Gather your little ghouls and goblins to help with these goodies.
By Macie ReynoldsPublished: Oct 27, 2026
Calling all little ghouls, goblins, and kitchen witches! Halloween is the perfect excuse to roll up your sleeves, make a delicious mess, and whip up some spooky sweets. Whether you're planning a family-friendly monster bash, prepping treats for a classroom party, or just looking for a fun afternoon activity, making Halloween desserts with kids is a sweet way to celebrate the season. Little monsters can help mix, dip, decorate, and sneak a few tasty bites along the way!
And don't worry: The only scary thing about these recipes is how easy they are to make! From cookies decorated as haunted houses and candied apples dipped in melted sweets to candy corn popcorn balls and monster bark covered in colorful candies, there's something for every little ghoul to get excited about. Plus, these treats don't have to look perfect to be a hit. A few extra sprinkles, silly candy eyes, and wobbly icing designs are all part of the fun!
Some recipes may need a little grown-up help with the oven or stovetop, but kids can take over when it's time for the creative touches. Set out bowls of frosting, candies, and sprinkles, and let their imaginations run wild. Pair your baking session with some Halloween crafts, and you've got a frightfully fun way to spend time together. After all, the best Halloween memories are often the sweetest ones!
1Haunted House Cookies
These cookies are a spooky twist on gingerbread houses! Kids can decorate chocolate cookies with royal icing, Halloween candies, and sprinkles to create their own creepy-cute masterpieces.
Get Ree’s Haunted House Cookies recipe.
2Witch’s Chow
Forget puppy chow—this Halloween, it's all about the witch's chow! This sweet-and-salty snack mix is loaded with cereal squares, candy eyeballs, and Halloween-colored chocolates, making it a fun recipe for kids to help toss together before digging in by the handful.
Get Ree’s Wich’s Chow recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Bat Cupcakes
These bats won't bite, but they might disappear pretty quickly! Turn delicious chocolate cupcakes into adorable night creatures with Oreo cookie wings, candy eyes, and tiny fangs.
Get the Bat Cupcakes recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below4Witch Finger Pretzels
Get ready to cast a spell on your Halloween snack table! Kids will enjoy turning pretzel rods into spooky digits with a green chocolate coating and almond fingernails.
Get Ree’s Witch Finger Pretzels recipe.
5Halloween Dirt Cups
These Halloween dirt cups are filled with creamy pudding, crushed chocolate cookies, and gummy worms for a creepy-cute treat. Kids can get their hands dirty layering everything together!
Get Ree’s Halloween Dirt Cups recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below6Spider Cookies
These spideys are less creepy and more cute! They're made with miniature peanut butter cups and chocolate-covered peanuts or raisins for the "spider body," while black icing adds little legs.
Get the Spider Cookies recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Candied Apples
This recipe gives a tasty twist to a classic Halloween treat thanks to a cinnamon candy coating of Red Hots. It’s a great family activity as kids can help dip the apples and watch the candy harden into a glossy finish.
Get the Candied Apples recipe.
8Monster Bark
No monster mash is complete without monster bark! To make it, use crispy graham crackers as a base, topped with bright green and purple candy melts for a festive, swirled design. Little hands can then add sprinkles and candy eyeballs for a spooky look.
Get Ree's Monster Bark recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Candy Corn Popcorn Balls
For an activity that really pops, make these treats using freshly popped popcorn, melty marshmallows, sweet candy corn, and salty roasted peanuts. The mix is shaped into delightfully chewy balls using greased hands, making the process interactive for everyone involved.
Get Ree's Candy Corn Popcorn Balls recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below10Mummy Pretzels
Easy to make and customize, these sweet-and-salty snacks use pretzel rods dipped in smooth, melted white candy coating to form the base. Drizzle more candy coating to mimic mummy wraps, and finish with candy eyes for an adorably eerie touch.
Get the Mummy Pretzels recipe.
11Candy Corn Cookies
Chewy cookies, filled with white chocolate chips and topped with candy corn, are a great treat to bake with kids. The dough can be prepared ahead of time for convenient assembly during a family activity.
Get the Candy Corn Cookies recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below12Candy Corn Bark
Make Halloween even more exciting with vibrant and tasty bark! This creative treat starts with a base of graham crackers layered with melted white, orange, and yellow candy. Then everyone can add candy-coated chocolates and sprinkles for a festive finish.
Get Ree's Candy Corn Bark recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Halloween Brownies
If your little monsters love chocolate, this is for them! The rich, fudgy treats are topped with a chocolate glaze and decorated with an exciting mix of candies like mini chocolate bars, M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, and even candy corn.
Get the Halloween Brownies recipe.
14Pumpkin Spice Cereal Treats
Their favorite cereal treats get a festive finish with this recipe! Plus, the crispy rice cereal layers—one classic, one pumpkin pie spice-flavored—are so easy to make. Tinted with festive food coloring, the layers come together to create a sweet, spiced treat.
Get Ree's Pumpkin Spice Cereal Treats recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Concession Stand Crackers
Transform Halloween leftovers into entertainment when you gather the kids to make these no-bake treats that involve dipping crackers in melty chocolate and hazelnut spread, before topping them with chopped Halloween candies.
Get Ree's Concession Stand Crackers recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below16Cookie-Coated Caramel Apples
For this fun, hands-on activity, start with fresh apples, then have the kiddos dip them in homemade caramel, and roll them in crushed chocolate cookies. The gooey caramel paired with the crunchy cookie coating makes these treats both neat to create and delicious to eat.
Get Ree's Cookie-Coated Caramel Apples recipe.
Ghost Cupcakes
The ghosts on your little one's cupcakes may not turn out exactly like these, but they'll still be uniquely boo-tiful! The cupcake comes together with boxed chocolate cake mix while the ghostly topper is pure buttercream frosting, piped into three stacked, round dollops. Add mini chocolate chips for the eyes!
Get the Ghost Cupcakes recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below18Nutella Krispie Treats
These gooey delights combine marshmallows, Nutella, Rice Krispies, and more mini marshmallows for a crispy, chocolaty treat. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with toasted pecans for a finishing touch.
Get Ree's Nutella Krispie Treats recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Halloween Cake Balls
Small ghouls and goblins will have the best time shaping and decorating these spook-tacular creatures. They're made by blending crumbled cake with frosting, forming into balls, and coating with melted chocolate. Kids can add details with gel icing and sprinkles.
Get Ree's Halloween Cake Balls recipe.
20Sandwich Cookie Eyeballs
Aren't these eyeball cookies a total scream? They're super simple to put together, too! Transform your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies into creepy treats when you twist open the cookies, pipe with gel icing, and top with a brown M&M for the iris.
Get Ree's Sandwich Cookie Eyeballs recipe.
Watch Next
Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowHalloween
These Halloween Dessert Recipes Are Scary Good
What Halloween Looked Like 100 Years Ago
The Most Work-Appropriate Halloween Costumes
Halloween Dinner Ideas Before Trick-or-Treating
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
The Drummond Family’s Best Halloween Memories
Last-Minute Halloween Party Foods to Conjure Up
Last-Minute Costumes You Can Make on Halloween
What to Do If You’re Staying in on Halloween Night
What to Watch All Halloween Week!
When to Watch 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
20 Halloween Party Food Ideas That Are Scary Good
What is Chocolate Bloom and is It Safe to Eat?
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below