When it comes to Halloween, the treats are just as important as the tricks. A great Halloween dessert should be a little bit spooky, a lot of fun, and absolutely delicious.
Here is the summary table for the 25 Halloween dessert ideas, including an estimated cost for each and with the category column left empty.
It is the perfect opportunity to get creative in the kitchen and whip up some ghoulishly good creations that will delight both kids and adults.
From creepy creature cookies to gory-but-gorgeous cakes, these 25 scary good ideas are designed to be the show stopping centerpiece of your Halloween celebration.
Spooky Critters & Ghoulish Guests
These desserts bring classic Halloween creatures to life in the most delicious way. They are fun to make and even more fun to eat.
1. Spooky Spiderweb Brownies
A pan of rich, fudgy brownies becomes a spooky masterpiece with a simple, elegant spiderweb design.
DIY Tips:
- Use your favorite boxed brownie mix as a base to save time and ensure a perfect, fudgy texture.
- For the web, melt white chocolate chips with a tiny bit of coconut oil to make it smooth and easy to pipe.
- Put the melted white chocolate in a small plastic bag and snip a tiny corner for a perfect piping bag.
- Pipe concentric circles on top of the slightly cooled brownies.
- Start from the center and drag a toothpick or skewer to the outer edge to create the classic web effect.
- Alternate dragging your toothpick from the center out, and then from the outer edge in, for a more realistic web.
- For an extra creepy touch, place a single plastic spider ring or a chocolate spider in the corner of the web.
- Let the white chocolate set completely before cutting the brownies for the cleanest slices.
- A chocolate brownie base with a white chocolate web offers the best visual contrast.
- You can also do a reverse web with a blondie base and a dark chocolate web.
2. Mummy Rice Krispie Treats
These adorable and easy treats are a no bake classic with a spooky, bandaged twist.
DIY Tips:
- You can use store bought Rice Krispie treats to make this a lightning fast, no mess project.
- If making your own, do not press the treats into the pan too firmly to keep them soft and chewy.
- Melt white chocolate chips or white candy melts for the “bandages.” Candy melts will set up firmer and faster.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate back and forth over the treats with a fork or a spoon to create the mummy’s bandages.
- Leave a small, open space in the chocolate drizzle for the eyes to peek through.
- Before the chocolate sets, press two candy eyeballs or mini chocolate chips into place.
- Let the chocolate set completely on wax paper before serving or stacking.
- For a fun flavor twist, add a little bit of pumpkin pie spice to your marshmallow mixture.
- These are a perfect, easy craft for kids to help with.
- For a cleaner look, you can pipe the white chocolate on with a piping bag.
3. Ghostly Meringue Cookies
These light as air meringue cookies are shaped like little ghosts, with a crisp outside and a slightly chewy, marshmallowy inside.
DIY Tips:
- Ensure your mixing bowl is completely clean and free of any grease, or your egg whites will not whip up properly.
- Use a piping bag with a large, round tip to pipe the meringue into tall, ghostly shapes with a waving “tail.”
- Press two mini chocolate chips into each meringue for eyes before baking them.
- Bake them low and slow (at around 200-225 degrees F) to ensure they stay perfectly white and do not brown.
- After the baking time is up, turn the oven off and let the meringues cool completely in the oven with the door closed. This prevents cracking.
- A tiny drop of vanilla or peppermint extract can be added to the meringue for extra flavor.
- These are naturally gluten free, making them a great option for parties.
- If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a large plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
- Store them in an airtight container as they can get sticky in humid weather.
- For a fun surprise, you can place a single chocolate chip at the bottom of the meringue blob before baking.
4. Monster Eye Donuts
This is the ultimate low effort, high impact treat that kids can help decorate, turning store bought donuts into silly or spooky monsters.
DIY Tips:
- Start with a dozen of your favorite store bought donuts. Plain or glazed work best as a blank canvas.
- Tint some simple store bought vanilla frosting with green, purple, or orange gel food coloring.
