Halloween

30 Scary-Good Appetizers Perfect for a Halloween Party

written by KATHERINE BALLESTA-ROSEN & PATTY SCHEPEL
halloween appetizers"
halloween appetizers
Source: Neighbor Food and Two Peas & Their Pods
Source: Neighbor Food and Two Peas & Their Pods

When it comes to Halloween parties, not just any party food will do. Just like there’s an eye for the most creative or original costumes, there’s an eye and taste for the most festive-looking and delicious party foods. With that in mind, we’ve explored tons of festive recipes, and rounded up our favorite Halloween party cocktails, appetizers, and snacks. 

A medley of savory and sweet, most of the following recipes are on the easier side to whip up. However, there are also a few options for those who love diving into the elaborate festivities of all-things Halloween! So, consider this your collected cauldron of recipes bubbling with possibility, so that you’re sure to animate the night when your Halloween party invitations start rolling in. Where tasty meets spooky, try one of these 30 scary-good Halloween cocktail, appetizer, and snack recipes.

Halloween Cocktails

1. Spooky Shirley Temple

If you’re needing a classic mocktail, you’ll surely love this recipe. Kids can even join in on this fun halloween drink. It has ginger ale, grenadine, and maraschino cherries dressed with candy eyes.

halloween party appetizers shirley temple
Source: Oh So Delicioso

2. Butterbeer

Even if your partygoers aren’t Harry Potter fans, this beverage will still be a hit for those who love frothy, spicy brews.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Cooking Classy

3. Spooky Sangria

A blood-red sangria of sweet red wine, orange liqueur, cherry, and pomegranate—and topped off with dry ice to give it a spooky allure.  

halloween party appetizers
Source: Grandbaby Cakes

4. Charcoal Lemonade

The activated charcoal gives this homemade lemonade its eerie black color, and while the recipe doesn’t call for any added spirits, you can certainly add any of your faves!

halloween party appetizers
Source: 40 Aprons

5. The Devil’s Margarita

Invite guests to yield to temptation by sipping on this daring-looking spin on a margarita!

halloween party appetizers
Source: Show Me the Yummy

6. Harvest Apple Bourbon Cocktail

For the bourbon drinkers, this autumn-y cocktail of apples and spices definitely works with Halloween vibes.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Joyful Healthy Eats

7. Pumpkin Head Punch

This catch-all Halloween party punch combines vodka, cinnamon, ginger, orange, lemon, and, of course, the spiced pumpkin butter that gives the drink its name. To make it really bubble, the creator recommends topping it with ginger beer or sparkling water, too!

halloween party appetizers
Source: Half-Baked Harvest

Savory Halloween Appetizers

8. Mummy Jalapeno Poppers

Be careful. These mummy jalapeno poppers might wake you up from the dead with their spice factor. They’re a family favorite to bring to parties, and they don’t last long.

halloween party appetizers mummy jalapeno poppers
Source: Skinny Taste

9. Easy Halloween Spiderweb Bean Dip

Quick to make and bursting with flavor, this spider-topped bean, guacamole, and cheddar dip is a captivating way to lure guests in a web of deliciousness.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Bless This Mess

10. Spooky Baked Halloween Chips

Speaking of dip… with chips being a party food necessity, here’s a way to transcend your everyday store-bought bags. You’re sure to strike a spooky chord by sharing these ghost-shaped tortilla chips!

halloween party appetizers
Source: One Lovely Life

11. Frankenguac

Pair the spooky baked halloween chips with Frankenguac. Don’t skip the lime juice to keep this dish fresh and from looking a little ‘deadly.’

halloween party appetizers guacamole
Source: Feel Good Foodie

12. White Cheddar Witch Hat

Engage in edible witchcraft! This recipe combines various cheeses, ranch seasoning, and a coating of black poppy seeds so that the witchy look is totally on-point!

halloween party appetizers
Source: No. 2 Pencil

13. Mummy Hot Dogs

Need something quick and easy? Make some mummy hot dogs instead of the traditional pigs in a blanket.

halloween party appetizers mummy hotdogs
Source: Skinny Taste

14. Halloween Deviled Eggs

If the devil were to be disguised as adorable, this would be it. By including avocado, these deviled eggs take on a buttery, creamy taste with a devilish kick of sriracha spice.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Cookin’ Canuck

15. Halloween Eyeball Sub

A savory dish as a ghoulish treat. Serve the whole thing for each attendee or cut them into bite-sized pieces.

halloween party appetizers meatball subs
Source: Kitchen Sanctuary

16. Halloween Snack Board

Snack boards are always crowd pleasers, and this Halloween-themed one will surely do the trick. This recipe offers tons of festive snacks to pair together to create one tasty final masterpiece.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Two Peas & Their Pod

