Eyeball Cupcakes for Halloween

These creepy eyeball cupcakes have a moist chocolate base, cream cheese frosting and easy edible eyeballs made with lychees, blueberries and strawberry jam “blood.” They’re perfect for Halloween parties and can also be made gluten-free or egg-free.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate Halloween cupcakes, creepy cupcakes, eyeball cupcakes, halloween cupcakes, Halloween eyeball cupcakes, lychee eyeballs, spooky cupcakes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 18

Total Time 48

Servings cupcakes

Calories 297kcal

Author Erin Dooner

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar or 1/2 cup (160 grams) honey
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or for gluten-free, 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (120 grams) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking Flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg 50 grams, out of shell - or 1 chia egg for egg-free; see notes
1/2 cup milk see notes
1/4 cup oil see notes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water see notes

For the frosting:

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature see notes
1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar you can add more, if desired
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the eyeballs:

24 canned lychees it's better to have a few extra in case some are broken
24 blueberries or more in case some are too small for the lychee holes
1/3-1/2 cup strawberry jam don't use the kind with chunks of strawberries in it

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
1 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar or 1/2 cup (160 grams) honey, 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or for gluten-free, 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (120 grams) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1:1 Baking Flour, 6 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add the egg, milk, oil and vanilla and mix until combined.
1 large egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be extremely thin, almost like water.
1/2 cup boiling water
Fill each cupcake liner just over halfway full.
Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no liquid batter.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until well combined. It’s okay if the mixture looks slightly crumbly at first.
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until completely combined. Beat in the salt and vanilla.
1/2 cup powdered sugar, pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
If the frosting is firm enough to spread, frost the completely cooled cupcakes, using about 4 teaspoons of frosting per cupcake.
If the frosting is too soft, refrigerate it for up to about 1 hour, stirring after approximately 30 minutes. If it becomes too firm, let it soften at room temperature before using.
Keep the frosted cupcakes refrigerated until ready to decorate.

To make the eyeballs

Decorate the cupcakes no more than about half a day before serving. Rinse the lychees and pat them very dry with paper towels.
24 canned lychees
Insert a blueberry into the center of each lychee. Set the finished eyeballs on a paper towel-lined plate while you prepare the rest.
24 blueberries
Arrange the eyeballs on the frosted cupcakes. Spoon or spread strawberry jam over and around the eyeballs to create the bloody effect.
1/3-1/2 cup strawberry jam
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for about 1 month. Keep frosted cupcakes refrigerated and decorate with the fruit eyeballs no more than about half a day before serving.

Notes

Chia egg - mix 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, or until thick and goopy.
Milk - use any regular or non-dairy milk. If using canned coconut milk, dilute it with an equal amount of water so it has a consistency closer to regular milk.
Oil - use a neutral-tasting oil, olive oil or melted refined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil will not add coconut flavor.
Boiling water - 1/2 cup is correct even though the resulting batter will look extremely thin.
Cream cheese outside North America - if you have the softer cream cheese sold in a small plastic tub for spreading on toast rather than American-style brick cream cheese, start with 225 grams. Place it in the center of a cheesecloth and wring out the liquid until you have 170 grams of cream cheese remaining. Use that 170 grams in the frosting.
The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Adapted from Hershey’s One Bowl Chocolate Cake

Nutrition