Halloween is less than two weeks away, the annual holiday where for many American kids the goal is to see how much candy they can consume in a short period of time. For adults, the Halloween challenge is to find other activities for the kids that can compete with eating candy, not always an easy task. I love cooking with my sister's kids when I go to visit, so I've been scouring the food blogs for some fun Halloween treats that would be fun to make.

If you're cooking with kids, you'll want to choose a recipe where at least part of the preparation can be done by the kids. Things that cook quickly or don't need cooking are a plus, so the kids can see the results right away. Finally, Halloween treats should be fun to eat, and hopefully, a bit less sweet than candy!

Photo of Frankenberry Cereal Bars
from Baking Bites.

At Baking Bites Nicole uses a type of Halloween cereal called Frankenberry to make Frankenberry Cereal Bars. These are basically a variation of Rice Krispy Treats made with Frankenberry cereal, and I'm guessing they'll be a hit with the kids.

Photo of Gingerbread Pumpkins
from Prudence Pennywise.

Prudence Pennywise has Gingerbread Pumpkins, made with a dough that Prudy says is sturdy enough for chubby little hands to cut out with cookie cutters. This post also has some great recommendations for Halloween-themed kids books, so while the kids eat their gingerbread, you can read together.

Photo of Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Balls
from Fab Frugal Food

The Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Balls at Fab Frugal Food are something kids would love to help make, although it will probably be the adults at the party that will gobble these up. This post has links to other Halloween treats after the recipe too, so scroll down to see them.

Photo of Pumpkin Cookies
from Suzy Homemaker

You only need 15-18 minutes baking time for the Pumpkin Cookies at Suzy Homemaker, and you know when the cookies are done the kids will love to help add the orange sprinkles.

Photo of Candy Corn Bark
from My Baking Addiction

And you have to agree that the Candy Corn Bark from My Baking Addiction is going to be devoured by all, although Jamie says it's sinfully sweet, so you may need to do a little portion control on the kids. Little hands can sprinkle on the candy corn and sprinkles for this one after mom pours the hot white chocolate on.

More Ideas for Halloween Food:
~Pumpkin Spice Pancakes from Sweetnicks would be fun for Halloween morning, since it's on a Saturday. Or if you want to kick it up a notch, how about Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Sarah's Cucina Bella or Pumpkin French Toast from Panini Kathy.

~The Whole Pumpkin Baked with Custard at A Veggie Venture looks like a Halloween dessert that the whole family will enjoy.

~If you're feeling ambitious, or you have older teenagers to help with the work, you might want to try the recipe from Cakespy for Making Homemade Candy Corn (via Serious Eats.)

~Zoe Bakes has Halloween Marble Cake (with spiders!) that will be a hit with the boys in the family.

~Love and Olive Oil went with a mummy theme for her Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes (with icing that looks like mummy bandages.) There are more Pumpkin Cupcakes at Mom Grind and Pumpkin Bars at Real Mom Kitchen.

~Don't forget pumpkin bread! Whisk has a yummy-looking Orange Pumpkin Loaf, and In Good Taste has Pumpkin Bread, with a whole week of pumpkin recipes coming up on this blog.

So, What Are You Going to Make?
Can you believe I've found that many Halloween-themed treats from bloggers posted this year and Halloween is still nearly two weeks away? Obviously people love to make treats for Halloween, and I'm sure you can find something in all these Halloween treat ideas that looks good. Of course, maybe you have a traditional Halloween recipe that you make every year? If so, please do share in the comments!

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients. This Halloween Kalyn is hoping to avoid the candy and eat things like Low-Sugar Pumpkin and Apple Crumble instead.