Trust, These ~Spooktacular~ Halloween Snack Ideas Are to Die For
To throw a spooktacular Halloween party, you need a few key ingredients: candy (obviously!), good Halloween cocktails, some Halloween party games to keep guests on their toes, and, of course, good Halloween party food. But here's the thing: a party is only one night, and spooky season lasts at least four weeks (depending on who you ask), and you'll need sustenance to keep your spooky spirit up until November 1. So, if you save all the Halloween food for the party, what’re you going to eat those other 30 days of the month? Sure, you could do that by eating regular food (lol), but why would you do that when you could simply try your hand at these Halloween snack ideas?
There are two kinds of Halloween snacks: monster snacks and fall snacks. Sometimes, a little squash or pumpkin flair is all you need to make something on theme, but other spooky snacks might require a little extra effort. And while a witch would normally never reveal her secrets, in the spirit of the holiday, I’ve decided to be generous and provide you with a whole smorgasbord of Halloween snack recipes. Just FYI, you may wanna hit up your local craft store for some festive cookie cutters (and some food coloring) before you start.
Vampire Cookies
Turn basic chocolate chip cookies into festive mouthpieces with these vampire cookies, designed to look like vampire dentures. Just don't forget to take a bite out of this sweet treat before it takes a bite out of you.
Pretzel Spiders
These no-bake creepy crawlers are a healthy alternative for the holiday—the recipe is filled with yummy ingredients like oats, peanut butter and dates.
Recipe from Everyday Delicious
Witch Finger Cookies
Ding dong, the witch is dead... and we're eating her fingers! This dark but undeniably Halloween-ready recipe turns shortbread cookies into creepy witchy body parts. All you need is some dough, food coloring, almond slices, and jam.
Dirt Cake Trifle
Halloween has the unique ability to turn the phrase "eat dirt" into a special treat thanks to the strategic use of Oreos, gummy worms, and chocolate, which come together to create the most delicious dirt possible.
Recipe from Foody Schmoody Blog
Skeleton Veggie Tray
Veggies are not the food group that comes to mind when I think of Halloween, but a skeleton made entirely out of vegetables with dip as the head is really making me rethink what I consider holiday-appropriate.
Recipe from Cooking with Janica
Aperol Spritz Trifle
Admittedly, Aperol Spritz isn't the first thing you think of when you think of Halloween, but you can't deny the fact that this cocktail-inspired desert looks like an elevated, adult-friendly version of candy corn.
Peanut Butter Nutella Candy Bar Brownie
An XL brownie bar topped with candy corn and chocolate peanut butter cups? Say no more. Customize this shareable sweet with quite literally any and all Halloween candy you have lying around (assuming you have leftovers, that is).
Witch Cupcakes
If you don't feel like baking, but also want everyone to *think* you turned on your oven, then decorating store-bought cupcakes is your best bet. All it takes is some cupcake liners, tape, and a toothpick to transform these cupcakes into witch hats. SpOoky, no?
Dip-Dyed Donuts
Bake these donuts to perfection and decorate them with black and purple food dye to really give your dessert spread a spooky boost. Bonus points if you stick on a few edible googly eyes while you're at it.
Sweet and Salty Caramel Apples
If you're trying to take advantage of all the picture-perfect apples that fall has to offer, dip some in caramel, drizzle 'em in chocolate, and sprinkle sea salt on top. Good luck eating just one though. 😇
Recipe from Half Baked Harvest
Jack 'O Lantern Quesadillas
Practice your pumpkin-carving skills with these festive quesadillas. Fill each 'dill with your choice of cheese, meat, or veggies, and all of your guests will be thrilled to chow down own their own personal jack 'o lantern.
Mummy Meatballs
Savory meatballs wrapped in crowd-favorite crescent rolls? Say less. Purchase a bag of frozen meatballs to make this appetizer extra easy to execute.
Toasty Cinnamon Twists
Remember the cinnamon toast cereal of your youth?? Yeah, these sweet twists take *exactly* like that, minus the soggy squares and milk dregs you'd regularly find at the bottom of the bowl.
Monster Munch
Forget the haters who like to remind you that "candy corn is ~gross~" and sprinkle an entire bag of it on freshly popped popcorn. Add in a drizzle of chocolate, a handful of pretzels, and you're in business.
Pumpkin Gnudi with Vanilla Brown Butter
Maybe you're thinking of doing an Italian cuisine night for your next Halloween party, in which case, you're going to want to revolve the meal around this gnudi. These plush lil pillows create the perfect carb base for copious amounts of grated parm and all of the vanilla brown butter.
