Looking for halloween party recipes? Try these ghoulish halloween cupcakes. They're a little healthier and the scary green colour comes from... spinach! You can't taste the spinach in these hidden vegetable cupcakes.
Let me just put it out there: I LOVE Halloween. When I was a little girl growing up in Canada, my parents always threw us huge halloween parties.
Mostly because they didn't want us out trick or treating, but also because it was such a fun thing to do.
Our house would be decorated to the hilt with floating ghosts, cobwebs, spiders and witches.
Then there was the food... my parents would bake halloween cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more. It was always a massive spread for all of our friends.
Halloween Cupcakes
These bright green Halloween Cupcakes have a secret.... that green colour isn't from food colouring - it's from pureed spinach!
Trust me though, you can't taste the spinach. It does, however, bulk leave a little of their goodness behind.
They taste just like vanilla cupcakes!
These cupcakes have a bit less sugar, and instead of thick swirls of sugary frosting, I've just added candy eyes and a little writing icing for the mouths.
Since there's always so much candy around at Halloween, these slightly healthier cupcakes are fun and ghoulish - but a little bit better for kids.
Plus, these tasty cupcakes only have 162 calories!
Why you'll love this recipe
Naturally green halloween cupcakes (coloured with spinach, but you can't taste the leafy greens!)
Easy recipe.
Hidden vegetable cupcakes.
You can't taste the spinach.
Fun to decorate like monsters.
Lower sugar cupcakes.
Kitchen Tools
To make these cupcakes you'll need:
Pot
An immersion blender (hand held stick blender) or standard blender
Muffin tray
Cupcake cases
Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Spinach - fresh
Milk
Butter - room temperature. If you haven't left it out to soften, my trick is to grate it with a cheese grater then leave it for ten minutes to soften quickly.
Sugar - white, granulate or superfine all work.
Eggs - I always use large free-range eggs.
Vanilla extract - My recipes usually have extra vanilla so you can use a bit less sugar.
Flour - just your usual all-purpose or plain flour.
Baking powder - to make the cupcakes rise!
To decorate:
Black and red writing icing (the kind in the tubes).
Candy eyes - Available in many major grocery stores or online. I like to use the large size, but any will work well.
Storage and Freezing
- These cupcakes freezable: you can freeze the un-decorated cupcakes for up to 1 month. Wrap them well and freeze them. Then let them defrost and decorate.
- The frosted cupcakes are best stored on the kitchen counter, wrapped or in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
Halloween Food Ideas
I love getting creative with halloween party food, usually with a slightly healthy twist.
I've made spooky green witch finger cookies with hidden spinach to give them a wicked witch colour (you can't taste the spinach) or I like to make pumpkin soup for a savory recipe before the onslaught of sugar!
A fun way to get kids involved in Halloween food is with these easy mummy hand pies. They're really simple and look so good! You can also use store bought ingredients and just assemble them for ease.
Be sure to also try Pumpkin Cookies decorated like Halloween Mummy's.
For a quick treat, try Halloween Bark - white chocolate shards with candy.
If you're looking for other naturally green vegetable cake recipes for your Halloween party, try my kale and apple cake, vanilla pea cake or lemon cucumber cake.
Get the Recipe
Halloween Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200g) fresh spinach
- 4 tbsp milk
- 1 ¼ sticks (150g) butter (at room temperature)
- 1 cup (125g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (175g) all purpose flour (plain flour)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
To decorate
- Candy eyes
- Black and red writing icing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340F / 170C and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cases.
- Boil a kettle of water. Put the spinach into a strainer over the sink and pour the boiling water over it to wilt. Refresh by running the spinach under cold water to cool, then drain, squeeze out any excess moisture and chop up finely.
- Add the spinach and milk to a tall container, then puree until smooth with a hand blender.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and pureed spinach.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir gently to combine.
- Fill the muffin cups ¾ full with the batter and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled decorate with candy eyes and writing icing as desired.
shelly Rathore
Halloween Cupcakes recipe... good job
looks yummy
Jillian
Not only did my kids love making these cupcakes, but they loved eating them, too!
bryanna skye
I will admit I've not even thought about Halloween yet this year! but these are super cute I love them!
Zena's Suitcase
I love these cupcakes and it's fab that you've managed to sneak some spinach in their. These will be making an appearance at our Halloween party
Kaz | Ickle Pickles Life and Travels
These are just perfect for Halloween - I love their colour and faces! Kaz
Laura
Thanks for sharing these, I'm deffo going to make some as I love sneaking veggies into our muffins and these ones look ace and perfect for Halloween!!
Laura x
Nicola
Fortunately my kids love veg so I don't need to hide them in food, but I still think they'd probably enjoy these.
Hannah
I really wanna make these as they look so good and spooky
The London Mum
How amazing that you can get such a great colour from he spinach ut it doesn't really affect the taste..! The cupcakes look amazing. x
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
These are super cute and sound easy enough for me to manage too which is a relief. Thanks for the recipe xxx
Rebecca Hubbell
These cupcakes are so fun and perfect for Halloween parties!
Alex Gladwin
These are amazing! They've got me excited for Halloween! x
Shanika
These cupcakes looks so perfect for halloween! I love it! Pinned!
Kelly Anthony
I love how you put spinach in them to make them green. My kids will be getting some extra veggies in with this cupcake while thinking they are eating a monster. Genius!
David @ Cooking Chat
These look so fun for kids! And spinach instead of food coloring is great. Definitely want to cut back on the food coloring & dyes in our son's diet, homemade dessert like this is a good way to go.
Danielle Wolter
OMG these are so cute for Halloween! I love the idea of hiding veggies in desserts - I'm sure it makes it a lot easier to get the kids to eat them!
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog
Just how easy and cute are these! I love that you have this beautiful natural color from spinach, not using any food coloring!