Every year I can’t wait to start making spooky Halloween party treats!
I love making sweets and treats in general, but I love getting creative with ways to make them creepy and cute for parties.
The kids love the silly scares and adults appreciate the fun creativity (and everyone is grabbing seconds!).
The thing about making eerie Halloween treats is that you don’t need a ton of time or skill to whip them up!
And if you’re looking for other Halloween party food ideas for a full spread, check out my post here and this one for tasty and terrifying desserts!
1. Peanut Butter Spider Cookies
Bake up a batch of peanut butter cookies and let them cool just a little bit before decorating.
Then place a mini peanut butter cup in the center while the cookies are still warm so it sticks.
Press a couple of candy eyes into the chocolate and use melted chocolate to pipe out the spider legs.
And if the candy eyes won’t stick to the peanut butter cup, use a little bit of the melted chocolate to glue them on.
2. Bloody Popcorn
Pop some plain popcorn and spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Then drizzle red-tinted corn syrup over everything to look like a blood-splattered mess.
If you want to make the popcorn a bit tastier, you can drizzle some melted white chocolate on top before the corn syrup.
And mix in a few candy eyeballs or red M&Ms for extra creepiness!
3. Eyeball Jello Cups
Prepare some clear gelatin and pour it into small cups, leaving room at the top for your “eyeballs.”
Drop in peeled grapes or lychee fruit stuffed with blueberries to look like pupils.
Once it sets, spoon a little strawberry syrup around the fruit for a bloodshot effect.
Chill until serving so the eyeballs stay in place.
4. Rice Krispie Brains
Make a regular batch of Rice Krispie treats with a little bit of red or pink food coloring (or you can use pink marshmallows if you can find them).
Shape them into balls and place them on some parchment paper.
Then use a knife to create a “seam” down the middle of each.
This Hallowe’en treat is super simple, but you can up the creep-factor by drizzling thin lines of red gel icing across the top to mimic veins!
5. Eyeball Mini Pies
Use refrigerated pie dough and cut circles to fit into a muffin tin.
Fill with cherry or strawberry pie filling, then press a candy eyeball on top.
That’s it!
Or, if you want to get fancy, you can top the pie with another dough circle and cut a slit in the middle.
Then stick a candy eye in the opening once it’s baked.
6. Vampire Bite Trail Mix
If you’re looking for something quick and easy that doesn’t require baking, trail mix is the way to go.
I like to make mine with red M&Ms, chocolate chips, almonds, and cranberries.
Whatever gives it a dark and vampire-y look!
You can also melt red candy melts and drizzle them over the mix to give it a bloody look.
Scoop portions into small bags so kids can carry them around without spilling!
7. Oreo Bats
Twist apart some Oreo cookies and use the halves to make little bat wings (by carefully cutting them in half).
Press them into the cream of a full cookie so they stick out on both sides.
Dab on frosting to attach candy eyes in the middle.
Set them on a tray and they’re ready to swoop in!
8. Cheesy Brain Cheesecake Dip
This one’s a little hard to do by hand, so you may need a brain mold to get the shape right.
Or you could chill the dip it and pipe it into a brain shape…depends on how creative you want to get!
Make a cheesecake dip and tint it with red food coloring, then put it in the fridge (either in a piping bag or in a mold).
Pop it onto a tray (or pipe it) and brush with cherry jam or pie filling.
Serve it up with some graham crackers
9. Graveyard Pudding Cups
Spoon chocolate pudding into clear cups, then add crushed chocolate cookies on top for “dirt.”
Press in half a cookie or a graham cracker rectangle with “RIP” written in black icing for the gravestone.
A few candy pumpkins or gummy worms crawling out really sell the look.
Chill them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
10. Brain Cupcakes
Bake a batch of your favorite cupcakes and let them cool completely.
Tint buttercream frosting with a touch of pink coloring and load it into a piping bag.
Pipe squiggly lines across the top in rows to mimic brain folds.
For extra spooky effect, drizzle a little strawberry jam over the frosting so the brains look fresh!
11. Gummy Worms
Mix flavored gelatin with a bit of condensed milk to get that semi-opaque, wormy look.
I like to add in a tiny bit of red food coloring to get the wormy color too!
Pour the mixture into bendy straws or silicone molds and chill until set.
Once they’re firm, squeeze them out and that’s it!
They’re super easy to make (even if they don’t look it).
12. Cauldron Brownies
Bake up a batch of mini brownies (or buy some two-bite brownies at the store…no judgment!).
Top each with green icing and then stick on green M&Ms, candy eyeballs, gummy worms, whatever looks creepy!
I like to stick a pretzel in as a “spoon”.
13. Spellbook Brownies
Cut some brownies into rectangles and frost them with chocolate icing.
Or leave them plain, that works too!
Use a piping bag and brown icing to pipe the “stitching” on the book.
Then use some as glue to pop on one big candy eye.
Stick them on a platter like a library for forbidden sweets!
14. Bloody Cake Pops
Crumble a cooled cake into crumbs and mix with frosting until it forms a dough-like texture.
Roll into balls, stick on lollipop sticks, and dip into white candy melts.
Once hardened, drizzle red candy melts or tinted corn syrup across the surface so it drips like blood.
Pro Tip: I usually let them set upright in a block of foam so they keep their shape (that way, you can also pop a spooky candy eye on top!).
15. “Poison” Candy Apple
Dip some whole apples into melted black candy coating or dark chocolate then insert sticks for easy holding.
That’s really it if you want to make them look creepy and poisoned.
But if you want to get fancy, you can roll them lightly in edible glitter or sanding sugar so they shimmer with a magical finish.
Or you can drizzle them with green candy melts to give a toxic look.
A few plastic spiders stuck to the sticks make them even more wicked!
