Boo! Whether you're hosting a terrifying masquerade ball or a not-too-scary kids' party, these tasty Halloween treats will delight ghosts and goblins of all ages.
28 Halloween Treats That Are Easy, Fun and Deliciously Spooky
Updated on Oct. 05, 2024
1/27
Halloween Peanut Butter Cookie Pops
Total Time
35 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
A miniature candy bar is hidden inside these fun pops. Colored frosting and candy faces make these addicting cookie pops the perfect Halloween treat. —Martha Hoover, Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Surprise! There’s a miniature candy bar hidden inside each one of these adorable treats. For even more fun, bake the cookie pops, then let your party guests decorate their own creations with candy corn, mini chocolate candies and sugar eyeballs.
2/27
Cake Eyeballs
Total Time
1 hour 35 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Customize these cake balls to your liking with the flavors of your choice. — Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Is someone watching us? This deceptively simple dessert comes together in a flash thanks to store-bought cake mix, colored candy melts and your choice of confectionery decorations.
3/27
Witches’ Fingers
Total Time
20 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
You don't need a cauldron to conjure these frightening fingers. They're a sweet-and-salty treat that's spookily easy to make. —Beth Tomkiw, Chief Content Officer, Taste of Home
There’s no double boiler (or even a stove) needed for this easy, 3-ingredient recipe. Just melt candy coating discs in the microwave, dip pretzel rods into the melted candy and add jelly bean fingernails for maximum spookiness.
4/27
Halloween Sugar Cookies
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I've been making these Halloween sugar cookies for about 40 years—first for my children and now my grandchildren and all their friends, too. I make about 20 trays a year to give away to trick-or-treaters. —Pamela Shank, Parkersburg, West Virginia
No ghost or cat cookie cutters in your kitchen? No problem. Cut triangle shapes for candy corn, circles for spiderwebs and squares for Frankenstein’s head. Any leftover cookies will last up to a week in the freezer.
5/27
Brainy Cake
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My Godson and I made this cake after fun day at the science museum. We've made it several times now, and we get a kick out of experimenting with the frosting colors. —Faith Cromwell, San Francisco, California
Don’t worry, the secret ingredient in this rich, moist cake isn’t real brains. It’s actually mayonnaise, which adds a depth of flavor and texture that will wow your Halloween guests.
6/27
Martian Marshmallows
Total Time
30 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Wrap leftovers in cellophane and hand them out as favors-if they haven't all disappeared by the end of the party.—Teri Rasey, Cadillac, Michigan
What’s about a million times more fun than a lollipop? A martian marshmallow, complete with a dusting of colored sugar, candy eyes and sugar straw antennae. Best of all, they only take half an hour to whip up.
7/27
Halloween Chocolate Cookie Pops
Total Time
35 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Our children look forward to making these cute cookies each year. They've become experts at making silly faces with little candies.
There’s a trick to this treat. To get the lollipop sticks centered inside the cookie, roll the dough into a ball, press a stick into the center, then flatten the ball into a cookie shape with the bottom of a sugar-dipped glass.
8/27
Halloween Peanut Spider Cookies
Total Time
38 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These cute spider cookies are so easy. They'll be the star at your next Halloween party! —Rashanda Cobbins, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Party guests will think you spent all day handcrafting these creepy crawly creations. But with about half an hour and seven ingredients, you can bring two dozen of these tasty spiders to life.
9/27
Bones & Blood
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
40 cookies (2 cups sauce)
From the Recipe Creator:
Like a zombie, you'll be desperate for more of these bone-shaped cookies and dip. Fight nicely over them—no biting! —Taste of Home Food Styling Team
There’s nothing humerus (pun intended!) about these spooky, skeletal cookies. Strawberry jelly and melted chocolate chips make for a frighteningly tasty dipping sauce.
