The Best Edible Haunted House Kits In 2022

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Combining holiday traditions and decor can certainly result in an interesting synergy. After all, there is a reason why we turn to productions like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" for both our spooky and festive needs. While at first glance, edible haunted houses may seem like a one-off trend, maybe there's something about giving the quintessential gingerbread house a frightful Halloween twist that brings out the best in both.

After all, the first gingerbread houses from 16th century Germany were actually called witch's houses and were believed to either be inspired by or the inspiration for the tale of "Hansel and Gretel" (via PBS). So, following that train, one could say that edible haunted houses have a much longer history than presumed. Or, perhaps it was only a matter of time before innovative bakers (and marketing experts) would bring the ghoulish homes to the seasonal market. While there isn't an exact date as to when edible haunted houses become available in-store, you can bet that as the temperatures cool down and summer is distinctly in the past, these creative packages are making their way to shelves.

How we selected our products

Edible haunted houses are first and foremost meant to be playful. At their best, they offer a fun and creative activity leading up to Halloween night that doesn't involve being elbows deep in a pumpkin. Since these haunted houses are quite new to the market, it can be a bit dicey to distinguish what makes one superior to another. Nonetheless, there are a few factors to take into consideration to narrow down the cream of the crop. 

Firstly, customer reviews are an extremely important metric. After all, the way that people enjoy and use these kits is useful information. The degree of creativity possible with the kit is another relevant aspect. With such a fun fusion twist on a holiday tradition, the goal is for these houses to bring a little pizzazz. Other elements we considered were the difficulty of the project, price points, and the quality of the ingredients. You'll be glad to know that despite being relatively fresh to the market, there's a haunted house out there for every ghoul to gobble on.

Best for cookie lovers

It's simply impossible to have never heard of Oreos. In fact, since its conception around 100 years ago, this sandwich cookie has not only stuck around but prevailed. To date, it remains one of the best-selling cookies according to Quartz. Despite (or maybe because of) its legacy, America's favorite cookie is consistently innovative. Today, there are tons of novel creations from the iconic Lady Gaga Chromatica Oreo collaboration to a plethora of flavors.

It is no surprise that the Oreo company would try its hand at edible haunted houses. The Oreo Spooky Castle Cookie Kit is truly a creative venture that spins a lot of plates. Four large Oreo cookie pieces build the castle walls, creamy icing holds it together, and mini Oreos and Halloween-themed decorations help lend a bright, yet spooky flair to the haunted manor. While this castle is a bit more challenging to construct than a traditional A-frame gingerbread house, the guided instructions included in the box should provide a fruitful guide.

The Oreo Spooky Castle Cookie Kit is available at Michaels for $12.99 at the time of writing.

Best sweet and salty

There is no better representation of America's love for sweet and salty flavor combinations than Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. The treats are an all-around American classic that hit the markets in the late 1920s as a part of a mixed selection of chocolates, as outlined by Hershey Community Archives. Nowadays, Reese's has long since come into its own, spawning numerous candy products. One of the newer items in the lineup is Reese's Chocolate Cookie Halloween House.

This particular house is very chocolatey given the six chocolate cookies that build the basic structure. Once constructed, this haunted house mimics the cabin-like appearance of a traditional gingerbread house. So, you might find yourself asking — or even demanding — where are the Reese's Cups? Where is the spookiness? Thankfully, they go hand-in-hand. The autumn-colored Reese's Pieces make for leaf-like accents. Meanwhile, two Reese's Cups add a monstrous flair, by using a halved cup to make a gobbly gargoyle on the roof. Purple, white, and green sprinkles and icing add a splash of color to the spooky house. 

Reese's Chocolate Cookie Halloween House is available at Michaels for $12.99 at the time of writing.

Best sweet and sour

Nothing more perfectly mimics the Halloween spirit than the duo of sweet and sour. And what better source for this combination of flavors than Sour Patch Kids? As described by Bulk Candy Store, Sour Patch Kids hold a one-of-a-kind punch: over-the-top sourness with the first taste, giving way to a sweet touch. So, naturally, Halloween and Sour Patch Kids are similar birds ... or rather, bats.

