Halloween wraps fear in innocence, as though it were a slightly sour sweet. Let terror, then, be turned into a treat...
Nicholas Gordon
Halloween is a great time to make some Halloween-themed desserts. Spooky, cute, and party-ready, it's a great time to try something new. From Halloween desserts easy enough to make on a weeknight to Halloween desserts for kids to decorate, we have them all. Whether you're looking for scary Halloween desserts or cute Halloween treats, we have you covered!
Ghostly Cupcakes
These chocolate cupcakes with white frosting make adorable little ghosts. All you need is a piping bag and chocolate chips. Easy to decorate and a cute option for kids to make.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cool cupcakes completely.
- Pipe tall spirals of buttercream to form ghost peaks.
- Press two mini chips as eyes.
Witch Finger Cookies
These creepy and realistic shortbread cookies, shaped like fingers, are sure to elicit a reaction. With almond nails and red jam "blood", you can make them really spooky. A classic Halloween dessert and one that's fun to make.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Beat butter and sugar; mix in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Chill 20 minutes.
- Roll small logs; press knuckle creases with a knife.
- Press an almond at one end; bake for 10–12 min at 350°F.
- Lift almond, add a dab of jam, replace.
Monster Rice Krispie Treats
No-bake bars are great for making with kids. These bright and colorful treats are a Halloween version of the classic. You can prepare them in batches, too!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt butter; stir in marshmallows until smooth.
- Mix in cereal; press into a lined pan. Cool, cut squares.
- Dip tops in melted candy; add eyes.
Spiderweb Brownies
You can upgrade these rich, fudgy brownies with a spooky spiderweb. With a toothpick swirl, you can create the design. This easy Halloween dessert requires little effort and still looks impressive.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Spread white icing over cooled brownies.
- Pipe concentric circles of chocolate.
- Drag a toothpick from center outward to web.
Mummy Pretzel Sticks
By drizzling white chocolate and adding candy eyes, you can transform pretzel rods into mummies. Bite-sized, fun, and perfect for Halloween snack tables. This balance of sweet and salty makes them a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
white chocolate or wafers
Instructions
- Dip pretzels in melted white chocolate; set.
- Drizzle more chocolate back and forth as "bandages."
- Add eyes before set.
Candy Corn Fudge
You can mimic the iconic Halloween candy with layered yellow, orange, and white fudge. This is sweet, creamy, and colorful. Both kids and adults will love this one.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt chips with condensed milk; stir in vanilla.
- Divide into three; tint two portions.
- Layer yellow, orange, then white in a lined tin; chill and slice.
Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
Make a pumpkin patch out of cupcakes by using crushed cookies and candy pumpkins. These are as fun to decorate as they are to eat. The green icing vines look great, too.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Frost cupcakes; dip in cookie crumbs.
- Top with pumpkin candies.
- Add a green frosting vine for a garden look.
Black Cat Chocolate Cookies
Cocoa cookies shaped like black cats with glowing eyes. Crisp, chocolatey, and great when dipped in milk. These cute Halloween desserts are great for fans of the holiday, regardless of their age.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make dough, roll 6 mm, cut cats.
- Bake 8–10 min at 350°F; cool.
- Pipe eyes and whiskers.
Haunted House Gingerbread Bars
You can make haunted house icing designs on spiced gingerbread bars. They also smell great and will fill any room with the scent of fall. Can't wait until Christmas for gingerbread? Try these.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Beat wet; add dry. Spread in lined pan.
- Bake 15–18 min at 350°F; cool.
- Pipe haunted house and bats.
Vampire Bite Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red velvet cupcakes make for great vampire treats. Cream cheese frosting is always popular, plus you can use raspberry coulis or jam for "blood" drips. A nice combination of spooky and cute, and great for younger bakers.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Frost cupcakes.
- Poke two holes with a straw; spoon coulis to drip.
Eyeball Cake Pops
Cake pops dipped in white chocolate can be turned into eyes. Staring at you from the table, they're equal measures of scary and silly. These will definitely be a hit on Halloween.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix cake + frosting; roll balls; chill.
- Dip in white melts; dot iris and pupil.
- Draw red "veins" with food color pen.
