37 Easy Halloween Treats Kids Can Make

By BH&G Holiday Editors
Updated July 07, 2020
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More sweet than scary, these easy Halloween treats for kids are sure to delight your little goblins and ghosts. Not only are these a blast to make, but they will also be the hit of any Halloween celebration. Whether you’re looking for snacks for a kids’ party or just something unique to celebrate the holiday together at home, these easy fright night goodies are sure to satisfy.
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Halloween Dessert Nachos

Credit: Matthew Clark
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Coaxing the kids into eating fruit isn’t always easy, especially on a holiday. But even picky eaters won’t be able to resist getting at least one of their five-a-day when you team up to make this easy Halloween treat. Ask your little ones to garnish his or her own little plate of apple “nachos” with drizzles of melted PB&J, handfuls of Halloween candy pieces, and not-so-scary Candy Eye Balls, ($3, Target).

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Marshmallow Pops

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Parents, you can tell your kids you do know jack. Jack o’ lantern, that is! The orange sprinkle-coated variation of this Halloween dessert for kids will be the MVP of your bash. And you don’t need a lot to bring them to life. Marshmallows (feel free to make your own if you like), a set of Green Paper Straws, ($3, Target), and your kid's imagination are all you need to create a collection of frightful friends.

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Halloween Pumpkin Bundt Cake

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Your Halloween party can really take shape around this creatively-configured edible centerpiece. Bake a couple of Bundt cakes in a 12-Inch Bundt Pan, ($13, Target), allow them to cool, then invite the kids to assist with flipping one on top of the other and drizzling them with homemade almond-flavor frosting. A green ice cream cone makes for a spot-on “stem.”

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Ghostly Cupcakes

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“How are those ghosts floating above the party cupcakes so perfectly—and eerily?” everyone will ask. The hidden surprise inside: A donut hole! This just-spooky-enough dessert comes together in just a few easy steps, thanks to purchased fondant.

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Halloween Candy Bark

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Looking for a salty and sweet snack for a kids party? This irresistible blend of pretzels, chocolate, and candy is frighteningly good and an easy Halloween dessert recipe.

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Candy Corn Poke Cake

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This festive Halloween cake couldn't be easier to make. Bake a simple cake (or use a boxed mix), then melt candy corn to create a sweet, sugary combination; then poke holes in the baked cake and pour the mixture over the top of the cake so it trickles down into the holes. Top with whipped cream and a classic Halloween combo: Candy corn and peanuts!

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Scary-Good Halloween Donuts

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Spiders, mummies, vampires, monsters...the gang’s all here! Why wait until dessert to get the party started? We suggest kicking Halloween off with a super-sweet breakfast of “costumed” store-bought donuts. Faux spiders and Candy Eye Balls ($3, Target) make these holiday treats extra festive.

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Candy Corn Push-Up Pops

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Craving a big bag of candy corn? Get your sweet fix a different way with this fun Halloween treat to make with kids. Grab a set of Pop-Up Cake Containers ($13, Williams Sonoma) and layer cake and icing to look just like your favorite seasonal candy. Put your little ones in charge of layering the pops once all the ingredients are assembled.

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Gummy Worm Popcorn Balls

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Classic popcorn balls taste even better when you sneak in a few candy treats! Make these Halloween treats for kids by coating your popped popcorn with a homemade vanilla sugar syrup, then sprinkle with gummy worms and candy corn before rolling into balls. If you're making them for a school gathering or Halloween party, individually package them in Clear Cello Treat Bags, ($2, Target).

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Chocolate Haunted House

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Channel your inner Hansel and Gretel baker and tempt everyone to enter—or at least enjoy—this sweet haunted house. After you prepare the cookies, kids will delight in building the house. Then assist them as they deck the halls with frosting, candy corn, and candy pumpkins.

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Freaky Frankenstein Family Treats

Give your family a fright with these candy-topped Halloween cookies. For extra spooky fun, have each person create their own likeness.

To make, follow these steps:

1. Cut a variety of shapes from your favorite rolled sugar cookie or shortbread dough (see our recipe below), and bake as directed.

2. Spread a thin layer of green frosting onto the main part of each cookie to form the face.

3. Use brown icing and various candy pieces to add frightening facial features.

4. For the final touch, secure peanut butter cups to the sides of each cookie for Frankenstein flair.

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Treetop Trail Mix

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A cereal-based snack mix is tops for any holiday party for kids. And Halloween treats for kids don’t come much easier than this trail mix. Even the youngest of kitchen helpers can help stir the four pantry staple ingredients together.

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Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

For a classic and easy Halloween treat for kids that skews delightful over frightful, bake a batch of festively decorated sugar cookies.

To make, follow these steps:

1. Use a Pumpkin-Shape Cookie Cutter ($2, Etsy) to cut pumpkins from rolled sugar cookie dough that's prepared according to your favorite recipe. Bake as directed.

2. Spread a layer of orange icing on the main portion of the pumpkin.

3. Add your favorite jack-o'-lantern face shapes to the pumpkin cookies using black icing, and cover the stems with green icing.

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Candy Corn Cupcakes

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Start with boxed cake mix and these cute ‘cakes come together in one, two, three. 1. Prepare the batter according to package instructions. 2. Bake. 3. Pipe with a tall stack of tinted frosting. Oh yes, and 4. Enjoy!

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Nine-Eyed Creature Cupcakes

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Keep those eyes on deck for these cute, cartoony cupcakes. Ask the kids to dress up the from-scratch chocolate cupcakes you baked with spikes of blue frosting. Before it hardens, they can add a little—or a lot—of icing and Candy Eye Balls ($3, Target) on top.

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Owl Cupcake

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Try this wise idea for creating cute Halloween cupcakes. Top a plain cupcake with purchased cookies and sliced almonds to get the look. This hooting fellow will be the star of your spread of snacks for a kid’s party.

