Edible Eyes If I Can’t Find Candy Eyes?
You can always make your own edible eyes for these adorable Halloween bat cupcakes! Like the example I’ve given earlier, drops of white chocolate with dots of black food coloring gel can be the eyes of the Oreo bats.
Can These Cupcakes Be Frozen and Reheated?
You can freeze these bat Oreo cupcakes, but do so before decorating them with frosting and Oreos. Transfer the cooled, plain chocolate cupcakes to a freezer-safe container and use them within 2 to 3 months.
However, you don’t need to reheat them, or you’ll end up with a soggy, unappetizing mess! Now, that’s more frightening than realistic Halloween decorations!
Instead, defrost your homemade cupcakes in the container for an hour before letting them breathe. Just open the lid of the container slightly to prevent too much moisture.
From here, simply let them reach room temperature before decorating and serving the cupcakes.
How Do I Make Sure the Oreo “Wings” Stay in Place?
The thick creme from the Double Stuf Oreos should secure the bat wings. However, if they always seem to fall out, you can decorate your Halloween bat cupcakes a bit differently.
What I mean is instead of having an Oreo body, you can just use the frosting as the bat, then tuck the Oreo wings into it.
I recommend swirling the cupcakes with frosting first, then letting them firm up in the fridge for a few minutes before inserting the Oreo wings.
FAQ About Halloween Bat Cupcakes
What’s the best way to achieve a smooth cut for the Oreo wings?
Use a very sharp, serrated knife to cut the Oreo cookie in half for the wings. So, if you’re having this recipe as a Halloween activity for kids, slice the Oreos beforehand.
Is it okay to use salted butter instead of unsalted butter for the buttercream frosting of the Halloween cupcakes?
Actually, yes! Because we’ll use the buttercream frosting over chocolate cupcakes anyway, salted butter‘s saltiness will taste delicious with the sweetness of the cupcakes.
Can I use food dye instead of gel food color for the frosting?
Oh, I don’t recommend using food dye when making frosting. Because food dye is liquid, it can alter the consistency of the frosting.
Halloween Bat Cupcakes
Make these easy Halloween bat cupcakes with your kids this Halloween! They're moist chocolate cupcakes with creamy frosting and adorable bats made from Oreos.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 egg, large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup boiling hot water
- 24 pcs Double Stuf Oreos
- Eye candies for the Oreo bats
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened for the frosting
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pink gel food color
- Green gel food color
- Yellow gel food color
Instructions
- Gather and measure the ingredients for your Halloween bat cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with liners.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract together. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture in batches, making sure the batter is well incorporated.
- Carefully pour the boiling water in intervals into the cupcake batter. Mix until smooth.
- Scoop out the batter into the cups of the cupcake pan, filling each liner 3/4 full.
- Bake the Halloween cupcakes for 25 minutes.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While waiting for the cupcakes to cool, make the frosting. Cream the butter until light and creamy, then stir in the vanilla extract and sugar in batches.
- Beat the frosting for 5 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
- Divide the frosting into three. Tint them with the food coloring gels.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes.
- To make the Oreo bats, open up each Oreo sandwich. You'll get one plain cookie and one with cream.
- Cut the plain cookie in the middle. These two semi-circular halves will be the bat wings.
- For the bat's body, open up another Oreo sandwich. Place a popsicle stick in the center of the side with the cream. Then, add the wings on the sides.
- Top the cookie with the popsicle and wings with another cookie half with cream.
- Stick the eye candies in the front of the Oreo bat using a bit of frosting.
- Insert the Oreo bat into the frosted cupcake.
- Continue decorating the rest of the cupcakes. Serve and enjoy your Oreo bat cupcakes for Halloween!
Notes
- Do not overmix the cupcake batter, or your Halloween bat cupcakes can end up dense and gummy. Mix just until combined or when you can't see the individual ingredients.
- You can check if your cupcakes are done at around 22 minutes of baking time. Just insert a toothpick into the cupcake and see if it'll come out clean.
- If the frosting is too thick, adjust its consistency by beating in a tablespoon of cream at a time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.
Conclusion
Bring out the Oreos and twist…wait! We won’t be licking or dunking them. This time, we’ll use them for Halloween bat cupcakes!
Halloween is the perfect excuse to satisfy your sweet tooth and get into the spooky spirit with fun and creative treats.
Instead of critters, cobwebs, and bones on top of velvety frosting and decadent chocolate cupcakes, let’s turn Double Stuf Oreos into the most adorable bats!
They might not turn into vampires, but I can assure you this Halloween dessert idea won’t suck. 😉
Guarantee an enjoyable time for kids and adults by having the most amazing Halloween menu! Try our unique charcuterie boards, desserts with fall-favorite apples and pumpkin, and irresistible cookies for chocolate lovers:
- Pumpkin Snack Board
- S’more Charcuterie Board
- Caramel Apple Tart
- Pumpkin Bites
- Turtle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oh, and if you’re throwing an adult-only Halloween party. check these Halloween cocktails for a scary-good time with friends and family. 🎃