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66 Scary-Cute Desserts Sure To Thrill Everyone At Your Halloween Party

Dress your desserts up this Halloween!

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white chocolate covered oreo pops decorated as jack skellington with icing
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

It should come as no surprise that wee take Halloween scary seriously. Why? It's one of the only holidays where you can make terrifyingly cute desserts to share with friends and family. What could be better? Whether you're into spooky, silly, or a delicious mix of both, there's a scare level—and flavor preference—for everyone in here. These 66 thrilling dessert recipes seriously put the "treat" in trick or treat!

Halloween is all about the costumes (okay, okay, and the candy!), so we're taking that even further and dressing up our desserts too. All it takes are simple ingredients to turn peanut butter pretzels into Frankenstein pretzels, chocolate chip cookies into Dracula dentures, box mix into pumpkin patch brownies, Oreos into Jack Skellington pops, and more. Hot tip: Decorating these is a great party activity for anyone intimidated by carving a pumpkin!

Looking for something that'll serve a gaggle of ghouls and ghosts and be a spectacular party centerpiece? We've got just the cakes for you. Our "It's the Great Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown", our vampire poke cake, our spiderweb cake, or our dirt cake all look way more impressive than they are difficult to make, and are sure to wow any crowd.

More of a 'fraidy cat? We get it! We've also included a variety of our favorite pumpkin desserts here too. Our pumpkin cheesecake roll and our brownie bottom pumpkin cheesecake are super festive, but not at all scary (to eat or to make!).

Looking to scare up more goodies? Check out our fave Halloween cookies, our best grown-up Halloween party food, and our top Halloween cocktails and drinks too. Need help with your Halloween decorations? We've also got plenty of tips on how to decorate your car for trunk-or-treating, pumpkin carving ideas, and Halloween party decorations that will turn any house into a haunted house.

1

Mini Pillsbury Cookie Cheesecakes

pumpkin pillsbury sugar cookies topped with mini cheesecakes
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Combining the rich creaminess of cheesecake with the sweet buttery taste of Pillsbury sugar cookies, this not-so-scary recipe is perfect for parties, gatherings, or as a special dessert for the family. Easy to make and even easier to enjoy, they’re a sweet way to embrace spooky season.

Get the Mini Pillsbury Cookie Cheesecakes recipe.

2

Nightmare Before Christmas Fudge

rainbow swirled fudge
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

A perfect Halloween (or Christmas, depending on which side of the debate you fall on!) treat, this fudge captures the essence of both holidays, just like the movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Sally Skellington comes to life in the form of this sweet, chocolatey, rich confection intermingled with multicolor to represent her iconic dress.

Get the Nightmare Before Christmas Fudge recipe.

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3

Witch Finger Cookies

witch finger cookies
RACHEL VANNI

Spooky season is here, and we’re celebrating in style with these scary delicious witch finger cookies. Don't be scared—they're just a shortbread cookie shaped into a severed finger and adorned with an almond nail and a bit of blood-red jam. Easy!

Get the Witch Finger Cookies recipe.

4

Hocus Pocus-Inspired S'mores Pops

chocolate pops with candy eyes
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

You'll love these even more than the Sanderson Sisters loved their booooook! Pair these with our Hocus Pocus Jell-O shots and our Binx cookies for the perfect spread.

Get the Hocus Pocus-Inspired S'mores Pops recipe.

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5

Candy Apples

green apples with a red candy coating and a popsicle stick
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

While you’ve likely had them at orchards, state fairs, and the like, candy apples are a treat you can easily make at home. You only need a handful of ingredients, 30 minutes, and a candy thermometer to make these festive fall treats for every fall party or Halloween bash.

Get the Candy Apples recipe.

6

Vampire Cupcakes

chocolate cupcakes topped with white icing and red lines
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Sink your teeth into these devilishly delightful vampire cupcakes—perfect for Halloween! These moist chocolate cupcakes are filled with a gooey strawberry jelly “blood” center, topped with a fluffy, marshmallow-y frosting, and decorated to resemble Dracula’s iconic hairline. With a touch of red gel food color and chocolate cookie crumbs, these Halloween treats are sure to impress both the young and the young-at-heart.

Get the Vampire Cupcakes recipe.

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7

It's The Great Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown

two pumpkin bundt cakes stacked on each other, filled with candy corn, and decorated to look like a pumpkin
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: RILEY WOFFORD

Whether you’re throwing a Halloween bash and need a show-stopping centerpiece dessert, or just really love the Peanuts gang and want your pumpkin patch to be the most sincere, this is the cake for you—it’s the Great Pumpkin, er, Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown!

Get the It's The Great Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown recipe.

8

Jack Skellington Oreo Pops

white chocolate covered oreo pops decorated as jack skellington with icing
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

What's this?! Well, it's one very scary good treat. There's no better way to celebrate All Hallows Eve than with the Pumpkin King himself—and a bunch of chocolate-covered Oreos.