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Candy Corn Marshmallow Pops

Melt, dip, and dry are the basic steps to enjoy these delightful marshmallow pops. These Halloween desserts make a pretty centerpiece in addition to being sweet treats.

To make, follow these steps:

1. Place orange-color and yellow-color candy coating disks in separate microwave-safe bowls. Microwave separately on high until melted and smooth, stopping to stir every 30 seconds.

2. Insert Orange Straws, ($5, Target) into bases of large marshmallows. Dip part or all of each marshmallow in candy coating, spooning it over if necessary and letting excess drip off into bowl.

3. If desired, sprinkle with orange and black nonpareils.

4. Lay marshmallows on waxed paper (or insert straws into florists foam to avoid a flat side) to let harden.

5. For two-layer candy corn marshmallows, omit the nonpareils. After the first coating layer has firmed up, dip the marshmallow in a second color of candy coating, keeping the first layer of coating visible. Let stand on waxed paper or in florists foam until coating is firm.

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Sweet White Chocolate Ghosts

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Invite some extra sweet spirits to your soiree. There’s something ghoulishly great about topping your favorite vanilla milkshake with a hauntingly cute white ghost! While they make a great Halloween treat for kids, you can also use these spooky Halloween sweets to top an adults-only drink while the kids sip their shakes.

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Little Monster Sandwich Cookies

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Don’t worry, these monster sandwich cookies won't bite! Soft chocolate-espresso cookies filled with rich orange mascarpone cream make for a spooky and fun snack for a kids party, especially when topped with big marshmallow eyes. (Speaking of which, have you ever tried your hand at homemade marshmallows?)

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Bloodshot Peanut Butter Eyeballs

You won't be able to take your eyes off these eerie Halloween peanut butter bites. These Halloween desserts are eye-catching and irresistible at any event, whether served as snacks for a kids party or added to the buffet at your adult get-together.

To make, follow these steps:

1. In a mixing bowl stir together 1/2 cup peanut butter and 3 tablespoons softened butter. Gradually add 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, stirring until combined. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper. Let stand until dry (about 20 minutes).

2. Chop 8 ounces vanilla-flavor white candy coating. Place in a heavy saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Dip balls, one at a time, into coating. Let excess coating drip off peanut butter balls. Place on waxed paper; let stand until coating is firm.

3. Use a clean small paintbrush and red food coloring to paint veins on the coated peanut butter balls.

4. Pipe small dots of black icing for pupils.

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Candy Corn Waffled Cake

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Don’t put away that Belgian Waffle Maker ($20, Target) after breakfast! It’s the key to acing the corny shape of these carrot cake-flavor treats. Simply cut your finished waffle into triangles. This semi-homemade Halloween dessert recipe is a cinch to cook up with kids since many of the ingredients you can just snag at the supermarket and assemble easily.

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Pumpkin Patch Shortbread Cookies

Who needs a patch when you have a batch of these cute decorated shortbread cookies? Celebrate autumn with a pumpkin patch-theme treat! Give kids the job of frosting and decorating these Halloween desserts for an ode to a favorite fall family activity. 

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Sparkling Blackbird Sugar Cookies

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Beady-eye blackbirds aren't so menacing when they're so sweet and snackable. Use bird-shape cookie cutters or sub in other black Halloween figures, such as a cat, witch, or bat. A brushing of corn syrup after baking is the trick to getting the black sugar coating to stick.

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Spooky Strawberry Pumpkin Patch

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Introducing: Our pick for the cutest Halloween fruit recipe! Candy-coated strawberries act as faux pumpkins in this candy crumble “patch.” 

Test Kitchen Tip: Take this Halloween dessert to the next level by building a cake foundation, frosting, then sprinkling on the cookie crumbles. Finish with the dipped strawberries and frosting "vine" decorations. 

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Goblin Cookie Truffles

Boo! These adorable little goblins are made from everyone's favorite snack: chocolate sandwich cookies. (Although you could also start with cake truffles…) Adding candy hats on top makes these Halloween cookie truffles frightfully good.

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Halloween S'mores

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You won't need a bonfire for these fright-night snacks. The beloved marshmallow sandwiches heat in the microwave for one of the quickest and easiest party dessert recipes our Test Kitchen has ever developed. Dip the edges of each treat in sprinkles or orange and yellow sugar to give these Halloween goodies extra flair.

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Graveyard Mousse Cups

If you've got a house full of chocolate-obsessives, these individual Halloween desserts are sure to be something all will dig. Kids will delight in decorating these chocolate mousse cups with edible bones, Gummy Worms, ($1, Target), and headstone cookies. Adults will adore the flashback to the dirt cups of youth.

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Tangled-Web Shakes

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Spin a sugary spiderweb to lure your party guests toward the Halloween dessert table. These thick caramel-chocolate shakes are eye-catching and taste bud-tempting all at once. Drizzled caramel and dark chocolate ice cream toppings create an oozing effect on the glass.

Test Kitchen Tip: Because the webs set up quickly, we recommend that a second person (such as your little sous chef!) add the salt as you drizzle each web.

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Dracula Mouth Cookies

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On this occasion, it’s okay for the kids to say, “bite me!” Halved chocolate oatmeal cookies make for a menacing mouth. Then get creative with red frosting “gums,” mini marshmallow “teeth,” and slivered almond “fangs.” 

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Chocolate Spidey Cupcakes

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No need to choose between cookies, cake, or candy. This mash-up recipe features all three in one sweet package. Stir together and bake a batch of vanilla cupcakes, then ask the kids to crawl on over to layer on the chocolate frosting, add black licorice “legs,” and finish with a chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie “body.”

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Bag of Bones Snack Mix