- Spread the colored frosting on top of the donuts with a small spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Before the frosting sets, press on a variety of different sized candy eyeballs to create silly or spooky monster faces.
- Use more than two eyes, or just one giant eye, for a more monstrous look.
- Use red gel icing in a tube to draw on creepy, bloodshot veins around the eyeballs.
- For a furry monster look, sprinkle the frosted donuts with colored sanding sugar or sprinkles before adding the eyes.
- This is a perfect activity for a kids’ Halloween party.
- You can also use different flavored donuts, like chocolate or pumpkin spice.
- Arrange them on a platter to look like a whole family of monsters.
5. Witch Finger Pretzels
A classic Halloween treat that is delightfully creepy and perfectly balances sweet and salty flavors.
DIY Tips:
- Use pretzel rods as the base for the long, knobby fingers.
- Melt green candy melts according to the package directions. Add a tiny bit of black food coloring for a more ghoulish, witchy green.
- Dip the pretzel rods in the melted candy, leaving a small section at the bottom undipped.
- Use a toothpick to gently create “knuckle” lines in the candy coating before it sets.
- While the candy coating is still wet, press a single sliced almond onto the tip to create the witch’s fingernail.
- Let them set completely on a piece of wax paper.
- For a gorier look, you can add a little red food coloring at the base of the “fingernail.”
- These can be made a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container.
- If you cannot find candy melts, you can use white chocolate with a few drops of green gel food coloring.
- Stand them up in a tall glass or jar for a creepy and impressive display.
Deliciously Gory Delights
These treats are designed to look a little gross, but their delicious flavors will have everyone coming back for more.
6. “Bloody” Cupcakes with Glass Shards
These cupcakes look dangerously delicious, with a surprise “bleeding” center and shards of edible “glass” on top.
DIY Tips:
- Bake your favorite red velvet or chocolate cupcakes. Once cooled, use an apple corer or a small knife to remove the center.
- Fill the cored center with a seedless raspberry or strawberry jam for the “blood.”
- Top with a white buttercream frosting and drizzle more of the red jam over the top to look like blood spatter.
- Make the edible sugar glass by boiling sugar, corn syrup, and water. Carefully pour it onto a silicone mat to cool.
- Alternatively, simply melt down clear hard candies like Jolly Ranchers on a silicone mat in the oven.
- Once the sugar glass is completely cool and hard, break it into sharp-looking shards.
- Carefully stick the “glass” shards into the frosted cupcakes just before serving.
- A vanilla cupcake with a red “blood” center is a great way to create a shocking surprise.
- Be sure to warn your guests that the glass is edible and safe to eat.
- This is a sophisticated and spooky dessert for an adult Halloween party.
7. Edible Eyeball Cake Balls
These creepy, cakey eyeballs are a perfect bite sized treat for a Halloween party and look shockingly realistic.
DIY Tips:
- Use your favorite cake pop recipe (crumbled cake mixed with frosting) and roll the mixture into perfectly round balls.
- Chill the cake balls in the freezer for about 15 minutes to make them easier to dip.
- Dip the balls in melted white candy melts until they are smoothly coated. Let the excess drip off.
- While the white coating is still wet, press on a green, blue, or brown M&M for the iris.
- Once the white is set, use a black edible marker or a tiny dot of black icing to create the pupil in the center of the M&M.
- The final, creepiest step is to use a red food safe marker to draw on thin, squiggly “bloodshot” veins.
- Stick a lollipop stick in them to serve as cake pops, or serve them in a bowl.
- A red velvet cake base for the inside is a great way to add to the gory effect when they are bitten into.
- Let them set up completely in the refrigerator.
- Arrange them on a platter so they are all staring up at your guests.
8. Witch’s Brew Punch with a Floating Hand
A party centerpiece that is both a drink and a decoration. The spooky, disembodied hand is the star of the show.
DIY Tips:
- To make the hand, thoroughly wash a non latex disposable glove and fill it with water or a colored punch.
- Tie the opening of the glove off tightly with a rubber band or a piece of string.
