Witch Hat Cupcakes

These cute witch hat cupcakes are easy to make for all skill levels! Made with rich chocolate cupcakes, buttercream frosting, Oreo Thins, and a Hershey’s Kiss.

This post contains affiliate links. Read the disclosure policy.

About Witch Hat Cupcakes

Halloween is a fun holiday, but it requires a decent amount of planning to pull off. And if you’re anything like me, minimal effort for maximum benefit is a lifelong goal, and that’s especially true when it comes to the holidays.

Which is exactly what these witch hat cupcakes are: totally minimalist while still being absolutely festive and fabulous.

I’m all for cute and adorable cupcakes (because really, who isn’t?) but regular readers of this food blog know how much I struggle with cake decorating. You’d never know it by looking at the arsenal of pastry bags and decorating tips I own, but as hard as I try, the whole decorating ordeal is simply beyond me.

But you know what’s good about all of that?

It means you can trust me when I say that if my two left thumbs can make cute cupcakes like this then anyone can.

At their core, these cupcakes are classic chocolate cupcakes (yes!) with creamy buttercream frosting (double yes!). From there, all you need is a couple of Oreo Thins and Hershey’s Kisses to complete the look of the hat.

Seriously, these cupcakes are just that easy! No dipping or drying or anything that requires a second set of hands, making them perfect for both a planned-out event or a last-minute addition.

What’s in witch hat cupcakes?

To have your own two dozen witch-themed cupcakes, you’ll need the gather the following ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, unsalted butter, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, unsweetened cocoa powder, egg, milk, and vanilla – Classic ingredients for baked goods and homemade frosting.
• Powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream – For creating the creamy frosting.
• Oreo Thins and Hershey’s Kisses – For creating the brim and top of the witch’s hat.
• Food coloring – Technically optional, but every good witch needs some vibrant Halloween-themed colors. If you’re curious about what food coloring I used, I picked up the Betty Crocker Food Colors in Neon (which comes with green, orange, purple, and pink). I was pleasantly surprised by how they turned out!

How do you make the witch hats?

These cupcakes have a simple (yet easy!) witch hat topper that requires minimal skill to make. All you’ll need:

• An Oreo thin cookie
• Orange frosting (included in the recipe below)
• A Hershey’s kiss

And that’s it! But as always, feel free to jazz it up with more sprinkles and candy as you see fit.

Can you make these cupcakes in advance?

Certainly! For best results, I recommend making them no further than 24 hours in advance. The longer the cupcakes sit the more the Oreo thin cookie will absorb moisture from the frosting, so keep that in mind.

How should these cupcakes be stored?

These cupcakes have buttercream frosting, and this is what determines the best way to store them.

If you plan on eating the cupcakes within 24-48 hours, it’s perfectly okay to store them at room temperature. However, keep in mind that the frosting may “settle” some during this time, because there are objects (cookie, Hershey’s kiss) sitting on top of it.

If you’d like to keep the cupcakes fresh for longer than two days, store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the frosting will firm up once chilled, so if you’d prefer a softer texture, allow time for the frosting to soften at room temperature (typically one hour will do).

How long do witch hat cupcakes last?

When stored in a sealed container on the counter, cupcakes will remain good for one or two days. If stored in the refrigerator, cupcakes can last anywhere from four to six days.

Can you freeze witch hat cupcakes?

Yes, you totally can! However, it’s best to freeze these cupcakes before they have been decorated. If you’ve already decorated the cupcakes, I highly recommend enjoying them while they’re still freshly made.

To freeze these cupcakes:

• Bake cupcakes per recipe instructions, then allow to cool completely.
• Wrap cupcakes in plastic wrap. You can either wrap them individually or arrange the cupcakes in a group (single layer) and wrap them together. Note: If you have already decorated the cupcakes and really want to freeze them, chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator until the frosting feels solid to a gentle touch (doesn’t smear) and gently wrap the cupcakes in plastic.
• Place wrapped cupcakes in a freezer bag or a storage container with a sealable lid.
• Cupcakes can be frozen for up to three months.

notes & tips for these witch hat cupcakes

• Make sure you have enough muffin tins to make 16 cupcakes (total yield of this recipe, unless serving size adjusted in the recipe card below).
• If you like using piping tips, I used something similar to 1M for the “hair” of the witch and a Round Tip 3 for piping out the frosting for the hat ribbon.

More great Halloween recipes

How to make witch hat cupcakes

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – Kick things off by mixing together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside for now.

Step 2 – Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), gently mix the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract together.

Step 3 – Slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until there are no clumps and a liquid batter forms.

Step 4 – Scoop the batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners, filling each one about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full. Repeat this step until all the batter has been used. TIP: I like to use a tablespoon cookie scoop for this part. Two scoops usually does the trick.

Step 5 – Bake! And let cupcakes cool completely.

Step 6 – Prepare the frosting by using a mixer to whip together the butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and heavy whipping cream until smooth.

Step 7 – Separate off about 1/3 cup frosting, then mix both batches of frosting with the colors you’ll be using (I used green and orange). Also add the frosting to pastry bags with tips of your choice.

Step 8 – Decorate cupcakes by piping a swirl of green frosting to create the witch’s hair. Top with an Oreo Thin cookie, add a dab of orange frosting, then press a Hershey’s kiss on top. Repeat this step until all the cupcakes have been decorated.

Step 9 – Serve and enjoy!