40 Halloween Desserts That Are Wayyy Better Than Mini Candy Bars
Let's be real for a second. Costumes, haunted houses, and pumpkin carving are all fine and dandy, but the real star of Halloween is...obviously the sugar, right? I can't be the only one that feels this way. The entire month of October is one big excuse to go ham on treats (who needs tricks?), and then November isn't much different because of all the leftover candy lying around. It's glorious, frankly.
But sometimes, tiny chocolate bars and individually wrapped gummies just aren't gonna cut it. For example: when you're heading to a Halloween party, and you're asked to bring a dessert. That's where this story comes in. I rounded up 40 of the best Halloween dessert recipes that are slightly spooky, definitely Insta-worthy, and 100-percent delicious all at the same time. A miracle? Maybe. But they're all here for you, below.
Whether you're looking for a truly gory cake that looks like a skull oozing brains, or just some cute ghost-shaped biscotti (excuse me, boo-scotti), I've gotchu. Scroll down and try not to drool (I definitely did making this!).
Halloween Cookie Cake
Forget the mall cookie cake (you know the one). This homemade beauty will taste so much better—especially because you can choose what (preferably autumn-colored) candy you wanna pop on top.
Ghosts in the Graveyard Shooters
Two words: dessert shooters. Need I even say more? The dirt is made of no-bake chocolate cheesecake and Oreo crumbles, and the ghosts are blobs of whipped cream, so...yum.
Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, these babies slap just as hard as that first PSL sip of the season. Promise.
Dracula Dentures
Obsessed with Twilight as a preteen? This is what you're bringing to the Halloween party now. I don't make the rules. (Yes, the fangs are slivered almonds!!!)
Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies With Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting
Not only are these stinkin' adorable, but they're also so soft and buttery you won't be able to bake 'em fast enough. And don't even get me started on that thick, cinnamon-y glaze.
Recipe from Half-Baked Harvest
Vampire Fudge
Would you believe this colorful fudge only needs three ingredients? And that you can literally make it in the microwave? Grab two different colors of candy melts (I love the red and black, personally) and a tub of cream cheese frosting, and you're in business, baby! They only take about eight minutes to prep and cook, but they'll need four hours in the fridge, so plan accordingly.
Recipe from Ann's Entitled Life
Halloween Crispy Rice Treats
There's something about whippin' up a batch of Rice Krispie treats that reminds me of the joys of childhood. If you feel the same, stop scrolling. Gel food coloring and strands of melted marshmallows provide the spooky factor, but the spider on top—with a black jelly bean body and melted chocolate chip legs—really completes the picture.
Cornbread With Honey Butter
You could make this for Thanksgiving...or you could bring the fall feels to your next Halloween soirée and wow every! single! guest! Sure, it's not spooky or scary, but it is damn good, and the whipped honey butter might cause people to cry (tears of joy).
Bleeding Black Cupcakes
Cue: I vant to suck your blooood! A combination of black cocoa powder and black food coloring will get you the jet-black cupcakes you see before you. And the oozy filling? That's white chocolate ganache dyed red with gel food coloring. Honestly, as delicious as they are freaky.
Dip-Dyed Donuts
Homemade donuts + pumpkin spice flavoring + a glaze so chic I want it on my walls = a match made in Halloween heaven. Fair warning: This isn't the simplest recipe on the list. But it's worth it. Just look at them!
Pumpkin Spice Biscotti
Morning coffee with a cute little friend? That's what you'll get with these adorable ghost biscotti, which are dipped in white chocolate. I don't even need to tell you they pair best with a PSL...
Recipe from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen
Spiced Pecan Apple Cider Donut Cake
It's a donut! It's a cake! It's a...spiced pecan apple cider donut cake! This baby is the brainchild of chef Tieghan Gerard, and she says the key to keeping it moist is "a ripple of sweet maple through the center." Say less, Tieghan. Say. Less.
Recipe from Half-Baked Harvest
Sun Butter and Apple Jack-O'-Lanterns
Apples and peanut butter are a classic snack, but this treat steps it up a notch in honor of spooky season. First thing's first, you're gonna carve an apple slice, jack-o'-lantern style. Then, you're gonna smother that shit in sun butter (because it tastes delicious and also because allergies). Add some spiders using melted chocolate and voila!
Creepy Rhubarb "Eye" Pies
The half-cherry eyes on these pies are almost too realistic. It's a wee bit disturbing. But also the rhubarb filling is too good not to eat, so get over it and make them!
Chocolate Skull Cake With Hidden Strawberry Jello Brain
Don't tell me you weren't tempted by the words "hidden strawberry jello brain." I mean...ew. But also...yum. If this doesn't belong in the center of your Halloween spread, I don't know what does.
Halloween Whoopie Pies
I can feel my teeth sinking into these soft and gooey whoopie pies like a vampire sinking into his next victim. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
Recipe from Delicious Little Bites
White Chocolate Ghosts
Don't be surprised if these paper-thin chocolate ghosts fly right off the tray as soon as you put it down. So simple. So snackable.
Halloween Cake Pops
Starbucks cake pop, who? These lil guys are just as cute, and just as tasty. You'll need to set aside almost four hours to give 'em time to properly cool and chill, but you'll end up with 46 pops by the end if you follow this recipe!