The Sour Patch Kids Halloween Chocolate Cookie House Kit takes inspiration from a classic gingerbread house format. The decorations add a decidedly ghoulish spin to the house, haunting it in a way that only the mischievous Sour Patch Kids brand can. Orange and purple candies add a Halloween twist to the roof, while a collection of Sour Patch Kids roam around the house in a devilish manner, dressed up with layers of white icing. When you think about it, the Sour Patch Kids are the real ghosts that spook up this haunted house. 

The Sour Patch Kids Halloween Chocolate Cookie House Kit is available for $20.01 on Amazon as of September 2022.

Best on a budget

While it's no surprise that Christmas is the biggest spending holiday in the U.S., the National Retail Foundation reports that the average person will shell out $100 for Halloween festivities in 2022. In between costumes (for both people and pets), decorations, and heaps of candy, the bills certainly add up. For those looking to spend less this spooky season, Target offers up the best budget edible haunted house.

The Halloween Twisted Tavern Chocolate House Cookie Kit is a delightfully spooky house. Its whimsical design is lopsided, alight with orange, purple, and black accents to really solidify the eerie ambiance. Pre-baked cookies and ready-made icing are all packed up in the box so that you can start decorating immediately. Finally, sprinkles and ghoulishly colored quins add detailed elements and extra sweetness to the entire structure. 

The Halloween Twisted Tavern Chocolate House Cookie Kit is available at Target for $5.99 as of September 2022. 

Best mini

There's a reason why tiny homes are in style — bigger isn't always better. Walmart's Mini Halloween Chocolate House is light as can be and roughly fits in the palm of a hand. For littler hands or for people who simply delight in the smaller pleasures of life, this is the way to go.

The mini-haunted house includes pre-made chocolate cookies, pre-made icing, candy jewels, and scene setters like orange and black bats. Pre-made icing sticks everything together to hold the structure up, though if you take the time to whip up a special royal icing to glue everything together, you'll be able to use some of the packaged icing to decorate. For example, try painting windows, doors, and other elements to complete the house. As the product's photo suggests, the icing can even be used to add spooky elements, such as spider webs, for a positively eerie aesthetic. 

Walmart's Mini Halloween Chocolate Cookie House is available for purchase for $3.98 as of September 2022.

Best luxury

Leave it to the iconic Williams Sonoma to bring luxury to edible haunted houses. Its DIY Haunted Gingerbread House Kit is a high-end product made with quality ingredients. Starting with delicately puffy gingerbread cookies, this haunted house takes on a classic structure with an inarguably fairytale-like feel. For a haunted house, the Williams Sonoma house keeps it subdued. Some rainbow sprinkles are available in the kit to be used to the confectioner's liking to add a vibrant pop of color. 

Nonetheless, there's an undeniable Halloween spirit to the details. Orange sugar pumpkins and candy corn can be used to decorate the house and the surrounding space, while purple, orange, and black sugar are ideal for dusting and adding plenty of glittery appeal to the house. While you're in the baking spirit, you might want to incorporate your favorite ghost brownie recipe into the design. As the Williams Sonoma site suggests, "get the ghouls together" and let your creativity shine. 

Williams Sonoma's DIY Haunted Gingerbread House Kit is available for purchase for $54.95 as of September 2022.

Best for chocolate lovers

There's something about chocolate and Halloween that just make sense, and it's what many people most ardently wish for as they reach their hands into a Halloween candy bowl. It seems that chocolate lovers may in fact be in the majority, and Retail Me Not reports that based on their survey, M&M's (closely followed by Reese's) ranked as the most sought-after Halloween candy. So, those who are eager for more M&M's should most definitely turn to M&M's Haunted Castle Chocolate Cookie Kit. 

The very fact that it's a castle in lieu of a house already speaks to the sweet baller status of this even sweeter treat. The M&M's castle is made with a four-piece chocolate exterior that is held together with icing. Purple and orange coloring can be added to give the icing a special twist, though you'll want to save it for decorating rather than building. M&M's themselves can be used to add bright accents and more details to the design. Unlike some other kits, the M&M's castle comes complete with paper accents to add to the interior and exterior of the manor. It's an elegant affair that will leave your sweet tooth more than satisfied. 

Crafty Cooking Kit's M&M's Haunted Castle is available for purchase at Walmart for $12.98 as of the date of writing.

