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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Ghosts in the Graveyard Halloween Dessert Shooters

    Ghosts in the Graveyard Halloween Dessert Shooters

    October 20, 2017 Updated October 28, 2017 BySam 44 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    Ghosts in the graveyard Dessert shooters

    Chocolaty, single-serving-sized, made-from-scratch Ghosts in the Graveyard Treats.  These are a perfect Halloween dessert made with an easy no-bake chocolate cheesecake filling and Oreo Cookie crumbs!  Top them off with cookie “tombstones” and whipped cream “ghosts”!

    Ghosts in the Graveyard Halloween Dessert Shooters

    Hi everyone!  I originally shared this recipe over a year ago, but with Halloween a mere 11 days away, I thought you might appreciate a semi-spooky Halloween dessert.

    Honestly, I’ve hardly done any preparation for Halloween this year (aside from making these spider cookies last month).  Our neighborhood is decorated with Jack o’Lanterns, spooky ghosts, and faux-spiderweb covered hedges, and all I have are three miniature pumpkins rotting outside our front window.  Not exactly festive.

    I thought that the very least I could do to try and get into the Halloween spirit was resurrect these Ghost in the Graveyard Halloween Dessert Shooters, a (non-alcoholic) chocolate cheesecake treat.

    Ghosts in the Graveyard Dessert Shooters - adorable halloween desserts

    My mom used to make “Ghosts in the Graveyard” when I was a kid, but it was done a little differently.  The classic dessert is made in a 13×9 pan (at least, it was in our house), the graveyard constructed of pudding and topped with cookie crumbs, cookie tombstones, and ghosts.

    I remember planting the Milano cookies in the pudding and then strategically carving out my slice of the “graveyard” so that I got both tombstone and ghost.

    Given my affinity for mini desserts, and especially for dessert shooters, I individualized the dessert into adorable single-serving-sized portions.

    Cookie Tombstones for a ghostly Halloween Dessert

    I made these treats from scratch mimicking the same chocolate filling that I used for my sister’s birthday cookie dough pie, only using a heavier portion of chocolate and stirring in crumbled Oreos for a “dirtier” look.

    It may seem like a lot of steps because you have to melt the chocolate separately, wait for it to cool, and whip the heavy cream at two different points, but it’s really pretty simple for a from-scratch Halloween dessert.

    It’s worth every extra dish, but I also included notes in case you wanted to speed things up a bit and substitute Cool Whip (I’ve done this a time or two myself, but it’s definitely worth the extra effort to make from scratch!!).

    Ghost in the Graveyard Halloween Dessert Shooters displayed on a black cake stand

    Enjoy (and try not to look to closely at my ghosts in the background, they are sad specimen indeed)!

    Full recipe just below the video.

     

    Looking for another Halloween Dessert?  Check out my adorable Spooky Spider Cookies!

    Ghosts in the graveyard dessert shooters arranged on a cake stand

    Ghosts in the Graveyard Halloween Dessert Shooters

    Chocolaty, single-serving-sized, made-from-scratch Ghosts in the Graveyard Treats.  These are a perfect Halloween dessert!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 24 dessert shooters
    Calories: 273kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    Filling

    • 1 cup chocolate chips (175g)
    • 2 cups heavy cream divided (474 ml)
    • 8 oz cream cheese softened (227g)
    • 28 Oreo Cookies pulverized in food processor
    • 1 cup powdered sugar (200g)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Whipped Cream Ghosts**

    • 1 cup heavy cream (237ml)
    • ¾ cup powdered sugar (150g)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla

    Other optional toppings

    • 12 Milano sandwich cookies
    • 1 tube Black premade frosting for writing
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup chocolate chips and ½ cup of the heavy cream over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until chocolate chips are completely melted and mixture is smooth.
    • Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Stir in vanilla extract.
    • Allow mixture to cool completely before continuing.
    • In a clean, medium-sized bowl, use an electric mixer to beat remaining 1 ½ cups heavy cream to stiff peaks. Set aside.
    • In bowl of stand mixer, combine cream cheese and (cooled) chocolate mixture, stirring until completely combined.
    • Gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
    • Stir in vanilla extract and 1 ½ cups of the Oreo crumbs (reserve remaining crumbs to sprinkle over tops of shooters).
    • Fold in whipped cream and then stir on low-speed until completely combined.
    • Set out 24 disposable shot glasses.
    • Pour mixture into large Ziploc bag, snip off one corner and pipe filling into shot glasses, filling about ¾½ full.
    • Cover tops of each shooter with remaining Oreo crumbs.
    • Prepare Milano cookies buy using black frosting to write "RIP" on upper half of cookie.
    • Press Milano cookies firmly into half of the shooters so that only the half of the cookie reading "RIP" is protruding (like tombstones).

