Easy Owl Cupcakes
These darling Owl Cupcakes make the cutest fall or Halloween treat, and they are SO quick and simple to put together! You can take these adorable cupcakes to any fall or Halloween party (what about a Harry Potter party?), and they’re sure to be a hit. They’d be perfect for a classroom party, and for packaging up to give as gifts.
I’m seriously dying, they are SO cute! I made these with my kids last night for our weekly Sunday baking, and they were such a huge hit. We all had so much fun putting them together. They’re easy enough for even little helpers to have a job to do.
We love fun, festive, and easy Halloween treats, including these darling Oreo Bats, Spiderweb Brownies, and Halloween Trail Mix. Owl Cupcakes are at the top of my list, especially they work so well for fall and Halloween. You’ll love how quickly plain cupcakes are transformed into the most adorable owls!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Cake mix, baked into cupcakes, or store bought
- Oreos–vanilla and/or chocolate
- Reese’s Pieces, or M&Ms (orange, yellow, and brown only)
- Powdered sugar
- Butter
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Salt
You can use any cake mix you like–and even use store bought cupcakes if you’re in a huge hurry. For frosting, I always recommend using homemade…it literally takes just minutes, and it tastes the best.
I used M&Ms for the eyes, since that’s what I had on hand, but I suggest using Reese’s Pieces instead. You are going to only need yellow, brown, and orange, and may not have enough of one of those colors if you use M&Ms. I discovered that the hard way!
Oreos create the large owl eyes–and you’ll need both vanilla and chocolate. Good news for those that need gluten-free options…I made these completely gluten-free using a GF cake mix and sandwich cookies. My daughter was thrilled!
I used one vanilla cake mix, and frosted half with vanilla frosting and half with chocolate frosting. You can always make two batches of cupcakes, one chocolate, and one vanilla…or any other kind you like!
How to make
Bake cupcakes according to package directions.
While the cupcakes are baking, make your frosting. For the vanilla buttercream, beat the softened butter and vanilla together, then add the powdered sugar and salt. Slowly add enough milk until it’s the right consistency. For the chocolate butter cream, whisk the powdered sugar and cocoa in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and vanilla. Add the cocoa/powdered sugar mixture and salt. Slowly add enough milk until it’s the right consistency. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more if necessary.
When the cupcakes are done and cooled completely, frost half with vanilla frosting, and half with chocolate frosting.
For the eyes, separate your sandwich cookies in half, so that the white middle stays on one side of the cookie. If there are any little chocolate or vanilla cookie bits, use a paring knife to gently scrape them off. Place two cookies (frosted half of the cookie) side-by-side on the cupcake. Dab a little frosting onto two brown candy pieces and place them on the cookies. Place an orange or yellow candy piece right under the cookies for the nose. (I like using a yellow one on the vanilla, and orange one on the chocolate.) For the cute little ears, cut the unfrosted cookie halves into quarters, then place them above the eyes.
FAQ
Yes! I’ve used both, and they each work well. Gluten-free Oreos (brand and generic) do too!
I like using Reese’s Pieces, because they have the exact colors I need, and I can make more cupcakes per package. But you can definitely use whatever you have on hand!
More Halloween ideas
Waffle Pretzel Mummies | 5-Minute Tombstone Cookies | Spiderweb Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cake mix, baked according to package directions
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- dash salt
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- dash salt
Decorations
- chocolate sandwich cookies
- vanilla sandwich cookies
- Reese's Pieces
Instructions
- Bake cupcakes according to package directions.
- While the cupcakes are baking, make your frosting. For the vanilla buttercream, beat the softened butter and vanilla together, then add the powdered sugar and salt. Slowly add enough milk until it's the right consistency. For the chocolate butter cream, whisk the powdered sugar and cocoa in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and vanilla. Add the cocoa/powdered sugar mixture and salt. Slowly add enough milk until it's the right consistency. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more if necessary.
- When the cupcakes are done and cooled completely, frost half with vanilla frosting, and half with chocolate frosting.
- For the eyes, separate your sandwich cookies in half, so that the white middle stays on one side of the cookie. If there are any little chocolate or vanilla cookie bits, use a paring knife to gently scrape them off. Place two cookies (frosted half of the cookie) side-by-side on the cupcake. Dab a little frosting onto two brown candy pieces and place them on the cookies. Place an orange or yellow candy piece right under the cookies for the nose. (I like using a yellow one on the vanilla, and orange one on the chocolate.) For the cute little ears, cut the unfrosted cookie halves into quarters, then place them above the eyes.
