Halloween Spider Cupcakes

Spider cupcakes are a cute food craft that you can make with your kids for your next Halloween party. Kids of all ages have fun creating these silly spider cupcakes with frosting, licorice, candy, and marshmallows. A Spidey Story: Halloween Spider Cupcakes

My Halloween theme this year is creepy, crawly, but oh so cute spiders.

Chocolate Spider Cupcakes

Ingredients

• chocolate cake mix of choice (to keep mine gluten free- I used Wegman’s chocolate cake mix) OR any chocolate cupcake recipe of your choosing OR prebought unfrosted chocolate cupcakes (giving you lots of options here)
• other ingredients that the cupcake mix of choice calls for- my mix called for 1 large egg, 4 tbs melted butter, and 3/4 cup of milk but the ingredients needed will vary based on brand or gluten free versus not gluten free
• chocolate buttercream store-bought or homemade (check out my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe)
• jumbo marshmallows
• Reeses Pieces or M&Ms
• Candy corn
• Licorice laces (to keep it gluten free Trader Joe’s sells gluten free licorice as does this online retailer- I can’t speak for the quality of either since I dislike licorice)
• Any other candy that might be fun to decorate with

How to Make:

1. 1. Bake the chocolate cupcakes according to the directions on the package. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
   2. When cupcakes are cool, frost with chocolate icing.
   3. Unroll the licorice laces and cut them each into 8 shorter parts. (Precut the licorice if doing this with kids). Push the licorice lace pieces into two opposite sides of the cupcake, 4 on each side.
   4. Using poultry shears, cut your marshmallow into smaller disc pieces. (Again precut the marshmallows to make this super kid friendly.) Press 2 cut pieces of marshmallow onto the cupcake perpendicular to the sides of the cupcake with legs.
   5. If your marshmallows are a little sticky like mine were, just press 2 Reeses Pieces or M&Ms into the marshmallows to finish the eyes.
   6. Cut small pieces of red licorice and press on just below the eyes to make a mouth, OR press two pieces of candy corn onto the spider just below the eyes to give your creation fangs.
   7. Embellish the back of the spider with other candy as you see fit. I used Reeses Pieces (because they are my favorite and just so Halloweeny looking) and candy corn, but use whatever candy you’d like. The sky is the limit.
   8. Enjoy!