If you’re on the hunt for a fun, festive treat that’s as adorable as it is delicious, you’re going to love this Owl Cupcakes Recipe. These little cuties are a total showstopper for parties, Halloween, or just a sweet surprise for your family. I absolutely love how flipping simple they are to put together, yet the results always get oohs and aahs. Stick with me—I’ll walk you through every step so your owl cupcakes come out perfect and totally charming.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Adorable Faces That Delight: The owl eyes made from chocolate sandwich cookies and candy make every cupcake look cute and unique.
- Simple Ingredients: You can make these with a boxed cake mix and readily available candy, perfect for quick baking sessions.
- Fun to Make with Kids: Decorating the eyes and beaks is a total blast and great for family baking time.
- Customizable & Allergy-Friendly: Tips included for gluten-free and vegan versions you can enjoy worry-free.
Ingredients You’ll Need
When it comes to the ingredients for this Owl Cupcakes Recipe, I like to keep things straightforward—each element serves a special purpose in creating those cute owl faces while ensuring deliciousness. Most of the candy decorations double as features, so pick your favorites or ones that fit your dietary needs.
- Baked Cupcakes: Use your favorite recipe or even a store-bought mix, just be sure they’re completely cooled before decorating to avoid melting the frosting.
- Chocolate Frosting or Ganache: I often make a quick ganache for its silky texture, but chocolate frosting works great and holds the decorations well.
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies: Oreo-type cookies are perfect for eyes; I recommend gluten-free brands like Glutino or Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Joe-Joe’s if you need an allergen-friendly option.
- Chocolate Candy Pieces: M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces are my go-tos for pupils, but Little Secrets works great for dairy-free needs.
- Candy Corn or Orange Chocolate Candies: These little gems become the owl’s signature beak; use vegan candies if that’s your preference.
Variations
I love that this Owl Cupcakes Recipe invites you to get creative. You can switch up frosting flavors, candy choices, and even the cupcake base! Here are a few ideas from my kitchen to yours—feel free to make these owls your own.
- Gluten-Free Base: I always use King Arthur Flour’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix with added pudding mix for fudgy cupcakes that everyone raves about.
- Vegan Option: Swap in vegan frosting and use dairy-free candies like Little Secrets for the eyes and beak to keep these owls entirely plant-based.
- Flavor Twists: Try pumpkin spice cupcakes for fall or peppermint frosting for winter holidays—it’s so fun to customize for different seasons.
- Eye Candy Alternatives: Instead of chocolate cookies, you can try vanilla sandwich cookies for a lighter look or mini donuts for an extra twist.
How to Make Owl Cupcakes Recipe
Step 1: Bake Your Cupcakes and Prepare Frosting
Start by baking 20-24 cupcakes using your preferred recipe or a trusty boxed mix. My go-to is King Arthur’s gluten-free chocolate cake mix, jazzed up with some dry chocolate pudding for moist, rich cupcakes—that’s a trick I stumbled on that makes all the difference. Remember, your cupcakes must cool completely before moving on so your frosting doesn’t melt and slide off.
While cupcakes are cooling, whip up the chocolate frosting or ganache. I like a quick ganache made by melting chocolate chips with coconut milk on low heat until smooth, then stirring in vanilla. Let it cool slightly so it’s thick enough to hold your decorations without dripping.
Step 2: Assemble the Owl Eyes
This is where the magic happens! Carefully twist apart your chocolate sandwich cookies, trying to keep most of the frosting on one half—this will become your “eye.” Hold one half firmly while you twist the other for the best split. If you notice the frosting isn’t perfectly smooth after the twist, just use a small spatula to gently even it out.
Next, place a chocolate candy piece (like an M&M or Little Secrets candy) on the frosting half. I personally like to put the candy a bit off-center, near the bottom corner of the cookie, because it gives the owl a cheeky, slightly cross-eyed look. Repeat until you have enough “eyes” for your batch of cupcakes.
Step 3: Frost Cupcakes and Add Eyes & Beaks
Work with a couple of cupcakes at a time—you want your frosting to be fresh and sticky so the eyes will adhere well. Either dip each cupcake into your ganache or apply frosting with a knife. Then, gently press two “eye” cookies onto the top center of each cupcake, holding them for 10–20 seconds so they stick securely.
If the eyes are a bit wobbly, I’ve learned it helps to sandwich the cupcake between two glasses to keep everything in place for those extra few seconds. Finally, add a candy corn or similar small orange candy below the eyes for the beak. Repeat until all your owls are fully assembled and ready to impress!
Pro Tips for Making Owl Cupcakes Recipe
- Slow & Steady Cookie Twisting: Don’t rush twisting your sandwich cookies apart—holding one half still while twisting the other helps keep the frosting intact for perfect owl eyes.
- Batch Decorating: Assemble all eyes first before frosting any cupcakes, so the candy sticks nicely to the cookie frosting without sliding around.
- Eye Placement Matters: Position the pupil candy off-center at the bottom corner of your cookie for a charming, cross-eyed look rather than a “stunned” stare.
- Hold Eyes Securely: If cookies won’t stay put, sandwich cupcakes between glasses for a few seconds—this trick has saved me countless times!
How to Serve Owl Cupcakes Recipe
Garnishes
I usually keep the garnishing simple since the owls themselves are quite detailed. However, a light dusting of powdered sugar around the base can add a little “morning dew” effect. If you want to get creative, edible glitter or tiny chocolate shavings around the edges create a whimsical woodland vibe that always wows guests.
