As the countdown to Halloween nears, my kids and I decided to create a new Spooky recipe to add to our dessert table. We have our party foods, banana mummies and dirt cups ready to go and we wanted to change it up with some festive gluten free Halloween cupcakes.

gluten free halloween cupcakes

My son is currently fascinated with all things spider related, so Spider Cupcakes was quickly requested. We had a ton of fun making the cupcakes and decorating them together. The hardest part was waiting for the cupcakes to cool so that we could start the decorating.

How was I going to keep them from eating all of the cupcakes while they cool was the question. My answer? I gave them one warm cupcake to split and then we went to the store to buy spider webs and plastic spiders.

By the time we got back it was time to start making the frosting. While the design looks very intricate, it is quite simple to create. To show you, I’m including step-by-step photos to make the cupcakes AND step-by-step photos to decorate the cupcakes like spider webs below.

spider web cupcake

How To Make Dairy Free + Gluten Free Halloween Cupcakes

To make these cupcakes, you will need:

1.5 cups gluten free flour
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp coconut cream
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Measuring cups, spoons
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Standard cupcake/muffin pan that holds 12

how to make gluten free cupcakes photos

Before you begin the steps in the pictures above, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next mix your dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder and salt) in a bowl and set aside. Here are the steps pictured above.

Picture 1: Add the sugar and oil to your mixer and mix on low for two minutes. It should have a slushy consistency when you’re done.

Picture 2: Add the eggs, mix for a minute, and then add your coconut milk, coconut cream, and vanilla. Mix for another minute until it’s nice and smooth just like in the picture above.

Picture 3: Add your dry mix, 3/4 cup at a time. Mix for 2 minutes on medium. The batter will be smooth when you’re finished, but thick.

Picture 4: Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into each of the cupcake cups in the pan. Each cupcake cup will be about 2/3 – 3/4 full. Once you’ve filled all of the cups, bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Picture 5: Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Test with a toothpick to make sure the cupcakes are cooked all the way through. You’ll know if the toothpick comes out clean and without wet batter on it.

Picture 6: Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. This will take at least an hour.

How To Decorate Spider Cupcakes

You will need:

black frosting
white icing
a piping bag or ziploc bag
a #3 Wilton decorating tip or something similar
a paper towel
a toothpick

how to decorate spider cupcakes

Before you begin decorating, spread black frosting on top of your cupcake with a knife so that it’s smooth and flat on top. I used Betty Crocker Black Frosting made by Signature Brands. Next, add your decorating tip to your piping bag with the corner cut off so that the decorating tip sticks out. Then add your white icing to the piping bag. You are now ready to follow the steps pictured above.

Step 1: Take your black frosted cupcake and add a circle of white icing to the middle of the cupcake. Make sure the circle is filled in.

Step 2: Draw three circles around the center circle.

Step 3: Take your toothpick, place it in the center circle of icing, and drag it out to the edge of the outside of the cupcake.

Step 4: Wipe your toothpick clean with a paper towel. If you don’t wipe it, you’ll get black icing in the center circle of the white icing and it won’t come out as bright. Turn the cupcake slightly (about an inch), and repeat step 3.

Step 5: Continue to turn the cupcake, wipe the icing off of the toothpick, and turn about an inch until you’ve made your way around the cupcake.

Step 6: When you’re finished, there should be 8 lines in the spider web that you created with the toothpick.

Gluten Free Halloween Cupcakes – Printable Recipe

Name: Gluten Free Halloween Cupcakes
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups gluten free flour; 2 eggs (room temperature); 1 cup sugar; 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp coconut cream; 1/4 cup coconut milk; 1/2 cup coconut oil; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/8 tsp salt; 1 cup frosting (black); 1/4 cup icing (white)

gluten-free-halloween-cupcakes

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Gluten Free Halloween Cupcakes

This recipe makes 12 standard size cupcakes. By ingredients it is gluten free, dairy free and peanut free.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword dairy free cupcakes, gluten free cupcakes, halloween cupcakes

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 25 minutes

Resting time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 312 kcal

Author Jereann Zann

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1.5 cups gluten free flour
2 eggs room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp coconut cream
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Topping

1 cup frosting black
1/4 cup icing white

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix your dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder and salt) in a bowl and set aside. Add the sugar and oil to your mixer and mix on low for two minutes. It should have a slushy consistency when you're done.
Add the eggs and mix for a minute.
Add your coconut milk, coconut cream, and vanilla. Mix for another minute until it's nice and smooth.
Add your dry mix, 3/4 cup at a time to the mixer. Mix for 2 minutes on medium. The batter will be smooth when you're finished, but thick.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into each of the cupcake cups in the pan. Each cupcake cup will be about 2/3 - 3/4 full.
Repeat until you've filled all of the cupcake cups.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and test with a toothpick to make sure the cupcakes are cooked all the way through. You'll know if the toothpick comes out clean and without wet batter on it.
Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. This will take at least an hour.

Decorative Spider Web Topping

Spread black frosting on top of your cupcakes with a knife so that it's smooth and flat on top.
Assemble the piping bag by adding your decorating tip to your piping bag with the corner cut off so that the decorating tip sticks out. Then add your white icing to the piping bag.
Take your black frosted cupcake and add a circle of white icing to the middle of the cupcake. Make sure the circle is filled in.
Draw three circles around the center circle.
Take your toothpick, place it in the center circle of icing, and drag it out to the edge of the outside of the cupcake.
Wipe your toothpick clean with a paper towel. If you don't wipe it, you'll get black icing in the center circle of the white icing and it won't come out as bright.
Turn the cupcake slightly (about an inch), and repeat step 3.
Continue to turn the cupcake, wipe the icing off of the toothpick, and turn about an inch until you've made your way around the cupcake. When you're finished, there should be 8 lines in the spider web that you created with the toothpick.