Creepy-Cute Treats You Can Actually Make for Halloween

Spooky and sweet, salty and scary: These snacks are perfect for Halloween

01 of 23

'Hocus Pocus 2'-Inspired 'Spellbook' Dark Chocolate Brownies & Potion of Life Cocktails

Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
JENNIFER CAUSEY

Light a black flame candle, and celebrate the return of the Sanderson sisters … again! Taking a cue from the evil Manual of Witchcraft and Alchemy spellbook used by Winnie (Bette Midler) to bring the child-hungry witches back to modern-day Salem in both the Hocus Pocus movies, these fudgy candy-eye-topped brownies and spooky green cocktails will put a sweet spell on everyone.

Get the recipe here.

02 of 23

'Harry Potter'-Inspired Butterbeer Ice Cream Floats

Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
JENNIFER CAUSEY

Served hot and foaming at the Three Broomsticks tavern in the Harry Potter books and movies, our Muggle twist on the butterscotch-flavored drink is much cooler. It's layered with caramel sauce, cream soda, whipped cream and homemade butterbeer ice cream — magically made without any churning.

Get the recipe here.

03 of 23

'Addams Family'-Inspired Hand Pies

Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Jen Causey

Thing, the bodiless forearm that lives with the Addams family, emerged from boxes in the original 1960s series but mischievously scurries around on its fingertips in the movie revivals and Tim Burton's upcoming Netflix series Wednesday. Like Thing itself, these hand-shaped pastries — filled with blood-red raspberry jam and served with a sweet iced-maple sauce — are delightfully creepy, kooky and altogether ooky.

Get the recipe here.

04 of 23

Monster Cake Pops

Cake pops designed to look like monster faces for Halloween.
Jennifer Causey

Preppy Kitchen founder John Kanell says his bite-sized treats are great for home cooks who make something "really festive that won't be frustrating or take all day." Plus, the little creatures are great to make with kids who can "put their own spin on the decorations" to make the perfect party treat.

Get the recipe here.

05 of 23

Brownie and Pretzel Spiders

Brownies "spiders" made with pretzel legs and candy eyes.
Jennifer Causey

Kim-Joy's cute critters are gooey and festive, with easy decorations that really step up your dessert game. The author of the new Celebrate with Kim-Joy cookbook recommends making perfectly imperfect treats with some "wonky spiders who are missing legs or squashed" to capture the Halloween spirit.

Get the recipe here.

06 of 23

Floating Ghost Cupcakes

Cute vanilla ghost toppers on chocolate cupcakes for Halloween.
Jennifer Causey

A ghoulishly good-looking dessert in just 20 minutes? Count us in. By using store-bought cupcakes and Dum-Dums lollipops, food blogger Tara Bench creates Floating Ghost Cupcakes that elevate a party with their levitating look.

Get the recipe here.

07 of 23

Red Velvet "Eyeball" Cake Truffles

Creepy "eyeball" cake pops with red, yellow and orange gummy eyes for Halloween.
Jennifer Causey

Zac Young's cake balls are just as creepy as some of the desserts he judges on Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship. The fresh raspberry inside each one gives them that gory look.

Get the recipe here.

08 of 23

Sprinkle Cake-Batter Cookies

Halloween sugar cookies with chocolate, orange, and white sprinkles.
Jennifer Causey

Customize owner Kristen Tomlan's treats with any combination of Halloween-colored sprinkles you have — the moist yet crunchy texture will be all the same. "It's perfect for when you can't decide between a cupcake and a cookie!" says the author of the new Hello, Cookie Dough cookbook.

Get the recipe here.

09 of 23

Maple and Candied Ginger Dip with "Boo-Scotti"

A pumpkin or pumpkin shaped bowl with maple and ginger dipping cream next to biscotti designed to look like ghosts.
Jennifer Causey

Cory Colton, the executive pastry chef at Quality Italian in New York City, says his dip is a "frightfully easy dessert." But it's his spooky spin on biscotti where the fun comes in. Serve them with the dip or on their own as a snack, or with hot coffee for dunking.

Get the recipe here.

10 of 23

Ghost-Topped Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream 'ghosts' with chocolate chip "eyes" floating on top.
Victor Protasio

Pastry chef Jacques Torres tops his thick peanut butter hot chocolate recipe with hauntingly-cute whipped cream ghosts that eventually melt to create the creamiest cocoa for a cold fall night.

Get the recipe here.

11 of 23

"Graveyard" Pumpkin Pie Shooters

Glasses of pumpkin pie filling topped with crumbled chocolate cookies and tombstone-shaped cookies that say RIP.
Victor Protasio

The Office star Angela Kinsey, who hosts YouTube's Baking with Josh and Ange with husband Joshua Snyder, reveals there are more ways than one to use a shot glass at a party. With three main ingredients (cookies, cream cheese and pumpkin puree), these Graveyard Pumpkin Pie Shooters are an easy last-minute treat for kids and adults.