Get the Jack Skellington Oreo Pops recipe.

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9

Hocus Pocus Binx Cookies

hocus pocus binx cookies
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI

Hocus Pocus is a must-watch every year, and these adorable Binx cookies are in honor of the classic movie character. Black cocoa powder turns these chewy chocolate cookies a dark rich color, perfect for our favorite talking cat.

Get the Hocus Pocus Binx Cookies recipe.

10

Vampire Poke Cake

vampire poke cake
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This playfully spooky take on the traditional American poke cake is a delight for the whole family. In it, a soft almond cake is infused with a tart cherry sauce (“blood”!) and topped off with a light, fluffy whipped cream for a dessert that’s equally tasty and scary.

Get the Vampire Poke Cake recipe.

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11

Brown Butter Apple Blondies

brown butter apple blondies topped with brown butter glaze
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

If you’re not already on the brown butter train, these blondies will have you on board in two seconds flat. Filled with tender apples and drizzled with a creamy brown butter frosting, these brown butter blondies are the definition of an irresistible packable treat.

Get the Brown Butter Apple Blondies recipe.

12

Pumpkin S'mores Cookies

cookies with pumpkin topped with toasted marshmallows
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Tender pumpkin cookies are one of our favorite fall desserts. Add chocolate chips or fold in oatmeal and chopped nuts—the sky's the limit when it comes to shaking up this fall treat. The aromatics in pumpkin spice remind us of cinnamon graham crackers, and graham crackers make us think of s’mores. And OH MY GOURD: Could a s’more be pumpkin-spiced? If you combine a tender pumpkin cookie and all of the classic s’mores ingredients, the answer is definitely yes.

Get the Pumpkin S'mores Cookies recipe.

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13

Candy Apples

green apples with a red candy coating and a popsicle stick
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

While you’ve likely had them at orchards, state fairs, and the like, candy apples are a treat you can easily make at home. You only need a handful of ingredients, 30 minutes, and a candy thermometer to make these festive fall treats for every fall party or Halloween bash.

Get the Candy Apples recipe.

14

Ghost S'mores Dip

s'mores dip with ghost marshmallows on top served with graham crackers
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

This s'mores-inspired dip is the perfect dessert to throw together last minute. Graham crackers make for perfect dippers, but sliced apple, pretzels, or potato chips would certainly do the trick, too. Even the kids can help with this scary-easy dessert!

Get the Ghost S'mores Dip recipe.

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15

Zombie Brain Cupcakes

zombie brain cupcakes
Lucy schaeffer

Don’t just make plain old cupcakes for your next Halloween bash, make zombie brain cupcakes! They’re nothing more than a moist, chocolate cupcake with rich vanilla frosting, but some neon green food coloring and clever piping turn these into a super-festive, spooky treat.

Get the Zombie Brain Cupcakes recipe.

16

Bloomin' Apples

apples cut and topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

We took inspo from the ever popular bloomin' onion and made a just-as-fun fall dessert. Though these finished bloomin' apples look crazy impressive, they're actually quite easy to make. Once you get cutting them down (it's easier than you think—watch the video for help), all you need to do is fill with chewy caramel squares, brush with melted butter, and bake! Top with vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle, and you just might say goodbye to apple pie.

Get the Bloomin' Apples recipe.

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17

Pumpkin Patch Brownies

brownies with pumpkin candies and green icing

Pumpkin patch brownies turn a regular boxed brownie into the cutest fall dessert. Top with crushed Oreos for dirt and nestle candied pumpkins to look like they are growing from the ground! So simple yet so sweet!

Get the Pumpkin Patch Brownies recipe.

18

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

pumpkin whoopie pies with maple cream cheese filling
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If you haven’t heard of the whoopie pie, it's a hybrid of a cake and a cookie sandwich, conveniently packaged to fit in your hand. Typically you will find a chocolate whoopie with a sweet marshmallow filling, but this recipe takes that childhood staple and flips it on its head to become the new fall-time treat, perfect for all ages.

Get the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies recipe.

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19

No-Bake Buckeye Cheesecake Bars

nobake buckeye cheesecake bars
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: RILEY WOFFORD

Buckeyes are a beloved truffle made of a rich peanut butter filling and dipped in chocolate—think Reese's, but streamlined. These no-bake cheesecake bars might be even easier. They're lighter and creamier than the truffle, but still full of all of the peanut butter and chocolate elements you love.

Get the No-Bake Buckeye Cheesecake Bars recipe.

20

Halloween Candy Bark

halloween candy bark
NAOMI ROBINSON

This white chocolate bark is probably the most simple from-scratch Halloween treat you can make. The best part? You could even add leftover Halloween candy to top this off!

Get the Halloween Candy Bark recipe.

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