Still Need Something for the Party? 19 Last Minute Halloween Desserts You Can Make From the Pantry

These last minute Halloween desserts are for the parent who just heard about the class party, the friend who said yes to the potluck and anyone staring into the pantry at 6 p.m. on October 31. You do not need a bakery run or fancy tools. Most of these treats start with things you probably already have: a box of brownie mix, chocolate chips, sandwich cookies, marshmallows, instant pudding, popcorn and the bag of candy you bought for trick-or-treaters. A few candy eyes and a shake of orange sprinkles do the rest. Every recipe here is short, fast and kid friendly, and plenty of them need no oven at all. Pick two or three, set them on a dark platter and watch them vanish before the costumes even come off. Which one are you making tonight? Tell us..

Last Minute Halloween Desserts Start With White Chocolate Ghost Truffles

If you only have twenty minutes, make these first. Of all the last minute Halloween desserts on this list, ghost truffles get the biggest reaction for the least effort. Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and a little cream cheese roll into soft truffles, then a quick dip in melted white chocolate turns every ball into a little ghost. Let a drip of coating pool at the bottom and it looks like a sheet blowing in the wind. Two dots of melted chocolate become the eyes, and nobody minds if the ghosts come out a little lopsided..

You will need: 1 package (about 14 oz) chocolate sandwich cookies, 4 oz cream cheese softened, 12 oz white chocolate chips or candy melts, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 2 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips for the eyes.

How to make it: 1. Crush the cookies to fine crumbs in a blender or a zip bag. 2. Mix in the cream cheese until it holds together, then roll into 1 inch balls and freeze 15 minutes. 3. Melt the white chocolate with the coconut oil. 4. Dip each ball, set it on parchment and let a little coating pool at the base. 5. Pipe two chocolate dots for eyes and chill until set.

Mini Graveyard Pudding Tarts

Store-bought mini tart shells are the shortcut that makes these last minute Halloween desserts possible. Fill them with instant chocolate pudding, cover the top with cookie crumb dirt and stand a small oval cookie in each one as a tombstone. A gummy worm crawling out of the soil always gets a squeal at the party. Because instant pudding sets in about five minutes, these come together faster than the costumes. Make them in the morning, keep them in the fridge and add the worms right before you set them out so they stay soft and shiny.

You will need: 12 mini tart shells, 1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding, 2 cups cold milk, 1 cup crushed chocolate cookies, 12 small oval shortbread or vanilla wafer cookies, gummy worms, a few mint leaves.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the pudding mix with the cold milk for 2 minutes and let it thicken 5 minutes. 2. Spoon pudding into each tart shell. 3. Cover the tops with cookie crumbs. 4. Press a cookie tombstone into the back of each tart. 5. Add a gummy worm and a mint leaf and chill until serving.

Mummy Brownies From a Box Mix

A box of brownie mix is the best insurance policy for last minute Halloween desserts. Bake it as usual, cut it into squares, then drizzle back and forth with white icing until each brownie looks wrapped in bandages. Leave a little gap near the top and tuck in two candy eyes peeking out. The trick is to let the brownies cool completely, or the icing will melt into a puddle. If you have no candy eyes, two white chocolate chips with a dot of melted chocolate work just as well.

You will need: 1 box brownie mix plus the eggs, oil and water listed on the box, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 24 candy eyes.

How to make it: 1. Bake the brownies in a 9×13 inch pan according to the box and cool completely. 2. Cut into 12 to 16 squares. 3. Stir powdered sugar, milk and vanilla into a thick icing and spoon it into a zip bag with the corner snipped. 4. Pipe crisscross lines over each brownie, leaving a small gap. 5. Press two candy eyes into the gap and let the icing set.

No-Bake Last Minute Halloween Desserts: Spiderweb Cheesecake Dip

Dips disappear fast at a party, and this one needs nothing more than a mixer and ten minutes. Cream cheese, a scoop of canned pumpkin, powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice whip into something that tastes like cheesecake filling. Spread it in a shallow bowl, pipe a few rings of melted chocolate on top and drag a toothpick from the center outward to make a web. Set out graham crackers, chocolate wafers, pretzels and apple slices. No-bake last minute Halloween desserts like this one free up the oven for pizza.

You will need: 8 oz cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 cup whipped topping, 1/4 cup chocolate chips melted, graham crackers, pretzels and apple slices for dipping.