Mummified Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is arguably the most delicious item on any dinner table (no offense to all the other apps out there), but with visible strands of melted mozz on top, this mummified recipe is sure to impress even your most picky party guests.
Pumpkin Butter Brie Pull-Apart Bread
This pull-apart bread has everything: Pumpkin butter? Good! Brie? Good! It's the perfect combo of salty and sweet, just prepare to answer a lot of "hey, can you send me a link to this recipe?" questions all night.
Banana Mummies
Feeling like your shindig is missing something sweet? Slide a banana onto a stick, drizzle it with white and milk chocolate, then decorate using chocolate candies. Problem solved.
Quick Caramel Apple Fudge
Emphasis on the quick here. If your guests are in the Uber and you still have to, um, decorate your entire place, these caramel apple fudge squares are super simple. Basically you just dump together the ingredients, including apple, caramel, and white chocolate chips, and microwave them. This recipe’s extra fall-ish and makes a batch of 36 pieces, so you’re covered even if you end up with post-party crashers.
Dark Chocolate Fudge Pomegranate Tart
If you're willing to put in a little more effort for a chocolatey dessert that also gives off a spooky vibe, please clear off space on your kitchen counter for this tart. It's chocolate + fruit (a winning combo,) and screams sophisticated while still leaning into the fun of Halloween.
Butternut Squash Potstickers
Think about your vegan guests ahead of time and make these potstickers that will be a hit with everyone from meat eaters to veggie lovers. It doesn't get more fall than butternut squash wrapped up in something super tasty, amirite?
Mummy Hot Dogs
Spice up your classic pigs in a blanket app and mummify it with some crescent dough and a sprinkle of cheese. If this crowd-pleaser doesn't scream creative, then idk what does.
S’more Butterscotch Caramel Dump Cake
Okay, it may not be the most delicious sounding sweet out there, but a dump cake will be the easiest cake you make this szn. Once you dump (get it??) all of the ingredients into a single dish and bake it off, you're left with a s'mores-like sweet that's a lot less sticky than the real thing.
Recipe from What's Gaby Cooking
Pumpkin Pie Dip
Look out, Starbs. This pumpkin pie dip is better than your go-to PSL. This rich, indulgent spread takes only seconds: Beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin, sour cream and spices until blended. Transfer to a bowl; serve with gingersnaps. Refrigerate leftovers (which you prob won't have).
Candy Corn Jello Shots
Always a crowd-pleaser (but not always your friend the next morning), these vodka and rum-infused candy corn jello shots are ultra-festive. Just a tip though: You need about an hour and a half for each layer to set, so don't think you can start filling these up as your guests are arriving. It's more of an All Hallows Eve activity.
Spooky Chicken Sliders
Add in some fake fangs and voila! You’ve got instant creepy yet savory critters to jazz up any party platter. They’re almost too cute to eat (almost).
Graveyard Chicken Enchilada
An enchilada graveyard...what more does a gal need? Bury me in this. And don't forget to fold in the cheese (that one's for you, Schitts Creek fans) and let it get nice and bubbly to get the best, most IG story-worthy cheese pull when you dip.
Eyeball Deviled Eggs
Um, deviled eggs. Need we say more? Adding in some eerie eyeball imagery is exactly what you need to make this dish even scarier. Use olives or edible eyeball candies for eyes and apply red food coloring with a toothpick to trace the “veins” throughout the egg.
Ghost S'mores Dip
Is there anything better than graham crackers + chocolate + marshmallows? Throw this dip together in mere minutes, and watch while your guests consume it in the same amount of time.
Roasted Pumpkin Chipotle Cheddar Tots
These savory crispers are scary good, flipping the script on the usual cinnamon-y spice you get with your pumpkin goodies. So they're kinda like tater tots, but pumpkin, and that chipotle cheddar adds a little kick. Fair warning: These might not make it all the way to the actual party.
Recipe from Half-Baked Harvest
Ghostly Pizza Recipe
Now this is the kind of ghosted you want to happen to you. Save this phantom-filled pizza for your Halloweekend Sunday Scaries, or serve it up to your guests as a midnight snacks to soak up all the boo-ze.
Green Matcha Popcorn
This recipe is so easy, a zombie could make it (aka you, hungover from bottomless brunch). Pick out your favorite popcorn, sprinkle some matcha over the top, and shake until coated. And there ya go, a Frankenstein-esque vibe to add to your snack spread!
