With searches for Halloween baking breaking out on Google Trends, Jessie (jessie.bakes.cakes), who is a baker, blogger and recipe developer for Ep!c Snax, shares five easy ways to get children involved in the kitchen this October, from marshmallow ghosts to spooky cupcakes.
With searches for Halloween baking ideas up 180% and kids’ baking searches breaking out on Google Trends, families are looking for fun ways to keep little ones entertained this half-term. From spooky cupcakes and Halloween biscuits to ghoulishly good treats, it’s the perfect excuse to get the kids in the kitchen, embrace a little mess and whip up some Halloween goodies together, whatever the weather.
Baker and recipe developer Jessie (jessie.bakes.cakes) shares her five easy tips for getting started:
1. Turn everyday cupcakes into spooky monsters
You don’t need fancy baking skills to make Halloween cupcakes look the part! A batch of shop-bought or homemade cupcakes, a few different colours of icing and some fun decorations are all you need.
Try green icing with chocolate sprinkles for monster hair, drizzle white chocolate for spooky mummies, or pipe white icing to create ghostly faces. Edible eyes are another easy win – stick on two, ten or as many as you like to create some seriously silly monsters!
Baking hack: Dip the tops of your cupcakes into bowls of coloured icing for a lovely smooth finish. It makes decorating much easier for little hands!
2. Make spooky marshmallow ghosts and monsters
Marshmallows are perfect for Halloween treats, and turning them into little ghosts or monsters couldn’t be easier!
Epic’s Giant Toastin Mallows are ideal for making larger ghosts, while Epic Plant Power Toastin Marshmallows are a great plant-based option for vegan-friendly treats. Use a cocktail stick to dot on chocolate eyes and a mouth, then pop your ghosts on top of cupcakes, brownies or biscuits.
You could even float a marshmallow ghost in a mug of hot chocolate for a cosy Halloween treat! Just make sure an adult handles melted chocolate and hot ingredients.
Another easy spooky treat which are so easy to make are Frankenstein marshmallows. Just dip mallows in green food colouring mixed with water, leave to dry and decorate. See some we made using Epic Giant Marshmallows.
Baking hack: For extra spook, arrange marshmallows on a lined baking tray and generously coat in chocolate, letting it drip down the side. The chocolate pools at the bottom, giving the ghosts a floaty effect. Pop in the fridge until set. Then add the eyes and mouth.
3. Set up a DIY Halloween biscuit decorating station
If you’re looking for an activity to keep little ones entertained, a biscuit decorating station is always a good shout. Bake a batch of simple biscuits, then let everyone loose with icing, sprinkles and edible eyes.
Think pumpkin faces, spooky spiders, skeletons and ghosts – or challenge everyone to come up with the funniest Halloween character. There are no rules, and the wonkier the creations, the better! It’s also a fab option for Halloween playdates, as everyone can take home their own creations.
Baking hack: Use ready-made biscuits or bake yours the day before to save time. Use a variety of Halloween cookie cutters to bake different shaped biscuits.
4. A little preparation goes a long way
Baking with children can get messy pretty quickly, but a few simple tricks can make the whole experience much easier.
Measure out your ingredients before you start, cover the worktop and give each child their own little decorating station. Small bowls of sprinkles and ready-mixed icing are much easier to manage than having everything open on the table.
It’s also worth giving everyone a job suited to their age. Younger children can stir, sprinkle and add decorations, while older children can help weigh ingredients and follow more of the recipe with supervision. An adult should handle hot trays, ovens and melted ingredients, and all bakes should be completely cool before decorating.
Baking hack: Put a damp cloth underneath each mixing bowl to stop it sliding around the worktop. Plus, you can use it to clean up sticky hands!
5. Forget perfection and enjoy the mess
It’s easy to feel pressure to recreate the elaborate Halloween bakes seen on social media, but some of the best family baking memories come from the unique and imperfect creations.
Let little ones choose their own colours, pile on the sprinkles and be imaginative in creating their own spooky characters. The icing might be wonky, and the decorations might end up everywhere, but that’s all part of the fun!
It’s less about creating picture-perfect bakes and more about spending time together and making a few lovely Halloween memories along the way.
