30 Perfect Recipes to Serve at Your Halloween Party

By Kelly Vaughan
Updated September 06, 2019
Surprise guests with these sweet treats, savory snacks, and scary cocktails.
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Who's ready for Halloween, the most bewitching, devilish day of the year? No party is complete without easy Halloween recipes that satisfy both your sweet and dark sides. If you're throwing a bash for all your ghoulish family members and friends, then these bite-sized appetizers, desserts, and beverages are sure to hit the spot.

Thematic desserts such as halloween brownies, seen here, and "I Scream" graveyard pie are sweet treats that princesses, firefighters, and ghosts are sure to adore. Make use of any leftover Halloween candy in our tasty blondies, which are topped with hard shelled chocolate candies.

The creepy cocktail recipes here are sure to taunt guests until they reach the very last drop. One of our favorite Halloween cocktail recipes features black vodka, blood-like Maraschino cherry liqueur, and stuffed "eyeball" olives—that's enough to send shivers up any spine. There's also recipes for the little goblins in your life—our pumpkin pie milkshake can be served virgin or with a boozy twist for grown-up ghosts.

A fun element to add to your beverage service is dry ice, which will keep liquids bone-chillingly cold, and adds a spooky, smoky effect. It's completely safe to let it float about—just make sure guests do not touch it with bare hands as it can burn skin.

When setting up Halloween décor for the party, create a spooky spread of bowls of candy, trays of tartlets, and more. Light a match on flickering candles, hang make-shift cobwebs, lay out black and orange linens, and arrange books of spells and potions to help your guests get in the supernatural spirit.

Party-goers will revel in these twisted, tasty Halloween recipes.

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Bloody Floats

Romulo Yanes
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Did someone say boo? Combine grape juice and white wine with lime juice and raspberry sorbet for a vampire-approved, sweet-tart drink that is best enjoyed at twilight.

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Scaredy Crackers

Romulo Yanes
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Cut puff pastry into spooky shapes with mini cookie cutters to create crispy crackers that come in paprika-spiced orange and poppy-seed black.

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Crisp Candy-Corn Treats

Romulo Yanes
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Spike the colored layers of these marshmallow crispy treats with orange and lemon zest for a new take on Halloween's signature candy.

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"I Scream" Graveyard Pie

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Take mud pie to the extreme with this tombstone treat, where candy, cookies, and ice cream can rest in peace together.

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Grape-Lemonade Ghost Ice Pops

Marcus Nilsson
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Give your guests the shivers with these fruity pops. Honeydew melon balls serve as the can't-look-away eyes that stay suspended in frozen grape juice.

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Halloween Blondies

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Add some Halloween spirit to blondies with festively colored candies. With just a handful of ingredients and less than 15 minutes of prep work, something scarily sweet comes fast.

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Pimento-Cheese-and-Pumpernickel Sandwiches

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Spooky cookie cutters transform these savory sandwiches into Halloween treats. Making your own pimento cheese is surprisingly simple, so whip up a double batch and leave some out for dipping.

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Shortbread Candy Bars

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This may be the easiest way ever to use up leftover candy! Top tender, crumbly shortbread with peanut butter cups, chocolate candies, or whatever else you have on hand for a treat both kids and adults will love.

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Chewy Caramel Mystery Cookies

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A mystery awaits! Chopped up chocolate bars and caramel candy mixed into these cookies will give everyone a pleasant surprise. Break the cookie in half down the middle and watch as an oeey-gooey caramel creates a luscious pull.

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Scaredy-Cat Brownies

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The minty treat inside these brownies will make them a Halloween staple. They're easy for kids to decorate too (which saves you some pre-party prep time!).

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Creepy Cocktail

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We can hear the shrieking already. Shake up a batch of this concoction before guests arrive (it scales up easily), as they're sure to love this ghostly, gloomy drink. Dangle plastic spiders and other creepy crawlers from the edge of the glass to create a big-time scare.