- Freeze the glove solid, preferably overnight, laying it flat on a baking sheet.
- Just before serving, carefully cut the glove away with a pair of scissors to reveal the perfectly shaped ice hand.
- Float the hand in a large punch bowl filled with a green or purple punch.
- For a spooky fog effect, add a small, clean piece of dry ice to the punch bowl. Handle dry ice with gloves.
- Garnish the punch with gummy worms, plastic spiders, or floating cranberries.
- A mix of lemon lime soda, pineapple juice, and a little green food coloring makes a great “witch’s brew.”
- For a fun kid’s version, you can drop a few gummy worms inside the glove before filling it with water.
- Make two hands in case one breaks, or to have a spare for when the first one melts.
9. Jello Worms in “Dirt”
These slimy, jiggly worms look shockingly realistic and are so much fun for kids and adults to eat.
DIY Tips:
- The “dirt” is simply crushed Oreo cookies. Use a food processor for a fine, soil like texture.
- The key to the worms is a bundle of flexible, bendy straws. Gather about 100 of them and stand them up tightly in a tall, narrow container.
- Pour a dark colored Jello mixture (like raspberry or grape, mixed with a little unflavored gelatin for firmness) into the straws.
- Let the Jello set completely in the refrigerator for at least 6-8 hours.
- To remove the worms, run the straws under warm water for a few seconds and then squeeze the worms out from one end.
- The ridges of the bendy straws are what give the worms their realistic, segmented look.
- Serve them crawling out of a bowl of the Oreo “dirt.”
- For a grosser effect, you can mix a few drops of green food coloring into the red Jello.
- This is a great make ahead dessert for a party.
- You can also layer the dirt and worms in clear plastic cups to create “dirt cups.”
10. Band-Aid Wafers
A simple, clever, and slightly gruesome treat that takes just a few minutes to assemble but always gets a reaction.
DIY Tips:
- Use rectangular cookies like vanilla wafers or graham crackers as the base “bandage.”
- Spread a small, white square of vanilla frosting or melted white chocolate in the center to create the “gauze pad.”
- The final touch is a single, small dot of red decorating gel in the center of the white square to look like a drop of blood.
- This is a no bake, assembly only dessert, making it perfect for a last minute treat.
- Use a variety of different rectangular cookies for a more interesting platter.
- These are a great, easy treat for kids to help make.
- Arrange them on a platter as if they have come straight from a first aid kit.
- You only need a tiny amount of the red gel to get the effect.
- Let the white chocolate or frosting set before stacking or serving.
- This is a perfect example of a dessert that is more about the clever idea than complex flavors.
Frightfully Fun & Festive
These desserts are less about the gore and more about the fun, festive, and sometimes cute side of Halloween.
11. Graveyard Pudding Cups
A classic Halloween dessert that is easy to assemble and allows for a lot of creativity.
DIY Tips:
- Use clear plastic cups to show off the layers. Start with a layer of chocolate pudding.
- Top the pudding with a generous layer of crushed Oreo cookies to look like dirt.
- For the “tombstone,” use an oval shaped cookie like a Milano or a piece of shortbread.
- Use black decorating gel or a food safe marker to write “RIP” on the cookie tombstone.
- Stick the tombstone into the pudding and “dirt” so it is standing up.
- Garnish with a single gummy worm crawling out of the “grave.”
- You can create a whole “cemetery” by making a large version in a trifle bowl or a 9×13 pan.
- A small sprig of fresh mint can look like a plant growing on the grave.
- Let the kids assemble their own pudding cups for a fun party activity.
- These can be made a few hours ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.
12. Jack Skellington Cake Pops
Pay homage to the Pumpkin King with these simple and elegant black and white cake pops.
DIY Tips:
- Use your favorite chocolate or vanilla cake pop recipe, rolled into perfectly round balls.
- Dip the cake pops in melted white candy melts until they are smoothly coated.
- Let the white coating set completely.
- Use a black, fine tipped, food safe marker to draw on Jack’s iconic face: two large oval eyes, two small nostril lines, and a stitched smile.
