Every October, I find myself scrambling to come up with the perfect treats for Emily's school Halloween party. Last year, I tried making elaborate ghost cookies that took forever and looked more like sad white blobs than spooky spirits. This year, I decided to try something different - Halloween mummy cupcakes that would be fun for kids but still manageable for this busy mom.
These adorable Halloween mummy cupcakes are exactly what you need when you want to impress without the stress. Soft chocolate cupcakes topped with vanilla frosting and decorated to look like cute little mummies? Yes, please! Emily actually helped me make these last weekend, and she kept giggling every time we added the candy eyes.
Speaking of Halloween treats, if you're looking for more spooky dessert ideas, you might love these Halloween funfetti cupcakes that are equally fun but with a colorful twist.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love These Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
- Ingredients for Perfect Mummy Cupcakes
- Step by Step Instructions for Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
- Storage and Reheating Your Halloween Treats
- Tips and Variations for Your Mummy Cupcakes Halloween Treat
- Frequently Asked Questions About Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
- Recipes You May Like
- Conclusion
- Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
Why You Will Love These Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
- Super quick to make - From start to finish, these take less than an hour
- Kid friendly decorating - Even little hands can help with the mummy wrapping technique
- Moist chocolate base - The coffee in the batter makes these incredibly rich
- Perfect party treats - Makes exactly 12 cupcakes for a classroom or small gathering
- Easy cleanup - One bowl mixing means less dishes to wash later
- Budget friendly - Uses simple pantry ingredients you probably already have
Ingredients for Perfect Mummy Cupcakes
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 175g plain flour (all purpose flour works perfectly)
- 180g caster sugar
- 30g cocoa powder - Use good quality for richer flavor
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 100ml cold coffee - This is the secret ingredient!
- 100ml buttermilk (I'll share an easy substitute below)
- 110ml vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
For the Mummy Decoration:
- Royal icing, buttercream, or your favorite frosting
- Candy eyes or edible sugar eyes
- Piping bag and round tip for the mummy bandages
The coffee might seem weird in cupcakes, but trust me on this one. It doesn't make them taste like coffee at all - it just makes the chocolate flavor way more intense. Emily doesn't even know it's in there!
Step by Step Instructions for Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
Preparing the Cupcake Batter
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 175°C (160°C for fan ovens). Line your 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners. I always use the fun Halloween colored ones if I can find them.
Step 2: In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients. This includes the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good whisk to combine, then stir in those chocolate chips.
Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients - the cold coffee, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs. The mixture might look a bit odd at first, but that's normal.
Mixing and Baking Your Mummy Cupcakes
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth, runny batter. Don't overmix - just until everything's combined.
Step 5: Transfer the batter to a large measuring jug (this makes filling the cases so much easier). Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full. I learned this the hard way when I overfilled them once and ended up with cupcake tops that looked like mushroom clouds!
Step 6: Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Creating the Perfect Mummy Decoration
Step 7: Once your cupcakes are completely cool (and I mean COMPLETELY - warm cupcakes will melt your frosting), it's time for the fun part!
Step 8: Take a small amount of frosting and use it as "glue" to attach the candy eyes to each cupcake. Emily always wants to make some with three eyes because she thinks it's funnier.
Step 9: Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, pipe horizontal lines of frosting across each cupcake to create the mummy bandage effect. Don't worry about making them perfect - slightly messy looks more authentic!
Storage and Reheating Your Halloween Treats
Store these Halloween mummy cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The frosting will start to dry out over time, so they're definitely best eaten fresh.
You can make these cupcakes a day ahead if you need to. Just keep the unfrosted cupcakes covered at room temperature, then decorate them on the day you plan to serve them.
For longer storage, freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before decorating.
Tips and Variations for Your Mummy Cupcakes Halloween Treat
Want to switch things up with your Halloween mummy cupcakes? Here are some ideas I've tried:
- Make them vanilla based - Use a vanilla cupcake recipe instead of chocolate for lighter colored mummies
- Add food coloring - Tint your frosting slightly gray or beige for more realistic mummy bandages
- Use different eyes - Mini chocolate chips work great if you can't find candy eyes
- Make mini versions - Use a mini muffin tin for bite sized treats
- Create a graveyard scene - Arrange them on a tray with cookie crumb "dirt" and pretzel stick "tombstones"
The buttermilk substitute I mentioned? Mix ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with 100ml of regular milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes and you're good to go!
Frequently Asked Questions About Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
Absolutely! Mix ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with 100ml regular milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, then use as directed. This creates the same tangy flavor that makes these cupcakes so moist.
Store decorated Halloween mummy cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best results, eat them fresh as the frosting may dry out over time. Trust me, they're so good they probably won't last that long anyway!
Yes! Bake the cupcakes a day ahead and keep covered at room temperature, then decorate on serving day. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months - perfect for getting ahead of the Halloween rush.
You can use mini chocolate chips, small white chocolate pieces, or even pipe small dots of contrasting colored frosting to create the mummy eyes. Emily actually prefers the mini chocolate chip version because she says they look "more realistic" (whatever that means for a mummy cupcake!).
Recipes You May Like
- Easy Monster Cupcakes Recipe - Another fun Halloween treat that kids absolutely love making
- Ghost Cupcakes - Simple white frosting decoration that pairs perfectly with these mummies
- Pumpkin Cupcakes - For when you want those classic fall flavors in cupcake form
Conclusion
These Halloween mummy cupcakes have become our go-to October treat, and I think they'll become yours too. They're simple enough for kids to help with but impressive enough for any Halloween party.
The combination of rich chocolate cupcakes and sweet vanilla frosting creates the perfect base for these adorable mummy decorations. Plus, watching kids' faces light up when they see these cute little treats makes all the effort worthwhile.
Give this recipe a try for your next Halloween gathering - I promise they'll be a hit! Don't forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it again next year.
Halloween Mummy Cupcakes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 175°C (160°C fan). Line the cupcake muffin baking tin with the cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine them, then add the chocolate chips and stir again to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: cold coffee, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix everything to combine, until you have smooth, runny batter.
- Transfer the batter into a large jug or a pouring vessel (alternatively use an ice cream scoop) and fill each case no more than up to ⅔ of its capacity. Place in the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating. To decorate, add a small amount of icing or buttercream to the back of the sugar eyes and stick them on top of each cupcake.
- Pipe horizontal lines of icing or buttercream on top of each cupcake to create the mummy bandage look. You can also add some food coloring to the icing for different colors. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes 12-14 cupcakes. Make sure to only fill the cupcake cases up to ⅔ of their capacity.
- The batter is quite wet and runny, it is much easier to transfer it to the cupcake cases if you use a large jug or a pouring vessel.
- Buttermilk substitute: To make your own buttermilk, mix ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with 100 ml of milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. Use as per the recipe instructions.
- Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The icing will dry out with time, so it is best to eat them fresh.
- Cupcakes can be prepared a day ahead. Keep them covered at room temperature and decorate on the day you want to serve them.
- Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and bring to room temperature before decorating.