How to make it: 1. Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, powdered sugar and spice until smooth. 2. Fold in the whipped topping and spread in a shallow bowl. 3. Pipe 4 or 5 rings of melted chocolate on top. 4. Drag a toothpick from the center to the edge 8 times to form a web. 5. Chill 20 minutes and serve with the dippers.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

Plain cupcakes become party cupcakes with one bag of candy corn. A white cake mix or your favorite vanilla recipe works, and canned frosting is perfectly fine on a busy night. Pipe a tall swirl, add a shake of chocolate or bat sprinkles and crown each one with a piece of candy corn. They look like they came from a bakery case, and the honey sweetness of the candy pairs well with vanilla. Pick up orange liners or a spooky print, and you have one of the simplest last minute Halloween desserts ready to go.

You will need: 1 box white or yellow cake mix plus the ingredients listed on the box, 1 tub (16 oz) vanilla frosting, chocolate or Halloween sprinkles, candy corn, cupcake liners.

How to make it: 1. Bake 24 cupcakes according to the box and cool completely. 2. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a large star or round tip. 3. Pipe a tall swirl on each cupcake. 4. Scatter sprinkles over the frosting. 5. Press one or two candy corn pieces on top.

Candy Corn Layered Bark

Bark is the fastest homemade candy there is, and this version copies the stripes of candy corn. Melt white chocolate, tint part of it orange and part of it yellow, and spread the layers one after another on a lined pan. Before the top layer sets, press in broken pretzels and a handful of candy corn for a sweet and salty crunch. Snap it into shards and pack it in little bags for teachers or neighbors. If you love old-school treats like this, see our homemade Halloween candy grandma used to make too.

You will need: 24 oz white chocolate chips or candy melts, orange and yellow gel food coloring, 1 cup broken pretzels, 1 cup candy corn, orange sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment. 2. Melt one third of the chocolate, spread it thin and chill 5 minutes. 3. Melt the next third, tint it orange, spread it on top and chill 5 minutes. 4. Melt the rest, tint it yellow and spread it on top. 5. Press in pretzels, candy corn and sprinkles, chill until firm and break into pieces.

Last Minute Halloween Desserts in One Pan: Pumpkin Patch Brownies

This is the dessert that looks the most impressive for the least amount of work. Bake a pan of brownies, spread chocolate frosting on top and shower it with crushed cookies so it looks like a freshly turned field. Line up candy pumpkins in rows, then pipe curly green vines and little leaves between them. Keep it in the pan to carry to a potluck and cut it at the table, where everyone can admire the patch first. It is a sweet way to bring a fall farm trip to the party.

You will need: 1 box brownie mix plus the ingredients listed on the box, 1 cup chocolate frosting, 1 cup crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, 16 candy pumpkins, green decorating icing.

How to make it: 1. Bake the brownies in a 9×13 inch pan and cool completely. 2. Spread the chocolate frosting over the top. 3. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs evenly. 4. Press candy pumpkins into rows, one per square. 5. Pipe green vines and leaves between them and cut into squares.

Ghost Meringues

Four egg whites and a cup of sugar turn into a whole crowd of ghosts. Whip the whites until stiff and glossy, pipe tall swirls onto parchment and let a low oven dry them into crisp, airy little spooks. Mini chocolate chips or small red candies make the faces. They are naturally gluten free, which makes them a handy option when guests eat differently. Unlike most last minute Halloween desserts, these need time to dry, so bake them the night before and store them in an airtight tin.

You will need: 4 large egg whites at room temperature, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, mini chocolate chips or small red candies for eyes.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 200F and line two baking sheets with parchment. 2. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. 3. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time and beat until stiff and glossy, then add the vanilla. 4. Pipe tall ghost swirls and press in the eyes. 5. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then let them cool in the turned-off oven.

Last Minute Halloween Desserts Without a Campfire: Spooky S’mores Bars

All the flavor of a backyard s’more, baked right in the oven. A buttery graham crust gets a layer of chocolate and a blanket of mini marshmallows, then a minute or two under the broiler toasts them golden. Top a few squares with bigger marshmallows dotted with chocolate eyes and you have a tray of tiny ghosts. Use a hot, wet knife to cut clean bars. If the pantry has only a few chocolate bars and half a box of graham crackers left, that is all you need.

You will need: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups milk chocolate chips, 4 cups mini marshmallows, a few large marshmallows and a little melted chocolate for faces.

How to make it: 1. Mix crumbs, butter and sugar, press into a lined 9×9 inch pan and bake 8 minutes at 350F. 2. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the hot crust and spread once melted. 3. Cover with mini marshmallows. 4. Broil 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until golden. 5. Cool, add marshmallow ghosts with chocolate eyes and cut into bars.

Jack-o-Lantern Fruit Cups

Every Halloween table needs one bright, fresh option, and these orange cups are as much fun as anything covered in frosting. Cut oranges in half, scoop out the fruit and use a small paring knife to carve a simple jack-o-lantern face in the peel. Fill them with grapes, berries, pineapple and the orange pieces you scooped out. Eating more fruit is linked to better everyday nutrition, and these give kids something colorful to grab between sweets. They also work for school parties that ask for fruit instead of baked goods.