- The key to a good looking Jack is to keep the face simple and clean.
- You can insert the lollipop sticks into a block of styrofoam to let them dry standing up.
- For a fun twist, you can make some of them with an orange coating to look like jack o lanterns.
- These are a more sophisticated and less gory option for a Halloween party.
- Make sure the candy melts are not too hot when you dip, or they can melt the cake pop.
- These are a great make ahead treat that can be stored in the refrigerator.
13. Candy Corn Jello Cups
A simple and colorful layered dessert that looks just like the iconic Halloween candy.
DIY Tips:
- You will need three flavors of Jello: lemon (yellow), orange (orange), and a white layer.
- For the white layer, you can use pina colada Jello, or unflavored gelatin mixed with sweetened condensed milk.
- Pour the yellow layer into clear plastic cups and let it set completely in the refrigerator.
- Once the first layer is firm, carefully pour the orange layer on top and let it set.
- Finish with the white layer and let it set. The key is to make sure each layer is fully set before adding the next.
- This is a great, light, and refreshing dessert.
- Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a single piece of candy corn.
- Tilting the cups in a muffin tin while the first layer sets can create a fun, diagonal look.
- This is a fantastic, gluten free dessert option.
- Make them a day ahead of time to ensure they are fully set and chilled.
14. Chocolate “Cauldrons” with Green “Slime”
These fun, individual desserts look like bubbling witch’s cauldrons.
DIY Tips:
- The “cauldron” can be a simple chocolate cupcake baked in a black cupcake liner, or a small, round chocolate bowl.
- The green “slime” is a simple vanilla pudding tinted with green food coloring.
- Spoon the green pudding onto the top of the cupcake or into the chocolate bowl.
- The “bubbles” are a mix of green and purple sprinkles, sixlets, or other round candies.
- Stick a small piece of a pretzel stick into the side to look like a stirring stick.
- This is a fun and easy dessert that kids will love.
- For a fizzy effect, you can top the pudding with a little bit of green Pop Rocks candy just before serving.
- You can also make a larger version in a big bowl for a party centerpiece.
- A few drops of neon green food coloring will give you the best, brightest slime.
- Serve them on a platter with some dry ice (handled safely) for a smoky, bubbling effect.
15. Pumpkin Patch Dirt Cups
A cute, autumnal twist on the classic graveyard dirt cup.
DIY Tips:
- Layer chocolate pudding and crushed Oreo “dirt” in a clear plastic cup.
- The “pumpkins” are small, pumpkin shaped mellowcreme candies (like the ones in the autumn mix).
- “Plant” a few of the candy pumpkins on top of the dirt.
- Use a small piece of a green sour candy strip or a sprig of mint for the pumpkin “vines.”
- This is a less spooky, more harvest themed version of a dirt cup.
- It is a perfect treat for a classroom Halloween party or for younger children.
- You can also use pumpkin spice flavored pudding for the base.
- Let the kids “plant” their own pumpkin patch for a fun, interactive dessert.
- These are incredibly easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time.
- A single gummy worm can be added for a fun, surprising touch.
16. Melted Witch Brownies
A fun and easy decorating idea that looks like the Wicked Witch has melted right on top of your dessert.
DIY Tips:
- Start with a pan of your favorite brownies.
- Frost the brownies with a green buttercream frosting.
- The “witch’s hat” is a simple chocolate kiss candy placed on top of a round chocolate cookie (like a thin Oreo).
- Place the hat on the green frosting.
- The “broom” is a peanut butter cup with a pretzel stick inserted into it.
- Arrange the hat and broom on the green frosting to look like a melted witch puddle.
- This is a very clever and simple decorating idea.
- You can make a larger version on a sheet cake.
- Kids will love the fun, silly story behind this dessert.
- This is a great way to use up leftover Halloween candy.
17. Strawberry Ghosts
A simple, slightly healthier, and adorable Halloween treat.
DIY Tips:
- Wash and thoroughly dry large, fresh strawberries, leaving the green tops on.
