Easy Halloween Dessert Recipes for Kids

Here are some easy Halloween dessert recipes for kids – Scary Halloween brownies. Well, I should say that these are great to do with kids! My 4 year old loves to be in the kitchen and take part in everything I do.

When my kids and I made these Tried n True Brownies, we turned some of them into fun and festive Halloween Treats.  Oh, and remember, always let your brownies cool well before cutting into fun shapes!

I really like this  harvest cookie cutter set? It has great reviews and Wilton is a good quality. Using the small pumpkin cookie cutter, you can easily make pumpkin brownies too.

We also cut brownies into squares and turned them into lots of Halloween brownies.

I think this graveyard is my youngest’s favorite, and it was so easy! Just use green icing for the grass, then cut the edges off a second square of brownie, and use icing to “glue” it in place. Viola! A 3D Halloween brownie that is sure to be the hit of any party.  I like that these Halloween dessert are my by kids for kids! ☺

You can use a candy corn cutter like this one from Wilton or do what my son did and simply use a sharp knife to cut a candy corn shape in any side you want. Basically, it is just a triangle with rounded edges, so it is not hard to do at all. Then, using the rest of your orange icing from making pumpkin brownies, you can start to decorate your candy corn brownies. The kids had so much fun!

Our last project was still pretty easy, but the most challenging in my opinion. My daughter is fascinated with Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. So she requested some brownies made to resemble Jack. We made up a bit of black icing, and after icing the entire top of circular-shaped brownies, we decorated them with Jack faces. I think they turned out pretty darn cute!

My favorite brownie recipe is *Tried and True Brownies* or you can of course use a box mix.  See my recipe here for turning any brownie box mix into gourmet brownies. When using cookie cutters with brownies, you want a recipe or mix that will yield a more fudge-like brownie than a cake one. I like this stoneware bar pan from The Pampered Chef for even baking.

Once you have prepared your brownies according to directions, make sure to allow them plenty of time to cool. This is a good time to gather your cookie cutters and any other items together for decorating your “critters”:

Wilton Decorator Icing Colors mixed with any basic white frosting are perfect for all those ghoulish colors.   You do NOT have to be a pro or spend a fortune to do this project. Many Wilton decorating supplies are priced under $20.

Disposable bowls and spoons make mixing colors easy and cleanup a snap!

Once your brownies are sufficiently cooled, use cookie cutters to cut out whatever shapes you desire.  It’s so easy to turn a simple square brownie into an adorable peanut butter monster:

To create Peanut Butter Monster Brownies:

1. Cut brownies into squares
2. Fill a decorator icing bag 2/3 full with creamy peanut butter (or use a scary colored icing such as blue or green) and a #2 or #3 icing tip to make the “hair”
3. Use a toothpick to give your monster a frown, fangs, etc.
4. Use chocolate chips or mini M&M’s for the eyes. (you know Hershey’s Chocolate is my absolute favorite)

Another fun Brownie Critter is a spider:

1. For this creepy, crawly critter, you need any size round cookie cutter to make 2 equal sized circles of brownie.
2. Break pretzel sticks in half for legs.
3. Use icing or marshmallow fluff to adhere the circles on top of each other, and to hold the pretzel legs in.
4. For a finishing touch, add candy eyes.

Halloween is truly a time for family and fun…allow your imagination to run wild and see what scary brownie ideas you can come up with. Happy haunting!

Tried and True Brownies Recipe

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup Hersheys cocoa Powder
• ½ C. plus 2 T. boiling water
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
• ½ C. plus 2 T. vegetable oil
• 4 T. butter, melted
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 2½ C. sugar
• 1¾ C. flour
• ¾ t. salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan liberally with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk your cocoa with the boiling water. Stir in the unsweetened chocolate until melted. Mix in the oil, butter, eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Whisk until the batter is smooth.
3. Combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Gently combine the dry ingredients with the wet, and fold in until fully incorporated.
4. Spread your batter into your prepared pan. Smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before using cookie cutters.

If you make some fun Halloween foods this season, be sure to take pictures of the treats, and check out my Pinterest board for lots of great Halloween ideas. Happy haunting & be sure to keep kids in the kitchen too!