Strawberry Ghosts
These boo-ti-ful ghosts are more treat than trick, and they're so uncomplicated to make. Grab some strawberries, white chocolate, mini chocolate chips, and a Ziploc bag, and clear out some space in the fridge.
Mummy Brie
Add some puff pastry to some good ol’ store-bought brie and you’re set. Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle some flour onto a work surface like your kitchen counter and roll out puff pastry. Whisk together egg and milk to brush over pastry. Bake until the brie is gooey and the pastry’s golden (approx. 20 minutes) and add pepperoni or olives for eyes.
Breadstick Rattlers
Ssssomething smells deliciousssss. These reptilian snacks are clutch, whether you’re showing up to a spooky dinner party or having them leftover from the shindig with your third bowl of spaghetti this week. Use olives and dried chile for the eyes and tongue, and sprinkle on some poppyseeds for texture.
Pumpkin Pesto Crostini
Keep it seasonal and v sophisticated with a pumpkin and pesto crostini. Where’s the horror, you ask?! You’ll know it when you see an empty plate in five minutes…
Shrunken Potato Heads
Add a little scare to your meal prep with these shrunken potato heads. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and carve mini faces in the skins. Toss with oil and place on a baking sheet to bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve with the works: guac, bacon, sour cream, and, nevermind...just put together a whole baked potato bar while you're at it.
Candy Corn Pops
Life hack: Adding the honey to the pudding mixture gives each pop a *pop* of candy corn flavor that makes it taste like the real thing. We also would not be mad at all if you added some whipped cream vodka to spike these bbs 😈.
Recipe from Number 2 Pencil
Ghost Pretzels
These white chocolate dipped pretzels instantly become ghosts with candy eyes and some creativity. Better yet? They only use three ingredients so they're easy as hell to throw together.
Recipe from Dessert Now, Dinner Later
Halloween Cake Pops
Cake pops? Immediate hit. You can get crafty with the design too, to create spiders, jack-o’-lanterns, mummies, or some classy glittery black and orange pops. You could even con your roommates into making it a decorating party before the party, while you simultaneously whip up the jello shots from above.
Spooky Baked Chips
Crisp up these gluten-free, paleo-friendly, vegan-friendly delights with a cookie cutter and some olive oil spray. Make ‘em crunchy or thicc and more pita-like to go with any of the dips on this list.
Pumpkin Blondies with Cheesecake Swirl
That swirl, though...mesmerizing. Yes, you will devour these pumpkin and cheesecake-fused blondies, and yes, you will make them again for Friendsgiving.
Bloody Mary Syringes
If you're gonna be partying all day on October 31st, kick the morning off by putting your Bloody Mary into easy syringe shots. As a bonus, this recipe’s super painless (!) to batch for lots of guests.
Spider Web Nacho Spread
With refried beans, guac, salsa, cheese, and a “web” of piped sour cream, this spicy and spooky recipe will haunt all your guests’ dreams (but, like, in a good way).
Mummy Jalapeño Poppers
Tbh, jalapeño poppers will forever be our go-to party snack. Transform them into mummies with a lil help from some puff pastry.
Recipe from The Hopeless Housewife
Black Charcoal Lemonade
This witch’s brew is deceptively simple: lemon juice, activated charcoal, and maple syrup. Whisk all together well then dilute with water to taste. It won't be a gritty or chalky texture at all, and just delivers a *chilling* black hue. Bonus points for being literally chilled.
Apple Cider Sangria
Say hello to the *adult* apple juice you should be drinking this October. This spiced fall cocktail is the comforting, boozy drink of your dreams.
Leftover Candy Cookies
I meannn, you probably don't have any leftover candy hanging around, but if you don't typically get trick-or-treaters to your studio apartment, put those treats to even better use. We present to you: leftover candy cookies. You can pack them with caramel and Reese's like in the photo, but Snickers, Milky Way, and fun-size Hershey bars are all fair game.
Practical Magic Midnight Margaritas
Speaking of midnight, who else wants to whip up a marg and dance around the kitchen? Practical Magic is the blueprint, and we’ll take any excuse to bust out the tequila during the witching hour (or any time, really).
Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Dip
Been to an orchard lately (pics with your S.O. or it didn't happen)? Indulge your autumnal fantasies with this practically effortless dip. Actually though, it's not often you get to pair your apples with Snickers and liquid caramel, so don't sleep on this app opportunity.
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