A playful Halloween treat perfect for parties — Vampire Treats! These easy-to-make treats use graham crackers, candy melts, and a few simple supplies. Plus, ideas for other Halloween snacks to serve alongside your vampires.
I’ve already asked Ryan when we can put up our outdoor Halloween decorations. We agreed that two weeks before Halloween sounds about right.
The mantel above our fireplace is already decked out and a little spooky — I couldn’t resist getting it ready early.
One of my favorite seasonal traditions is creating themed Halloween treats. It began with my boo pudding parfaits back in 2014 when my blog and photography were just getting started. Revisiting those old recipes is fun and reminds me how much my skills have improved over the years.
Each year I look forward to dreaming up a new Halloween treat. Some years I go all out and make several different goodies, so after a few seasons I’ve built a nice collection of festive recipes.
Some past favorites include:
2015
Halloween witch platter — a fun display made with pistachios and bite-sized finger foods.
Pumpkin walnut spider cupcakes — marshmallow and chocolate spiders perched on pumpkin cupcakes.
Melted witch cake — a whimsical cake with cardboard legs poking out.
Tombstone cupcakes — cupcakes topped with Rice Krispies tombstones for a spooky touch.
2016
Candy corn pretzels — simple, five-ingredient treats.
Frankenstein pretzels — one of my all-time favorites.
Nutter Butter tombstones — a delicious, creative cookie tombstone idea.
2017
Bubbling witch’s cauldron brownies — an interactive and fun dessert.
Ghost popcorn balls — a reader favorite every October.
Melted witch brownies — irresistibly cute and decadent.
Spider web meringues — delicate, edible spider webs.
If it isn’t obvious, I adore Halloween. While many people name Christmas as their favorite holiday, Halloween is mine — I love the creativity, colors, and excuses to make themed treats.
Supplies
- Graham crackers (cut into isosceles trapezoid shapes — see the video for a demonstration)
- Red candy melts, about 1 cup
- Black candy melts, about 1/2 cup
- White candy melts, enough rounds for the vampire faces
- Vegetable shortening (to help thin and melt the candy melts)
- White jimmie sprinkles for fang teeth
- Candy eyeballs
These vampire treats are fast and approachable. The key is working in stages and letting each element set before assembling.
Start by dipping the trapezoid-shaped graham crackers in the red candy melts to create the vampire collars. Allow them to set on a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
While the collars set, melt the black candy melts and add hair to the white candy-melt rounds by dipping them slightly into the black chocolate. Let those set completely.
Add a black outline to the red collars using the melted black candy melts for definition. Next, reheat a little red candy melt, pipe a mouth onto each white face, and place two white jimmie sprinkles as fangs. Use a toothpick to position fangs if needed.
Pipe two small dots of red candy melt where the eyes will go, press candy eyeballs into place, and then attach each face to a collar using a dab of red candy melt as glue. Let everything set before arranging on a serving platter.
These bite-sized treats are great for school parties, neighborhood gatherings, or any Halloween event where a cute, spooky snack is welcome.
Vampire treats video
A short video demonstrates the cutting and assembly process visually. Watching the technique for shaping the graham crackers and dipping the candy melts can make the project even easier, especially if you’re preparing a larger batch for a party.
Vampire Treats
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Glass mixing bowls
- Squeeze bottles or piping bags for detail work
Ingredients
- Graham crackers, cut into isosceles trapezoid shapes
- 1 cup red candy melts
- 1/2 cup black candy melts
- White candy melt rounds, one per vampire face
- Vegetable shortening (to thin and melt candy melts)
- White jimmie sprinkles for fangs
- Candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Cut graham crackers into isosceles trapezoids. Refer to the video if you need a visual guide.
- Melt 1 cup red candy melts with about 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening. Microwave in 1-minute bursts at 50% power, stirring until smooth. Dip the trapezoid collars into the red melts and set them on a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheet to firm up.
- In a separate bowl, melt 1/2 cup black candy melts with 1/2 tablespoon vegetable shortening the same way. Dip the white candy-melt rounds slightly into the black to add hair to each vampire face. Let set.
- Transfer some melted black candy to a squeeze bottle or piping bag and pipe a black border around each red collar for definition. Allow to set.
- Reheat red candy melts as needed, put them into a squeeze bottle, and pipe a small mouth onto each vampire face. Place two white jimmie sprinkles as fangs in each mouth and gently press them into place with a toothpick.
- Pipe two small red dots where the eyes will go and press candy eyeballs into the red dots. The red candy melt acts as an edible adhesive.
- Attach each decorated face to its red collar using a small dollop of red candy melt. Let everything set completely before arranging on a platter.
Allow the treats to fully set before serving. These are easy to scale up for larger gatherings and are a fun activity to involve kids or friends during a Halloween party prep session.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: Calories: 101 kcal | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 4 g | Sugar: 8 g.
Nutrition values are approximate and will vary based on ingredient brands and portion sizes.