Halloween Food: Recipes for a Festive Day
Are you as excited about Halloween food as we are? After a long evening of following your toddler in their superhero costume searching for Reese’s Cups, Butterfingers, and lollipops, everyone’s probably worked up an appetite! Read on for some spooky (and not-so-spooky) snacks and treats for the perfect Halloween celebration!
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Halloween Party Food for Everyone
Many people don’t think too much about Halloween once they’ve outgrown trick-or-treating or costume parties where you dance to the “Monster Mash.”
But Halloween can be fun no matter what age you are! Whether you want to throw a costume party or indulge in Halloween food, there are many ways to celebrate. With a few decorations and some simple recipes, you’ll be well on your way to having a new favorite holiday!
But before we get to the treats, we’ve also got a few Halloween party tips and tricks to get you started.
What Are the Best Halloween Party Themes?
One of the best parts of a Halloween party is using a fun theme to get guests excited. This can help people pick the right Halloween costume for the evening and help you select the best decorations/food.
You may want to have everyone come as their favorite Halloween movie character! Recently, Tik Tok trends have shown themed parties where attendees dress as holidays or different iterations of the same character or person (i.e., Jim Carrey roles or Britney Spears costumes).
You may want a party centered on a single theme like The Nightmare Before Christmas or a Murder Mystery. A haunted house theme is a classic, too, and easy to execute with various decorations.
But a Halloween-inspired theme doesn’t have to be scary! Try out a Nancy Drew mystery or Harry Potter theme that your children will look forward to! You can even serve some of the same delicious treats at a fall harvest party or other seasonal gatherings.
How Do I Decorate for a Halloween Party?
There are lots of ways to decorate for Halloween that don’t have to cost too much money. Adding a few well-placed decorations outside can go a long way towards creating the mood, and you can enjoy them long before and after October 31. When it comes to creating a mood for the party, the right lighting goes a long way! If you’re opting for a spookier theme, pick up a few 15-watt light bulbs from the store to dim the atmosphere. Or, use faux tealights scattered around to make things creepy.
After that, add a few accents to your home to really get the party started. Try a cheesecloth material in black that you can decorate lampshades and furniture with for a spider-webbed look! If you want to go high-tech, project spooky images onto a wall or play some mood music.
Of course, if you want to embrace a more whimsical Halloween look, embrace the gorgeous hues of fall. You could go for a Disney-themed costume party or even an All-Hallows Eve event. So instead of a frightful with or ghost, dress up your house with festive gourds, happy Jack-O’Lanterns, or DIY fall decor.
What Are Great Halloween Party Food Snacks?
Halloween snacks are a great way to get your party started! Whether you’re opting for kid-friendly Halloween treats or more spooky adult options, there are many incredible Halloween food recipes and Halloween snacks to try this season. When it comes to party food, presentation is key. Try serving your finger foods or charcuterie out of a hallow mini skeleton!
- Pumpkin Cheese Ball– Few appetizers will be as charming as this pumpkin-shaped cheese! It’s also easy to make. Start by mixing cream cheese, shredded cheddar, minced onion, cumin, salsa, and jalapeno together. Put onto plastic wrap and form into a pumpkin shape, then refrigerate for two hours. To serve, roll in crushed Dorito’s for the perfect color, and add a bell pepper stem for the perfect appetizer!
- Roasted Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds– Since you have all those leftover pumpkin seeds from carving your jack-o-lanterns, put them to good use by roasting them with cinnamon sugar! Check out this recipe. These crunchy and sweet snacks will be a hit!
- Halloween Cuties– Who doesn’t love clementine cuties? Just add a little celery in the middle for a pumpkin stem, and you’ve got a delicious and nutritious Halloween treat.
Halloween Food: Mummy Edition
- Jalapeño Popper Mummies With Mango Sweet and Sour Sauce– Take some Jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds, and membranes removed and fill them with cream cheese. Fill each jalapeño half with cream cheese. Wrap strips of crescent dough around each pepper to resemble a mummy, leaving a space for the “eyes.” Place peppers on rimmed baking pan; transfer to the oven and bake 11-13 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes; arrange candy eyeballs on mummies. Serve with a sweet and sour mango dipping sauce!
