50 Halloween Dessert Ideas, from Totally Spooky to Extra Sweet
Goblins, ghosts and ghouls are frightening enough on their own, but what’s truly spooky is heading into Halloween without a game plan for your sweet tooth. After all, it’s the one time of year when it’s totally acceptable to sneak treats from your kid’s candy stash and bake them into a cupcake recipe…right? To get in a spooky mood, we’ve rounded up 50 of the best Halloween dessert ideas, from the cutest jack-o’-lantern cookies to the scariest spider cupcakes. Time to get baking.
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This cake is business on the outside, and party on the inside. We can never get enough candy corn.
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Forget the gigantic, mass-produced caramel apples you find at the store (or even at the pumpkin patch). Making them at home is easy, fun and worth getting gooey caramel stuck to your teeth.
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The apple cider adds a hint of seasonal flavor and also keeps these snackable donut bites from drying out.
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Let’s be honest: All Halloween candies aren’t created equal. Peanut butter cups > everything. So naturally, we had to supersize them.
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This classy tart might not scream “Halloween” from the get-go but go ahead, take a bite. It tastes just like a candy bar.
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Dark as midnight on a moonless night—dark chocolate, that is.
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Psst: Concord grapes are in season. They taste like childhood and look like a mad scientist’s creation.
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For a more subtle take on the holiday, you can’t beat this easy sheet cake. The whole thing is ready in under an hour (and the frosting is divine).
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This tastes like the best part of pumpkin pie (the filling). Plus, you can use store-bought meringue cookies, if you want to save time.
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These apples have a secret: They’re made with melted down Jolly Ranchers for an easy treat.
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DIY candy? Trust us, it’s worth it. These guys are a little sweet, a little salty and (surprisingly) pretty healthy too.
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We told you we really love candy corn. (Even you’re not a superfan of the sugary treat, these cupcakes are just vanilla with food coloring.)
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Imagine the look on everyone’s face when you serve them a bowl of black ice cream. Now imagine when they dive in with spoons.
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Is a soft-pretzel crust a bit of an undertaking? Maybe, but it’s worth every drop of effort.
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We can’t decide which is more swoon-worthy: the pumpkin cake, or the cream cheese glaze?
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We’ll let you in on a sweet tip: If you dip these cuties in melted chocolate, they taste like a fancy Mounds bar.
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Mix up the candy toppings however you see fit. But whatever you do, don’t skip the spooky-cute googly eyes.
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For adults, Halloween is definitely about reminiscing on your favorite nostalgic candy bars. And FYI, this cake tastes like a Twix.
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For a last-minute dessert, break out a jar of Nutella. We know you already have one in your pantry.
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Halloween color scheme? Check. Autumnal flavor profile? Double check.
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These toe the line between snack and dessert, which is why we love them so much. Just be sure to use the most festive sprinkles in your pantry.
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Admit it, you were sold at the mention of salted caramel.
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They’re so cute, they almost made us forget our fear of creepy-crawlies. Almost.
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We know you’re wondering, and it’s true: They’re a graveyard smash.
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The more sprinkles and candy, the better. This is Halloween, after all.
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Fill them with your choice of bourbon-apple or roasted blackberry (and go ahead, use store-bought crust if you want).
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They’re a cross between a pie, a cake and a cookie. And yes, they’re as good as they sound.
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The only ghosts we’d like to see are covered in white chocolate and sitting in our snack bowl, thank you very much.
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The outside is soft, the inside is creamy. And they’ll melt in your mouth.
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These gentlemen are no-bake and take about 25 minutes to assemble, no big deal.
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RELATED: 16 Terrifyingly Tasty No-Bake Halloween Treats
To truly impress, skip the store-bought Reese’s and make your own peanut butter cups.
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We’ve died and gone to Halloween candy heaven.
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The cookies are flavored with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and would be as delicious on their own as they are when decorated with chocolate.
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No eggs, no dairy, no problem. If you don’t tell anyone it’s vegan, they probably won’t even know.
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Are these the cutest single-serve desserts in existence? They’re definitely up there.
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We kind of wish all spiders were made of gumdrops and licorice, don’t you?
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It’s remarkable what you can do with a good pie crust and a few seasonal cookie cutters.
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We could make a cheesy joke about graveyards, but we’ll just say these are delicious.
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Switch up the usual with white chocolate instead of dark, and plenty of sour candies on top.
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Proof that you don’t have to spend all day and night making a festive treat.
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These caramels feel very Martha Stewart, don’t you think?
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If you can’t find pumpkin pie liqueur, use something equally creamy and sweet like Irish cream.
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Adults will love that they’re healthy, and kids won’t know the difference.
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We only have eyes for these cookies. (Heh.)
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Sign us up for any dessert that doesn’t require turning on an oven.
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If there’s one holiday that requires you to stuff cookies with candy, it’s Halloween. Embrace it.
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Want a dessert that looks mighty impressive but can be made in under an hour? These little guys will do the trick.
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This might be the prettiest apple dessert we’ve ever laid eyes on. It doesn’t hurt that it’s easy to whip up in a single skillet.
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They’re vegan, gluten-free, made with ten ingredients and ready in 60 minutes. Need we say more?
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There’s nothing scary about this gorgeous fall pie.
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