Zombies Rising

Spooky Halloween cupcakes featuring zombie hands rising from chocolate "graveyard dirt". Made with chocolate cupcakes topped with green-tinted fondant hands and decorated with Oreo cookie crumbs, these treats are perfect for a haunted celebration.

12 servings

14 hr 15 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•10 pieces Oreo cookies
•1¾ oz semisweet chocolate
•1 cup white all-purpose, cake, or pastry flour
•¼ tsp baking soda
•¼ tsp salt
•5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
•¾ cup granulated sugar
•2 pieces large eggs, beaten
•½ tsp pure vanilla extract
•6 tsp sour cream
•2 tbsp water
•½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
•12½ oz Half and Half
•1 quantity Dark Chocolate Ganache
•⅔ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
•2 tbsp clear piping gel
•12 pieces Flies

Cooking Instructions

1.
1 The day before, make the hands. Roll the green Half and Half into 12 balls and then roll and press one end of each ball to thin it out into a cylinder shape. Flatten the rounded end so that the piece of frosting vaguely resembles a Ping-Pong paddle.
20 min
2.
2 Using a craft knife, make one cut on one side of the flattened area to make a thumb. Pull it out to the side. Make a second cut in the middle of the remaining rounded portion, and a third and fourth cut on either side to create 4 fingers.
15 min
3.
3 Pull and mold the tips of the fingers to make them slightly pointed. Using a toothpick, score 3 lines into each finger to create joints. This will be the palm side of the hand. On the reverse side, use the toothpick to indent a fingernail shape at the end of each finger.
15 min
4.
4 Bend the fingers up from the palm to resemble a claw. Prop the hand against a vertical surface so that it dries in the claw shape. Make another 11 hands in the same way and let dry overnight.
720 min
5.
5 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Crush the Oreo cookies into 1/4-inch pieces. Spoon 1 tablespoon spoon into each liner, reserving the remaining pieces.
10 min
6.
6 Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven on low, stirring every 15 seconds, or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat together until pale and fluffy. Blend in the melted chocolate and then gradually beat in the eggs and mix well together. Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Add half the flour mixture and blend in, then mix in the water and remaining flour mixture until incorporated.
15 min
7.
7 Spoon half the batter into the paper liners and spread over the cookies. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of chocolate chips to each. Add the remaining batter and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and cookie pieces over the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, until well risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
25 min
8.
8 When the cupcakes are cool, spread or pipe the Dark Chocolate Ganache on top of each cupcake. Mix together most of the chocolate cookie crumbs and all of the chocolate chips in a dish and dip the top of each cupcake into the mixture to create graveyard earth.
15 min
9.
9 Push a toothpick into the wrist end of each hand and press into the earth to anchor it. To enhance the effect of the hand rising from the grave, paint clear piping gel in different places on the hand and at the base, and sprinkle the remaining chocolate cookie crumbs on the gel so that it sticks. Finish by adding a Fly.
20 min

Ingredients

•10 pieces Oreo cookies

•1¾ oz semisweet chocolate

•1 cup white all-purpose, cake, or pastry flour

•¼ tsp baking soda

•¼ tsp salt

•5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

•¾ cup granulated sugar

•2 pieces large eggs, beaten

•½ tsp pure vanilla extract

•6 tsp sour cream

•2 tbsp water

•½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

•12½ oz Half and Half

•1 quantity Dark Chocolate Ganache

•⅔ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

•2 tbsp clear piping gel

•12 pieces Flies

Cooking Instructions

1 The day before, make the hands. Roll the green Half and Half into 12 balls and then roll and press one end of each ball to thin it out into a cylinder shape. Flatten the rounded end so that the piece of frosting vaguely resembles a Ping-Pong paddle.

20 min

2 Using a craft knife, make one cut on one side of the flattened area to make a thumb. Pull it out to the side. Make a second cut in the middle of the remaining rounded portion, and a third and fourth cut on either side to create 4 fingers.

15 min

3 Pull and mold the tips of the fingers to make them slightly pointed. Using a toothpick, score 3 lines into each finger to create joints. This will be the palm side of the hand. On the reverse side, use the toothpick to indent a fingernail shape at the end of each finger.

15 min

4 Bend the fingers up from the palm to resemble a claw. Prop the hand against a vertical surface so that it dries in the claw shape. Make another 11 hands in the same way and let dry overnight.

720 min

5 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Crush the Oreo cookies into 1/4-inch pieces. Spoon 1 tablespoon spoon into each liner, reserving the remaining pieces.

10 min

6 Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven on low, stirring every 15 seconds, or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat together until pale and fluffy. Blend in the melted chocolate and then gradually beat in the eggs and mix well together. Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Add half the flour mixture and blend in, then mix in the water and remaining flour mixture until incorporated.

15 min

7 Spoon half the batter into the paper liners and spread over the cookies. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of chocolate chips to each. Add the remaining batter and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and cookie pieces over the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, until well risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

25 min

8 When the cupcakes are cool, spread or pipe the Dark Chocolate Ganache on top of each cupcake. Mix together most of the chocolate cookie crumbs and all of the chocolate chips in a dish and dip the top of each cupcake into the mixture to create graveyard earth.

15 min

9 Push a toothpick into the wrist end of each hand and press into the earth to anchor it. To enhance the effect of the hand rising from the grave, paint clear piping gel in different places on the hand and at the base, and sprinkle the remaining chocolate cookie crumbs on the gel so that it sticks. Finish by adding a Fly.

20 min