- Melt white candy melts or white chocolate.
- Dip each strawberry into the white chocolate, leaving a little red showing near the top.
- Place the dipped strawberries on a piece of wax paper.
- While the chocolate is still wet, press on two mini chocolate chips for the eyes.
- You can also use a black decorating gel to pipe on a spooky, open mouth.
- Let the chocolate set completely before serving.
- These are best made the same day you plan to serve them.
- The green tops of the strawberries look like little ghost hats.
- This is a great, gluten free option for a party.
18. Pretzel Skeletons
A fun, easy, and creative way to assemble a full skeleton out of pretzels and marshmallows.
DIY Tips:
- Use a large marshmallow for the head.
- Use straight pretzel sticks for the arm and leg bones.
- Use a small, twisted pretzel for the rib cage.
- Dip all the pretzel pieces in melted white chocolate and let them set.
- “Glue” the skeleton together on a piece of wax paper using more melted white chocolate.
- Use a black food safe marker to draw a face on the marshmallow head.
- This is a fun and edible craft project.
- You can make a whole army of these little skeletons.
- They can be used as cupcake toppers or as a standalone treat.
- Let kids design and assemble their own skeletons.
19. Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats
Classic Rice Krispie treats are transformed into the iconic monster with a little bit of green candy and some simple decorations.
DIY Tips:
- Make a batch of Rice Krispie treats. While they are still warm, you can add a few drops of green food coloring.
- Alternatively, you can dip the set treats in melted green candy melts.
- Use candy eyeballs for the eyes.
- Use melted dark chocolate in a piping bag to create the stitched mouth and the hair.
- The “bolts” on the neck can be made from a Junior Mint cut in half and stuck to the sides.
- These are a fun and colorful treat that is not too spooky.
- Let the chocolate set completely before serving.
- This is a great, easy project for kids to help decorate.
- For an easier version, simply mix green food coloring into the marshmallow before adding the cereal.
- You can make them in a pan and cut them into squares, or form them into individual monster heads.
20. Bat Oreo Truffles
Classic Oreo truffles get a spooky makeover with the addition of some simple wings.
DIY Tips:
- Make your favorite 3 ingredient Oreo truffle recipe and roll the mixture into balls.
- Dip the balls in melted dark chocolate.
- The “wings” are made from a large Oreo cookie, broken in half.
- While the chocolate coating is still wet, press a broken Oreo half into each side of the truffle.
- Use two small dots of red frosting or sprinkles for the eyes.
- Let them set completely on wax paper.
- These are an easy and impressive looking treat.
- You can also use other thin, dark chocolate cookies for the wings.
- These are a great no bake option for a party.
- Arrange them on a platter to look like they are ready to take flight.
Spooky & Sophisticated Sweets
These desserts are perfect for an adult Halloween party, with more complex flavors and an elegant, gothic presentation.
21. Black Velvet Cake with a “Bleeding” Center
A dramatic and delicious cake with a deep, dark black cocoa crumb and a surprise raspberry filling that “bleeds” out when you cut into it.
DIY Tips:
- Use black cocoa powder for a true, deep black color, not just dark brown.
- Bake the cake in two layers. Once cooled, use a knife to hollow out a small well in the center of the bottom layer.
- Fill the well with a seedless raspberry or cherry pie filling.
- Place the top layer of the cake on, and frost the whole thing with a simple white or grey buttercream.
- The surprise comes when you cut the first slice.
- A garnish of fresh raspberries on top can hint at the filling inside.
- This is a very dramatic and impressive centerpiece cake.
- Make sure the filling is thick so it does not make the cake soggy.
- A dark chocolate ganache drip over the top is a beautiful finishing touch.
- This is a sophisticated and delicious take on a “gory” dessert.
22. Red Wine Poached Pears
A simple, elegant, and beautifully gothic looking dessert. Pears are gently poached in a spiced red wine until they are tender and stained a deep, blood red.
DIY Tips:
- Use firm pears like Bosc or Anjou that will hold their shape during poaching.
