Gluten Free Halloween Cupcakes: Decorating How-To

Instructions

Choose a gluten free cupcake recipe from the ones I linked above or your own. Once baked and cooled, follow these instructions for frosting and decorating.

To make the frosting, cream the sugar, cocoa (if using) and shortening together with an electric mixer (whisk attachment makes it fluffier).

Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk, beating well to combine, and additional milk (if and only as necessary)  to achieve a piping consistency, beating for several minutes at the end until light and fluffy.

To make Frankenstein cupcakes, prepare frosting and add green food coloring. Pipe or spoon onto the top of each cupcake in a squared off "head" shape. Top with chocolate sprinkles for hair and nose, candy eyeballs and chocolate chunks for "ears."

To make Mummy cupcakes, use a flat decorating tip or petal tip with piping bag and pipe white frosting "bandages" across mummy faces. Add candy eyeballs.

To make the Spider Webs and legs for the spiders, I melt Enjoy Life Foods® or Pascha® vegan chocolate and use a Lekue Decorator Pen. You could also put warmed chocolate into a small zip-top bag and snip a corner out, piping the spider webs onto wax paper. Place on a cookie sheet in the freezer to set. I used NoWhey Foods Chocononos™  vegan candies for the spider body, but regular M&Ms are also gluten-free (contains dairy).

To make the Funny Skeleton, I used one large marshmallow which I covered with homemade frosting and stuck to the top of the cupcake with more frosting. I cut another marshmallow into small "teeth," used chocolate sprinkles and candy eyeballs, then gave him a top hat of a Free2B® organic, dairy-free dark chocolate peanut butter cup..

The Cute Little Ghost is simply a pile of homemade frosting piped out of a bag and given some candy eyeballs. It might be my daughter's favorite (more frosting!!), but it's so easy to make!

The Googlie-Eyed Monster is very free-form. I simply used Dandies® vegan, nonGMO, kosher marshmallows (pumpkin flavor), and attached candy eyeballs with some extra frosting. The sprinkles are just an added touch.

The Unassuming Spider is super easy to make with just frosting, sanding sugar and some candy eyeballs. Plop it into these cute spider leg cupcake holders and voila!

Which is your favorite? How will you ever choose? At least this way, you don't have to!