Green Zombie Brain Cupcakes are a creepy, playful, and delicious addition to any Halloween celebration. These spooky treats look like something straight out of a horror movie, with bright green frosting piped to mimic squishy brains sitting on top of moist cupcakes. While their appearance might send a shiver down your spine, their taste is anything but scary.
What makes these cupcakes such a hit is the combination of fun visuals and classic flavors. The cupcakes themselves can be any flavor you like chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, or something fruity. The real showstopper is the frosting. Tinted a vibrant zombie green, it’s piped in squiggly, brain-like patterns that make each cupcake look like a tiny edible zombie head. The process of decorating them is half the fun, whether you’re making them for a Halloween party, a classroom event, or simply for a spooky night in with friends.
The texture contrast between the soft, fluffy cake and the rich, creamy frosting adds to the enjoyment of every bite. Some versions even hide a surprise filling inside, red jam or strawberry sauce, to mimic a gory “brain matter” center that oozes out when you take a bite. It’s the perfect mix of creepy and clever that keeps guests talking.
These cupcakes are also highly customizable. You can go full zombie apocalypse by adding candy eyeballs, fake blood splatters made from colored syrup, or crushed cookie dirt around the base for an extra eerie touch. The possibilities are endless when it comes to making them as cute or gruesome as you want.
Beyond being a Halloween showstopper, Green Zombie Brain Cupcakes are fun to make with family and friends. Kids love helping with the piping and decorations, turning baking into a festive activity. Whether you’re throwing a haunted house party or just want to surprise coworkers or neighbors with a spooky treat, these cupcakes offer the perfect balance of fright and delight. They’re creepy, kooky, and absolutely delicious, everything a Halloween dessert should be.

Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 drops green food coloring
- 1 can vanilla frosting for decoration
- as needed black decorating gel for brain decoration
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add milk, vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, and green food coloring to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter among the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely.
- Once cooled, use a knife or piping bag to spread or pipe vanilla frosting on each cupcake.
- Use black or red decorating gel to draw brain patterns on the frosting to complete the zombie brain look.
Not spooky enough!!! I wanted to see gooey brains, not just frosting. Disappointed.
The recipe said milk but I used water. Still turned out okayy. lol.
Haha, that’s hilarious! Water instead of milk? You must be a culinary rebel! 😂 I’ll have to try it that way sometime.
I didn’t have black gel, so I used chocolate sprinkles instead. Still looked awesome!
Why would you put vinegar in cupcakes? Sounds gross. I won’t be trying this recipe.
My kids had a blast making these! They are super easy and the black gel looks awesome. Will definitely make again!
That’s awesome to hear! I bet they loved getting their hands messy. I can’t wait to try it with my kids too!
Yummy!! Me and my dog loved them!
These cupcakes are a hit at my Halloween party! So creepy and delicious! 👻🎉
I tried this recipe but my cupcakes turned out too dry. What did I do wrong?
Meh. I just wanted cupcakes, not zombie brains. lol.
These are so fun! I made them for a Halloween party and everyone loved them. Great recipe!
These sound cool, but isn’t making cupcakes messy? I don’t have the time for that.
I’m so glad everyone loved them! They were a hit at my party too! 🎃
Just a suggestion, maybe add some chocolate chips in the batter? Would make it even better. 😉
Did you really need the food coloring? It just felt like a waste. Still tasted good tho.
I think the food coloring adds to the theme! It’s Halloween after all! 🎃
I had to leave out the food coloring bcuz I didn’t have any and they still came out super yummy. Will make again!
I dunno, isn’t the food coloring kinda important for the zombie look? But if they taste good, that’s cool, I guess.
That’s awesome! I’m glad they turned out yummy even without the food coloring. Sometimes simple is best! 😊
Just wow! I made these for my kids and they look awesome! Thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome to hear! Glad your kids loved them! 🎉
I dunno, the color is kinda weird. Kids loved them though.
These cupcakes are amazing! Perfect for Halloween parties. Everyone loved them!
I made these cupcakes for my kid’s Halloween party and they were a hit! Everyone wanted the recipe!
I dunno… they didn’t taste like zombies to me? Just cupcakes.
Very easy recipe, but I added a little more cocoa. Makes it richer! 😋
Sounds cool, but adding more cocoa? Isn’t that going to make it too bitter? 🤔
I love that idea! More cocoa is always a good choice for rich flavor. Can’t wait to try it! 🌟
I don’t think green food coloring is food. This sounds gross.