Get the recipe here.

12 of 23

Vanilla Brain Cupcakes

Black painted pumpkin with spiders on them next to a cupcake frosted to look like a brain.
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Ann Kirk, the pastry chef at Little Dom's in Los Angeles, stuffs her vanilla bean cupcakes with raspberry jam for a sweet surprise when you take a big ol' bite. The secret is using a melon baller to make a perfect hole in the center about 3/4-inches deep.

Get the recipe here.

13 of 23

Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops

Frankenstein marshmallow pops with candy eyes.
Greg DuPree

Tia Mowry's creepy-cute confection is an "easy, no-bake recipe" you can make with kids. "All of the ingredients are super easy to find, too," says the actress and star of YouTube's Tia Mowry's Quick Fix. The secret to getting the "spikes" in Frankenstein's hair is to dip the top of the pop into melted chocolate and then quickly drag the chocolate slightly downward with a wooden toothpick.

Get the recipe here.

14 of 23

Spiderweb Brownies

Brownies with spiderweb designs on them made of icing next to plastic black spiders.
Greg DuPree

Even novice bakers can impress their guests with this shockingly easy dessert from restaurateur Elizabeth Blau. To make the webs, simply pipe four to five concentric circles on each brownie with white frosting, then drag several lines with a wooden toothpick through the frosting, starting at the smallest center circle.

Get the recipe here.

15 of 23

Pumpkin Spice Jack-in-a-Jar

Mason jars filled with pumpkin cake and cream cheese frosting. The jars have jack-o-lantern faces in black on them.
Greg DuPree

"I love that you can take an ordinary jar and bring it to life," says Duff Goldman of his mason jar dessert layered with pumpkin spice cake and vanilla buttercream. For added "flavors and textures," the owner of Charm City Cakes suggests adding different orange-colored candies between the layers.

Get the recipe here.

16 of 23

White Chocolate Ghost Bark

White chocolate bark with purple swirls of frosting (ghosts) and halloween sprinkle decorations, like tiny pumpkins and bones.

This boo-tiful dessert from chef Michelle Bernstein is completely customizable. Decorate around the ghosts with pretzels to satisfy a salty craving, add dried chilies for a spicy kick, or stick to all white and milk chocolate for those with an extra sweet tooth.

Get the recipe here.

17 of 23

Mini Mummy Pies

Mini jam hand pies designed to look like mummies with white frosted stripes and candy eyes.
Greg DuPree

Tiffany MacIsaac of Buttercream Bakeshop makes her "hauntingly sweet treats" with a cream cheese and cherry jam filling and refrigerated pie crusts. Drape strips of the dough on top of the pies, crisscrossing as you go — but make sure to leave a gap near the top for the eyeball.

Get the recipe here.

18 of 23

Red "Dead" Velvet Cake

Slices of red velvet cake with white frosting and streaks of red frosting designed to look like blood for Halloween.
Victor Protasio

If you're looking for something a little more ghoulish for your party, this is the perfect dessert. Austin-based pastry chef Dennis Van's Red, "Dead" Velvet Cake is a blood-red cake covered in cream cheese and splattered with red food coloring.

Get the recipe here.

19 of 23

Mummy Meringues

Ghost meringues cookies with candy eyes next to a black plastic spider.
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Dorie Greenspan suggests piping her sweet meringue mixture back and forth to create mummies. To create ghosts instead, "pipe the meringue vertically using a circular motion to create little towers," says the author of Dorie's Cookies, adding, "Don't go higher than 2 1/2 inches — the ghosts will topple over."

Get the recipe here.

20 of 23

Mint Chocolate Frankenstein Bars

Green rice crispy treats designed to look like Frankenstein's face complete with candy eyes and chocolate hair.
Hector Manuel Sanchez

The mangled monster gets a cute makeover thanks to Nerdy Nummies creator Rosanna Pansino. The YouTuber uses dark chocolate to create the hair and mouth and mini marshmallows cut in half for the eyes and neck bolts.

Get the recipe here.

21 of 23

Black Candy Apples

Toffee apples with the caramel dyed black.
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Colton of Quality Eats in New York City colors his caramel to give the look of "poisoned" candy apples. The result is a crunchy dessert on the outside that turns your whole mouth black.

Get the recipe here.

22 of 23

Chocolate Cobweb Cupcakes

Orange cupcakes decorated with chocolate spiderwebs for Halloween.
Hector Sanchez

From the owners of Georgetown Cupcake, the secret to mastering this "creepy-crawly dessert" is a Ziploc bag, a steady hand and a serious passion for chocolate fudge.

Get the recipe here.

23 of 23

Pretzel "Bones"

Baked pretzels twisted and shaped to look like bones for Halloween.
Hector Sanchez

Sarah Michelle Gellar's scary snack is a fun (and stress-free!) way to spend an afternoon with the kids. Once you've got your dough together, all you do is roll, twist and snip.

Get the recipe here.

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