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Mini Triple-Treat Cupcakes

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Take a vampire-worthy bite out of these orange and black cuties. Mini cupcakes become a delightful Halloween concoction when they're packed with candy.

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Halloween Whoopie Pies

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Chocolate whoopie pies are given the Halloween spirit with orange nonpareils. We added applesauce to create a soft and moist batter.

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Eyeball Martini

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What's creepier than a cocktail that gazes back at you? Turn a classic martini into a Halloween specialty with this spooky trick. Use small radishes for the whites of these "eyeballs," so they will fit in an ice-cube tray.

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Deviled Eggs

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Everyone loves these little spicy devils. Garnish with tantalizing poppy seeds for a bewitching hue and crunch.

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Halloween Cupcakes

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Vanilla cupcakes become Halloween desserts with the addition of orange and black jelly beans. Reduced-fat sour cream works as well as the regular version in giving these cupcakes a moist crumb and slightly tangy taste.

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Pumpkin-Chocolate Whoopie Pies

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Talk about hitting the sweet spot! Pumpkin pie spice gives these treats classic fall flavor while still staying true to the orange-and-black color scheme.

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Chocolate-Candy Icebox Bars

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Put your leftover Halloween candy to good use with this brilliant recipe. Don't be spooked by the time it takes for these bars to set up—it only requires 25 minutes of hands-on preparation.

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Fig Hearts

Addie Juell
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Be still, my beating heart. These savory poppers are as dark as the night sky and oh so good. Dried figs get stuffed with tangy goat cheese, then wrapped in rich prosciutto for a very adult Halloween bite.

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Black-Tahini and Eggplant Dip

Addie Juell
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Dress up baba ghanoush with black tahini for a suitably dark and decadent dip. Serve with Wavy Grissini (otherwise known as breadsticks in the shape of creepy crawling snakes).

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Popcorn on the Cob

Aaron Dyer
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For a fun harvest twist on the usual popcorn ball, try shaping the mixture into corn on the cob.

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Halloween Bloody Mary Shooters

Bryan Gardner
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This adults-only beverage is bloody awesome. Create a super spooky appearance with black vodka and black lava salt, which may make guests think twice before sipping.

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Smoky Black-Bean Salsa

Chelsea Cavanaugh
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Quick, prepare this salsa before the monsters come! In just 15 minutes, this spicy, eerie (but totally edible) bean dip comes together. Go ahead and double dip!

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Creepy Cherry Cocktail

Chelsea Cavanaugh
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Maraschino cherry liqueur swirls and twirls throughout this gin-based drink. It creates a bloody hue and bewitching (okay, sweet) flavor—drink it if you dare.

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Crudites with Miso-Yogurt Dip

Chelsea Cavanaugh
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Serving raw vegetables alongside an umami-rich dip will always be a hit. Choose produce in vampy shades like dark purples and reds so that even your endive leaves look spooky.

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Blood-Moon Punch

Aaron Dyer
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This kid-friendly punch is a real treat. Freeze orange juice in a dome-shaped bowl to create the illusion of a full moon. It's a fruity combination of grape juice, lime juice, seltzer water, and ginger soda, all of which add a bit of fizz to your festivities.

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Spider-Web Cupcakes

Barbara Donninelli
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Cast a lasting spell: these crowd-ready pull-apart cupcakes are sinfully delicious. Piping the cobwebs on with melted chocolate is so easy, a ghost could do it!

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Pumpkin Bars

Mike Krautter
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It's not Halloween without sweet pumpkin treats. Similar to a sheet cake format, these are easy to slice and serve to all the little goblins.

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Berry Scary Martini

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Take a sip of this deathly-looking cocktail before the clock strikes 12. A variety of fresh berries and cherry juice sweeten this killer concoction.

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Pumpkin-Pie Milkshake

Barbara Donninelli
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Give your ghosts something sweet to sip on—a pure pumpkin milkshake that's alarmingly delicious. Turn it into an adult shake with a generous splash of bourbon for an oaky, smoky flavor.

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