Description
These Pumpkin Spice Pudding Halloween Cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and packed with the warm flavors of fall. Enhanced with pumpkin spice pudding mix and apple cider, they provide deliciously spiced cupcake batter that’s easy to make. Topped with festive candy melt moons and colorful sprinkles, these cupcakes make a perfect seasonal treat for Halloween celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 (3.4 ounce) pumpkin spice pudding mix
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup apple cider
Decorations
- Black candy melts (amount as needed for dipping)
- Yellow candy melts (amount as needed for moon decorations)
- Yellow sugar sprinkles (for moon decoration)
- Small lollipop sticks or cupcake picks
- Sprinkles (colored, for cupcake decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 24 cupcake wells with cupcake liners and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and pumpkin spice pudding mix until evenly combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the vegetable oil, eggs, and apple cider to the dry ingredients. Using a mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or until the batter is well combined and creamy.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Bake Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Moon Decorations: Measure your cupcake pick to determine the size of the moons. Using a biscuit cutter, trace circles on parchment paper and tape the paper upside down to a cookie sheet.
- Melt Yellow Candy Melts: Melt the yellow candy melts according to package instructions. Transfer the melted candy to a squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off.
- Create Moon Shapes: Trace the circles on the parchment paper with the yellow candy melts, then fill them in completely. Sprinkle yellow sugar sprinkles on top to add texture and help mask any unevenness. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.
- Attach Lollipop Sticks: Once the moons are firm, shake off excess sprinkles. Turn the moons over, dip small lollipop sticks in some melted yellow candy melts, and press them into the center of the back side of each moon. Freeze again for 10 minutes.
- Melt Black Candy Melts: Melt the black candy melts as per instructions.
- Dip Cupcakes: Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the melted black candy, then immediately into colored sugar sprinkles to decorate.
- Assemble Toppers: While the candy is still wet, attach the decorated moons with lollipop sticks onto the cupcakes, finishing with a cat-themed cupcake pick for a festive Halloween touch.
Notes
- These cupcakes are moist and fluffy with authentic fall flavors thanks to the pumpkin spice pudding mix, avoiding the need for separate spices.
- Melted candy melts and sprinkles provide fun, colorful decorations that make these cupcakes festive for Halloween.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before dipping to prevent melting the candy coating.
- Freezing the candy moons before assembly helps them maintain shape and ease handling.
- You can substitute apple cider with pumpkin puree or buttermilk for a different flavor twist, but it may alter the moistness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
