Nine Halloween mummy Rice Krispies treats with googly candy eyes on a black background.

Halloween. It’s back—better, bigger, and scarier than ever. Whether you’re donning a costume (you’re never too old for dress up), hosting or attending a Halloween party, or taking the kids trick or treating, you need to make these treats.

All of them are dead easy (see what I did there?) to make, and kids and adults love them. Use them as treats for a party, as homemade trick-or-treat booty, or even as a surprise gift for your kid’s school Halloween celebration.

For us? Well, The One loves chocolate, so it will be this marvelously rich and moist chocolate cake. Maybe I’ll toss some candy corn on top and call it a holiday!

Boo, baby!

David Leite's handwritten signature of 'David.'

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🛒 Your Ultimate Halloween Shopping List

  • Pantry Staples: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, cocoa powder.
  • Spooky Staples: Black and red food coloring, candy eyeballs, decorative sprinkles (orange, black, purple), black licorice laces (for spider legs).
  • Produce Aisle Haul: Pie pumpkins, apples (Granny Smith for baking, Honeycrisp for eating), pepitas (pumpkin seeds), onions, garlic.
  • Dairy & Refrigerated: Butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, apple cider.
  • For the Bar: Gin, stout beer, bourbon, coffee liqueur, Champagne or Prosecco.

👻 Cute & Spooky Treats

Halloween meringue bones piled on a paper plate and scattered on a black cobweb tablecloth beside the plate.
Amy Lv
1 of 45

Halloween Meringue Bones

These Halloween meringue bones are the creepily cute or cutely creepy. Light, airy, and naturally gluten-free, these sweet skeleton bones are a cinch to pipe and bake. Pile them in a bowl for a spooky party snack or, for a wicked impressive-yet-easy centerpiece, arrange them as a full skeleton on a store-bought chocolate sheet cake. Just crush some chocolate cookies for 'dirt,' and you've created a stunning graveyard cake with zilch effort.

Tester Review

These meringue bones are a cinch to make and perfect for decorating your Halloween table or for gobbling up by your little ghosts and gremlins. For added reality, you could dip the ends in strawberry jam or toss the bones in a pile of crushed chocolate-cookie “dirt.”

Beth Price
Nine Halloween mummy Rice Krispies treats with googly candy eyes on a black background.
David Leite
2 of 45

Spooky Halloween Mummy Treats Kids Will Love

Unleash your little monsters in the kitchen with these adorable spooky Halloween mummy treats. This no-bake recipe is devilishly simple—just dip, drizzle, and add some googly eyes for a ghoulishly good snack that's perfect for classroom parties or a fun weekend activity.

Featured Review

It impresses no one when I tell them I once had a job making Rice Krispie treats… at a little cafe in Madison, Wisconsin, back in 1981. I preferred the peanut butter treats (just add 1/2 cup peanut butter to your basic recipe), and that is what I made as the base for these mummies, which I constructed with our visiting almost-5-year-old… The finished mummies looked great and tasted even better!

Suzanne Fortier
Four chocolate covered apple slices with a spider web design in a jar.
David Leite
3 of 45

Halloween Chocolate-Covered Apple Slices

Capture the classic taste of autumn with these chocolate-covered apple slices, made easy for little hands. Crisp apple slices are dipped in rich dark and light chocolate and decorated with a simple spiderweb design for a treat that's more delightful than frightful. It's the perfect kid-friendly Halloween party food. (Ok, and I'll admit it: I've wolfed down my share.)

Featured Review

What a tantalizing treat! … This one scored big on the “bang for your buck.” My new favourite SweeTango apple is a current staple and I always have chocolate in the pantry. I’m not a big fan of coconut oil, so I used ghee. My daughter and I had so much fun… we dripped chocolate outside the lines… it’s Halloween, no one expects perfection. Once chilled, each bite was a palate teaser… crispy, tart, sweet, and creamy. These were perfection on a stick! Boo!

Gorm3sa & SousChef
A 16-layer red-eye devil's food cake--alternating layer of chocolate cake and chocolate frosting.
Marcus Nilsson
4 of 45

Red Eye Devil’s Food Cake

The name alone makes this Red Eye Devil's Food Cake the de rigueur centerpiece for your delightfully evil dessert table. Sinfully rich and dark, this hellacious chocolate cake gets a jolt of energy from coffee, ensuring your adult guests can haunt late into the night.