17. Jack Skellington Ricotta Olive Tarts

A little extra effort can go a long way if you’re looking to create the Pumpkin King of memorable party snacks. These individual tarts are a blend of fresh and inviting flavors like thyme, ricotta, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes. 

halloween party appetizers
Source: Snixy Kitchen

18. Loaded Mashed Potato Spider Web Casserole

While we often think of casseroles at mealtime, including this web-spun loaded potato casserole alongside other party apps is a nourishing complement to lighter fare options. The juicy bacon and creamy sour cream will get mouths watering in no time. 

halloween party appetizers
Source: Neighbor Food

19. Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Homemade pumpkin seeds are a crunchy and nutritious way to adorn any party snack plate, and you can play with a lot of different seasoning ideas. Plus, they’re a great excuse for carving an extra pumpkin!

halloween party appetizers
Source: Cookie and Kate

Sweet Halloween Snacks

20. Monster Popcorn

If you’re having a halloween movie night party, monster popcorn is the perfect snack to fit your theme. It’s made with butter, sugar, karo syrup, vanilla, marshmallows, green food coloring, and candy eyes, of course.

halloween party appetizers popcorn
Source: Oh So Delicioso

21. Easy Chocolate Halloween Pretzels

With only a few ingredients, you’ll have a tantalizing salty-sweet snack that will excite any party’s food table. Once you’ve dipped your pretzels into chocolate, you can decorate them to your Halloween heart’s desire.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Hunger Thirst Play

22. Spider Web Chocolate Cupcakes

Your kids can lend some help with making this recipe because it’s easy to make. Have some creativity with your spider web designs! A pro tip within the ingredients is to add bananas to keep them moist.

halloween party appetizers spider web cupcakes
Source: Kitchen Sanctuary

23. Halloween Brownie Truffles

Bite-sized and filled with rich fudge, these sweet chocolate-coated snacks garnished with Halloween sprinkles are easy to make, and will be hard to resist—even by those who say they don’t have a sweet tooth!

halloween party appetizers
Source: Girl vs Dough

24. Witch Finger Cookies

Bewitch partygoers with these fantastically clever (and vegan!) cookies. Matcha is the secret ingredient that gives them their eerie green color, and the peppermint, maple syrup, and coconut oil also present in the cookie dough base makes for one yummy finger! 

halloween party appetizers
Source: Detoxinista

25. Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

A sweet, creamy, and addicting dip oozing with caramel that will be hard to leave alone! Festive and bright orange, it pairs nicely with apples, pretzels, pita chips (for extra-sweet, try the cinnamon sugar ones) or, as the recipe suggests, gingersnap cookies.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Closet Cooking

26. Mummy Rice Krispie Treats

Perfect little ghouls to spookify a party’s collection of snacks—who wouldn’t love biting into a marshmallow delight like this?

halloween party appetizers
Source: A Classic Twist

27. Graveyard Chocolate Cheesecake Dip

Everyone will be happily grave digging away with this one! A chocolate cheesecake dip base meets toppings of crumbled chocolate cookies and Milano (or cookie lookalike) tombstones, and a ‘graveyard’ scattered with your favorite Halloween candies.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Well Plated

28. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ghosts

In this recipe, chocolate-covered strawberries go from romantic to spooky as you turn these juicy berries into petite, refreshing-tasting ghosts.

halloween party appetizers
Source: Joyful Healthy Eats

29. Halloween Chex Mix

A creepy-looking Chex Mix blend whose lovely crunch gives way to melt-in-your-mouth decadence. The sweetness of the white chocolate and M&Ms is tempered by the pretzels and cereals, which is why it’s so hard to stop munching on!

halloween party appetizers
Source: What’s Gaby Cooking

30. Mini Jack O’ Lantern Hand Pies

Halloween isn’t complete unless there are pumpkins involved. These puff pastries are made into the shape of mini jack-o’-lanterns, and they’re filled with, you guessed it, pumpkin filling.

halloween party appetizers hand pies
Source: Fox and Briar
patty schepel the everymom editorial intern
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patty Schepel, Editorial Intern

As the editorial intern, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.

katherine ballesta-rosen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katherine Ballesta-Rosen, Former Editorial Intern

Besides being an avid reader and writer since girlhood, Katherine decided to kick her literacy-laden background up a notch by receiving her Master’s in teaching, and went on to teach English Language Arts to high schoolers for several years. As a former intern at The Everymom, Katherine wrote about topics such as maternal wellness, sex and relationships, and more.