You will need: 6 large navel oranges, 1 cup grapes, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup pineapple chunks, 1 cup chopped strawberries, 2 kiwis diced, fresh mint.

How to make it: 1. Cut each orange in half and trim a thin slice off the bottom so it stands. 2. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and chop it. 3. Carve triangle eyes and a zigzag mouth into the peel with a paring knife. 4. Toss all the chopped fruit together. 5. Fill each cup and top with a mint leaf.

Last Minute Halloween Desserts for Kids: Eyeball Cake Pops

Cake pops sound fussy, but the quick version uses a bakery cake or any leftover cake from the freezer. Crumble it, mash it with frosting and roll it into balls. After a dip in white candy melts, a round candy for the iris and a dot for the pupil turn each pop into a staring eyeball. Thin red icing lines make them wonderfully creepy. Red velvet cake inside makes the first bite look extra spooky, and kids always say that is the best part of these last minute Halloween desserts.

You will need: 1 baked 9 inch cake or 4 cups crumbled cake, 1/3 cup frosting, 16 oz white candy melts, lollipop sticks, green and blue round candies, black icing or mini chocolate chips, red decorating gel.

How to make it: 1. Crumble the cake and mix with the frosting until it holds together. 2. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and freeze 15 minutes. 3. Dip the stick tips in melted candy, push them into the balls, then dip each whole pop. 4. While wet, press on a colored candy and add a black pupil. 5. Once set, draw thin red veins with the gel.

Frankenstein Cereal Treats

Crispy rice treats are pantry classics and natural last minute Halloween desserts, and a few drops of green food coloring turn them into a tray of friendly monsters. Press the mixture into a pan, cut tall rectangles and dip the tops in melted chocolate for hair. Candy eyes, a piped stitched mouth and two short pretzel pieces for bolts finish the look. They hold up well on a party table and travel easily in a lunch box. If your kids love classic monster stories, let them design the faces themselves.

You will need: 3 tbsp butter, 10 oz mini marshmallows, green gel food coloring, 6 cups crispy rice cereal, 1 cup chocolate chips melted, candy eyes, pretzel sticks, chocolate sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat and stir in the green coloring. 2. Fold in the cereal and press into a buttered 9×13 inch pan. 3. Cool and cut into tall rectangles. 4. Dip the tops in melted chocolate and add sprinkles. 5. Add candy eyes, pipe a mouth and push in pretzel bolts.

Werewolf Cupcakes With Fluffy Chocolate Fur

A grass piping tip is the secret to these shaggy little wolves, but a zip bag with a small snipped corner works in a pinch. Pipe short bursts of chocolate frosting all over each cupcake so it looks like fur, then add triangle ears cut from chocolate wafers. Yellow candy eyes, a chocolate chip nose and two white candy fangs give them their howl. They are funny rather than scary, which makes them perfect for younger kids who want a monster that is not too frightening.

You will need: 24 chocolate cupcakes, 2 tubs (16 oz each) chocolate frosting, chocolate wafer cookies cut into triangles, yellow candy eyes or candies, chocolate chips, small white candies or mini marshmallows for fangs.

How to make it: 1. Bake and cool the cupcakes. 2. Fit a piping bag with a grass tip and fill it with frosting. 3. Pipe short strands of fur over each cupcake. 4. Press two wafer ears into the top. 5. Add the eyes, a chocolate chip nose and two small fangs.

Dark Chocolate Bat Tart

For a grown-up Halloween dinner, this tart feels elegant and needs only cream, chocolate and a cookie crust. Warm cream poured over chopped chocolate becomes a silky ganache that sets into a glossy, almost black filling. Tiny bats piped from melted chocolate onto parchment fly across the top, and a pinch of edible gold shimmer catches the light. Serve thin slices with whipped cream and blackberries. It is very rich, so one tart easily feeds twelve, which makes it one of the smartest last minute Halloween desserts for a dinner party.

You will need: 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs, 6 tbsp melted butter, 10 oz dark chocolate chopped, 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, a pinch of salt, 2 oz extra chocolate for the bats, edible shimmer (optional).

How to make it: 1. Press the crumbs and butter into a 9 inch tart pan and chill 15 minutes. 2. Heat the cream until steaming and pour it over the chopped chocolate and salt. 3. Rest 3 minutes, then stir until smooth. 4. Pour into the crust and chill 2 hours. 5. Pipe bat shapes with melted chocolate on parchment, chill, and arrange them on top.