Featured Review

I’ve made this cake twice now and both were absolutely fabulous. The first one had the ganache and my second one, a few days ago, had peppermint buttercream and peppermint fondant. I’m on my third batch now and I’m wondering, what about cupcakes? It’s so moist and lovely and fluffy and I can totally picture it making a perfect cupcake.

NutMeg
Four bottles of natural food coloring in different shades.
Celine Steen
5 of 45

How To Make Natural Food Coloring

Want to make slime-green frosting or blood-red drips without the artificial stuff? (I thought you would.) This guide shows you how to make natural food coloring from everyday ingredients. It's the perfect kitchen hack for creating vibrant, allergy-friendly Halloween treats that are both spooky and safe.

Featured Review

I decided to do with my preschool class and they loved the whole process!! Thanks for the easy steps.

Mateo

🍬 Clever Candy Creations

Leftover Halloween candy bark broken into pieces.
Andrew Purcell
6 of 45

Leftover Halloween Candy Bark

What to do with all that extra trick-or-treat candy? Wonder no more. Melt it down into this irresistible leftover Halloween candy bark! It’s a chaotic, colorful, and completely delicious way to give those fun-size candy bars a second life. A perfect, easy recipe for the day after Halloween.
12 graham cracker squares topped with various candy bar pieces.
Molly Gilbert
7 of 45

Candy Bar S’mores

Rizz your bonfire treats by swapping plain-ol' chocolate for your favorite fun-size bars in these candy bar s'mores. Imagine a toasty marshmallow melting over a Reese's Cup or a mini Kit Kat—it's a genius way to use up that Halloween candy haul.

🎃 The Great Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin swirl brownies, uncut, in a large rectangular baking pan.
Susan Barnson Hayward
8 of 45

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

The best of both worlds mix it up in these decadent pumpkin swirl brownies. A rich, fudgy brownie base is topped with a tangy, spiced pumpkin cheesecake layer and swirled into a beautiful—and delicious—Halloween masterpiece.

Featured Review

I made these last night for a party. I came home with an empty pan. They were gobbled up in seconds. Moist, rich, not overbearingly sweet (I was hopeful when I saw the amount of sugar to use), and very relevant for this time of year. The pumpkin cheesecake swirled effortlessly into the brownie batter and the finished bake was puffed up and well risen. They didn’t sink in the middle. I am making these again tomorrow for work on Monday.

Carlin Brochstein
A slice of frosted pumpkin cake on a plate with the remaining cake on a stand in the background.
David Leite
9 of 45

Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Behold the quintessential autumn layer cake. This incredibly moist pumpkin cake is loaded with classic fall spices and slathered in a tangy maple cream cheese frosting that has our readers raving. I developed this recipe 20 years ago for the Los Angeles Times, and I've been making it every autumn since.

Featured Review

MAN, was this cake wonderful! I needed a gluten-free dessert for Thanksgiving, so I swapped out the wheat flour and used the same weight of Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Blend (contains xanthan gum). I have better success baking by weight, especially when I’m baking gluten free. I added some chopped praline pecans around the top edge to finish it off. Everyone freaked out about how good it was, even the people who weren’t gluten free! And the cream cheese frosting is downright dangerous!

EEB
A pumpkin meringue pie in an orange stoneware pie plate, sitting on a cooling rack with a pie server.
Ben Fink
10 of 45

Pumpkin Meringue Pie

A spectacular alternative to the classic, this pumpkin meringue pie features a silky, spiced pumpkin filling under a cloud of toasted meringue peaks. It's an elegant dessert for any fall gathering. Swirl the meringue into tall wisps, slap on some googly eyes, and you have ectoplasm ghosts straight out of "Ghostbusters."

Featured Review

The second time I made this pie (yes, it’s still November and I’ve made it twice already), I used a torch to brown the meringue. I also made sure to use ALL of the meringue and spread it out to the outer edges of the pie pan. It was even better the second time around!

copis
A glazed pumpkin pound cake on a plate--a pumpkin Bundt cake with a milk-sugar poured glaze.
Alexandra Grablewski
11 of 45

Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake

Dense, moist, and deeply flavorful, this glazed pumpkin pound cake is a simple yet impressive Bundt cake perfect for the season. A quick powdered sugar glaze makes it a rustic and beautiful centerpiece. It's so good, your little princesses, Power Rangers, and pirates will make it back from trick-or-treating in record time.

