Lynn Singh

With the entire internet at our fingertips, picking one of millions of recipes to make can be a daunting task. Even after selecting what general type of baked good or dessert to prepare, then comes finding a specific variation and recipe, each set of complicated directions and measurements distinct from the last. Halloween is right around the corner, and considering the holiday’s focus on sweets and decor, we sought out four different recipes in order to find the perfect Halloween treat.

We assessed each dessert using five different categories: simplicity to make, taste, texture, presentation and “spook factor” — how scary and “Halloween-y” they are. A score of five is the highest for each, and one is the lowest.

The marshmallow ghost brownies — a fun treat packed with Halloween classics such as candy corn and M&Ms — may be more difficult than they seem. They are quite complicated to make. While yummy, they are made from scratch which became a lot of work. There is a lot of nuance within the recipe as well, especially within the ghost aspect of the dessert.

The fruits are worth the labor, though, as the treat scored a 4.25 on the taste scale. The brownies were extremely fudgy while also maintaining a softness due to the marshmallow. The mix-ins, although tasty, resulted in a texture score of three.

The presentation of these brownies scored fives across the board. It is impossible to not love their little spooky faces, especially if you give them all slightly different expressions. Finally, the brownies scored a 3.5 in the “spook factor” category. Overall, these brownies are worth the hassle for a cute and tasty treat.

Leaning into Halloween’s sinister nature, the witch finger cookies were a grotesque reconfiguration of the classic cross-hatched peanut butter cookie. The treat is not overly difficult, earning itself a 3.25 on the simplicity scale and proving to be fairly easy.

The cookies were not exceedingly special in terms of flavor and texture, but provided an adequate amount of enjoyability. It is hard to go wrong with a classic peanut butter cookie, but at the same time, hard to dazzle consumers with its uneventful flavor that earned a 3.75 and texture which earned a 3.25.

The strong suit of the dish was its appearance. The freakish cookie finger was topped with a gnarled cashew fingernail and strawberry jam blood. It obtained a presentation score of 3.5, not incredibly high due to issues that created a sloppy appearance. However, this sloppiness arguably adds to the treat’s spook factor, which raked in a 4.5 rating. While this dessert wasn’t overly impressive in its other factors, its gruesome spookiness makes for an ideal Halloween treat.

On the other hand, the graveyard worms and dirt put a seasonal spin on a childhood classic. By just using standard chocolate pudding along with other premade ingredients, this no-bake recipe scored a 4.25 for simplicity. Practically anyone could make them by having the proper components available.

The low effort needed actually yielded shockingly high results, too, as these pudding cups earned a 4.25 for taste, a 4.75 for texture and a 4.5 for presentation. They held a decadently chocolate flavor with notes of fruit coming from the gummy worms, and the crushed oreo layers added extra mouthfeel to the smooth pudding without becoming overbearing. Also, the candy eyes, pumpkin and cookie gravestone created an adorably festive scene as a cherry on top.

Regardless, they only scored a 3.25 for their actual “spook factor,” for they — like the brownies — did not venture into the macabre aspect of Halloween in their presentation. Even though they might not be “knock your socks off” scary, though, they are an easy yet delicious themed dessert.

Now, we investigate a seemingly simple chocolate cookie. While the taste and presentation both scored a four, it was not worth the process of burning, sticky marshmallows swallowing your hands and countertops.

The cookie itself was especially easy to make, with simple ingredients most can find in their pantry and baking in under 15 minutes.

After letting the cookies cool, marshmallows were heated in the microwave to create the spider web effect. Once we wrestled with the exact amount of time it took the marshmallow fluff to reach the right temperature to decorate, things went a bit more smoothly, disregarding the fact that the cookies would fall apart and the marshmallows stuck to everything within a five mile radius.

After all of this hard work, the presentation earned a four, while simplicity, unsurprisingly, was given a two. That being said, the cookies had a respectable rating of 3.5 for both texture and spook factor. The cookie was still enjoyed and would be made again without the spooky presentation.

Every dessert included its own ups and downs in the end, and even though each one was quite tasty and made for a scrumptious Halloween treat, there can only be one winner. By taking into consideration every category we weighed, the graveyard worms and dirt won the Great Stargazer Bake-Off. Take a dip into nostalgia with this chocolate pudding snack for Halloween and say farewell to the mortal world!