Pecan Pie Bars
Nothing says fall quite like pecan pie, and these bars allow you to eat the delicious dessert sans fork or plate. No dishes, ftw.
Vampire Poke Cake
This...this is a masterpiece. You literally stab the almond buttermilk cake with the end of a wooden spoon handle right when it comes out of the oven, and then fill it with a homemade cherry sauce that looks like blood. It's gory and gaudy and I love it.
Halloween Candy Sushi
So you've probably already tried sushi...but have you tried candy sushi? Trade rice for rice cereal, seaweed for fruit roll-ups, and raw fish for gummy candy (preferably ones shaped like creepy bugs and body parts). Yum!
Spooky S'mores Bars
Who says s'mores have to be saved for summer? Transition 'em to fall with these ghouled-up bars. A stick of milk chocolate tops the graham cracker base, then a roasted, ghost-shaped Peep brings it all together. FYI, you don't have to light a campfire to get these toasty—you can just put the Peeps under your broiler!
Halloween Bark
I love the contained chaos of a chocolate bark (I mean, what other recipe asks you to smash it to smithereens?). This Halloween bark is even more gloriously chaotic, with swirls of color, candy sprinkles, and even some eyeballs in the mix.
Recipe from Delicious Little Bites
Swampy Frog Egg Pudding
No, these are not cups full of boogers. (Though you're free to tell your guests that they are.) This recipe uses green and white tapioca boba pearls to mimic the look—and dare I say feel—of slimy frog eggs. Believe it or not, it's super sweet and truly delish!
Halloween Spider Cupcakes
Black-licorice lovers, this one's for you. Pick whatever flavor of cupcake you want (the one in this recipe is great!) and then decorate with brown sprinkles, candy eyeballs, and, of course, as many licorice legs as you see fit.
Caramel Apple Cookies
Caramel apples are delicious, but they can also be hard to eat and leave you very, very sticky. These cookies make the caramel-apple-eating experience so much better, morphing them into handheld bundles of straight-up joy.
Monster Brownie Pizza
Pizza comes in all shapes and sizes, and this pie might just be the best of all time. The crust is a giant brownie, and the "sauce" is cream cheese frosting dyed a delectable purple hue. Oh, and don't forget eyeball pepperonis, if we're continuing the metaphor.
Recipe from Passion for Savings
Slime Popcorn With Candy Eyeballs
Popcorn is a winner at every party, and these little green guys are sure to steal the show at your next Halloween hang. The slime? Melted marshmallows. (Phew!)
Candy Corn Peanut Bars
Listen, if you don't like candy corn, I don't wanna hear it. But if you do, we need to talk about these perfectly fluffy bars, which are loaded with marshmallows and peanuts and topped with the tri-colored treats.
Recipe from Julie's Eats and Treats
Halloweentown Marshmallow Spiders
Fall is Hot Beverage Szn™ (hot chocolate! chai lattes! apple cider!), and sweet spiders—made of marshmallows and white-chocolate-covered pretzels—are the cutest mug toppers.
Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Snickers Bars
If you look up "decadent" in the dictionary, you'll get a snapshot of these thickkk bars of bliss. They start with a chocolate chip cookie base, are layered with peanut-filled caramel, and are topped with a milk-chocolate coating pressed with salty pretzels.
Recipe from Half-Baked Harvest
Cake Pop Brains
If you're using your brain this Halloween, you'll make these for your friends. The insides are stuffed with red velvet cake, while the outsides are a combination of candy melting wafers (pink, ofc), and seedless raspberry jam.
Halloween Dirt Cups
I don't know about you, but I would order a dirt cup off the kids' menu at every single restaurant I went to when I was under 12. Chocolate pudding, Oreo crumbles, gummy worms...what's not to love? The cookie grave really pulls it all together and is highly recommended.
Halloween Bat Cookies
Frickin' bats, I love Halloween. (IYKYK.) But really, how cute are these sandwich cookies? If you like Reese's, you'll like these—the chocolate sugar cookies taste just right with the light-and-fluffy peanut butter filling.
Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze
You had me at maple glaze! Even if you don't *think* you like scones, I assure you these might change your mind. Plus, between pumpkin, pecan, cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple, I'm not sure you could get more autumnal if you tried.
Halloween Rocky Road Slices
You're gonna get sooo many textures when you bite into these bad boys. Chewy gummy worms, crunchy nuts, ooey-gooey marshmallows, and so much more. You can pretty much throw any sweet treat you want into a batch of rocky road, so feel free to get creative (and get rid of your Halloween candy).
Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
This recipe calls for alllll the fall spices, and personally, I think that's reason enough to make it. The Greek yogurt ghost is just the cherry on top.
Spiderweb Cake
Okay, listen. This cake isn't for beginners. But if you've tried your hand at piping in the past, this could—nay, should—be your next project. You will impress all your ghoul-friends.
Dessert Nachos
Nachos are elite because each chip is loaded with flavor. Dessert nachos are amazing for the same reason—each triangle of fried deliciousness is layered with sweet toppings, from whipped cream to sprinkles, so every bite is 🙌.
Recipe from The Speckled Palate
Fossil Cookies
Cookies that totally rock? At your service. Apologies for the pun, but really, how freakin' cool are these? They're prehistoric and alien-y at the same damn time, and taste like your average yummy sugar cookie.
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