- Peel the pears but leave the stems on for a beautiful presentation.
- Simmer the pears in a dry red wine with sugar, a cinnamon stick, a star anise, and a strip of orange peel.
- The poaching liquid can be reduced down on the stove to a delicious, syrupy sauce to serve with the pears.
- These are best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
- Serve with a dollop of mascarpone cheese or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
- This is a naturally gluten free and very elegant dessert.
- They can be made a day or two in advance and stored in their poaching liquid in the refrigerator.
- The deep red color is perfect for a vampire themed party.
- A single, perfect poached pear on a white plate is a stunning and minimalist dessert.
23. Chocolate “Dirt” Cake with Gummy Worms
A grown up version of the childhood classic, this features a rich, dark chocolate pudding or mousse, a topping of dark chocolate cookie “dirt,” and high quality gummy worms.
DIY Tips:
- Use a high quality dark chocolate pudding or make your own chocolate mousse for a richer, less sweet flavor.
- The “dirt” can be made from crushed chocolate wafer cookies or very dark chocolate Oreos.
- Instead of a trifle bowl, serve it in a new, clean terra cotta flower pot for a fun presentation.
- Garnish with fresh mint sprigs to look like little plants growing in the dirt.
- Use high quality, sour gummy worms for a more adult friendly flavor.
- You can add a layer of chocolate cake at the bottom for a more substantial dessert.
- A splash of coffee liqueur or Kahlua in the pudding adds a wonderful depth of flavor.
- This is a fun and nostalgic dessert that is always a hit.
- You can make individual versions in small flower pots for a dinner party.
- A single, gummy worm poking its head out of the dirt is the perfect finishing touch.
24. “Poison” Toffee Apples
A classic caramel apple gets a dramatic and spooky makeover with a glossy, black as night coating.
DIY Tips:
- Use a tart, crisp apple like a Granny Smith to balance the sweetness of the toffee.
- The black color is achieved by adding a generous amount of black gel food coloring to a standard hard candy or toffee recipe.
- Work carefully and quickly when dipping the apples, as the hot sugar is extremely dangerous.
- Insert sturdy sticks into the apples before you begin.
- Let the apples set completely on a piece of greased parchment paper.
- For a fun twist, you can roll the bottom of the coated apple in colored sprinkles or chopped nuts before it sets.
- These are a stunning and dramatic treat that looks like it came from a fairy tale.
- A little bit of vinegar or cream of tartar in the sugar mixture will prevent it from crystallizing.
- They are best eaten the same day they are made.
- Display them on a platter with some spooky, gnarled branches.
25. Blackout Chocolate Cake
An intensely dark, rich, and moist chocolate cake that is as black as a moonless night.
DIY Tips:
- The secret ingredient for the deep, dark color is black cocoa powder. It has a less bitter, more oreo like flavor than regular cocoa.
- A cup of hot coffee in the batter will bloom the cocoa powder and deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Frost the cake with a rich, dark chocolate ganache for a truly decadent experience.
- Decorate the top with shards of black cocoa cookie “dirt” or chocolate shavings.
- This is a simple, elegant, and deeply satisfying cake for a more sophisticated Halloween gathering.
- It is a perfect centerpiece for a gothic themed dinner party.
- The cake is so dark that a simple dusting of powdered sugar on top can create a beautiful, high contrast look.
- This cake is incredibly moist and will stay fresh for several days.
- A filling of dark cherry preserves would be a delicious addition.
- Serve with a single, fresh blackberry on each slice.
Conclusion
This Halloween, let your dessert table be a showcase of your spooky creativity. These 25 scary good ideas prove that you do not need to be a professional pastry chef to create treats that are both visually stunning and incredibly delicious. Whether you choose to make a creepy, crawly critter, a ghoulishly gory delight, or a sophisticated, gothic masterpiece, the most important ingredient is always a sense of fun. So embrace the spirit of the season, get a little messy in the kitchen, and get ready to wow your guests with some truly unforgettable Halloween desserts.