Featured Review

This pound cake really works for me, and it’s a crowd-pleaser to boot… It is equally well-suited as a sweet breakfast or a great dessert. It’s very spice-forward. The flavor is intense and balanced. It comes together quickly with pantry staple ingredients. Though the “snow-capped mountain” glaze is beautiful, I found that I preferred more coverage and more even distribution, so I make my glaze a little thinner, and don’t mind if the cake is still a little warm when I apply. I have also tried using the contents of one vanilla bean in the glaze, rather than vanilla extract. Works great, and adds a little visual interest too. You can’t go wrong. Easy and delicious.

Rebecca
Four pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars on a white surface.
Sarah Kieffer
12 of 45

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Craving the creamy decadence of pumpkin cheesecake but dreading the fuss of a water bath and springform pan? These pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars are a genius hack. They pack all that tangy, spiced flavor onto a classic graham cracker crust, with a gorgeous marbled top that's perfect for a Halloween party.
Halloween Tip: After chilling, use melted chocolate to pipe a delicate spiderweb onto each bar for a truly spooktacular finish.

Featured Review

OK. This is outrageous. Creamy, rich, and sweet. Loved by my whole crew. I forgot to wrap it with foil before baking, but it didn’t seem to matter… Anyway, BRAVO!

Margo Wickesser
A layer of toasted, spiced pumpkin seeds.
iStockphoto
13 of 45

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Don't throw away those pumpkin guts! This recipe for perfectly spiced pumpkin seeds is the best part of carving jack-o'-lanterns. A crunchy, salty, sweet, and utterly addictive snack for munching on all October long.
A metal container filled with pumpkin ice cream and a metal ice cream scoop resting inside.
Robyn Lehr
14 of 45

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Enjoy all the flavor of your favorite Thanksgiving pie, churned into a cool and creamy pumpkin ice cream. Laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, each spoonful is a taste of autumn. For a simple trick that's a real treat for the littlest ones, create charming wizard hats: just dip pointed sugar cones in melted chocolate, sprinkle them with silver nonpareils, and place one on top of each scoop for a dessert that's pretty close to Disney magic…without the price tag.

Featured Review

I work in an ice cream shop and also a candy shop (I know, right?) but will still be making this. This ice cream is so incredibly easy. Every time I wonder why I don’t do it more often!

Christina Alexander
A cake stand of syrup-soaked pumpkin cubes topped with nuts.
Christopher Hirsheimer
15 of 45

Turkish Pumpkin with Walnuts | Kabak Tatlisi

Explore a unique and elegant way to enjoy pumpkin with this Turkish pumpkin with walnuts recipe. Cubes of pumpkin are candied in a simple syrup until tender and served with crunchy, buttery walnuts for a truly memorable dessert for the big kids (read: us!) of the group.

🍂 Autumn Harvest Favorites

Spiced cider doughnuts and doughnut holes on a square metal tray with one in pieces beside a cup of coffee.
Ray Kachatorian
16 of 45

Spiced Cider Doughnuts

Bring the apple orchard home with these classic spiced cider doughnuts. Fluffy and tender on the inside, each one is dipped in a sweet cider glaze that sets to a perfect finish. Want to make them extra spooky for Halloween? Use a small piping tip to inject a little raspberry jam into the center of each one. Call them Vampire Hickeys, and watch the gory fun begin!

Featured Review

I am impressed that I didn’t discover this recipe until now. LOL. I added more sugar and they tasted REALLY good. Thank you!

Basmaty
Caramel apples with branch sticks sitting on a metal dish, with more in the background.
Brent Hofacker
17 of 45

Halloween Caramel Apples

It just ain't Halloween without a classic caramel apple, and this recipe checks all the boxes. The foolproof, buttery caramel is enriched with maple syrup and a wee touch of dark molasses for a uniquely rich and complex flavor.
Halloween Tip: For a truly haunted-forest look, use sharpened twigs instead of popsicle sticks. It's the ultimate nostalgic treat for any Halloween coven of kids.

Featured Review

I loved this recipe. Straightforward and unique flavor combination. I was thinking the coated apples would turn out dark mahogany colored, like the picture shows, due to the addition of the blackstrap molasses. Mine turned out to be the standard caramel color. (I did use blackstrap.) If I want that extra dark color, how much blackstrap molasses do I need?

