There's more to Halloween candy than just trick-or-treating. This spooky season, we're baking lots of pumpkins, popping candy into cookies, and even mummifying hand pies. Want to join us? Here are our top 13 Halloween recipes to enjoy throughout October.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1) Dark Cocoa Halloween Cookies
These thin, crunchy, chocolate chip cookies are transformed into a Halloween treat with a simple brush of orange glaze. (And if you're feeling more ambitious, break out the piping bag to create a family of lanterns.) To achieve that black-as-night look and deep cocoa flavor, dark cocoa is an essential ingredient.
Get the recipe: Dark Cocoa Halloween Cookies
Buy the recipe: Black cocoa
Photography by John Sherman; food styling by Liz Neily
2) Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake
Can't get enough pumpkin? Add a swirl of espresso (PSL, anyone?) and bake in a pretty fall-themed Bundt pan. Plus, this cake gets great flavor from the addition of whole grains and is dairy-free.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Espresso Bundt Cake
Buy the recipe: Fall wreath pan
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
3) Mom's Hand Pies
These hand pies are almost too cute to eat, but we can't resist a buttery, cracker pie crust, no matter how adorable these fruit-filled treats can be. Choose a red jam or pie filling, such as strawberry or cherry, to really make those spooky zombie faces ooze.
Get the recipe: Mother's hand pie
Buy the recipe: Blake Hill Montmorency Cherry Pie Filling
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
4) Spider Web Brownies
A batch of gooey brownies is always in season, but a simple cream cheese topping makes these a decadent delight. A simple piping technique creates a spider web effect AND adds a rich flavor to the chocolate brownie.
Get the recipe: Spider brownies
Buy the recipe: Double Dark Cocoa Blend
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
5) Faux-reos
A hint of natural orange food coloring gives our homemade version of these classic cookies a Halloween twist. Once you've had the homemade version of these ultra-chocolatey and creamy cookies, you'll never go back to the store.
Get the recipe: Faux-Reos
Buy the recipe: Black cocoa AND Natural food coloring set
Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
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 treats as is or make them even more scintillating with sweet eyes or frosty teeth.
Get the technique: Skull Cakes for Halloween
Buy the recipe: Haunted Skull Pan
Photography by Kristen Teig; Food Styling by Liz Neily
7) Pumpkin Ginger Sourdough Bread
Prefer to eat your pumpkin instead of carving it? This delightfully 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 edible beauty.
Get the recipe: Sourdough Pumpkin Gingerbread
Buy the recipe: Pumpkin Pie Spice
Rick Holbrook
8) Black sesame cake
This black cake is a tahini lover's dream. Black sesame powder and black tahini add a strong nutty flavor to this finely ground cake. To bring the sesame flavor to the top, use sesame brittle to garnish.
Get the recipe: Black sesame cake
Buy the recipe: Round layer cake set
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
9) Pumpkin Swirl Cake
There is beauty within AND out in this amazing bread cake. Vanilla flavored batter and pumpkin are rolled together and baked in a decorative pan, so this moist cake doesn't need any extra embellishments.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Swirl Cake
Buy the recipe: Sunflower and pumpkin casserole
Photography by Danielle Sykes; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
10) Monster Cookies
Just like Frankenstein's monster is pieced together from disparate parts, these insanely good cookies combine peanut butter, oats, crunchy pretzels, and M&Ms into one desirable cookie. Make these extra scary with some candy eyes. It's alive!
Get the recipe: Monster Cookies
Buy the recipe: Chiptastic Chocolate Mix
Photography by Mark Weinberg; food styling by Erin McDowell
11) Carol's Caramel Corn
Sweet, salty, and too hard to eat, this caramel corn would make a great addition to any Halloween party. And because this recipe makes 15 cups, there's plenty to go.
Get the recipe: Carol's Caramel Corn
Buy the recipe: Half-sheet parchment paper
Rossi Anastopoulos
12) Spider Web Cheesecake
The spider web design is a fun and easy way to add a touch of whimsy to your cakes – all you need is whipped cream and chocolate ganache. Start with a base like ours Light cheesecake recipe, then spread an even layer of whipped cream on top. Then, make one plain ganache (it's just melted chocolate and heavy cream!) and concentric circles around the center, like a target and bullseye. Finally, drag a toothpick through the center a few times to create a sweet yet creepy spider web effect. Learn the full technique here: How to decorate cheesecake with spider webs.
Get the recipe: Light cheesecake
Buy the recipe: Set for pastry bags and tips
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
13) Apple cider candies
There's plenty of candy to go around on Halloween, but even the best haunted houses won't have this homemade candy. Make them just for yourself or get ready to earn a new reputation on the block for the best desserts.
Get the recipe: Apple Cider Candies
Buy the recipe: Boiled cider
Buy your kitchen with everything you need for Halloween and fall baking!
Cover photo (Dark Cocoa Halloween Cookies) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