- Mummy Pigs-in-a-Blanket– Simply wrap baby hot dogs in ready-made Pillsbury croissant dough cut into strips for a not-too-spooky but scary-good Halloween snack. Add in some ketchup dipping sauce with mustard-designed spider webs for an extra festive snack.
- Mummy Oreos– It doesn’t get much simpler than this! Turn regular Oreos into adorable mummies by melting white chocolate and piping horizontal “bandages” with melted white chocolate. Then, stick on some candy eyes peeking through. Let them cool, then enjoy!
Halloween Meal Ideas
- Frankenstein Toast– Dress up classic avocado toast with some cut-up veggies designed to look just like Frankenstein’s monster.
- Pesto Pasta With Eyeballs– Who said the Halloween theme has to stop with snacks? Make it an all-day event with spooky meals all day. For this easy-to-make dish, grab your favorite pesto and toss with spinach pasta. Top with mozzarella balls with sliced black olives to make eyes.
- Chicken “Boo” dle Soup– The fun, festive dinner is sure to win over your guys and ghouls while giving them a dose of ‘real’ food before the sugar from all those candy bars hits. To make this cold-weather classic a little more festive, use black bowtie pasta to look like “bats” and cut your carrots into pumpkin shapes. You can make plenty of other great soups, too! Maybe a nice Ghoulash or Scream of Mushroom.
What Are the Best Halloween Desserts?
Whether you want kid-friendly cupcakes or some beverages just for adults, here are a few ideas to satisfy any sweet tooth.
- Halloween Cupcakes– Decorate cupcakes with your favorite Halloween designs. If you want a happier theme, decorate the frosting with candy corn, pumpkins, spiders (piped in icing or gel), or creepy-crawly gummy worms. If you’ve got a creepier crowd, try candy eyeballs or another favorite candy-coated treat. You can never go wrong with cupcakes!
- Strawberry Cheesecake Brain– If you’re up for some creepy Halloween recipes, this no-bake cake can be a great way to impress your guests! Start with a graham cracker crust, and then blend cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, sugar, and gelatin until smooth. Add cream and red food coloring. With some strawberry syrup and a brain-shaped mold, you’ll be on your way to a scary but scrumptious dessert.
- Witch’s Hats– With only four ingredients and no baking required, everyone will love snacking on this adorable finger food dessert. Place fudge-covered Cookies (like Grasshoppers) right-side-up and pipe a dollop of frosting in Halloween colors. Put an unwrapped Hershey’s kiss on top, then add a quartered Starburst as the “buckle.”
- Witch’s Hat Brownies– These caramel chocolate brownies with a witch’s hat topping are just too adorable! They’re sure to be a hit at the dessert table. They are chewy, fudgy, have a layer of caramel and a coating of dark chocolate ganache. They are everything a brownie should be and perfect for any Halloween celebration.
Halloween Drinks
- Hot Chocolate– Serve your hot beverage out of a cauldron to make it look like a witch’s brew! I like to use an extra dark chocolate recipe to make it look murky. Don’t forget ghost marshmallows, too!
- Vampire cocktail– Make a cocktail (or mocktail) blood-red with food coloring! For an extra creepy effect, serve it in IV bags! Combine passionfruit tea, raspberry lemonade crystal light, pineapple juice, tequila, lime juice, coconut rum, pineapple rum, triple sec, simple syrup, and red food coloring. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute the liquor for sparkling water. Humans and vampires alike will love sipping on this concoction!
- Pumpkin Pie Martini– Halloween party food doesn’t just have to be for the kids! Try this pumpkin pie martini recipe, which is sure to be a big hit with the grown-ups.
Pumpkin Pie Martini
Ingredients
- 2 oz pumpkin vodka
- 1 oz dark rum
- 1/2 oz half and half
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1 oz maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon (optional garnish for glass)
Instructions
Pumpkin Pie Martini
- Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker until chilled. (Less than a minute)
- Pour into glass.
- Garnish rim with crushed graham cracker, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Halloween Food for a Fabulous Party
With a great costume, a few spooky decorations, and some delectable Halloween food and drinks, you can enjoy this delightfully frightful holiday! If you have some great ideas for your own easy Halloween food recipes, share them on FamilyApp!
