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Since it is the season of creepy Halloween treats, goodies and grab bags, I thought I needed one more cute dessert to add to the Halloween treat table. These are Skeleton Pretzel Cupcakes and they are so cute and easy to make! The boys were eager to get involved in the making of these, for quality control purposes of course (licking the bowl and eating the treats) but they were pretty impressed that the pretzel bodies looked “bone-y!”
Skeleton Pretzel Cupcakes are chocolate from top to bottom, with skeletons made of yogurt covered pretzel bodies and marshmallow heads. Too cute!!
These are made of pretty simple ingredients and put together in a creative way. You have a regular chocolate cupcake, chocolate frosting, crushed chocolate cookies and add to that yogurt covered pretzels, marshmallows, pipe cleaners and of course you end up with Skeleton Pretzel Cupcakes!
I would love to be able to say I came up with this cute cupcake on my own, but alas I did not. I have seen it around for a number of years, but I don’t know who created this originally. As busy as I have already been this season, I am never too busy to cook or bake something interesting, especially if it involves the grandsons.
Skeleton Pretzel Cupcakes are easy to make, with simple ingredients and a delight to show off to the kids!!
I am going to make this as easy as possible. You will start with your favorite boxed cake mix and follow the directions to make cupcakes. Typically, you will get 10-12 cupcakes from a single boxed cake mix. I like to use a chocolate cake, so that you aren’t seeing a white or yellow cake through the cupcake liner. Once you have baked the cupcakes, let them cool completely on a rack.
Next, you will crush a package of chocolate wafers to the point of looking almost like dust, but don’t sweat it if you have some small chunks, you can say those look like dirt clods! Pour the crushed cookies into a bowl big enough to allow you to roll the top of your cupcake around in it.
Liberally frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting. We are using chocolate because it is the base for the “dirt.” Once you frost the cupcake and while the frosting is still wet, gently invert the cupcake and roll the frosted portion of cupcake into the crushed cookies, to coat it. Then put the cupcake back on the rack and move onto the next cupcake. You will want to frost and roll in the cookies immediately or the frosting will dry enough that the crushed cookies won’t stick well.
After all of the cupcakes are frosted and coated in crushed chocolate wafers, you will need to prepare your pipe cleaners and you will need to cut white pipe cleaners about 5 inches long for the body and 5 inches long for the arms. You will also need 2 sections of pipe cleaner for the hands if you choose to make them.
Next you will cut the marshmallow in half and this will be the base for the body of 4 yogurt coated pretzels to sit on. The other half will be used as the face. Poke the pipe cleaner through the halved marshmallow and push it through into the cupcake so it stands up.
Carefully, place 4 coated pretzels over the pipe cleaner for the body, and then the second pipe cleaner gets wrapped twice around the neck area and the arms extend. You can either just pinch the ends up for hands or with an extra piece of pipe cleaner about an inch long, wrap this around the end to make fingers.
There seems to be a lot of steps when making these Skeleton Pretzel Cupcakes but they are quick little steps that I had to break down so you understood what I did. Once the cupcake is baked, this goes together in a matter of minutes. It is worth the effort to cut your marshmallow and pipe cleaners ahead of time to help speed up assembly.
Skeleton Pretzel Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 tub dark chocolate frosting
- 1 package plain, chocolate wafers can use oreos if you would like
- 12 cupcake liners
- 10 long, white pipe cleaners
- 12 marshmallows cut in half
- 1 black edible marker to draw on face
- 1 16 ounce yogurt of white chocolate covered pretzels
Instructions
- Make cupcakes according to box instructions.
- Let cupcakes cool and then frost one at a time.
- Place chocolate cookies in a zip lock bag and crush with rolling pin or meat mallet until they look like course dirt., then pour into a bowl.
- Frost cupcake and then roll into crushed cookies. Place back on rack.
- Cut your pipe cleaners so you have two 5 inch long pipe cleaners for each cupcake and if you want hands, two 1-1/2 inch pieces to attach for hands.
- Cut the marshmallows in half, one piece for the base and one for the head. Draw a face on the marshmallow head and set aside.
- Poke one 5 inch pipe cleaner through a marshmallow half, poke all the way through and into the cupcake so it stands up. Carefully thread 4 white pretzels onto the pipe cleaner for the body and then wrap the other 5 inch piece of pipe cleaner twice around the neck are and extend arms.
- If you want hands, at this point twist the 1-1/2 inch pieces around the ends of the arm pipe cleaner and spread it out to look like fingers.
- Carefully place the face/head onto the top of the pipe cleaner to complete your skeleton. So cute!!
These are crowd pleasers and the kids are able to help build this scary little treat, which makes it so much more fun. I hope you give these a try. I would love to see a picture of your creations! Enjoy friends!
I loved making Skeleton Pretzel Cupcakes! Do you have a Halloween treat you make every year?
My grandkids are coming to visit this weekend. I am going to make these fun cupcakes with them, I know they will get a kick out of it.,
I hope they enjoy them, it is a fun project you get to eat!!