Halloween dessert ideas are my favorite part of party planning, and I’ve helped with enough spooky tables to know the sweets always go first. This list has 12 treats, from easy no-bake options to a few that are worth the extra time.
I grouped everything by type, so you can jump straight to pumpkin spice desserts, monster treats, or cakes and party table desserts.
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Pumpkin Spice Desserts
Fall flavors are a big part of Halloween dessert ideas, and these four all bring in pumpkin spice in different ways.
1. Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu
This is a pumpkin twist on classic tiramisu. Ladyfingers are layered with a smooth pumpkin filling in a rectangular dish and dusted with cocoa on top.
The coffee has bourbon in it and the filling has Marsala, so it’s best for the adults at your party.
It’s chilled before serving, which means you can make it ahead. Cut it into squares and serve it right from the dish.
You’ll find the full recipe at Joy the Baker.
2. Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
These are fudgy chocolate brownies cut into squares, with orange cheesecake swirled on top in little pumpkin shapes. Piped green vines finish each pumpkin.
The topping is a pumpkin-spiced cream cheese swirl, so each square has chocolate and pumpkin together. That makes them a good pick among Halloween dessert ideas if you want chocolate with a fall flavor.
They’re already cut into squares, so they’re easy to stack on a tray or plate. Each swirl looks a little different, so they don’t need to match.
The full recipe is at Flouring Kitchen.
3. Pumpkin Pop Tarts
These are pumpkin-shaped hand pies with a tan, cinnamon-colored icing and Halloween sprinkles on top, like orange, black, and little white ghosts.
Inside is a sweet pumpkin spice filling, and the icing adds a cinnamon flavor on top.
They’re easy to eat with one hand, which makes them one of the easiest Halloween dessert ideas to serve when guests are walking around. Set them out on a tray or a cooling rack.
You’ll find the full recipe at Lilies and Loafers.
4. Pumpkin Spice Halloween Rolls
These are soft, cinnamon-roll-style buns baked in one dish, with orange dough and a black swirl inside, topped with cream cheese frosting.
The name says pumpkin, but there’s no actual pumpkin in the recipe. The flavor comes from warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, so they also work for guests who don’t like pumpkin.
They bake in a single dish, so you can bring the whole pan to the table. They’re a good fit for a Halloween brunch.
The full recipe is at Still Busy Baking.
Monster & Creature Treats
Candy eyes go a long way. These four Halloween dessert ideas turn bars, cookies, and pies into little monsters, mummies, and bats.
5. Mummy Hand Pies
These are square hand pies with strips of dough across the top that look like mummy bandages, plus candy eyes. The fillings are apple and dark berry, and a little filling can ooze out at the edge.
They’re filled with jam, and apple pie jam works especially well. Using a few different jams gives guests a mix of flavors on one plate.
Add the candy eyes once the pies have cooled, then serve them on a platter. Mummies are one of the most recognizable Halloween dessert ideas, so they’re easy to spot on a dessert table.
You’ll find the full recipe at The Jam Jar Kitchen.
6. Spooky Twix Bars
These are shortbread bars with a caramel layer, dipped in dark chocolate and topped with flaky sea salt and candy eyes so they look like little monsters.
The caramel has apple cider in it, which gives a classic candy bar a fall twist. Bite into one and you’ll see the caramel center.
Set them out on a plate with a few dried mini pumpkins around them for extra Halloween styling.
The full recipe is at Half Baked Harvest.
7. No Bake Bat Oreo Cheesecake Bars
These are sliced cheesecake bars with a dark cookie crust, a light mocha-colored filling, and a shiny chocolate topping. Each bar has an Oreo bat on top, made from a whole cookie with cookie halves as wings, plus candy eyes and piped fangs.
They’re fully vegan and need no baking, so you won’t need the oven for these.
That makes them a good choice if some of your guests skip dairy. Just keep in mind the filling is made with cashews, so they aren’t nut-free. Slice them into bars for serving.
You’ll find the full recipe at The Little Blog of Vegan.
8. Halloween Monster Cookies
These are chewy cookies loaded with Halloween M&M’s, colorful sprinkles, and candy eyes.
They start with a chocolate chip cookie base, and the mix-ins make every cookie look a little different.
They’re easy to make in big batches, so they work well for kids’ parties and classroom treats. Pile them on a plate or tray to serve.
You’ll find the full recipe at If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen.
Cakes, Cupcakes & Party Table Desserts
Last up are the desserts that make a party table feel complete, from a cake with a surprise inside to a bar guests build themselves. These Halloween dessert ideas are made to be shared.
9. Halloween Hidden Shapes Chocolate Cake
This is a chocolate loaf cake with a shiny chocolate topping and Halloween sprinkles. Once you slice it, a bright orange pumpkin shape shows up in the middle.
The hidden shape can be a pumpkin, ghost, or bat, so you can pick the one that fits your party. Every slice has the shape in the center.
Slice it in front of your guests so they see the surprise for themselves.
The full recipe is at Sasha Cakes Chicago.
10. Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cake
This dessert looks like a little graveyard in a dish. It has crushed cookie “dirt,” cookie tombstones with “RIP” piped on them, and gummy worms poking out.
It’s a no-bake dessert, so it’s one of the easier Halloween dessert ideas to make. Plastic spiders are scattered around for decoration only, so take them off before you serve it.
Serve it right from the dish with a spoon.
You’ll find the full recipe at Culinary Hill.
11. Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes with Worm Gummies
These are chocolate cupcakes with piped chocolate cream cheese frosting, topped with crushed Oreo “dirt” and colorful sour gummy worms.
They’re the same idea as the graveyard dirt cake, just in single servings, so they make a nice match on the same table.
Guests can pick one up without a plate and spoon. Set them on a tray next to the dirt cake.
You’ll find the full recipe at Little Sunny Kitchen.
12. Caramel Apple Bar
This is a build-your-own dessert. A slow cooker of hot water keeps five mason jars of dip warm, with a few caramel flavors and one lighter dip, and sliced green and red apples are set out for dipping.
The toppings go in small bowls or a muffin tin: sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies, toffee bits, pretzel crumbs, coconut, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and graham cracker crumbs. Guests build their own, so it’s one of the best Halloween dessert ideas for a crowd.
Soak the apple wedges briefly in salted water and pat them dry so they don’t brown while guests dip.
The full recipe is at Chelsea’s Messy Apron.
My Amazon Picks
If you want to shop some of the tools and supplies for these desserts, like serving trays, dessert bowls, and Halloween-themed plates, you can find a few of my go-to picks on my Amazon page.
Wrapping It Up
That’s my full list of Halloween dessert ideas. You don’t need to make all 12, so pick a few from each group that fit your time and your guest list, and mix a couple of easy options with one showpiece.
Which one are you most excited to make? Drop it in the comments and let me know.
If you’re planning the rest of the party too, you might like this one too:
- 35 Easy Halloween Party Food Ideas That Will Make Your Guests Scream for More — this one covers the savory side of the table, so you’ll have snacks and bites to go with all these desserts
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