Kristen
Three pieces of spicy pepita brittle on a white plate.
alkiona
18 of 45

Spicy Pepita Brittle

This ain't your grandmother's brittle. This spicy pepita brittle delivers a sophisticated, addictive crunch with toasted pumpkin seeds, a glassy sugar shatter, and a surprising kick of cayenne heat that builds with every bite.
Halloween Tip: Break the brittle into jagged shards and press them into the frosting of a chocolate cake or cupcakes to look like broken glass for a spooky, "dangerous" dessert.
A loaf of applesauce bread in a parchment-lined loaf pan.
Lucy Schaeffer
19 of 45

Applesauce Bread

Wonderfully moist and fragrant with cinnamon, this simple applesauce bread is the essence of autumn comfort. It's an easy quick bread that’s perfect for a chilly October morning or as a simple, thoughtful treat to bring to a fall gathering.
Halloween Tip: For a mummified loaf, let the bread cool completely, then pipe thin lines of cream cheese frosting back and forth across the top and add two candy eyeballs. Fun and stealthy-healthy!

Featured Review

Made this last weekend and had every good intention of taking a picture to post for you BUT… it was all gone before I got to it! The recipe was very easy to make (good, since I was also making dinner & dessert for five the same day) and was really very good. I will definitely be making this one again!

Catherine

🦇 Spooky Presentation & Plating Ideas

  • Oreo “Dirt”: Crush chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor to create edible “dirt.” Sprinkle it on your Chocolate Guinness Cake or around the base of the Pumpkin Meringue Pie for a graveyard effect.
  • Spiderweb Dip: Put your dip in a round bowl. Pipe concentric circles of sour cream or yogurt on top, then drag a toothpick from the center outwards to create a spiderweb.
  • Dry Ice Cauldron: For a show-stopping effect, place your punch bowl inside a larger, oven-safe cauldron or pot. Carefully add a few small pieces of dry ice to the outer pot with a little warm water to create a continuous, spooky fog. (Always handle dry ice with gloves.) Find dry ice near you.
  • Gummy Worm Garnishes: Let gummy worms crawl out of drinks, brownies, and chocolate-cake dirt cups for a creepy-crawly touch.

🍴Savory & Spooky Main Courses

Spicy eggs in hell in a small cast-iron skillet, and half a piece of toasted bread.
Petrina Tinslay
20 of 45

Spicy Eggs in Hell

The name alone makes these spicy eggs in hell a Halloween brunch must. Eggs are poached directly in a fiery, bubbling tomato and chile sauce for a dish that's as dramatic as it is delicious. Serve with crusty bread for dipping into the hellscape's "lava."

Featured Review

Love this recipe. I add truffle oil to my toasted rustic bread and a bit of fresh basil to the (very) spicy sauce. Heaven!

Andreea
Two pieces of roasted bone marrow sprinkled with flaky salt on a black plate.
David Leite
21 of 45

Roasted Bone Marrow

For the truly adventurous ghouls at your party, serve up REAL bones: decadent roasted bone marrow. Rich, buttery, and surprisingly simple to prepare, it's a primal and unforgettable appetizer that will have everyone talking.

Featured Review

Made this last night. It. Was. Divine! Did not realize how easy bone marrow is to make and how quickly it cooks. Husband was blown away – said better than at a restaurant. Thank you for the recipe and for the detailed instructions.

Karima
Three white plates with blackened red snapper, black rice, yogurt sauce, and sauteed spinach.
America’s Test Kitchen
22 of 45

Blackened Red Snapper

The blackened crust on this red snapper makes it a natural fit for an elegant Halloween dinner. A bold spice rub creates a dark, flavorful exterior while keeping the fish perfectly flaky and moist inside. Serve with black rice for a truly gothic presentation.
Chocolate Guinness cake with browned butter frosting on a glass cake stand, with a slice on a plate and a cup of coffee in the background.
David Leite
23 of 45

Chocolate Guinness Cake

As dark as midnight on a moonless night, this chocolate Guinness cake is the evilly good end to a gothic-themed dinner. The stout beer deepens the chocolate flavor to an incredible degree, creating a moist, rich crumb that's pure magic. Talk about the dark arts.

Featured Review

I was rewarded with a nice rich flavor…and a very moist cake. The one thing I noticed…was that the cake did not get the traditional ‘mound’ in the center—it came out flat—no need to trim at all…The richer frosting complemented the cake perfectly without being too heavy.