    Ghosts

    • Prepare whipped cream ghosts by combining heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in clean medium-sized bowl and whisking until stiff peaks form. (You may instead skip this step and use Cool Whip).
    • Pour whipped cream (or Cool Whip)into large piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe ghost-shaped swirls on top of the remaininghalf of dessert shooters.
    • Use black frosting to gently draw eyes and mouths on ghosts
    • Serve & enjoy!

    Notes

    I ALWAYS BUY MY SHOT GLASSES HERE FROM AMAZON (affiliate link) *You may substitute 12 oz of Cool Whip for the 1 ½ cups whipped heavy cream in the filling (you will still need the ½ cup for melting with the chocolate). **You can substitute additional Cool Whip to make these ghosts, if you prefer.  This recipe makes enough for about 10-12 ghosts and is assuming you will top the rest of the shooters with cookie tombstones.  You may double the recipe if you would like them all to be topped with ghosts.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1shooter | Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 581IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything through these links I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Please view the disclosure policy for more information.

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    I originally posted this recipe 10/3/16, updated text and re-published 10/20/17

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    Ghosts in the Graveyard Dessert Shooters - I love how these are individual, and made from scratch!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      September 29, 2019 at 12:36 pm

      Will make for a Halloween party this year. Are those 1oz or 2oz shooter cups? I’ll get 2oz., 1oz probably too small?

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        September 29, 2019 at 1:24 pm

        Hello, Linda! I use 2 oz cups for this recipe. I hope they are enjoyed. 🙂

        Reply
        • Linda

          September 29, 2019 at 2:44 pm

          Thank you! I’ll post pics when make them.

    2. Bonnie

      September 13, 2019 at 2:39 pm

      Are Are you using 1 ounce or 2 ounces or 1.5 ounce shot glasses? The link to Amazon shows 1 oz and 2 oz.
      thank you!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        September 13, 2019 at 4:08 pm

        Hello, Bonnie! There is a link in the notes section of the recipe. I use the 2-ounce shot glasses. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂

        Reply
      • Bonnie

        September 26, 2019 at 3:24 pm

        Thank you for Confirming 2 ounce size. Can I make the filling ahead of time and freeze it?

        Reply
        • Sugar Spun Run

          September 26, 2019 at 3:47 pm

          Hello, Bonnie! Yes, that should be fine. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂

    3. Taryn

      October 30, 2017 at 12:35 pm

      Do I pulverize the cookies with the cream? Or do I need to take the icing between the Oreos off?

      Reply
    4. Felicia

      October 28, 2017 at 8:59 pm

      I am going to make these for a work party. If I make them the day before will the be ok to store in the refrigerator over night? And will they be ok to set out all day for my co workers?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 29, 2017 at 2:56 pm

        They will be fine made the day before! They’ll also be OK to sit out for even a few hours, but because of the dairy in them I wouldn’t recommend leaving them out all day, not more than a few hours.

        Reply
        • Felicia

          October 29, 2017 at 10:32 pm

          Awesome thanks! I have another question, what do you think about putting this in a large cake pan and just letting people scoop it out themselves? Would that also work?

        • Sam

          October 29, 2017 at 10:34 pm

          I think that would work just fine! It would be a bit messier with serving, but still tasty, and would look even more like a “graveyard” 🙂

    5. Samantha

      October 23, 2017 at 2:26 pm

      5 stars
      Did your whipping cream melt while they sat? I’m nervous that when I makes this that they melt.

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 23, 2017 at 2:36 pm

        How long do you intend to leave them sit out? My whipped cream has never melted, but I know not everyone has been so lucky and if you are worried about it you could try using Cool Whip, which may be more stable.

        Reply
    6. Taryn

      October 11, 2017 at 6:23 pm

      Hi, um what kind of chocolate chips does this call for? Semi-sweet?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 11, 2017 at 9:28 pm

        Yup!

        Reply
        • Taryn

          October 13, 2017 at 4:03 pm

          Thanks! Also, for the Oreo cookies, do you pulverize 28 whole cookies with the cream or 28 of the half without the cream?