16. Vampire Bite Cupcakes
Frost some cooled cupcakes with a smooth swirl of white icing.
(Psst…red velvet cupcakes work best!)
Use a skewer to carefully poke two small holes close together in the center.
Drizzle some red gel or syrup into the holes so it drips down like fresh bite marks.
Add a pair of plastic vampire teeth on the side of the plate for a playful touch!
17. Eyeball Brownies
Here’s another one you can kind of cheat you’re way through!
Bake some brownies in a mini muffin tin or buy those two-bite brownies if you want to save time.
Put a dab of icing in the center of the brownie then stick on a candy eye.
Sometimes I feel like this one is too easy, but it’s perfect if you need to do a big batch of treats for a party or bake sale.
18. Witches’ Fingers Pretzel Sticks
Dip pretzel rods into green candy melts until fully coated.
Press a sliced almond on the tip while still wet to look like a gnarly fingernail.
Drag a toothpick lightly along the coating before it sets to make little knuckle wrinkles.
A dusting of cocoa powder makes them look old and dirty.
19. Cursed Candy Apples
Melt some white chocolate and dip each apple until it’s fully coated, letting the extra drip off.
Set them on parchment paper to harden just a bit, then drizzle red gel over the tops so it runs down the sides like creepy “blood.”
I like to use black or striped paper straws instead of sticks (they make the apples look extra Halloween-ready).
If you want the gel to stay a little gooey, don’t refrigerate them right away!
20. Bloody Guts Cinnamon Rolls
Instead of rolling the cinnamon rolls up as you usually would, put then in the pan in a sort of squiggly patterns.
If you’re making your own cinnamon rolls, add in some red food coloring (if not, that’s okay).
Drizzle some strawberry jam over the tops so it seeps into the layers.
Once it’s baked, you can add on the icing (and throw some red food coloring in that too!).
It looks gross but it tastes amazing!
21. Monster Donuts
Start with plain donuts (don’t be afraid to use store bought).
Use colored frosting or glaze to cover the tops, then stick candy eyes all over so they look like little monsters.
A pair of plastic vampire teeth shoved into the donut hole makes it extra funny.
Pile them high on a platter so they look like a swarm.
22. Worm Cake
Bake up a simple chocolate cake and let it cool before spreading on a thick layer of chocolate frosting.
Press gummy worms into the top so they look like they’re crawling out, and sprinkle crushed chocolate cookies over the frosting for a “dirt” effect.
Kids get a kick out of pulling the worms out before taking a bite!
If you’re serving it at a party, slice it at the table for the full gross-out moment.
23. Ghostly Dipped Strawberries
Melt white chocolate and dip fresh strawberries until fully coated.
Let the coating set, then use black icing or melted chocolate to draw on ghost faces.
Place them on a parchment-lined tray so they don’t stick together.
If you want to give them little ghosty “tails,” let the chocolate drizzle a bit on the parchment paper before setting them down.
24. Eyeball Cookie Balls
Crumble sandwich cookies and mix with cream cheese until it forms a doughy mix.
Roll into balls and dip into white candy melts for the base.
Add a colored candy melt circle for the iris and a black dot for the pupil.
Use red gel icing to draw on squiggly veins all around the edges.
25. Ghost S’Mores Dip
Spread chocolate chips in the bottom of a skillet and top with a layer of mini marshmallows.
Bake until the marshmallows puff and turn golden.
Place ghost-shaped marshmallows (Peeps makes some) on top right before serving so they sit proudly on the surface.
Hand out graham crackers and let everyone scoop right into the gooey mess!
26. Spider Web Pretzels
Lay pretzel sticks in a star or burst shape on parchment paper and secure the center with melted chocolate.
Pipe white chocolate in circles around the pretzels to look like a web.
Place some plastic spiders around them on a big tray for an extra spooky effect!
27. Spider Web Brownies
Bake some brownies in a large pan and spread a smooth layer of chocolate frosting on top.
Cut into squares then pipe white icing in spirals on each one, starting in the middle.
Then drag a toothpick outward to make the web pattern.
Add some candy eyes or fake spiders to complete the look.
28. Slimed Popcorn
Pop a big bowl of plain popcorn and melt white chocolate until smooth.
Stir in a few drops of green food coloring, then drizzle it over the popcorn so it looks gooey and slimy.
Toss everything together quickly before it hardens so every piece gets a sticky coating.
I like to scatter a few candy eyeballs in there too because why not?
29. Strawberry Rats
These ones are almost too cute to be scary!
Dip fresh strawberries in melted chocolate and let them set on parchment paper with the pointed end facing out.
Before the chocolate hardens completely, press two almond slices on top for ears.
Attach a piece of candy rope to the end for a tail.
If you want to make them look a bit eerie use red icing to pipe on some creepy eyes!
30. Vampire Bite Cheesecake
Last vampire bite treat, I promise!
(But you have to admit, they are really cool.)
Bake or buy a plain (or red velvet) cheesecake and let it chill.
Use a skewer to poke two small holes close together in the top.
Drizzle cherry pie filling or strawberry syrup so it seeps out like blood.
I like serving each slice with a little plastic fang on the plate for fun.
31. Eyeball Chocolate Haystacks
Melt some chocolate chips and mix them with chow mein noodles until everything is coated.
Drop spoonfuls onto parchment paper to form messy little haystacks.
Press a candy eyeball right in the center before the chocolate sets.
A drizzle of red gel icing makes them look freshly plucked!
Final Bites for Your Haunted Night
Halloween treats don’t have to be complicated to be memorable.
Sometimes all it takes is a little candy eyeball or a drizzle of red icing to make a snack look spooky.
Grab a few ideas that match your mood, pull out the sprinkles and candy melts, and let your kitchen feel like a mad scientist’s lab for the day!
