Halloween Treats & Desserts

Staff Picks

Pumpkin Bars

In between bars and a crowd-friendly sheet cake is this autumnal dessert. Moist and tender pumpkin spice cake is lavished with cream cheese frosting for bars that are simply irresistible.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling

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Tender pumpkin-spiced cookies are filled with tangy cream cheese frosting for a delightful autumnal dessert. Kids and adults alike will love this recipe, which comes from Matt Lewis' Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.

Candy Apples

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Candy apples are a classic fall dessert that family and friends are sure to love. Use your apple-picking haul to make the ultimate Halloween treat, complete with a sticky-sweet caramel coating.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

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Pumpkin's not just for pies. Mix up these cupcakes with canned pumpkin and lots of spice, then top them with tangy cream cheese frosting and the cutest mini marzipan pumpkins.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

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These soft cookies are like mini pumpkin cakes—and you're guaranteed to get a bit of sweet, brown-butter-flecked icing in every bite. A combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger flavor the moist pumpkin batter.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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Nothing says fall like a pumpkin dessert, and this one features a light, fluffy mousse layered over a sweet gingersnap crust. It's no ordinary pumpkin pie—in fact, it's even better.

Popcorn Balls

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No tricks, only treats here! This classic kid-friendly snack is made with just four ingredients—popcorn, melted buttered, marshmallows, and light brown sugar. Feel free to mix in additional sweet ingredients such as dried fruit, toffee bits, or chopped chocolate to these popcorn balls.

Apple-Walnut Bundt Cake

There is fall flavor in every bite of this seasonal bundt. An apple-cider glaze and caramelized apples in the batter set this spice cake apart.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

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Chocolate and pumpkin make a delightfully gooey pair in these creamy pumpkin-swirl brownies. Pure pumpkin purèe and vegetable oil are the secret to creating a very moist bite.

Maple Pumpkin Pie with Leaf Lattice

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Pumpkin pie is infused with a delicious maple flavor and topped with a leaf-lattice piecrust. You will need a 2-inch leaf cutter for this recipe. The leaf crust is very delicate, so take extra care when placing it on top of the pie.

Ginger Pumpkin Bread

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Make this moist quick bread all autumn long. The ginger and pumpkin flavors blend together nicely in this sweet dessert bread.

Crispy Chocolate-Marshmallow Treats

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Bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder give a classic cereal bar a devilish twist. With only five ingredients and 10 minutes of prep work, who could resist baking one of these batty bars?

Inspiration and Ideas

Halloween Cake Recipes That Are Terrifyingly Delicious

Who needs candy when there are these bewitching cakes to slice into? Our selection of tricky treats includes chocolate cakes, cheesecakes, and spice cakes all decked out in supremely scary decorations.

25 Halloween Treat Bags and Favors Made to Delight

Trick-or-treaters and party guests will be in for a sweet—or spooky—surprise when Halloween candy is dressed up and disguised. Dozens of party crafts featuring familiar Halloween characters (like witches, cats, and bats) are easy to produce, thanks to printable full-color clip-art and traceable templates.

Wickedly Good Halloween Desserts That Your Ghosts and Goblins Will Want to Devour

Chocolate Cupcakes

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Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

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Pumpkin-Seed Brittle

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Popcorn on the Cob

Celebrate harvest season with "ears" of candied popcorn, reminiscent of Indian corn. Unbleached parchment paper from your pantry is all you need for the pretty presentation.

All Halloween Treats & Desserts

Chocolate-Candy Icebox Bars

Who doesn't buy extra Halloween candy? This year, use some in these festive icebox bars and throw a party.

"Broken Glass" Cupcakes

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The recipe for the "glass" is essentially one for caramel. The trick is to cook it for a shorter amount of time than usual so it stays clear.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart

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Chocolate complements the sweetness of pumpkin in this sophisticated alternative to pumpkin pie. A rich layer of melted chocolate is poured on top of the baked chocolate crust for a bonus creamy layer. Top with a light-as-air pumpkin filling and bake until set.

Halloween Blondies

Brown sugar is key to creating a sweet, light molasses flavor in these chewy blondies. You can even get the young ones involved in the Halloween fun—let them sort the chocolate candies by color and arrange them on top of the dough.

Wine-Poached Pears

Bosc pears are excellent for poaching in this wine-poached pear recipe. They're crisp and firm even when quite ripe, and make for a delicious dessert.

Savory Pumpkin Puffs

Give your party festive flavor with these hors d'oeuvres. Each mini, pumpkin-shaped bite, made with store-bought puff pastry, is filled with grated Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses and Dijon mustard.

Molasses Spice Cake

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An array of aromatic spices—including ground cinnamon, mace, and black pepper—make this molasses cake perfect for a fall dessert. It's frosted with a rich cream cheese buttercream, then finished with a drizzle of brown sugar glaze.

Pumpkin Pudding

We've never seen a cuter or more festive dessert than this one for kids. Velvety pumpkin pudding is served inside miniature, hollowed pumpkins and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon-sprinkled pastry leaves.

Halloween Brownies

This year, trick out your treats by serving up a platter of these spooky brownies. In this recipe, intense unsweetened cocoa powder and caramel-y brown sugar give them a sophisticated flavor profile, while the playful decorations keep you right on theme.