Last Minute Halloween Desserts From the Pantry: Monster Cookie Bars

Monster cookie dough was made for cleaning out the pantry: peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips and whatever candy is left in the bag. Baking it as bars instead of scooping single cookies saves a lot of time. Press it into a pan, scatter extra candy on top and bake until golden at the edges. While the bars are still warm, press in candy eyes of different sizes so every square looks like a goofy little monster. Check for peanut allergies before you take these to school.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking soda, 3 cups old-fashioned oats, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup candy-coated chocolates, candy eyes.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and line a 9×13 inch pan. 2. Beat the butter, peanut butter and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla. 3. Stir in the baking soda, oats, chocolate chips and most of the candies. 4. Press into the pan, top with the remaining candies and bake 20 to 22 minutes. 5. Press in candy eyes while warm and cool before cutting.

Witches’ Brew Pudding Cups

Pistachio pudding, or vanilla pudding tinted bright green, looks exactly like something bubbling in a witch’s pot. Layer it in clear cups over crushed chocolate cookies, add a swirl of whipped cream and finish with purple and orange sprinkles and a couple of candy eyes. Like the best last minute Halloween desserts, everything comes from boxes in the pantry, and the cups are ready after a short chill. Kids can assemble their own, which makes this a fun activity for a classroom or a family movie night before trick-or-treating starts.

You will need: 2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant pistachio or vanilla pudding, 4 cups cold milk, green food coloring if using vanilla, 1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate cookies, 2 cups whipped topping, sprinkles, candy eyes.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes and tint it green if needed. 2. Spoon cookie crumbs into the bottom of 8 clear cups. 3. Add a thick layer of pudding. 4. Top with whipped topping. 5. Finish with sprinkles and candy eyes and chill until serving.

Chocolate Pretzel Spiders

Here is a sweet and salty bite that takes about fifteen minutes. Dip pretzel sticks in melted chocolate, lay them out like spider legs on parchment, then set a chocolate truffle or a sandwich cookie in the middle as the body. Two tiny candy eyes finish each creepy crawler. Pipe a white chocolate web underneath for a showstopper tray. The more uneven the legs look, the more realistic the spiders become, so this is one of those last minute Halloween desserts where mistakes actually help.

You will need: 1 cup thin pretzel sticks, 8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate melted, 12 chocolate truffles or chocolate sandwich cookies, 24 small candy eyes, 2 oz white chocolate for the web.

How to make it: 1. Break the pretzel sticks in half. 2. Dip each piece in melted chocolate and lay eight legs in a star on parchment. 3. Set a truffle or cookie body in the center while the chocolate is wet. 4. Attach two candy eyes with a dot of chocolate. 5. Pipe a white chocolate web nearby and chill 10 minutes to set.

Last Minute Halloween Desserts for a Crowd: Popcorn Party Mix

When you need last minute Halloween desserts for a crowd in ten minutes, pop a big bowl of popcorn. Drizzle it with melted white and orange candy melts, then toss in candy corn, small chocolate candies, mini pretzels and peanuts. It costs very little, makes a huge batch and fills paper cones or treat bags for guests to take home. Make it right before a scary movie night and set out the bowl. Leave out the nuts if anyone has an allergy and add more pretzels instead.

You will need: 12 cups popped popcorn, 1 cup white candy melts, 1/2 cup orange candy melts, 1 cup candy corn, 1 cup small chocolate candies, 1 cup mini pretzels, 1/2 cup peanuts (optional), sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Spread the popcorn on a lined baking sheet. 2. Melt the white and orange candy melts separately. 3. Drizzle both over the popcorn and add sprinkles. 4. Let it set 10 minutes. 5. Break into clusters and toss with the candy corn, chocolates, pretzels and peanuts.

Dirt Cups With Gummy Worms

No list of last minute Halloween desserts is complete without the dirt cup, the dessert so many of us made in grade school. Chocolate pudding folded with whipped topping goes into clear cups, then a thick layer of crushed chocolate cookies becomes the soil. Push in a few gummy worms so they look like they are crawling out. It is cheap, fast and almost impossible to get wrong. For even more party ideas, browse the Halloween recipe collection at Allrecipes and pick your next favorite.

You will need: 1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding, 2 cups cold milk, 1 1/2 cups whipped topping, 2 cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, gummy worms, mint leaves (optional).

How to make it: 1. Whisk the pudding and milk for 2 minutes and let it set 5 minutes. 2. Fold in the whipped topping. 3. Spoon a little cookie crumb into each of 8 clear cups, then fill with pudding. 4. Cover the tops with a thick layer of crumbs. 5. Tuck in gummy worms and a mint leaf and chill until serving.