Ways to Celebrate Halloween: DIY Treats to Dressing Up

by Shannon Salzano

Ways to Celebrate Halloween: DIY Treats to Dressing Up

Introduction

We firmly believe that age is a state of mind, and holidays like Halloween can be fun no matter how old you are. While your days of trick-or-treating may be behind you, there are many ways to celebrate this spooky holiday. Halloween parties have become the popular activity for adults come October 31st, but deciding what to bring to share with the other ghosts and goblins can be pretty scary. Say “Happy Halloween!” with our expertly crafted list of sweet and savory treats, diy halloween desserts, and all around bone-chilling good times.

Why Easy Treats are Essential for a Halloween Bash

From apple picking and hayrides to school functions and getting ready for the winter holidays, the fall can be an action packed time. Finding time on the calendar to spend all day baking or shipping might not be an option for most, so it’s key to find easy desserts that don’t take a load of time. Whipping a quick treat to bring to a Halloween party or outting means you have more time to enjoy all of fall’s festivities.

Pumpkin Coffee-Cake Cake

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The cake that sold out in 10 days is back by popular demand! We bake a vanilla cake and layer it with cinnamon goo (yes, it’s a thing), crunchy cinnamon streusel, pumpkin cheesecake filling, and pumpkin frosting—then top this beauty with the *best* part of coffee cake, heaps of coffee cake topping. Full on fall, and perfect for every seasonal celebration.

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Factors to Consider when Choosing a Treat to Make

Picking the perfect item to bring to a Halloween party requires considering a few key factors: time, audience, and party theme. First you will want to consider how much time you have to create something to bring, maybe you have all day to spend in the kitchen creating something from scratch or maybe you need to find a way to fancy up some premade items. Next you will want to think about who will be enjoying your offering. What kinds of foods do these people enjoy? Are there any dietary restrictions? How many people will be enjoying them? And finally you should think about the vibe of the party. A Halloween Theme can range from silly and kid friendly to polished and proper, your item should match that vibe.

Sweet Treats

The first - and we think best - option for bringing treats to a Halloween party is to bring something sweet. Candy reigns supreme on this holiday so many guests will have dessert on their mind. There are many Halloween theme options to consider, so here are a few of our favorites.

  • Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
    • Pumpkin is the belle of the ball all October long, and we like to turn the dial up by pairing the earthy flavors with a sweetened cream cheese.
  • Ghostly Sugar Cookie
    • A simple ghost shape cut out of slightly sweet sugar cookie dough and decorated with white icing is a Halloween classic.
  • Witch Hat Cupcakes
    • If you are short on time, decorating store bought cupcakes with upside down ice cream cones for a witch hat effect is always a crowd pleaser.
  • Milk Bar desserts
    • A cinnamon cozy slice of Pumpkin Coffee Cake or classic Milk Bar cookies delivered to your door always make a great dessert table offering.

Savory Treats

If you think the sweets are already handled and want to bring something more savory to the party, here are a few spooky treats to snack on.

  • Mummy Wrapped Hot Dogs
    • Hot dogs are always good, but wrapping one in some crescent dough for a mummy effect is just plain fun/
  • Cemetery Cheese Board
    • Charcuteries - a fancy word for meats and cheeses - is always a great party move as guests can snack with their hands. Decorating your board like a little cemetery adds some Halloween vibes.
  • Spooky Guacamole
    • Guacamole is a top 5 party favorite, and its natural green color makes it feel like a real monster mash.

Assorted Cookie Tin

Sometimes the correct answer is “one of each,” but we think "two of each" is right the rest of the time. You’ve got the right to refuse to choose, so we put together these cookie cornucopias covering all the bases: fruity, corny, chewy, crispy, fudgy, and salty-sweet. Flavors include: Compost, Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow, Confetti, Chocolate Confetti, Blueberry & Cream, and Corn. 

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Buying more than 1 gift? Use our multi-address order page

Get +27 points on this purchase to use towards *free* treats when you join The First Bite Club! Information Icon

Monthly Care Package

Whether you’re a super gifter, creature of habit or just love the thrill of getting something sweet delivered every month, we’ve got your back. This monthly delivery option allows you to sit back and relax, knowing that we’ll send (your favorite) Milk Bar treats, every month. Your order will arrive the same time each month, so you can plan your dessert breaks accordingly. If you want to cancel or adjust the details of your subscription, just log into your Milk Bar account and navigate to "manage subscriptions" to make changes, or check out our FAQs here for more info.