Most popping

Popping candy need not remain a playground or poolside treat. The candy's bright color and one-of-a-kind texture lend a crackling air to those chilly fall nights. The Popping Candy Spooky Halloween Graveyard is certainly a sight to behold. The graveyard comes complete with a manor facade and a surrounding field. And, what's a graveyard without graves? The kit also includes chocolate cookie graves that are ready to be decorated. 

The setup really leans into the ghoulish delights of Halloween, with a bright almost alien green frosting to contrast with the dark surroundings. Bright pink and green popping sugar are perfect as garnish; mimic the packaging and use it to make grass and pink accents oozing from the graves. Orange and purple quins do wonders accentuating building details, while orange and black candy bats fit right in around the graveyard. Overall, it makes for a lively spooky scene that truly pops off. 

At the time of writing, Popping Candy Spooky Halloween Graveyard is available on Amazon for $27.99.

Creepiest haunted house

As promised by the name, this haunted gingerbread house is indeed a creepy sight. Wilton's Ready to Build Creepin' it Real Chocolate House Kit may not be for the faint of heart, but it sure does reward those who venture to construct it. The structure has six panels and one giant cookie spider to top it off. While a spider may not be the most appetizing topper on most days, there is no better time to debut a giant arachnid than on Halloween. 

Whereas most edible Halloween houses opt for a brown facade, Wilton's offers an assortment of colors. While white can be used to accent, there is plenty of black and purple icing to deck the house out in funky and frightening colors. The set also comes with smaller spiders to accompany the big house spider. Furthermore, quins are fittingly shaped with Halloween motifs like bones, stars, and skulls. This is surely a home that likes to creep it real. 

Wilton's Ready to Build Creepin' it Real Chocolate House Kit is available for purchase for $8.99 at the time of writing.

Best pre-made

For some, the joy of edible houses is not in the construction but in the decorative aspects. In fact, many people would rather not be responsible for making sure the icing sticks in the right way to actually hold up the structure. For these folks, a pre-made house is the best course of action, and Create-a-Treat's Pre-Built Chocolate Halloween House is sure to satisfy.

This kit provides ample opportunity for decorating. As advertised, the house comes with a whopping pound of icing and candy so that you can turn it into your own magical creation. Sugar pumpkins, candy corn, and quins in the shape of bats and leaves can all be used to enhance the standard structure. You can leave the icing white or you can doll it up with a bit of orange or green coloring. Those who find themselves with plenty of decorations and icing left over after decorating the house will be thrilled to give the accompanying tombstones and tree the Halloween treatment. 

The Create-a-Treat Pre-Built Chocolate Halloween House is available for $17.03 on Instacart as of September 2022.

Best for a challenge

Those who are looking for a bit of a challenge don't need to search any further. H for Happy's Haunted Halloween House is meant for creative folks who are looking to have their hands full. This particular edible haunted house is big, weighing in at over 2 pounds. On top of being a heavy-hitter, this design is a unique tall split-house with two roofs.

The icing in the kit can be colored in any number of ways: orange, green, purple, and black are all available. It sure makes for a vibrantly colored edible haunted house and adds a brightness that is often hard to come by with other Halloween kits. Candy is definitely not in short supply with this package. Candy corn, pumpkins, and bats can be strewn about to heighten the spooky factor of the house. What's a haunted house without a graveyard? Display the tombstone in front of the house and decorate it to your wishes. 

H for Happy's Haunted DIY Halloween House can be purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond for $12 at the time of writing.

Best for many hands

Joy is best when shared, and Create a Treat's Halloween Haunted House Kit ensures that you'll get multiple hands on deck thanks to its value pack with two houses. Perhaps on a night before the 31st, or even prior to heading out to the Halloween party or a night of trick-or-treating, settle down with your closest friends and family and construct a gingerbread village.

It's not just the quantity that sets these houses apart. Unlike other gingerbread buildings, these twins come with pre-colored frosting in both purple and orange. They can be used to put the houses together, but also to decorate them in perfectly festive colors. Two decorating tips mean you can showcase different textures with the icing. Candy corn, pumpkin face gum, mini beads, and fondant are ready to deck this spooky house out with the Halloween spirit. There are endless possibilities to decorate each house, and the kit provides the opportunity to do it twice over. 

The Create-a-Treat Chocolaty Halloween Haunted House Cookie Kit comes in at $26.05 at Walmart at the time of writing.