Every October I make Halloween treats with my kids. We spend the last weekend before Halloween making treats that are simple to put together. None of these need advanced baking skills, and most of them let the kids do the messy part.
Only a few of these need the oven. Most are melted and set, layered in cups, or put together by hand.
Baked or fried
Ghost Sugar Cookies
These are the first thing my kids ask for when the decorations come out. A simple cutout sugar cookie gets a swipe of white icing and 2 mini chocolate chips for eyes, and it becomes a ghost. The dough chills in 30 minutes and rolls out without sticking. Let the little ones place the eyes and no two ghosts will look alike.
Spiderweb Brownies
A pan of brownies becomes a Halloween centerpiece with nothing more than a piped white spiral and a toothpick dragged through it. I use a boxed mix on a busy week and no one has ever complained. The webs look intricate but take about 2 minutes once the brownies cool. Cut them into squares.
Spider Cookies with Candy Eyes
A round chocolate cookie, 8 pretzel legs, and 2 candy eyes make a spider that’s more cute than creepy. These are the ones my youngest insists on every year. The legs push into the soft cookie right after baking, so work in small batches while they’re warm. A little melted chocolate glues the eyes on and holds everything together.
Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcakes
Not every Halloween treat has to be spooky, and a tray of sprinkle cupcakes proves it. These are the ones the youngest kids gravitate toward when the ghosts and spiders feel like too much. Bake them from a box if the week is packed and frost them thick. Let the kids bury them in as many sprinkles as they want.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
Warm donut holes rolled in cinnamon sugar are what I make when the trick-or-treaters come back cold. They fry in a few minutes. Toss them in the sugar while they’re still warm so it sticks. A paper bag and a good shake coats every one without the mess.
Pumpkin Bread
This is the one treat aimed at adults. A moist pumpkin loaf slices clean and isn’t too sweet, which makes it good with coffee while the kids sort their candy. Bake it a day ahead. Slice it thick and serve it with butter.
Melted and left to set
Chocolate, marshmallow or candy melt that firms up in the fridge, freezer or on parchment.
Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats
Kids like rice krispie treats, and a little orange and yellow food coloring turns them into candy corn stripes. Press the layers into a pan, chill, and cut into triangles so each piece looks the part. They stay soft for 2 days in a sealed container, so you can make them ahead. I usually double the batch.
Ghost Bananas with Chocolate Chip Eyes
When I want a treat that isn’t pure sugar, I make these. Peel a banana, cut it in half, dip it in white chocolate, and press on mini chips for a face. They firm up in the freezer in about 15 minutes and come out looking like little ghosts.
The CDC recommends keeping the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F or below.
Candy Corn Popcorn Balls
These are sticky and sweet. Melted marshmallow binds popcorn and candy corn into balls you shape by hand. Butter your hands first so the mixture doesn’t stick. Wrap each one in cellophane and they double as a favor to send home.
Halloween Chocolate Bark
This is the treat I make when I’ve run out of time. Melt chocolate, spread it thin, and scatter whatever Halloween candy and sprinkles you have on top. It sets in the fridge in 20 minutes and breaks into jagged pieces. Kids can smash the sheet into shards.
Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Wands
A pretzel rod dipped in chocolate and rolled in Halloween sprinkles is one of the simplest treats here. I set up a little dipping station and let the kids do every one themselves. They set on parchment in about 10 minutes. Stand them up in a jar and they look like a bouquet of wands.
Classic Rice Krispie Treats
This is the simplest classic on the list. Butter, marshmallows, and cereal come together in a single pot in under 15 minutes. Press them into a pan, cut into squares, and let the kids decorate with orange sprinkles or a drizzle of chocolate.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
This fudge skips the candy thermometer. Melt chocolate and peanut butter together, pour into a pan, and let the fridge do the work. Cut it into small squares because it’s rich, so small pieces are enough for kids. It keeps for a week, so it’s a good one to make ahead of a busy Halloween.
Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops
Big marshmallows dipped in green candy melt on a lollipop stick make a Frankenstein for the little kids. Draw on a face with black icing once the coating sets. They’re light and quick. Let the kids sign their monsters with as many scars as they want.
Layered in cups
Mummy Cake Cups
Layered pudding and crushed cookies go into a clear cup, then a few candy eyes peek out from a tangle of whipped cream bandages. My kids like making the mess. Build them in the morning and keep them cold until the party. They travel to a classroom just fine in lidded cups.
Once they are set out, pudding cups should go back in the fridge within 2 hours, in line with USDA FSIS guidance on the danger zone.
Green Monster Cake Cups
Bright green frosting and a couple of goofy candy eyes turn a cup of cake and pudding into a monster. I let each kid pick where the eyes go. Layer them the night before and they set by morning.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
Pumpkin season and Halloween overlap, so I include these. A no-bake pumpkin cheesecake layered over crushed graham crackers goes into a cup and chills while you do everything else. They’re a little more grown-up than the candy stuff, which suits the parents. Top each one with a swirl of whipped cream right before serving.
Candy Corn Cake Cups
Orange, yellow, and white layers stacked in a clear cup turn plain cake into candy corn. I build these when I want the table to look festive without much effort. Use a piping bag or a spoon and a steady hand for clean stripes. They hold in the fridge all day, so make them first and cross one thing off the list.
Spiderweb Chocolate Cake Cups
A dark chocolate cup gets a white web piped on top, and it looks more detailed than it is. These are rich, so one cup is enough. Pipe the web and drag a toothpick through it and each one comes together in about a minute. Make them the night before so the layers set.
Ghost Vanilla Cake Cups
Soft vanilla cake and whipped cream get layered in a cup and topped with a little ghost. It’s the treat I hand the youngest kids since there’s nothing tricky or too rich about it. Assemble them in the morning and stash them in the fridge. Two candy eyes on the whipped cream and the ghost is done.
Banana Pudding Parfait
Layered banana pudding in a cup is what I reach for when I want something cool and not chocolate. Vanilla pudding, sliced banana, and crushed cookies go in, then repeat until the cup is full. Add a candy eye or two on top for Halloween. Keep them cold and build them only a few hours ahead so the cookies stay a little crunchy.
Tossed or stacked together
Monster Munch Snack Mix
This snack mix is for grazing between the sweets. Popcorn, pretzels, candy-coated chocolates, and a handful of green and orange candy get tossed in a big bowl. Kids scoop it by the handful and it takes about 5 minutes to throw together. Set it out early and refill as needed.
Witch Hat Cookies
Flip a chocolate cookie upside down, stack a chocolate kiss on top with a dab of frosting, and you have a witch hat. My kids can assemble a whole tray in the time it takes me to clean up. No baking required if you start with store-bought cookies on a busy night. A ring of orange frosting around the base finishes the look.
Caramel Apple Nachos
This has the flavors of a caramel apple without the sticky mess. Slice apples onto a platter, drizzle with warm caramel, and scatter mini chocolate chips and crushed pretzels on top. It comes together in about 10 minutes and the whole table shares it. Squeeze a little lemon on the apples first so they stay bright.