I get what you mean, but it’s just food coloring! It’s about having fun with it. Green cupcakes can be tasty too!
Lol, gross? Have you ever tried it? It’s Halloween fun! Yummy cupcakes with a twist!
Ok but what if the green dye is bad for us?? 🤔 Just a thought.
These cupcakes were such a hit at my Halloween party! Everyone loved the green color, and they tasted amazing. 😍
Why would you put vinegar in cupcakes? Sounds weird. I doubt they taste good.
YUM! These cupcakes are perfect for a creepy movie night! I’ll make them again.
Yikes! I accidentally put too much vinegar in and it ruined everything! Be careful, people!
Quick and easy! Perfect for my Halloween party! 🎃
Sounds delicious and super fun! Can’t wait to try these for my Halloween bash! 🎉
Amazing recipe! They looked gross but tasted delicious! Kids had a blast decorating them!
Honestly, they taste good but the color looks way more appetizing in the picture. Mine looked kinda muddy.
Just okay. I expected more flavor from the frosting. Why not chocolate?
Too complicated for me, just ended up buying cupcakes instead. 😩
I get it! Some recipes do seem like a lot of work. But these cupcakes are fun and worth trying! Maybe next time?
5 stars all the way! Who doesn’t love zombies? I’ll be making these for my movie night! 🍿💚
I thought you used red food coloring for blood, not green for brains! What’s up with that?
Not sure about the green, kinda weird. But the taste was alright. Next time I’ll just use regular chocolate.
These taste like heaven! The 3 ingredients for the frosting really made it pop!
Um, how long do you bake them? I might’ve missed that part… 🤔
I made these for a Halloween party and they were a hit! So fun and tasty!
Sounds awesome! I can’t wait to try these for my party! Great idea!
Are you serious with this?? Green food coloring? Really?
Seems kinda weird to add food coloring, like do we really need that? What if it tastes bad?
I think it’s a fun idea! It’s Halloween vibes all the way. Green food coloring adds to the theme! 🎃
So cute but kinda gross looking! I think I’d prefer just normal cupcakes, haha.
I dunno, they look kinda fun to me. Who cares how they look? It’s all about the taste! 😄
I love these! Perfect for Halloween! Just add some little plastic bugs on top for extra creepy vibes. 🕷️
Why would anyone want to eat zombie brains? This is just weird.
I don’t get it. Why not just call them green cupcakes? Seems pointless to pretend they’re brains. 😕
It’s just a fun Halloween idea! The name is catchy and it looks great for parties! 🌟
Tastes pretty good but the frosting was too sweet for my taste. 🤷♀️
Yum!!! Gonna make them again for my friend’s bday!
Sounds awesome! Your friend will love them! 🧁🎉
Are they really that good tho? Idk about green food coloring… 😕
I followed the recipe but they came out too sweet for my taste. Maybe less sugar next time?
These are the coolest cupcakes ever! My kids loved them!
They were okay but I think they could use more chocolate flavor, honestly.
I totally agree! They taste good, but they need a stronger chocolate kick! Maybe add more cocoa next time.
Green frosting is just food dye. Not my favorite. They tasted okay tho. Could use more sugar.
Really easy to make, but i don’t really know why you would wanna make green cupcakes… It’s kinda weird.
I need these for my Halloween party!!
I tried making these but my batter turned out super weird. Maybe I added too much vinegar? Can anyone help?
I dunno, I never had this problem. Just follow the recipe, it should work! Maybe your vinegar was old?
It sounds like you might have used too much vinegar. Just a tablespoon should be enough. Maybe try mixing everything more gently next time?
These are amazing!!! My kids just lovd them!!
So cute! My niece said they looked like the zombie cupcakes from that show!
Waste of ingredients, they looked good but taste was off.
I don’t know, they look cool, but sounds like something went wrong. Did you change anything in the recipe? That can mess things up!
I’m sorry you didn’t like them! Maybe the taste wasn’t to your liking, but they sure are fun to make! Did you follow the instructions carefully?
OMG these are so fun! My kids love the zombie theme, and they’re super easy to make. Will make again!
They look kinda gross tho, I dunno if my kids would eat ’em. Maybe just stick to normal cupcakes?
Right? The kids had a blast helping with the decorating! Can’t wait to make them again for Halloween!