Pam Kemp

🧪 Eerie Elixirs

An Irish coffee mug filled with butterscotch beer with foam on top and a drizzle of butterscotch sauce.
Alana Al-Hatlani
24 of 45

Butterscotch Beer

A magical, non-alcoholic brew for wizards and Harry Potter fans of all ages! This sweet and fizzy butterscotch beer is a hit with kids and a nostalgic favorite for adults. Serve it in frosty mugs for the full effect.
Several plates with fluorescent glowing Jello molds.
Georgia Glynn Smith
25 of 45

Glow in the Dark Jell-O

Turn out the lights and watch the party come alive with this incredible glow-in-the-dark jello. Thanks to a secret ingredient (spoiler: it's tonic water!), this gin-spiked wobbler actually glows under a blacklight for the ultimate edible spooky cocktail.Not for the kiddos, though. This is a full-on adult treat.

Featured Review

Hands down COOLEST libation EVER!!! Love this! Thanks for posting!

Jessica
A black velvet cocktail in a flute with a napkin and cork in the background.
Brent Hofacker
26 of 45

Black Velvet Cocktail

As dark and smooth as its name implies, the Black Velvet cocktail is an elegantly spooky drink for your adult Halloween party. The simple, surprising combination of stout and Champagne is a classic for a reason.

Featured Review

Absolutely fantastic, I love both of the drinks and will definitely enjoy them assembled in this dramatically looking version. Happy New Year!

Jenny
A glass filled with Mexican blood Mary, with limes nearby.
Katie Quinn Davies
27 of 45

Mexican Bloody Mary

Every Halloween party needs a signature 'bloody' concoction. This Mexican Bloody Mary gets its kick from tequila and a splash of beer, making it a perfectly spicy and savory concoction for your gathering of ghouls. Garnish with skeleton-arm swizzle sticks. Poor dead Mary!
A coupe glass filled with a revolver cocktail, garnished with orange peel.
Alanna Hale
28 of 45

The Revolver Cocktail

With its deep, moody color and sophisticated flavor, The Revolver cocktail is perfect for a murder mystery party or a more grown-up Halloween theme. Bourbon and coffee liqueur create a drink with a delightfully dangerous edge.

Featured Review

David, good friends were celebrating an 80th birthday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and asked a bartender to make something different. He made a Revolver and my friends loved it! Upon returning home they sent me this recipe, and I have been making them for over a year. (I’m on my second bottle of Coffee Liqueur and you only use 1/2 oz. per drink.) I have several bourbons but prefer a spicy rye (as suggested). Bravo! I’ll enjoy this drink for years to come…

Scooter Levin

❓ Your Halloween Party Questions, Answered

Party Prep & Timing

How far in advance can I make Halloween treats?

Many treats can be made ahead! Cookies, brownies, and candy barks can be made 2 to 3 days in advance and stored in airtight containers. For recipes with frosting, it’s often best to bake ahead and frost the day of the party.

What are the best no-bake Halloween recipes for a last-minute party?

For a quick and easy treat, no-bake options are a lifesaver. Our Halloween Mummy Treats come together in minutes, and the Leftover Halloween Candy Bark is a perfect way to use up extra candy with almost no effort.

How can I make my food look spooky without special equipment?

Get creative with color and names! A few drops of red food coloring can turn a simple glaze into “blood drips.” Use a toothpick to drag sour cream into a “spiderweb” on a dip. Sometimes, all you need is a spooky name—our Red Eye Devil’s Food Cake is scary enough just by its title!

Safe & Allergy-Friendly Treats

What are some good allergy-friendly Halloween treats?

To ensure all your little ghouls and goblins can enjoy the fun, consider treats that avoid common allergens. Our Halloween Meringue Bones are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. For a nut-free option, the Spooky Halloween Mummy Treats are a great choice (just ensure your ingredients are certified nut-free).

How can I safely hand out homemade treats for trick-or-treating?

If you’re handing out homemade goodies, it’s best to wrap them individually in cellophane bags. Adding a small label with the ingredients is a thoughtful touch for parents of kids with allergies. For trick-or-treaters you don’t know personally, it’s often safest for everyone to stick with pre-packaged, sealed candies.

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About David Leite

I’ve received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. I’m the author of The New Portuguese Table and Notes on a Banana. For more than 25 years, I’ve been developing and testing recipes for my site, my books, and publications. My work has also appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and more. I’m also a cooking teacher, memoirist, and inveterate cat lady.

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2 Comments

    1. Thanks, Marilyn. We are always accepting applications for new testers. Head on over to our recipe tester page to apply!

      Reply