6 Scary-Simple Halloween Treats to Make With Kids

Remember when you were a kid and Halloween was the most exciting day of fall? Resurrect that joy and make some Halloween-themed treats with the kiddos in your life. These tasty treats showcase the best of spooky season. Tackle a couple each weekend in October to extend the Halloween vibes or make all six at once for the big night.

1. SPIDERWEB GANACHE BROWNIES

Cue the “whhhhhoas” from your kid helpers when you teach them this clever decorating trick. Start by baking a batch of our Peanut Butter Swirl Skillet Brownies. Then, microwave 1 cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup heavy cream in 15 second bursts until smooth, stirring in between. Pour over the brownies, then use an offset spatula or a flexible spatula to smooth it to the edges. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and ¼ cup heavy cream until you have a smooth, pourable glaze. Transfer to a decorating squeeze bottle or a plastic zip top bag with a small bit of the tip snipped off. Starting at the center of the brownies, make a spiral pattern with the icing, working toward the edge. Then, use a toothpick to draw lines straight out from the center to the edge to create a spider web pattern. Serve the fudgy wedges with ice cream.

2. HAUNTED GRAVEYARD DIRT PIE

Embrace Halloween with a haunted graveyard dirt pie. It’s simple to make: Fill your Small Roasting Pan or a baking dish with chocolate pudding. Top with a layer of crushed chocolate cream cookies to make dirt, then nestle gummy worms and pumpkin-shaped candy corn into the surface. Use melted chocolate to draw gravestone messages like "RIP" on oblong cookies such as Milanos ™ or Nutter Butters ™ and sink them in so they poke out at wonky angles. If you can find it, threads of white cotton candy spread about gives the dessert a delightfully creepy vibe. Serve with cookies for dipping or scoop into individual serving dishes.

3. EVIL MONSTER RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Get ready to dazzle at the school bake sale. Tint a batch of Rice Krispie Treats with green food coloring. Next, press into round, puck-like shapes and top with candy eyes (bonus points for various eye sizes). Alternatively, tint the mixture orange and shape the treats into round pumpkin shapes. Press a short piece of green rope candy into the top to make a pumpkin stem.

4. EASY GHOSTIES

Lean into the cuter side of Halloween with easy "mummy cookies." Microwave 1 cup white chocolate chips or white candy melts in 15 second bursts until smooth, stirring in between. Dunk the top two-thirds of an oblong cookie such as Milanos™ or Nutter Butters™ to coat, then use a fork to drizzle horizontal lines to make the mummy’s “bandages.” Press two candy eyes into the top. Repeat with remaining cookies.

5. CANDY CORN CAKE

Bake your favorite cake recipe in two 9-inch cake pans. Divide 1 batch vanilla frosting into three bowls and use food coloring to tint one bowl yellow and one bowl orange, leaving one bowl white. Place the bottom layer on a cake stand or serving plate and frost it yellow. Top with the second layer and first the top with white, leaving the sides bare. Spread orange frosting on the sides of the cake. Use a clean knife to gently smudge the frosting between orange and yellow layers and orange and white layers to give it an ombre effect. Decorate the top with candy corn or follow the dirt pie instructions to create a graveyard effect. 

6. BLOODY EYEBALL SUGAR COOKIES

Bake a batch of sugar cookies. Once cool, frost with white icing or frosting. Using black gel icing, place a round black dot in the center of the cookies. Then, use red gel icing to create the bloody veins of the eyes. Or you can tint the frosting green and top with candy eyes in random patterns to make monster cookies.

Feeling inspired to attempt these boo-tiful treats on your own? To anyone who's jealous of your Halloween domination, just say, "Witch, please."