Side Dishes
I find owl cupcakes pair perfectly with simple sides like warm apple cider or spiced hot chocolate, especially during fall or Halloween gatherings. For a party, little bowls of mixed nuts or fresh fruit keep things balanced and festive.
Creative Ways to Present
For holidays or themed parties, I like arranging the owl cupcakes on a platter lined with artificial leaves and mini pinecones. It gives a woodland forest feel! Another cute idea is serving them in mini cupcake tree trunks (brown cupcake liners) and surrounding them with green-tinted coconut “grass”. These small touches take your owl cupcakes from cute to utterly enchanting.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
If you have any leftovers (which rarely happens in my house!), keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend storing them with some wax or parchment paper between layers to protect the decorations. They usually stay fresh and moist for 3-4 days this way.
Freezing
Believe it or not, I’ve frozen these cupcakes before with success. I freeze them un-frosted first to avoid damaging the delicate eyes and beaks, then thaw and decorate right before serving. This way, you keep the decorations looking fresh and the cupcakes tasting great.
Reheating
Since these are cupcakes, you don’t really “reheat” them like a savory dish. If you prefer them at room temperature, just pull them from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. I advise against microwaving as it might soften the decorations too much.
FAQs
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Can I use store-bought cupcakes for this Owl Cupcakes Recipe?
Absolutely! Store-bought cupcakes work just fine as long as they’re completely cooled. Just pick ones with a dense crumb so they hold up when you dip or frost them and decorate. It’s a huge timesaver without sacrificing fun or flavor.
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How do I make sure the cookie eyes stick well to the frosting?
It helps if your frosting or ganache is fresh and still tacky—not dried out or too runny. Also, placing the eyes immediately after frosting each cupcake and holding them gently in place for 15-20 seconds makes a big difference. Using the glass sandwich trick I mentioned keeps them from sliding or falling.
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What if the chocolate sandwich cookies break while twisting them open?
This happens sometimes! To avoid it, hold one side very steady and twist the other half gently—but if they do break, just use the intact halves for the eyes and save broken pieces for cookie crumbs or mix-ins. Patience is your friend here.
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Can I make these Owl Cupcakes vegan?
Yes, by choosing vegan chocolate frosting or making a dairy-free ganache, and swapping in vegan sandwich cookies and candies like Little Secrets, you can easily make vegan owl cupcakes that everyone enjoys.
Final Thoughts
Making these owl cupcakes is one of my favorite little seasonal rituals—it brings out the kid in me and never fails to put smiles on faces. I love how easy it is to turn simple cupcakes into something whimsical and special with just a few clever touches. Give this Owl Cupcakes Recipe a try; I promise you’ll enjoy every minute of the process and every bite of the results. Happy baking, friend!
Print
Owl Cupcakes Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 24 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These adorable Owl Cupcakes are a fun and festive treat perfect for parties or special occasions. Made with moist chocolate cupcakes topped with rich chocolate frosting or ganache, each cupcake is decorated with Oreo-type chocolate sandwich cookie eyes and candy corn beaks to create charming owl faces. The recipe is versatile and can be made gluten free and vegan-friendly by selecting specific ingredients, making it approachable for various dietary needs.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 20-24 baked cupcakes (cooled completely before decorating; use your favorite recipe or boxed mix)
Frosting/Ganache
- Chocolate frosting or ganache (see quick ganache recipe in notes)
Decorations
- Oreo-type chocolate sandwich cookies (gluten free options: Glutino, Kinnikinnik, Mi-Del, or Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Joe-Joe’s)
- M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, or gluten free/dairy free chocolate candy (such as Little Secrets)
- Candy corn or orange chocolate candies (like Little Secrets if vegan) for beaks
Instructions
- Prepare Cupcakes & Frosting: Bake your favorite cupcake recipe or use a boxed mix to make 20-24 cupcakes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating. Prepare your chocolate frosting or ganache; set aside.
- Make the Eyes: Carefully twist apart each chocolate sandwich cookie to keep as much frosting on one half as possible. Smooth the frosting with a spatula if needed. Place one chocolate candy on each frosted cookie half to create pupils; position the candy in a bottom corner of the frosting circle for a cute cross-eyed look. Set these eyes aside.
- Frost & Assemble Cupcakes: Work with 1-2 cupcakes at a time. Dip each cupcake into ganache or frost generously with chocolate frosting. Quickly place two prepared cookie eyes centered on top of each cupcake and hold them in place for 10-20 seconds; if needed, secure between two glasses to help them stick. Add a candy corn below the eyes to create the owl’s beak. Repeat for all cupcakes.
Notes
- Favorite Gluten Free Cake Mix: Use King Arthur Flour’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix. Add 1 (3oz) package dry chocolate pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup almond milk or water, 1/2 cup oil (coconut or avocado), and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, pour into muffin cups, and bake per box directions.
- Quick Ganache: Melt 1 cup chocolate chips with 3-4 tablespoons coconut milk or preferred milk over low heat, whisk until smooth, then stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Let cool slightly before using.
- Open cookies slowly to avoid breaking frosting; twist one half while holding the other still. Smooth frosting back in place with a spatula if needed.
- Assemble all eyes before frosting cupcakes for easier decorating.
- Frost and decorate cupcakes in small batches to keep frosting fresh and help decorations adhere better.
- Position candy eyes off-center on cookie halves for best owl expressions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
