The Brief

Thrills and chills abound across L.A.’s sweet scene this October as local bakeries, ice cream parlors, and coffee houses prepare for Halloween with a frighteningly good selection of treats.

From the zombie donuts lurking in a 24/7 Koreatown donut shop to the witches’ finger cookies enchanting locals at an Atwater bakery, we’ve got the details on where to find this year’s creepiest confections and seasonal delights.

California Donuts (Koreatown)

You can count on Instagram-friendly California Donuts to perfect a creepy-cute Halloween aesthetic for the creatures of the night who line up outside this 24-hour Koreatown stand.

The long-running, family-owned donut shop was already decked out in late September with smiling ghosts painted on the windows and perched atop the Orange Bang machine.

As for the Halloween treats, they are almost too cute to eat. At least, that’s the case if you think a donut graveyard with a fondant tombstone and a green toy hand popping out of cookie crumble dirt is cute.

Spooky, scary treats from California Donuts

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Courtesy of California Donuts

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Other grim goodies include zombies iced in matcha green tea or taro. More have been added since I visited, including an array of monsters, a “psycho” version of their famed panda donut and classic sprinkled donuts topped with marshmallow fondant ghosts.

If you want a box full of frights, go to California Donuts' website and mix-and-match your order, as some of the specialties are only available online.

The Donut Man (DTLA, Glendora)

Strawberry donuts are The Donut Man’s claim to fame, but those aren’t the only seasonal treats at this local institution.

With fall comes the pumpkin cream cheese donut. It’s thick, fluffy, glazed and topped with a very generous swirl of custardy pumpkin. While the taste is instantly reminiscent of Thanksgiving, your October donuts come decorated with ghosts and other spooky, cream cheese art as a reminder that Halloween is near.

Both the original Glendora location and the Donut Man’s Grand Central Market stall have the pumpkin cream cheese donut right now. If you plan on picking up one, or a dozen, when you’re downtown, weeknights are the ideal time to go if you want to avoid the lines, tourists and content creators.

Fair Oaks Pharmacy (South Pasadena)

Phosphates, a tart precursor to today’s sodas, are a specialty all year long at South Pasadena’s Fair Oaks Pharmacy.

Now through Halloween though, you can order the Swamp Water Phosphate, a bog green soft drink with a taste that’s similar to a Sprite, but without the lingering sweetness.

Swamp Water phosphate at Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in South Pasadena.

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Liz Ohanesian

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For LAist

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Better yet, you can watch as the soda jerks concoct your potion with phosphoric acid, sourced from the in-house pharmacy, a hefty dose of lime syrup and a dash of cola before dropping a gummy frog into the murky mix.

For ice cream lovers, try the candy corn sundae, also available through Halloween. It comes with the seasonal love-it-or-hate-it candy layered between ice cream, caramel and whipped cream. While you’re here, stock up on retro and regional candy. Note that the soda fountain is closed on the weekends.

Fosselman’s Ice Cream (Alhambra)

A scoop of black licorice paired with pumpkin ice cream at Fosselman’s Ice Cream in Alhambra

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Liz Ohanesian

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For LAist

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Black licorice may not be everyone’s taste, but it is mine, and Fosselman’s makes a devilishly delicious black licorice ice cream. It’s inky black with a subtle flavor that pairs nicely with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream, also available this month.

The century-old San Gabriel Valley ice cream company has a third Halloween specialty on the menu at their Alhambra parlor this month too. It’s called Trick-or-Treat and is loaded with bits of candy, including peanut butter cups, Heath Bars and Butterfingers. Try your scoops in a cone, cup or as part of a float.

While you’re here, check out the assortment of ice cream cakes, as they do have Halloween-themed ones available. Maybe pick up a bag of old-fashioned candies, like saltwater taffy, from one of the bins as well. Just don’t forget to bring cash when you visit.

Horror Vibes Coffee (North Hollywood)

If Horror Vibes existed back when I was a teenage goth roaming the San Fernando Valley, this tiny North Hollywood coffee house would have been one of my regular haunts. It’s the sort of place where, to quote Ministry, “every day is Halloween,” and the regular menu boasts drinks named for macabre movies and books.

On a recent visit, I sipped a Carrie White while sitting next to the horror movie-themed mural, painted by local artist Phill Bourque, that envelops the shop as My Bloody Valentine (the band, not the movie) played in the background. The streams of strawberry that drip through the white mocha latte are a nice touch and very reminiscent of the infamous prom scene in Brian de Palma’s classic Stephen King adaptation.

Right now, Horror Vibes has a special Halloween menu, the Brewbumps collection, with names referencing classic spooky children’s books, like Say Reese(s) and Die! and The Werewolf of Snicker Swamp. I tasted the Night of the Living Gummy, an energy-infused lime and lemonade with a splatter of strawberry, and it’s a tasty, tart concoction that’s perfect when you’re looking for something other than a coffee or tea drink.

Monty’s Good Burger (various locations)

Havok’s Harvest at the Echo Park Monty's location.

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Courtesy Monty’s Good Burger

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No matter the time of year, Monty’s Good Burger makes a killer shake. The vegan burger joint, with three L.A. County locations and one in Riverside, uses Oatley’s vanilla soft serve to whip up a delight so thick you’ll need a spoon to eat it. Ordinarily, I’m a fan of Monty’s strawberry shake, but, I recently tried Havok’s Harvest at the Echo Park location, which has become a fall tradition at the restaurant, and it’s a Halloween dream.

Havok’s Harvest fits with Monty’s vibe, a retro diner/alt culture hangout where Gary Baseman placemats line the tables and photocopy-styled images of Morrissey and River Phoenix paper the walls. The drink/dessert is a collab with AFI singer Davey Havok and it riffs on the classic pumpkin pie, complete with a crumbly crust at the bottom of the cup. Pumpkin puree and spices are blended with the vanilla soft serve, topped with a mountain of whipped cream and dusted with more pie crust and spice. Havok’s Harvest is available at all Monty’s locations throughout October.

The Village Bakery & Cafe (Atwater Village)

At Village Bakery & Cafe, there are sweets and savory bites suited for virtually every fiendish taste this Halloween. When I stopped by on an early October afternoon, the countertop cases were stocked with Jack Skellington pot pies to bake at home, vegan chocolate skull cakes and rocky road brownies topped with candy corn. And then there was the assortment of sugar cookies, beautifully hand-decorated to look like candy corn, jack-o-lanterns and tombstones.

Hand pies made with cherry, Apple and Berry fillings from The Village Bakery & Cafe in Atwater Village.

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Courtesy The Village Bakery & Cafe

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Witch finger pastries from The Village Bakery & Cafe in Atwater Village.

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Courtesy The Village Bakery & Cafe

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I came home with Witches’ Fingers, long green cookies with creases and cracks that resemble a century-old hand and an almond-sliver rimmed with raspberry jam where a fingernail would be.

I also got the peanut butter and Rice Krispies monster eyeballs, with chocolate lids and an M&M in the center. Both were delicious, but the Atwater Village bakery has added more ghoulish treats to the menu since then, so I might need to make another trip before Halloween. Peep Village Bakery’s Instagram stories to see what new items they drop.