10/27
Marshmallow Ghosts
Total Time
20 min
Servings
about 15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Kids of all ages can help prepare these easy-to-make treats. With just three ingredients that I often keep on hand, they can be put together at a moment's notice.—Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
These marshmallow ghosts are more cute than creepy. And with only two steps and three ingredients, even kids could make them (with your help, of course). Just melt candy coating discs in the microwave, stir in some marshmallows, drop the mixture in clumps on waxed paper and decorate with candy eyes.
11/27
Mini Pretzel Pumpkins
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Folks are sure to share some tricks in order to get some of these pleasing pumpkin-shaped treats. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Is there anything better than the sweet-and-salty combo of candy-coated pretzels? Yes: Candy-coated pretzels that also happen to look like adorable mini pumpkins. These four-ingredient cuties don’t take long to make, but there is a little set time for the candy coating.
12/27
Ghostly Custards
Total Time
50 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
You'll hear shrieks of delight when these not-so-spooky pumpkin custards appear for dessert. These ghosts will be gobbled up in no time! —Suzanne Strocsher, Bothell, Washington
Canned pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk and pumpkin pie seasonings come together to make an easy and festive Halloween treat, complete with a ghost made of store-bought whipped topping. (But if you’re an overachiever, you could try making whipped cream from scratch.)
13/27
Halloween Candy Bark
Total Time
20 min
Servings
2-3/4 pounds
From the Recipe Creator:
My kids and I wanted to make a treat using the beautiful colors of fall and some candy that's special for Halloween. Let the kids customize by using their favorite candies and cookies.—Peggie Brott, Carthage, New York
With Oreos, pretzels, M&M’s, peanuts, candy corn and Reese’s Pieces, this candy bark recipe is guaranteed to be a Halloween hit. But you might want to make a double batch. Once you set it on the snack table, it will vanish without a trace.
14/27
Freaky Frankenstein Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
They're alive! Each year when the Halloween invites start coming my way, I create a little treat to bring. These cute cookies bring a lot of life to every party. —Philia Kelnhofer, West Allis, Wisconsin
Save the plain sugar cookies for Christmas. These monster-approved sweets are made with peppermint and vanilla extract, plus a secret ingredient: Andes mint candies.
15/27
Fun Caramel Apples
Total Time
15 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Charming designs and gooey candy make these caramel apples irresistible. Use apples at room temperature because caramel tends to slip off of chilled apples. —Darla Wester, Meriden, Iowa
Expert tip: Start with room-temperature apples, because caramel tends to slip off when the skin is cold. Dipping caramel apples is a breeze with store-bought caramels, but our readers recommend making caramel from scratch if you have time.
16/27
Spooky Gelatin Bubble Cupcakes
Total Time
5 min
Servings
3 to 4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
It's so much fun to make these and decorate with them! Bubbles can be made weeks ahead. Turn them into orange pumpkins, multi-colored balloons -- whatever! —Sarah Thompson, Taste of Home Culinary Director
Your guests will never guess how you created these delightful alien cupcake toppers. Want to know the trick? Inflate a water balloon, dip it in a gelatin mixture, then allow it to harden before popping the balloon.
17/27
Candy Corn Ice Cream Sandwiches
Total Time
55 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Get a head start on these sandwich cookies by shaping and chilling the homemade dough ahead of time. When you're ready, just slice and bake the tricolor treats, then spread with ice cream, assemble and freeze. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
We all scream for these festive ice cream sandwiches, which feature orange sherbet sandwiched between homemade candy-corn sugar cookies. Time-saving tip: Shape the dough and store it in the fridge, then slice and bake the cookies whenever you’re ready. Then, you can assemble the sandwiches and store them in the freezer until it’s time to serve them.
18/27
Gingerbread Skeletons
Total Time
25 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Any small gingerbread boy cookie cutter can take on new "life" with these classic cookies. Give him some cat friends, too. The more the merrier! —Dore' Merrick Grabski, Utica, New York
Why does Christmas get to have all the gingerbread fun? Use icing to outline the skeleton of cats and bats…or use traditional gingerbread men cookie cutters for a fun Halloween twist on the old classic.