Cauldron Pudding Cups
Turn chocolate pudding cups into a witch's cauldron using green whipped cream. Marshmallows and sprinkles can make it look more magical. The best thing is that this is a no-bake recipe!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Spoon pudding into mini cups.
- Top with green whipped cream “bubbles.”
- Decorate with sprinkles.
Jack-o'-Lantern Pumpkin Pie Mini Tarts
Festive and tasty, top mini pumpkin pies with jack-o'-lantern faces. When you get the bake right, they almost glow. They look as good as they taste, especially when pumpkins are in season, which includes both Halloween and Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut circles; press into mini tins.
- Fill; top with dough rounds with face cut-outs.
- Brush with egg wash; bake until set.
Zombie Brain Jelly
You can turn gelatin into a brain. Use cloudy coloring and raspberry syrup, and the results are disturbingly realistic. This dessert tends to be spookier than some of the others. You've been warned!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Partially set gelatin; stir in a splash of evaporated milk.
- Pour into mold; chill fully.
Creepy Crawly Dirt Cups
You can make edible dirt from chocolate pudding and crushed cookies. Add some gummy worms, and it'll look like something fresh out of the garden. Quick, fun, and a great one to make with the kids.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Layer pudding and cookie “dirt” in cups.
- Top with worms.
Apple Cider Donuts
Donuts infused with spiced apple cider and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. Very autumnal, warm, cozy, and fragrant. Not everything has to be scary, but it's scary how nice these are. If you really like them, make batches for other holidays.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix dry; whisk wet; combine.
- Pipe into greased donut pan; bake 10–12 min at 375°F.
- Toss warm donuts in cinnamon sugar.
Ghost Meringues
Pipe meringues into ghost shapes. These are striking and straightforward Halloween desserts that you can make ahead of time. Decorate them to make them spookier. Once you get the hang of meringues, you can make them into pavlova at Easter for your holiday dessert. It's the best!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Whip whites + tartar; stream in sugar to stiff peaks.
- Pipe mounds; bake low at 200°F for 1.5–2 hrs until dry.
- Add eyes.
Bat Oreo Truffles
A couple of cookie wings and candy eyes can make these Oreo truffles spookier. Great for chocolate lovers. Consider making several of these, as they won't last long!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix crumbs + cream cheese; roll balls; chill.
- Dip in melted chocolate; attach wing halves and eyes.
Skeleton Bone Pretzels
Dip the ends of pretzel sticks with marshmallow ends in white chocolate. They look just like bones. Sweet, salty, and crunchy, they make a great addition to any Halloween spread.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Skewer marshmallows onto both ends of pretzel stick.
- Dip in white chocolate; set on parchment.
Cobweb Cheesecake Bites
Top mini cheesecake squares with chocolate spiderwebs. They may look like something from a bakery, but they're easy to make. Creamy and indulgent, you'll love them!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Press base; chill.
- Spread filling; smooth.
- Pipe circles of chocolate; drag toothpick to web. Chill, slice.
Bloody Syringe Cupcakes
Top vanilla cupcakes with food-safe syringes with raspberry sauce. Guests can inject the cupcakes for a bloodier bite. This is food you can play with.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Fill syringes with sauce.
- Frost cupcakes; insert syringe at serving.
Candy Apple Monsters
Give your candy apples a monster makeover. Marshmallow teeth and candy eyes should do it. Balance the sugary coating with tart apples.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Dip apples; set.
- Add marshmallow "teeth," chip "eyes," licorice "hair."
Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops
Turn marshmallows dipped in green coating into mini Frankenstein's monsters. Chocolate for hair, pretzels for the bolts, and candy eyes to complete the look. Let the kids decorate them.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Skewer marshmallows; dip in green, set.
- Dip top in chocolate for hair; add face details.
Graveyard Chocolate Pudding Cups
Using cookies for the soil and the headstone, you can turn chocolate pudding into an edible graveyard. Sprinkle candy bones to complete the effect. This is another great Halloween dessert that's easy enough for kids to make themselves.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Fill cups with pudding.
- Top with crumbs; pipe "RIP" on cookies; insert as headstones.
Spooky S'mores Bars
Who doesn't love S'mores? A mix of cozy and spooky for Halloween. These shareable treats will be a hit.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Press base; bake briefly.
- Layer chocolate and marshmallows; return to melt and toast.
- Cool, slice.
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