Halloween is such a great little holiday. There’s not a whole lot of buildup, pressure, or hoopla–just one night of costumes and candy, with some spooky stuff thrown in for good measure. While I am a true holiday enthusiast and love them all for different reasons, I appreciate Halloween’s silliness and simplicity.
In the weeks and days leading up to the main event, since there isn’t a whole lot to prepare for, I love making themed treats and goodies with my kids. The kids delight in the spooky stuff, and we all appreciate the sugar rush. Give some of these super easy and fun Halloween treats a try!
Ghostly Cupcakes
Bake cupcakes using your favorite recipe or box mix. Cool. Using a large round tip, pipe white frosting, applying less pressure as you raise the piping bag to form a ghostly shape. Use mini chocolate chips for the eyes and large chocolate chips for the mouth. (Tip: apply the chips upside down for a smooth surface.)
Chocolate Chip Spider Cookies
These creepy critters come from Tastes Better From Scratch. Make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (or use the recipe from the link), saving some chocolate chips to stick in the top of each dough ball. Once baked, melt some chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave and transfer the melted chocolate into a plastic bag. Poke a TINY hole in one corner of the bag, and use the bag to pipe spider legs to some of the chocolate chips. Creepy and delicious!
Halloween Bark
Layer 1: Graham crackers
Layer 2: Almond bark, melted
Layer 3: Halloween snacks of any kind!
Let cool and cut or break into pieces. Easy to tailor to your tastes!
Poison Apple Cider
Garnish your glass of apple cider with a spooky wormy apple! Simply poke some holes through an apple slice with a skewer and insert gummy worms.
Clementine Jack O’Lanterns
The scariest part about this treat is trusting your kids with a Sharpie. Supervision encouraged!
Halloween Kettle Corn
In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar, a tsp of salt, and a few drops of food coloring. You will need to mix more if using gel coloring. Pour 1/4 cup oil in a large uncovered pot over medium-high heat. Place a few popcorn kernels in the pot. When the kernels begin to pop, add 1/2 cup popcorn kernels and colored sugar. Stir to mix and cover the pot. When the kernels begin to pop, gently shake the pot every few seconds to prevent burning. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue shaking pot until you hear 1-3 second between pops. Remove from heat and allow to cool briefly before adding sprinkles, candy, or other toppings.
Banana Ghosts
Bananas + chocolate chips. This is one treat the kids can do all on their own! OOooooOOOooo!
Pumpkin Patch Dirt Cups
Layer chocolate pudding “mud” and crushed Oreo “dirt,” and top with candy pumpkins and a sour gummy “vine.” I used my favorite homemade pudding recipe, but store-bought pudding would work just as well. Inspiration for these came from I Can Teach My Child, and my kids did all the assembly work!
Monster Eye Cake/Cookies
Monster Eye Cake: Make a white or yellow box cake mix according to instructions, and add green food coloring. After baking, top with cinnamon/sugar mix, sprinkles, and candy eyeballs.
Monster Eye Cookies: To a white or yellow box cake mix, add two eggs and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add green food coloring and chocolate chips. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. After baking, add sprinkles and candy eyeballs.
Candy Corn Butterfingers
With only 3 ingredients, these homemade butterfingers will help you get rid of your leftover candy corn (if you need help with that) and are just plain delicious.
Swirl Candy Apples
Don’t let these gorgeous candy apples intimidate you! They may be magnificently beautiful, but with plenty of tips and guidance in the recipe, you can totally handle it!
Rice Krispie Jack O’Lanterns
With just a few variations on the traditional Rice Krispie Treat recipe, you can make these cute Jack O’Lanterns.
Directions: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. Add 10 oz mini marshmallows and stir over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and quickly stir 12 drops yellow food coloring and 8 drops red food coloring. Then stir in 6 cups of Rice Krispie cereal. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, shape into balls and place a Hershey’s kiss on top for the stem and a green candy or dab of frosting for a leaf. Use a tube of accent frosting or gel to add a funny or spooky face.
Clean Up Tips: Coat your hands with butter when handling the mixture to prevent sticking. Also, for easier clean up, fill your saucepan with hot water immediately after finishing and let soak before scrubbing.
Halloween Cupcake Toppers
These Halloween-themed cupcakes are to die for! Find out how to decorate your cupcakes with four frightening variations: mummy, spider web (both 2D and 3D), and witch legs. Check it out here: No Tricks, Just Treats.
Toddler Treats
Make some cute toddler-friendly snacks, like banana ghosts, tangerine pumpkins, mummy dogs, and more! As a bonus, there are some fun crafts and activities for little ones here at Tricks and Treats for Toddlers.
Do you have any favorite Halloween treat traditions? Share them in the comments!
Have a fun and festive Halloween!
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