There’s something so special about fall foods. They make you feel warm, happy, and at home. And when they’re paired with the right fall movie or TV show, what could be more perfect than that?! So, here are the best desserts for you to make with your friends on your Halloween movie night, with your significant other on a cute fall-themed date, with your family for some fun bonding, or even by yourself on a lovely treat-yourself day!
- Gilmore Girls: Candy-Loaded Fudge
-
Number one on my list, my all-time favorite, the best wholesome show full of autumn essence: Gilmore Girls. The beautiful foliage of Stars Hollow drops you right in the middle of fall no matter what time of year you watch. So, if you want a full-fledged Lorelai and Rory binge-watching experience, make some indulgent fudge squares covered in all your favorite candies and snacks! I love the idea of including some pretzels, popcorn, or chips on your fudge for a sweet-and-salty vibe.
- Harry Potter Marathon: Butterbeer Floats
-
A Harry Potter marathon is a great idea for a quarantine activity with your besties! It’s going to take you nearly 20 hours without any breaks to watch all eight movies, but you’re strong! You’re resilient! You’re still going to need a pick-me-up though, so make a butterbeer float to feel just like you’re sitting in the Three Broomsticks. Mix some cream soda with butterscotch syrup, and top it off with caramel and your favorite ice cream (I recommend butter crunch).
- Hocus Pocus: Witch’s Hat Cupcakes
-
Hocus Pocus is my favorite Halloween movie! It’s so funny and timeless, I could watch it on repeat forever. If you want to honor the Sanderson sisters while you watch, make some adorable witch’s hat cupcakes. Bake up any flavor of cupcakes with your favorite recipe and make a flat layer of frosting on top. Then cut a sugar ice cream cone in half, coat it in black frosting, and place it on top of your cupcake. It’s so cute and easy! If you want to spice up your cupcakes, cut a hole in the center before you frost (not all the way through the bottom!) and fill it with chocolate, jelly, sprinkles, or anything you’d like!
- The Addams Family: Haunted Gingerbread House
-
It’s always Halloween with The Addams Family! I personally prefer The Addams Family Values, but that’s set in the summer, so let’s stick with the first movie for our autumnal purposes. One of the most iconic things about The Addams Family is their wacky scary house. So, pay some homage to it by decorating a haunted gingerbread house! You can buy these at the store, so if baking isn’t your thing but you’ve still got a creative eye, then this is the choice for you. Or, if you love baking and you want to go the extra mile, practice baking your own gingerbread to prep for the winter!
- Halloweentown: Popcorn Balls
-
I think we all get some pleasant flashbacks to our childhoods when we watch Halloween Town. This was the movie that was playing in the background while you sorted and traded your candy after trick-or-treating, the one you watched when your friends came over for a Halloween playdate in elementary school, and the one that the teacher turned on during your class Halloween party. To go along with this, make the ultimate childhood Halloween snack: popcorn balls. I always loved it when I got one of these while trick-or-treating, so let yourself feel like a kid again and bake some up! And feel free to pop a couple of extra kernels to snack on while you do.
- Fantastic Mr. Fox: Apple Cider Donuts
-
Roald Dahl’s books were always my favorite reads when I was younger, and I was so excited when they released a beautiful movie version of Fantastic Mr. Fox. This movie has awesome animation, and amazing autumn scenery and color schemes; I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it. So, while you watch this classic, honor Mr. Bean’s cider and make some apple cider donuts of your own! I definitely recommend buying apples or cider from your local farm if possible, because it’ll help make them taste all the fresher and yummier.
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!: Mini Pumpkin Pies
-
I absolutely love Charlie Brown. I have a different Charlie-Brown-themed phone wallpaper for every season, and for Halloween, it’s Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. When I watch this in a few weeks, I’m going to be baking mini pumpkin pies while I do. Making pumpkin pie in muffin tins makes it so much easier to share and reduces mess. Plus, I think the crust is the best part, and you get a ton of that this way. I like to top mine with some whipped cream and a little extra cinnamon. If you want to be super festive, try and find some fall-themed muffin liners!
- Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Apple Crisp
-
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a great choice for people who want to watch something a little darker and more modern this Halloween season. I really like the new spooky take this show took on the original sit-com. My favorite thing about watching this show is seeing all the delicious meals Aunt Hilda makes, and I just know she makes a killer apple crisp. This one is super easy to make because you can go out and buy some apple pie filling if you aren’t interested in peeling and slicing a bunch of apples. I like to make mine with a ton of crisp toppings, but you can make yours however you’d like!
- Ghostbusters: Worms-in-Jell-O
-
Ghostbusters is a great Halloween movie option for people who are into the classics, and I recommend watching it while eating worms-in-Jell-O. Now, this one isn’t the most conventional dessert, but I love it. It’s like a fruity take on worms-in-dirt. Instead of putting gummy worms in chocolate pudding, put some sour gummy worms into your green Jell-O. I recommend using green Jell-O to match the vibes of all the green slime in the movie, but it can be done with any flavor.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas: Spooky Cake Pops
-
Finally, everyone’s favorite, The Nightmare Before Christmas. This movie has so many iconic songs and characters that we all love, and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like it. So, if you want to get really creative while you watch, make some spooky cake pops! Melt some different colored chocolates and try and decorate your cake pops to look just like the characters. This is a great idea for a group watch party full of super creative people!
Well, I hope you’ve gotten some inspiration for some desserts to make, whether you’re more of an autumn foliage fall-lover, or if you just can’t wait for Halloween. We all need some fun ideas for activities while social distancing, and baking while watching movies or TV is something that you can do with anyone, no matter who you’re quarantining with!