4 Easy & Festive Halloween Treats

What better way to get into the Halloween festivities than to celebrate with the best themed treats at your Halloween party? Sure, the classic Reese’s cup never does get old, and the typical candy corn will always be a fave. But why not spice it up a bit? Get into the holiday spirit by trying out these surprisingly easy and even better tasting Halloween-themed goodies!

Too Cute To Eat Owls

These adorable little guys will be the center of attention at your next Halloween party (and not to mention they are totally Instagram-worthy)! They’re super easy to make with just a few ingredients that are already lying around any on-campus apartment. Have fun piecing these together with some close friends and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 roll (16.5 oz.) of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough

¼ cup flour

32 Oreos

Chocolate frosting

16 brown M&M’s

8 orange M&M’s

Bake cookie dough as directed on packaging, and make sure you pinch a piece off the top of the dough so the owls have some ears. Then, for decorating, separate all the Oreo’s. Spread some chocolate frosting on the cookies and place the crème-sided cookies on top, crème side up. Time for the finishing touches: give the owls some M&M eyes and noses and voilà! You’ve got some wise and good-looking owls! Makes 16 servings.

Casper the Crunchy Ghost

Get ready for your new favorite peanut butter munchies this holiday. With only three simple ingredients, this snack is also perfect for some last-minute Halloween party prep. These are so easy you could make them in a dorm room!

Ingredients:

12 oz. white chocolate

1 package of Nutter Butter cookies

64 mini chocolate chips

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over a low-heated stove, and make sure you stir it to keep it smooth and liquidy. Then, stick a toothpick in the peanut butter part of the cookie and dip in the chocolate, or you could also use tongs to dip and coat. Let the excess chocolate drip off; finally place the ghosts on a cookie sheet or plate and place their chocolate eyes on each cookie! Arrange them in a Halloween-themed dish for everyone to adore. Makes 32 servings.

Classic Candy Corn: Revamped

Don’t you just wish you could give into the temptation this time of year as you walk down the candy aisle? Luckily there are some fun and easy ways to sneak in your old time absolute favorite Halloween candy into some real desserts. These cupcakes are creative yet delicious, and this technique can be used all year round – all you have to do is choose which colors suit you, or better yet, the holiday!

Ingredients:

1 package white cake mix

3 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

Yellow and orange food gel/coloring

Stir up all the ingredients (except for the food coloring), and then divide the entire batter into two separate and equal bowls. Now mix about ½ teaspoon of yellow food coloring into one bowl, and ½ teaspoon orange food coloring into the other. Place white cupcake liners in each slot of your cupcake tray, and pour yellow-colored batter into each of the cupcake slots—only about 1 tablespoon. Then, pour another tablespoon of orange-colored batter on top of the yellow batter; this will give the entire cupcake that multicolored candy corn look! Bake the cupcakes according to instructions on the box, and top off with a generous swirl of vanilla frosting and, of course, a candy corn! What a simple way to turn your childhood favorite into an actual dessert!

Creepy Crawler Whoopie Pies

These cakey treats are sure to fill your sweet tooth when the craving comes around. These do take a bit more time to prepare, but who doesn’t love treating themselves after a bit of work in the kitchen? And talk about a chocolate-lovers dream indulgence; you’ll be dying for seconds after just one bite.

Ingredients:

Whoopie Pie:

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix that includes pudding

3 large eggs

½ cup canola oil

½ cup water

Filling:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 jar marshmallow fluff

4 ounces softened cream cheese

2 teaspoons orange extract

Orange food coloring (or mix red and yellow)

Vanilla frosting

Plastic spider rings

To create the whoopie pie parts, just beat all those ingredients together to create a smooth batter. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and scoop a spoonful or two of batter onto cookie sheets about three inches apart. Bake for 11 minutes or until light and puffed up!

For the filling, mix together the butter and sugar (for extra fluffiness, use a mixer bowl). Add in marshmallow fluff, cream cheese, orange extract, and orange food coloring. Keep creaming these together until mixture is well blended and creamy.

Now the fun part! To make the whoopie pies, spread one or two tablespoons of filling onto the flat side of one pie, and top off with another. Ice the top cake with a spider-web design (it doesn’t have to be intricate) and a plastic spider ring. Happy indulging!

Now there’s no stopping your sweet cravings this season! These treats are sure to start the festivities off right. Have a little fun—besides, calories don’t count during the holidays…or at least that’s what I go by!

Sources: Owl Cookies, Ghost Cookies, Candy Corn Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies

Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5