Get into the spooky spirit with these Graveyard Dirt Cupcakes in a Cup — a fun, easy Summerween treat the whole family can help make. Simple to assemble and cute to serve, they’re perfect for parties or a themed dessert table.
What you need to make Graveyard Dirt Cupcakes
- Chocolate cake mix + required ingredients (eggs, oil, water) — or bake your favorite chocolate cupcakes from scratch
- Vanilla frosting (homemade buttercream or premade)
- Food coloring in Halloween colors (purple, green, orange)
- Keebler Fudge Graham cookies (or similar graham cookies)
- White chocolate chips
- Gummy worms
- OREO cookies (about 2 sleeves)
- Halloween sprinkles with candy eyeballs
- Clear 10 oz wide cups for assembly
How to make Dirt Cupcakes in a Cup
1. Prepare and bake the cupcakes according to the cake mix directions or your chosen recipe. Allow them to cool completely.
2. Make the gravestones: Arrange the Keebler Fudge Graham cookies on parchment on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer.
3. Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 20–30 second increments, stirring between intervals until smooth. Transfer the melted white chocolate into a small sealable bag and snip a tiny corner to create a piping bag.
4. Remove the graham cookies from the freezer and pipe small “RIP” letters onto each cookie. Return the cookies to the freezer so the white chocolate sets — these will be your edible gravestones.
5. Slice each cooled cupcake horizontally into three thin layers.
6. Prepare the frosting: make about 3–4 cups total (this is enough for 12 cupcakes). Divide the frosting into two equal portions and tint one portion green and the other purple (or substitute orange for one color). Fit each color into a pastry bag with a star tip.
7. Assemble the cups: place the bottom cupcake layer into a clear cup and pipe a swirl of one frosting color on top. Add the middle cupcake layer, pipe the other colored frosting, then top with the final cupcake layer and finish with a small swirl of the first frosting color.
8. Create the dirt: crush the OREO cookies to fine crumbs using a food processor, blender, or by placing them in a ziplock bag and rolling with a rolling pin. Generously sprinkle the OREO crumbs over the top frosting to completely cover it.
9. Decorate: press the rounded end of a gummy worm into the crumbs so it appears to be crawling out of the dirt. Scatter Halloween sprinkles and a candy eyeball or two. Finally, press one frozen gravestone cookie into each cup at a slight angle.
Your Graveyard Dirt Cupcakes in a Cup are ready to serve — spooky, whimsical, and kid-friendly.
Can you make these ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the cupcakes and make the RIP gravestone cookies a couple of days in advance; store them separately in ziplock bags. Assemble the cupcake cups the day before your event and keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator until serving.
More Summerween ideas
There are many ways to expand a Summerween menu. Here are a few additional ideas to try at your party:
- Blue Summerween Punch
- Printable labels and favors like “Loser Candy”
- Bloody Eyeball Shirley Temples (mocktail)
- Summerween Slash S’mores
- Jack o’Melon centerpiece ideas
- Spider-shaped pizzas and other themed snacks
- Bloody finger hot dogs
- Printable Summerween party games
Gravestone Dirt Cupcakes in a Cup
Ingredients
- 1 Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix (plus required ingredients)
- 12 Keebler Fudge Graham cookies
- 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
- 30 OREO cookies
- 2 cans vanilla frosting (or homemade buttercream)
- 12 gummy worms
- Halloween sprinkles with eyeballs
- Food coloring (green, purple, or orange)
Instructions
- Make the cake batter and bake cupcakes according to the package or recipe directions. Let cool completely.
- Place graham cookies on parchment on a cookie sheet and freeze.
- Melt white chocolate chips in short microwave bursts until smooth.
- Pipe melted white chocolate onto graham cookies to write “RIP,” then freeze again to set.
- Slice cooled cupcakes horizontally into three layers each.
- Prepare 3–4 cups frosting, divide and tint into two colors, and fill pastry bags with star tips.
- Layer cupcake pieces and frost inside clear cups, alternating colors.
- Crush OREO cookies into fine crumbs and sprinkle over the top to create “dirt.”
- Insert a gummy worm, add sprinkles and candy eyeballs, and place a gravestone cookie into each cup.
- Refrigerate until serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 279Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 161mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 32gProtein: 2g
Nutrition details are approximate and provided as a general guideline.
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