Real talk: You get plenty of Halloween treats at the end of October, so this easy Halloween cupcake recipe is engineered to deliver cupcakes that are a little bit hearty, with just enough sweetness to make them satisfyingly indulgent.

They come together quickly and don’t require a stand mixer or piping bags (unless you really want to go for it), so they’re great for bringing to that party your kid forgot to tell you about or an impromptu hang with all your best ghoul-friends. Transform cream cheese frosting with gel food coloring or these powders made from fruit into black and orange frosting (or go for purple and green frosting for Frankenstein’s Monster cupcakes, or keep most of it white for ghost cupcakes with candy eyes).

These cupcakes are sturdy on purpose so they can stand up to little kids decorating them at a Halloween party. While we like M&M’s, candy corn, and licorice (spider web cupcakes!), Halloween sprinkles, white chocolate chips, and virtually any bite-size Halloween candies or marshmallows work as decorations for these spooky treats. If you want to double down on the holiday theme, use jack-o’-lantern cupcake liners.

When only a chocolate cupcake recipe will do, try this devil’s food cake from Claire Saffitz, which uses a full cup of cocoa powder.