When you think of Halloween treats, packaged chocolate bars and gummy candies are probably the first things that come to mind. Fear not — there is more to Halloween than crappy store-bought sugar. Here are three recipes for homemade Halloween treats that are so good, they’re scary.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Adapted from epicurious.com­.

Why not get your day off to a spooky start with a delicious — and healthy — pumpkin pie smoothie? This recipe legitimately tastes like pumpkin pie but is socially acceptable to eat for breakfast. Feel good about getting in some nutrients before 9 a.m. while sipping this refreshing drink. This recipe serves one.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk of choice

½ cup canned pumpkin

¼ cup vanilla yogurt (optional)

1 frozen banana

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp molasses

1-2 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend away.

2. Pour into a glass or travel cup and enjoy!

Crazy Caramel Corn. Adapted from food52.com­.

If you’re curling up to watch a scary movie on Halloween, you’re probably going to want something tasty to snack on. This is a basic recipe for caramel corn, but you have the option to make it crazy by adding some creative mix-ins. From Reese’s Pieces or Sour Patch Kids to Candy Corn, anything goes on Oct. 31. This recipe makes 10-12 cups of caramel corn.

Ingredients:

½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Roughly 1 tbsp oil

¾ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1-2 tbsp molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

Optional: spices, or mix-ins like nuts, dried fruit, candy, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat enough oil to lightly coat a heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels to the pot. Cover the pot, moving it around from time to time until all of the kernels are popped. Transfer to a large bowl. This should make 10-12 cups of popcorn.

3. Add any mix-ins to your popcorn. You can use excess Halloween candy, chocolate chips, peanuts or your treat of choice.

4. Time to make the caramel! Melt the butter in a pot on low heat. Add the sugar and the molasses. Once the sugar is melted, bring the mixture to a boil and stir for three to four minutes.

5. Add the vanilla, salt and the baking soda. You can also add spices, too. Try nutmeg and cinnamon to taste, for a sweet flavor or cayenne pepper for a spicy treat.

6. Pour the caramel on top of the popcorn, stirring to coat the entire mixture. Be sure to work quickly.

7. Spread the caramel corn on a lined baking sheet and put into the oven for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture halfway through so it doesn’t clump up.

8. Let the pan cool. I’m serious. If you eat it too soon, which is tempting, you’ll burn your tongue.

Creepy Cupcakes. Adapted from epicurious.com.

Cupcakes are the perfect treat to share with a crowd. This is a basic cupcake recipe that can be whipped up for your next Halloween party. Feel free to play around with the decorations — there are lots of possibilities! Even better, let your guests decorate the cupcakes themselves! This recipe makes 10-12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp cornstarch

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup canola oil

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a muffin tin or line with cupcake liners.

2. Mix together the milk and apple cider vinegar. Set this aside so it can curdle.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.

4. In another bowl, mix together the curdled milk, sugar, oil and vanilla.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until no lumps remain.

6. Divide batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners.

7. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and firm to the touch.

8. Let cool completely until decorating. Use your favorite frosting recipe and top with Halloween themed candy for decoration.

9. Devour!

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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie photo: Flickr / Mallydally

Crazy Caramel Corn photo: Flickr / Randy Son of Robert

Creepy Cupcakes photo: Flickr / Tonguetyed