As a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. Of course, my favorite part was the candy, and I never quite outgrew that feeling of absolute joy at the prospect of getting to eat a bunch of sugar late into the night every October 31st. Sadly, my days of trick-or-treating are behind me, but I still revel in Halloween’s autumnal excuse to go galavanting through the candy aisle at the grocery store (or, let’s be real, the Huddle). But when you’ve actually had to purchase the candy you’re eating, the sugar high kicks in at, well… a lower level. Not to mention, stockpiling candy to eat alone while you study is soooo not the same as gorging with your friends like when you were little. So, in an attempt to salvage the full extent of Halloween candy consumption joy, I’ve compiled a list of adorable Halloween treats that can be made right here in the dorms (I promise)! Sure, it’s not the same as dumping your candy stash on your best friend’s floor and trading Twix bars for Reese’s cups, but sitting around at college sharing these with friends while you get ready for a Halloween party might be–dare I say it–even better.
- Monster Cookies
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These are just Oreos dipped in melted chocolate and decorated with sprinkles, candy googly eyes and pretzels (YUM)! Once you get the ingredients, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave and get to work decorating! So easy you don’t even need the dorm kitchen!
- Halloween Brownie Bites
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For those of you looking for a treat that’s a little spookier, these frosted and decorated brownie bites are going to be a HIT! The recipe calls for making the brownies and icing from scratch, but you can of course purchase some easy brownie mix and pre-made icing to save yourself some time! All that really matters to pull off this dessert? The ADORABLE candy pumpkins and marshmallow tombstones! Too cute!
- Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins
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These looked complicated to me at first, but I promise they totally aren’t! All you’re doing here is making Rice Krispie treats (Rice Krispies + butter + marshmallow), adding some food coloring and rolling the mixture into a little ball. Then, top each one off with a mini Rolo to act as the stem, a green M&M to be a leaf and you’ve made a little Rice Krispie pumpkin patch–easy! These are so cute, and Rice Krispies are always popular on a table (plus a little extra chocolate–yes, please!)
- Ghost Pretzels
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I think this next treat is so cute! I love how the open bottom of the pretzel makes it look like the “ghost” is screaming. These are also ridiculously easy! All you need is a bag of pretzels, white chocolate and candy googly eyes. Then, just melt the chocolate in the microwave, dip the pretzels in, stick on the eyes and you’re done! Be warned on this one, though: these will go FAST (who doesn’t love chocolate-dipped pretzels??)! Also, if you’re not a fan of white chocolate, you can totally do these with milk or dark instead!
- No Bake Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites
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For all the peanut butter lovers out there, this recipe is made for you! Plus, it’s so easy that you don’t even need an oven! Just combine peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar in a bowl, and add some orange food coloring (or a combo of red + yellow). Then, roll the mixture into little balls and use a toothpick to indent the sides to give them the appearance of real pumpkin texture. Finally, top each little peanut butter pumpkin off with a mini chocolate chip “stem,” and you’re ready to go! Pop a tray of these in the fridge to keep them cool and ready to serve when your friends come over! Honestly, this recipe is so dorm-friendly it’s like it was made for college kids!
Hope these are helpful for anyone feeling that craving for something sweet this week! Happy baking, and Happy Halloween!!