        • Amy

          October 27, 2017 at 8:52 am

          5 stars
          Hi
          Where do you get those purple flowers and orange little pumpkins? Are they real or fake?

        • Sam

          October 28, 2017 at 12:38 am

          The pumpkins were edible icing candies from my local cake shop, you could easily substitute those little mallow-creme mushrooms that come mixed in with candy corn. The flowers were real flowers, but they were mostly for decoration and I wasn’t sure if they were edible so I scraped them off before serving. I hope that helps!!

    7. Lisa

      September 06, 2017 at 8:01 am

      These are so adorable! Can’t wait to make them for the girls(I work in a dorm at a private school) Do you think that the cool whip will hold better than the heavy cream for the ghosts? I’m sure they will be sitting out for a bit as the girls will be not all seeing them at the same time!

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 10, 2017 at 10:16 am

        I do think Cool Whip would probably hold up a bit better. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Lauren

      October 29, 2016 at 10:21 pm

      5 stars
      So excited to make these for my work Halloween party on Monday!!! Can I make the filing the night before and pipe it into the shooters the day of? Also, any good ideas on transporting the shooters?? Thanks:)!!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 29, 2016 at 11:44 pm

        Yes, you can definitely do that! The filling gets a little firm when chilled, so you may have to work it in the piping bag with your hands a bit to make it easier to pipe, but I have done this and it’s fine. The only way I’ve transported them is to fit them snugly in a tupperware or one of those disposable foil cake carriers, packing them in tight enough that they are all supporting one another (I hope that makes sense!). However, if you’re planning on making the filling in advance, it may just be easier to bring the shot glasses, filling, crumbs and toppers separately and assemble everything at your work, then you don’t have to worry about any of them falling over. I hope this helps!

        Reply
        • Lauren

          October 30, 2016 at 8:01 am

          Thanks so much for your response – I’ll try one of those ideas for transport 🙂 can’t wait to taste them; I love Oreos so I’m pretty excited, haha.

        • Sam

          October 30, 2016 at 10:28 am

          Of course! I hope you love them 🙂

    9. Heather

      October 29, 2016 at 3:10 pm

      Do they have to be kept cold? Want to make them for my kids’ class party. Super cute!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 29, 2016 at 10:17 pm

        Hi Heather! Yes, they should be kept cold. They won’t melt though and can be left out for a while (I wouldn’t leave out longer than 2 hours max). I’d put the ghosts on just before serving, or use storebought Cool Whip which will hold its shape a bit better for extended periods of time. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    10. Cristi

      October 27, 2016 at 4:51 pm

      5 stars
      HI! Love everything about this. Where did you get the little flowers and mini pumpkins?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 27, 2016 at 6:45 pm

        Thank you! I bought the mini pumpkins from my local cake shop, they were sugar candy decorations, but I think if you were to buy some of those Brach’s mallowcream pumpkins (the kind you can get in the candy corn “autumn mix” bags) they would look super cute, too! For the flowers I just bought a bouquet from my local grocery store that had springs with small flowers in them, mine weren’t edible so they had to be removed before eating. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    11. Christie

      October 07, 2016 at 6:32 am

      I want all the whipped cream ghosts!!!

      Reply
    12. Renee - Kudos Kitchen

      October 06, 2016 at 8:19 pm

      I just love how much fun this display is! Your presentation is top-notch! Keep those creative juices flowing!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 06, 2016 at 8:28 pm

        Thank you so much Renee, you are so kind! 🙂

        Reply
        • Jen

          October 07, 2020 at 4:40 pm

          Hi Sam!

          We pulverize the cookies as they are correct? We don’t take out the cream? Also, is there a video for this recipe? Thanks so much!

        • Sam

          October 08, 2020 at 10:16 am

          Hi Jen! You do pulverize the oreos with the cream inside. I do have a short facebook video for them. 🙂

    13. Kay Little

      October 06, 2016 at 1:52 pm

      You are so creative!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 06, 2016 at 8:28 pm

        Thank you! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Megan @ MegUnprocessed

      October 06, 2016 at 5:33 am

      I love this presentation! Sooo creative! Great job!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 06, 2016 at 8:28 pm

        Thank you so much, Megan! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Medha Swaminathan

      October 03, 2016 at 6:50 pm

      These shooters are adorable and oh so festive! Loving the whipped cream 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 06, 2016 at 8:29 pm

        Thanks so much, Medha! 🙂

        Reply
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