Please note, monthly care package orders are not eligible for delivery date selection and typically ship within 1-3 days of purchase. If you have a one-time purchase in the cart with the monthly care package, you cannot select a delivery date. In order to select a delivery date, place one-time purchases separately from the monthly care package.

Possible uses for monthly delivery:

  • Always having something sweet on hand when company calls
  • Stocking your office break room with goodies so everyone likes you
  • Monthly “I see you” moments on the doorstep of someone you like/love
  • Making sure your midnight snack supplies are maintained
  • An autopilot option for nonstop birthday gifting needs
  • Your college kid needs to know cookies don’t grow on trees but do show up every 4 weeks give or take
  • Your bookclub loves a good snack
  • The thrill of seeing the white and pink box on your doorstep

No-Bake Treats

If you are limited on space or need to whip up something in a hurry, no-bake treats can be a life saver. Marshmallow treats allow you to mix in your favorite cereals and candies, and only require a microwave to melt your butter and marshmallows. Pudding cups that look like a little headstone with gummy worms only requires a stove top to make your pudding. And of course the ultimate no bake treat is just to buy a bag of mini candy bars to pass out.

Allergen-Free Treats

Keeping your audience’s dietary restrictions in mind, helps everyone have a spook-free holiday, and bringing something allergen friendly to a Halloween party is a total breeze. The classic caramel apple is naturally gluten free and so cute. Ghostly meringues and macarons can be gluten free as well. Vegan candies and fruit based desserts can be decorated to add a spooky theme as well. Here are some more Halloween dessert ideas, if you are really looking to provide a spooky and sweet experience to your party guests in the right Halloween spirit.

Milk Bar® Pie

Our signature, gooey Milk Bar Pie has a sticky, buttery, salty-sweet filling in a hearty oat-cookie crust. *This* is the pie that put Milk Bar on the map. Get it delivered fresh, anywhere in the USA. We dare you not to have a second slice.

10” pie serves 8-10.

Buying more than 1 gift? Use our multi-address order page

Get +53 points on this purchase to use towards *free* treats when you join The First Bite Club! Information Icon

Monthly Care Package

Whether you’re a super gifter, creature of habit or just love the thrill of getting something sweet delivered every month, we’ve got your back. This monthly delivery option allows you to sit back and relax, knowing that we’ll send (your favorite) Milk Bar treats, every month. Your order will arrive the same time each month, so you can plan your dessert breaks accordingly. If you want to cancel or adjust the details of your subscription, just log into your Milk Bar account and navigate to "manage subscriptions" to make changes, or check out our FAQs here for more info.

Please note, monthly care package orders are not eligible for delivery date selection and typically ship within 1-3 days of purchase. If you have a one-time purchase in the cart with the monthly care package, you cannot select a delivery date. In order to select a delivery date, place one-time purchases separately from the monthly care package.

Possible uses for monthly delivery:

  • Always having something sweet on hand when company calls
  • Stocking your office break room with goodies so everyone likes you
  • Monthly “I see you” moments on the doorstep of someone you like/love
  • Making sure your midnight snack supplies are maintained
  • An autopilot option for nonstop birthday gifting needs
  • Your college kid needs to know cookies don’t grow on trees but do show up every 4 weeks give or take
  • Your bookclub loves a good snack
  • The thrill of seeing the white and pink box on your doorstep

Don’t Forget to Dress Up!

It may go without saying but dressing up as something to interact with your treats is the ultimate Halloween power move. If you’re a scarecrow, bringing corn cookies is a cute touch. Or if you’re a vampire and have red licorice to recreate a bloody trademark could be fun. Of course you can always dress as a baker and have an excuse to hang with the baked goods all night long.
Whether savory or sweet, Halloween is a match made in snacking heaven. Taking the time to think about the best treats to bring to your epic Halloween party will help make sure you come prepared with the right goodies to share. These ideas should give you all you need to win best treats, best costume is up to you! Seeking out more advice on how to throw a Halloween party? Here's some additional advice to make it the absolute best halloween party to exist!

About the author

Shannon Salzano is a New York Times best selling author and hospitality industry veteran. A graduate of Northern Illinois University's Literature and Communications program, Shannon spent half a decade in editorial publishing before making the pivot to hospitality. She served as the Creative Director to Chicago's lauded Girl & the Goat restaurant empire for five years where she oversaw the design and launch of several brick and mortar concepts, a line of home chef sauces and spices, and multiple cookbooks. In her Director of Special Projects role at Christina Tosi's Milk Bar, Shannon has executed partnerships with household names like Google, Verizon, Converse, Cheetos and Pillsbury, and oversees brand voice.