Being that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (if not my favorite), and cupcakes are one of my favorite things to make and eat (not surprising coming from a cupcake addict), I couldn’t resist making some Halloween treats. After running out of Halloween candy to pass out to the trick-or-treaters, I even debated passing these out to the kiddies… that might have gotten a little messy though.

My mom had sent me the following recipe last week, and it was too fun to resist.

Here is the actual recipe brought to you by Kitchen Daily:

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. cake mix
• 1 pkg. JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 1 pkg. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pkg. powdered sugar
• 24 ring-shaped chewy fruit snacks
• 24 candy-coated chocolate pieces
• 1 tube decorating gel

Directions:

1. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix; mix well. Spoon evenly into 24 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool completely.
2. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Spread evenly onto tops of cupcakes.
3. Place 1 fruit snack on top of each cupcake. Add 1 candy-coated chocolate piece to center of each fruit snack for the eyeball. Draw squiggly lines with decorating gel from the eyeballs to outsides of fruit snacks to resemble eyeball veins.

I made my spooky eyeballs a little different. I chose to make vanilla/almond cupcakes like I tend to do, and then for the eyeball veins I used Raspberry Cream decorating gel – it gave it a little extra flavor and a lot more of a bloody/eerie look.

Muhahaha! Take a look at my Trick-or-Sweets:

The cupcakes have eyes...

Scary Little Monster

I recommend these easy cupcakes for your next Halloween! I know it’s a year away, but it will be here before you know it!