These mummy cupcakes are fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with a swirl of buttercream and a little marshmallow mummy peeking out from its candy bandages. They're a little bit spooky, a lot cute, and so easy to decorate that you don't need any artistic skills at all.
Halloween is the best excuse to get a little silly in the kitchen, and these are one of our favorite Halloween treats to make with kids. The cupcakes bake in about 20 minutes, and once they've cooled, the decorating goes by fast. With those googly candy eyes, they end up more adorable than scary.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Vanilla cupcake batter. A simple white cake made with flour, sugar, baking powder, softened butter, egg whites, milk, and vanilla. Using only the whites keeps the crumb pale and tender, which looks great peeking out from under the white frosting. A boxed white cake mix works in a pinch if you're short on time.
- Vegan marshmallows. Each marshmallow is cut in half to make the mummy's face. Regular marshmallows are made with gelatin, so use a gelatin-free brand (more on that below). Use regular-size marshmallows, not minis, so there's enough room for the "bandages" and eyes.
- White candy melts. These melt smoothly and set firm, which makes them perfect for piping the mummy wrappings. We like Merckens super white melting wafers. Most candy melts contain milk, so they're vegetarian rather than vegan. White chocolate chips work too, but they're a bit softer once set.
- Coconut oil. Just a little thins the melted candy so it pipes in fine, even lines. Vegetable shortening works the same way.
- Candy eyes. The easiest way to give each mummy some personality. Look for the small size, like these candy eyeballs from Sweets Indeed. Mismatched sizes make them even funnier.
- Buttercream frosting. Softened butter, powdered sugar, and a splash of milk whipped until fluffy. For a dairy-free version, use vegan butter and plant milk, or swap in our vegan vanilla frosting.
Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Marshmallows
This recipe uses marshmallows to make the mummy faces, and it's important to know that most marshmallows are not vegetarian. Traditional marshmallows get their bounce from gelatin, which is made from animal collagen. It's one of those sneaky ingredients on our list of foods vegetarians can't eat (but don't know it).
The good news is that gelatin-free marshmallows are easy to find now. Dandies vanilla marshmallows have long been a favorite of ours. They're vegan, made without corn syrup, and sold at Whole Foods and many other grocery stores. GoodMallow is another vegan brand, and their large vegan marshmallows ship from Amazon if your store doesn't carry them. Whatever brand you pick, check the label for gelatin before you buy.
How to Make Mummy Cupcakes
Bake the cupcakes. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners (or grease it with cooking spray). Halloween-themed cupcake liners are a fun way to take things up a notch. Whisk the dry ingredients together, beat in the softened butter, then add the egg whites, milk, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Fill the liners about two-thirds full and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let them cool completely. Be patient here. If you frost and decorate warm cupcakes, the frosting and candy will melt right off. Trust us on this one.
Make the marshmallow mummies. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the candy melts with the coconut oil in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Spoon the melted candy into a sandwich bag or disposable piping bag and snip off a tiny corner. Cut each marshmallow in half crosswise, lay the halves cut-side down, and drizzle thin, criss-crossing lines over the tops to look like bandages.
Add the eyes. While the candy is still soft, press two candy eyes onto each marshmallow, leaving a gap in the bandages so they peek through. Or give one a single eye for a cyclops mummy! Let them sit for about 10 minutes, until the candy sets.
Frost and top. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, and milk together, starting on medium speed and working up to high, until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread a swirl of frosting on each cooled cupcake, then gently press a marshmallow mummy on top. That's it. Your mummy cupcakes are ready for Halloween!
Helpful Tips
Bring everything to room temperature. Softened butter, room-temperature egg whites, and milk that isn't fridge-cold blend into a smooth batter without curdling. Set them out about 30 minutes before you start baking.
Don't overfill the liners. Two-thirds full gives you nicely domed cupcakes that don't spill over the edges. A cookie scoop or a ¼-cup measure makes it easy to divide the batter evenly, so all the cupcakes bake in the same amount of time.
Keep the candy lines thin. Snip only the very tip off the bag. A tiny opening gives you fine bandage lines, and you can always make the hole bigger. If the candy starts to firm up while you work, microwave the bag for 10 seconds to loosen it.
Use kitchen scissors for the marshmallows. Scissors cut marshmallows more cleanly than a knife. If they start to stick, dip the blades in a little powdered sugar or wipe them with a damp paper towel between cuts.
Make it a family project. Bake the cupcakes and make the frosting ahead, then set out the marshmallows, candy, and eyes so kids can build their own mummies. No two will look the same, and that's half the fun.
Variations
- Chocolate mummies. Use a chocolate cupcake base, or try our Halloween mummy brownies (linked below) for the same spooky look in bar form.
- Colorful frosting. Tint the buttercream orange, purple, or green so the white mummies really stand out.
- Frosting-only mummies. Skip the marshmallows. Pipe the bandages straight onto the cupcakes with a flat tip, then add the eyes.
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes. Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients for a cozy fall flavor.
- Mini mummies. Bake the batter in a mini muffin tin for 10 to 12 minutes and top each one with a mini marshmallow mummy.
Serving Ideas
Mummy cupcakes are made for Halloween parties, classroom treats, and bake sales. Line them up on a black or orange platter, or scatter a few candy eyes and some fake cobwebs around the tray for an extra-spooky display.
For a full Halloween dessert table, pair them with our mummy cakesicles, a bowl of caramel popcorn balls, and some spooky cut-out cookies. Got leftover vegan marshmallows? Turn them into a batch of vegan Rice Krispie treats.
Storing & Freezing
Store decorated cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let refrigerated cupcakes sit out for about 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens. The marshmallows will slowly get firmer over time, so they're at their best within the first day or two.
Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well. Wrap them individually, freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months, and thaw them at room temperature before frosting and decorating. We don't recommend freezing the finished cupcakes, because the marshmallow mummies and candy eyes can get sticky and weep as they thaw.
More Halloween Treats
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- Halloween Mummy Brownies
- Halloween Oreo Pops
- Spooky Vegan Halloween Cookies
- Halloween Black Forest Cake
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Electric Hand Mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
FOR CUPCAKES:
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- cooking spray, for the pan, if not using liners
FOR DECORATING:
- 9 vegan marshmallows, regular size, gelatin-free
- ½ cup white candy melts, or white melting wafers
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
- 36 candy eyes, small
- 12 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened (1 ½ sticks)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line muffin tins with 18 paper liners, or spray the cups with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the softened butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture looks like coarse sand, about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, and vanilla. Pour half into the flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then add the rest and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Fill the liners about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before decorating.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the candy melts and coconut oil in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
- Spoon the melted candy into a sandwich bag or piping bag and snip off a tiny corner. Cut each marshmallow in half crosswise and set the halves cut-side down on parchment paper. Pipe thin, criss-crossing lines over each one, then press two candy eyes into the soft candy. Let set for about 10 minutes.
- For the frosting, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons of milk on medium speed, gradually increasing to high, until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more milk if needed, then transfer to a piping bag.
- Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cooled cupcake and gently press a marshmallow mummy on top. Happy Halloween!
Alexa @ Doorstep Organics says
Oh! it's a ghost. LOL. at first, I don't know which character in a movie did you get this cupcake but I'm pretty sure it's delicious. My niece will surely love this.
Nicole says
Haha. Yes, my artistic skills are definitely not the greatest. But they were good enough to impress my toddler! 😉