There’s more to Halloween sweets than just trick or treating. This spooky season, we’re baking with plenty of pumpkin, throwing candy into cookies, and even mummifying our hand pies. Want to join us? Here are our 13 best Halloween recipes to enjoy all October long.

chocolate cookies decorated as jack o lanterns on a plate Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
This cookie appeals to decorators of all levels. 

1) Black Cocoa Halloween Cookies 

These thin, crispy, and chocolatey cookies transform into a Halloween treat with a simple brush of orange glaze. (And if you’re feeling more ambitious, break out your piping bag to create a family of jack-o’-lanterns.) To achieve that black-as-night appearance and deep cocoa flavor, black cocoa is an essential ingredient.

Get the recipe: Black Cocoa Halloween Cookies 

Shop the recipe: Black Cocoa 

Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake Photography by John Sherman; food styling by Liz Neily
The duo of pumpkin and espresso is for more than just lattes. 

2) Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake 

Can’t get enough pumpkin? Add a swirl of espresso (PSL, anyone?), and bake it in a beautiful, autumn-themed Bundt pan. Plus, this cake gets big flavor from the addition of whole grains and is dairy-free.  

Get the recipe: Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake 

Shop the recipe: Autumn Wreath Pan

Mummy Hand Pies Photography and food styling by Liz Neily
Candy eyes are the finishing touch to these adorable-yet-spooky hand pies

3) Mummy Hand Pies 

These hand pies are almost too cute to eat, but we can’t resist a buttery, flaky pie crust, no matter how adorable these hand-held, fruit-filled treats might be. Opt for a red jam or pie filling, such as strawberry or cherry, to really make those frightening mummy faces ooze.

Get the recipe: Mummy Hand Pies 

Shop the recipe: Blake Hill Montmorency Tart Cherry Pie Filling

Spider Web Brownies Photography and food styling by Liz Neily
Fudgy brownies get a creepy-crawly twist with cream cheese spider web decorations.

4) Spider Web Brownies 

A batch of fudgy brownies is always in season, but a simple cream cheese decoration makes these a haunted delight. A simple piping technique creates a spider web effect and adds a touch of rich tang to chocolatey brownies.  

Get the recipe: Spider Web Brownies 

Shop the recipe: Double Dark Cocoa Blend 

chocolate sandwich cookies with orange filling on a plate Photography and food styling by Liz Neily
Move over, store-bought sandwich cookies

5) Faux-reos 

A hint of orange natural food dye gives our homemade version of these classic cookies a Halloween makeover. Once you’ve had the homemade version of these ultra-chocolatey and creamy cookies, you'll never go back to store-bought.

Get the recipe: Faux-Reos 

Shop the recipe: Black Cocoa and Natural Food Colors Set

Halloween themed mini skull cakes with dry ice Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Spook your guests with eerie skulls.

6) Halloween Skull Cakes 

Give your guests a fright with these chocolate skull cakes. A decorative pan does most of the work for you — so you can serve these little cakes as-is or make them even spookier with candy eyes or frosted teeth.

Get the technique: Halloween Skull Cakes

Shop the recipe: Haunted Skull Cakelette Pan 

Sourdough Ginger Pumpkin Bread Photography by Kristen Teig; Food Styling by Liz Neily
Skip the usual centerpiece and enjoy this pumpkin-shaped sourdough loaf.

7) Sourdough Ginger Pumpkin Bread 

Prefer to eat your pumpkin instead of carving it? This adorably shaped loaf of sourdough bread is flavored with pumpkin pie spice and crystallized ginger and, despite its appearance, is surprisingly easy to shape. Skip the decorative centerpiece in favor of this beautiful edible one.

Get the recipe: Sourdough Ginger Pumpkin Bread 

Shop the recipe: Pumpkin Pie Spice

Black Sesame Cake Rick Holbrook
Black sesame powder and black tahini give this cake a midnight-black hue and deeply nutty flavor. 

8) Black Sesame Cake 

This jet-black cake is a tahini lover’s dream. Black sesame powder and black tahini add an intensely nutty flavor to this fine-crumbed cake. To bring the sesame flavor over the top, use shards of sesame brittle to decorate. 

Get the recipe: Black Sesame Cake 

Shop the recipe: Round Layer Cake Pan Set 

Pumpkin Swirl Cake Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
The easiest cake decoration comes from a decorative loaf pan. 

9) Pumpkin Swirl Cake 

There’s beauty on the inside and outside in this stunning loaf cake. Vanilla and pumpkin-flavored batters are swirled together and baked in a decorative pan, so this moist cake doesn’t need any extra adornment. 

Get the recipe: Pumpkin Swirl Cake 

Shop the recipe: Sunflower and Pumpkin Loaf Pan 

Monster Cookies Photography by Danielle Sykes; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
You may want to break into the candy stash early to make these cookies

10) Monster Cookies 

Just like Frankenstein's monster is pieced together from various parts, these ghoulishly good cookies fuse together peanut butter, oats, crunchy pretzels, and M&Ms into a craveable cookie. Make these extra-scary with a few sugar candy eyes. It’s alive!

Get the recipe: Monster Cookies

Shop the recipe: Chiptastic Chocolate Chip Blend 

Carol's Caramel Corn Photography by Mark Weinberg; food styling by Erin McDowell
Need a little salty snack to go with your sweet treats? Look no further. 

11) Carol’s Caramel Corn 

Sweet, salty, and very hard to stop eating, this caramel corn would be a wonderful addition to any Halloween party. And because this recipe makes a whopping 15 cups, there’s plenty to go around.

Get the recipe: Carol’s Caramel Corn 

Shop the recipe: Half-Sheet Parchment Paper

Spider web cheesecake surrounded by mini pumpkins Rossi Anastopoulo
Whipped cream and chocolate ganache are the key to creating this fun webbed effect on your favorite cheesecake. 

12) Spider Web Cheesecake 

Spider web designs are a fun and easy way to add a touch of spookiness to your desserts — all you need is whipped cream and chocolate ganache. Start with a base like our Easy Cheesecake recipe, then spread an even layer of whipped cream on top. Next, make a simple ganache (it’s just melted chocolate and heavy cream!) and pipe concentric circles around the center, like a target and bullseye. Finally, drag a toothpick through the center several times to create a sweet-yet-spooky spider web effect. Learn the full technique here: How to decorate spider web cheesecake.

Get the recipe: Easy Cheesecake 

Shop the recipe: Pastry Bags and Tips Set

Apple Cider Caramels Photography and food styling by Liz Neily
When it comes to Halloween candy, nothing compares to these homemade caramels.

13) Apple Cider Caramels 

There’s plenty of candy to go around during Halloween, but even the best houses for trick-or-treating won’t have these homemade caramels. Make them just for yourself or prepare to gain a new reputation on the block for the best candy.

Get the recipe: Apple Cider Caramels 

Shop the recipe: Boiled Cider

Stock your kitchen with everything you need for Halloween and fall baking!

Cover photo (Black Cocoa Halloween Cookies) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne. 

Jump to Comments
Tagged:
Filed Under: Recipes
A headshot of Tatiana Bautista
The Author

About Tatiana Bautista

Tatiana Bautista is a writer, editor, and avid home baker and cook. She grew up on Long Island, New York, where her family helped instill a lifelong love of food through homestyle Toisanese dishes and weekly outings for dim sum. From a young age, she’s had an interest in baking thanks to her aunt, w...
View all by Tatiana Bautista