Halloween Dirt Cupcakes w/ Gummy Worms Recipe

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These Halloween Dirt Cupcakes are easy to make and perfect for a Halloween party, a kid’s classroom party, or even if you’re a homeschooling parent teaching about gardening!

Plus, they’re so much fun to make thanks to the addition of the gummy worms and crumbled dirt “aka” your favorite crumbled-up cookies or cake.

My kids love helping make these yummy cupcakes, especially when it’s time to decorate them!

This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a commission if you click or make a purchase. In addition, the information on this site is NOT intended to be medical advice. Please seek professional medical care if needed. See my full policy for more information.

Why You’ll Love This Halloween Dirt Cupcakes w/ Gummy Worms Recipe Recipe

1. Quick and Easy: This recipe takes about 15 minutes (excluding the bake time) to prepare and assemble, making it an easy one to do with kids.
2. Kid-Friendly: The gummy worms and “dirt” make a fun topping for the littles to play with and decorate the cupcakes with.
3. Customizable: This recipe uses sour gummy worms and cupcake crumbles to decorate. If you want to change it around, you can easily swap them out for any gummy candy and crushed chocolate cookies to decorate with.

Ingredients For Your Halloween Dirt Cupcakes

Main/Cupcake Ingredients:

• Chocolate Cupcake Box Mix (we LOVE this one for a rich chocolatey taste)
• 1 package of sour gummy worms

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp espresso powder 

Halloween Dirt Cupcakes Instructions

1) Bake Your Cupcakes: Use the box and follow the instructions to bake your cupcakes. You should have 12 cupcakes ready to frost once they’ve cooled. Remember you don’t want to frost them warm or else your frosting might melt.

2) Make the frosting: Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar. 

3) Pause to scrape the bowl: Add in the heavy cream, cacao powder, and espresso powder then resume mixing. 

4) Continue to mix on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes until a light and fully frosting has formed. Transfer to a piping bag. 

5) Make the dirt: In a small bowl, crumble one of the cupcakes into fine pieces to look like dirt.

6) Assemble your cupcakes: Assemble the cupcakes by putting one outside circle of frosting, lay two gummy worms on top, and finish piping the top layer of frosting. Add a final gummy worm and sprinkle the cupcake crumble to give the appearance of dirt. This step is so much fun to do with the kids, especially when they’re little!

7) Serve and Enjoy: Place your adorable cupcakes on display or enjoy the delicious treats you just created!

Tips for Your Halloween Dirt & Gummy Worm Cupcakes

Ok, but seriously, how cute are these cupcakes? You can serve them for a Halloween-themed baby shower, birthday party, school event, and more!

However, if you’re short on time or want to put a more customized touch on these cupcakes, I have a few tips to help you do that below.

• Customize Your Cupcakes: Feel free to get creative by using different decorations like sprinkles or colored frosting. You can even add a little filling to your cupcakes. When it comes to baking, there’s always so much room to experiment with your recipes!

• Make it Easier: If you don’t have the time to bake your cupcakes at home, you can grab any store-bought cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) and then use a frosting spatula to gently remove the store-bought frosting, and then add your own.

• Lower Calories: If you’re looking to cut calories, try using a low-sugar cupcake mix. For the cupcakes, you can switch to a cream cheese frosting or also a low-sugar frosting instead.

I hope you and your family love these cupcakes as much as mine do! From the savory chocolate cake to the sour gummy worms, all of your taste buds will be satisfied thanks to this spooktacular treat!