6 Homemade Halloween Treats Sure to Scare and Satisfy

by | Oct 2020

Halloween Cupcakes

Photos: Tate Carlson

Enjoy homemade Halloween treats for friends and family.

As the sun and the moon trade spots in the Halloween sky, many streets and neighborhoods teem with adorably-costumed, candy-seeking kids; teens eager for sweets (but less inclined to don a costume); and parents, many of whom relish escorting their kids on the annual candy rounds.

If you don’t have trick or treating-age kids, don’t worry. Head on out! For adults, Halloween is turning into a progressive party of sorts—the last chance for house-to-house visits before snow and cold separates neighbors until the spring thaw.

If you’re feeling Halloween hospitality vibes, our goody-loving editorial team pulled together some sweet treats and beverages for you to offer your neighbors. Set up an outdoor food and beverage table, fire up a portable fire pit (safely, of course), and take a seat on your driveway or yard for a front row view of Halloween 2020.

Monster Cupcakes

(Contributed by Beth Hill of Woodbury and adapted from Ghoulish Goodies: Creature Feature Cupcakes, Monster Eyeballs, Bat Wings, Funny Bones, Witches’ Knuckles, and Much More! by Sharon Bowers)

Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients for assembly:

  • 1 container cream cheese frosting, colored with green paste food coloring
  • 18 large marshmallows
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 18 pretzel sticks
  • Chocolate sprinkles or other candy for faces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin pan cups with paper liners.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice into a medium bowl, and set aside. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Blend in pumpkin puree, buttermilk and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and blend until combined. Spoon the batter into liners. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Cool and assemble.

Caramel Apple Bites

(Kowalski’s Markets)

  • Knudsen’s Hand-wrapped caramels, sliced into fourths
  • 2 apples, cored and cubed

Skewer several apple cubes with a piece of caramel on four-inch bamboo skewers or party picks. Serve immediately.

Zombtini

(Contributed by Cindy Erickson of Woodbury)

Zombtini

  • 1 oz. white rum
  • 2 oz. melon liqueur
  • 1 oz. 100 percent pineapple juice
  • ½ oz. Sprite
  • Grenadine
  • Ice
  • Plastic eyeball for garnish

Combine ice, rum, melon liqueur and juice in a martini shaker, and shake well. Pour into a martini glass (2/3 full), and add Sprite. Drizzle grenadine over the top with a spoon. Add (but don’t eat!) the eyeball.

Salted Nut Rolls

(Contributed by Renée Stewart-Hester)

Center

  • 2 lbs. powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup corn syrup
  • 2/3 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Caramel

  • 12 oz. peanut butter chips
  • 2/3 cup corn syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • ¼ cup butter

Coating

  • Peanuts, blanched and salted

Mix center ingredients, and kneed well. Roll into balls or small logs, and place in the freezer. Melt the caramel ingredients together, and dip the frozen balls/logs into the caramel. Roll them in salted, blanched peanuts. Place on waxed paper to set.

Salted Nut Roll Shot

(Pinterest)

For guests who’d rather have a sip, try this nod to a classic Minnesota candy bar.

  • 3/4 part RumChata liqueur
  • 1/4 part butterscotch schnapps
  • Salt

Dip the top of a shot glass with salt or sprinkle some in the glass, and add in the liqueur and schnapps.

Spooky Spiked Halloween Punch

(conservamome.com)

  • 1 cup orange soda
  • 1/3 cup pinot grigio
  • 1 scoop vanilla bean ice cream

Combine the wine and ice cream in a glass. Add orange soda, and stir together.

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