19/27
Chocolate Candy Corn Cupcakes
Total Time
45 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My oldest son asks me to make these cupcakes every year for his class Halloween party. I always get compliments about how tasty and cute these treats are. —Nicole Clayton, Prescott, Arizona
Love it or hate it, candy corn is a Halloween must-have. And while these cupcakes look like they were made by a professional bakery, you can whip up a batch in under an hour with only eight ingredients. Not a fan of whipped topping? Try our buttercream frosting instead.
20/27
Jack Skellington Pops
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Cake mix makes quick work of these cake pops decorated to look like Jack the Pumpkin King from The Nightmare Before Christmas. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
The best character from the best Halloween movie possibly ever just became our new favorite dessert. To keep the candy coating from smudging, dry the pops upright by poking their sticks into a block of styrofoam.
21/27
Sugar Ghost Cupcakes
Total Time
3 hours 20 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I had 10 neighborhood kids stop by to help me make these ghost cupcakes for a bake sale, though I have no doubt that most of the treats never made it that far! —Mysie Sabin, Franklin, Wisconsin
If you’ve never worked with fondant, the prospect might feel daunting. But if you start with these practically foolproof cupcake toppers instead of an entire cake, you might discover it’s easier than you expected. Make things even simpler by using store-bought cake mix and frosting.
22/27
Gourmet Caramel Apples
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These drizzled confections look gorgeous and taste over-the-top yummy. With peanut butter flavor and a salty burst, they'll be the treats you can't wait to make each year. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
There’s no better combination than apples and caramel. Well, except apples and caramel and peanut butter and pretzels. Oh, and chocolate… Did we mention the chocolate?
23/27
Ghostly Cupcake Cones
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Top peanut buttery cupcakes with your favorite frosting and spirited faces to make these frightfully ghostly treats. They’ll vanish into thin air before you know it! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
It doesn’t get much easier than this: you can bake the peanut-butter cupcakes right inside the cones. Opt for 3-inch cake cones with a flat bottom (as opposed to a pointed one) so they’ll fit snugly inside a cupcake tin.
24/27
Eyes On You
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 cupcakes
From the Recipe Creator:
Look out! This crazy cupcake only has eyes for you. Don't worry though, he's delicious!
—Karen Tack, Riverside, Connecticut
No fondant necessary! These spooky monster eyes are marshmallows decorated with frosting blobs and M&M’s minis. For extra precision, use tweezers to place the candy right where you want it.
25/27
Edible Arachnids
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I bring cake pops to my church group when we have movie nights. This year for Halloween, I used my go-to recipe to make these not-so-scary spiders. —Nicole Rae Paoli, Newark, Delaware
You don’t need a custom spider mold to make these sweet creepy crawlies. They’re actually chocolate-covered cake balls and pretzel sticks. To keep the texture of the melted chocolate smooth, dry all mixing bowls and tools completely before you begin.
26/27
Halloween Witch Cake
Total Time
1 hour 55 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
If you're looking for an extra-special dessert to serve for Halloween, this witch cake will delight all the ghouls and goblins at your party. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Ready for the All Hallows’ Eve showstopper? While this cake requires some experience (and a bit of artistic ability—the witch hats are drawn freehand with melted candy coating and a piping bag), your guests will be wondering if you hired a professional baker to cater the party. Don’t have a piping bag? A Ziploc bag works too.
27/27
Eyeball Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
25 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
All eyes will definitely be on these adorable cookies when they're set on any buffet table. I created them for my son's kindergarten class for Halloween. —Sherry Lee, Columbus, Ohio
Have half an hour and a microwave? Then you can make these delightfully creepy eyeball cookies, which are actually store-bought vanilla wafers in disguise. To create a bloodshot look, add veins with red food coloring and a toothpick.
