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Looking for wow factor? These eyeball cupcakes will do the trick!
These creepy cupcakes are made with decadent, moist chocolate muffins, homemade frosting, and blood jelly! When you follow my easy steps below, you don’t need baking experience to make awesome Halloween cupcakes!
Bloodshot Eyeball Cupcakes will impress everyone at a Halloween party!
When it comes to Halloween desserts, sometimes you need something a little more spooky. In that case, these bloody eyeball cupcakes deliver!
The cupcake itself is a moist, rich chocolate cupcake. Then we top it with my easy homemade frosting, a fun blood jelly made with raspberry of strawberry jam, and of course, those candy eyes in the center of the cupcake.
Why You’ll Love These Eyeball Cupcakes
- Spooky cupcakes perfect for a Halloween party
- Kids love these!
- Moist, decadent chocolate cupcake
- Easy homemade frosting
What You’ll Need for Halloween Eyeball Cupcakes
The bloodshot eyes on the top of each cupcake really make these spooky cupcakes pop (Halloween joke, anyone?)! These fun Halloween treat uses mostly simple ingredients with a few extras for the decorations.
Get the full recipe with measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- All purpose flour
- Cocoa powder: natural unsweetened or dutch processed cocoa powder
- Instant coffee granules: such as Folger’s (optional)
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter: be sure to leave time to let butter reach room temperature!
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Hot tap water
Frosting
- Unsalted butter: be sure to leave time to let butter reach room temperature!
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or heavy cream: if frosting becomes too thick
Bloody Jelly
- Raspberry or strawberry seedless jam
- Red gel food coloring
- Water: if needed
- Large candy eyeballs
- Wilton 4 piping tip
- Piping bag
How to Make this Eyeball Cupcake Recipe
Halloween is the time of year when it’s fun to get a little spooky! These cupcakes are perfect for a Haunted House or Halloween party! Plus, they’re easier to make than you might think when you follow the steps below. Get the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the large eggs, beat again for 30 seconds.
- Combine all ingredients. Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Bake. Fill the muffin liners 1/2 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes at 350º F or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely (I like to cool them on a wire rack) before adding the frosting.
Frosting
- Mix butter and vanilla. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and vanilla extract, beat using an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add sugar. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined.
- Add food coloring. If you want to add food coloring, do so now.
- Taste and adjust as needed. Taste as needed to determine if you want more powdered sugar. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a dash of milk or heavy cream.
- Optional: If you want an extra fluffy frosting, add in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream when adding the last bit of powdered sugar. Whip for 3-4 minutes.
Assemble
- Mix frosting ingredients. In a small bowl combine the jam and red food coloring. You can add 1 tsp of water if you want to thin it out.
- Decorate cupcakes. Spread a generous amount of frosting on top of the cupcake. Place 1 large candy eyeball in the center. Transfer the bloody jelly to a piping bag fit with a Wilton 4 tip or smaller. Pipe fake blood vessels coming from the eyeball. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Substitutions & Variations
- Cupcake flavor: These eyeball cupcakes would also be great with red velvet cupcakes or vanilla cupcakes.
- Candy eyes: You can use a gummy eyeball or any other type of candy eye you can find. Larger eyeballs look better as the centerpiece of the tops of the cupcakes.
Storing & Freezing Suggestions
Due to the decorations and frosting, these cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they are made. If needed, they can be stored in a covered container on the counter for up to 2 days.
If you want to make them in advance, I recommend baking the cupcakes a day or two ahead and just adding the frosting and decoration soon before serving.
Want to make an assortment of easy Halloween Cupcakes?
Check out all of these fun Halloween cupcake recipes!
- Frankenstein Cupcakes
- Mummy Cupcakes
- Witch Hat Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
- Spider Web Cupcakes
- Ghost Cupcakes
- Spider Cupcakes
More Halloween Recipes
- Melted Witch Pudding Parfaits
- Peanut Butter Spider Cookies
- Tombstone Oreo Balls
- Melted Witch Brownies
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Eyeball Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 240 grams
- ¾ cup cocoa powder, natural unsweetened or dutch processed cocoa powder, 63 grams
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules such as Folger’s, optional
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup hot tap water
Frosting
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- dash milk or heavy cream if frosting becomes too thick
Bloody Jelly
- ½ cup raspberry or strawberry seedless jam
- Red gel food coloring
- Water, if needed
- Large candy eyeballs
- Wilton 4 piping tip
- Piping bag
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the eggs, beat again for 30 seconds.
- Add in half of the buttermilk, beat for about 20 seconds. Add in half of the dry ingredients, beat. Add the remaining buttermilk plus the hot water, beat just until the liquid is mixed in then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined.
- Fill the muffin liners 1/2 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes at 350º F or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and vanilla extract, beat using an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined.
- If you want to add food coloring, do so now.
- Taste as needed to determine if you want more powdered sugar. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a dash of milk or heavy cream.
- If you want an extra fluffy frosting, add in 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream when adding the last bit of powdered sugar. Whip for 3-4 minutes.
Assemble
- In a small bowl combine the jam and red food coloring. You can add 1 tsp of water if you want to thin it out.
- Spread a generous amount of frosting on top of the cupcake. Place 1 large candy eyeball in the center. Transfer the bloody jelly to a piping bag fit with a Wilton 4 tip or smaller. Pipe fake blood vessels coming from the eyeball. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
