23 Easy Halloween Food Ideas to Keep Halloween Simple

These easy Halloween food ideas make it easy to add variety to your Halloween parties. Whether you’re having a neighborhood party or just hanging out at home with the family, you can’t go wrong with any of these Halloween food ideas to fill up on before indulging in some Halloween candy.

Simple Halloween drink ideas

The options for spooky drink ideas are endless. Here are four of our favorites for you to try:

1. Horror “hand” punch

Add some interest to the punch bowl by floating giant hand ice cubes in a cauldron. Make a small batch of punch and fill two or three disposable gloves (be sure to use warm water and wash the gloves well before using). Tie the gloves shut and freeze for eight to 10 hours. Remove the ice cubes from the gloves and place them in the punch bowl just before serving.

2. Candy corn punch

For this fun drink, you’ll need pineapple tidbits, orange soda, whipped cream, and candy corn, of course! Fill clear cups 1/3 of the way full with pineapple pieces and juice. Add orange soda until the glass is 3/4 full. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a piece of candy corn.

3. Black lemonade

Shock your guests when you serve them their favorite sweet, tangy beverage in a new color! Start with your favorite lemonade and add two to three capsules of activated charcoal or black food coloring (both work well and are safe). Add the coloring slowly until you get the desired color. Serve in clear glasses.

4. Witches brew

This drink is best served from a cauldron and put into clear glasses. Mix two liters of ginger ale, four cups pineapple juice, one cup lemon-lime soda, and 48 ounces of lime sherbert. Stir to break up, but not dissolve, sherbert.

Easy Halloween appetizers

Whether you’re having a party or just making the day extra-special for the family, choose a few of these kid-friendly, adult-approved snacks:

5. Banana ghosts

All you need for these are bananas and mini chocolate chips or black icing. Peel and cut bananas in half, adding eyes with the chocolate or icing into the rounded end.

6. Tangerine pumpkins

Peel fresh tangerines and place a short, thin piece of celery on top of the stem. These look great arranged on a platter with the aforementioned banana ghosts.

7. Apple smiles

For each apple smile, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on one side of a thin apple wedge. Add a row of mini marshmallows (teeth) and top with another peanut butter-covered apple wedge.

8. Halloween Snack Mix

This is the perfect last-minute addition to your Halloween party. Mix equal amounts of candy corn, candy pumpkins, Halloween-themed M&Ms, peanuts, and pretzels. Serve in a festive bowl.

9. Fruit kabobs in a pumpkin

This appetizer can do double duty as both a centerpiece or decoration and food. Make fruit kebobs with freshly cut fruit and place them on skewers. Place the bottom part in a washed pumpkin, and you’re done.

10. Monster sliders

Upgrade sliders by using a thin pickle slice (placed so that you can see it on the side of the sandwich) for a tongue and two green olives with toothpicks for the eyes.

11. Green eggs

Add blue food coloring to the yolk mixture to create green centers. Arranged deviled eggs on a tray with some fake spiders.

12. Frankenstein avocado toast

Put a fun holiday twist on a new trend. Top toast with mashed avocado, then let everyone decorate their own to look like Frankenstein. Have fun with these. You can use dried kelp slices for hair and eyebrows; thin slices of unpeeled radishes for bloodshot eyes; cherry tomatoes for the mouth; and walnuts for ears.

Quick Halloween dips

Who doesn’t love a good dip? The options for items to dip are seemingly endless and, even better, require very little prep time:

13. Hallowed out pumpkin filled with dip

This is simple yet stunning. Wash and clean out a small pumpkin. Fill the pumpkin with your favorite dip and place it on a large serving tray. To finish, place veggies, crackers, or chips around the pumpkin.

14. Graveyard taco dip

Cut flour tortillas into tombstone and tree shapes. Bake at 350-degrees for about five minutes or until lightly browned. Arrange on top of a tray of taco dip. Serve with an assortment of crackers.

15. Cheese ball pumpkin

Make your favorite cheese ball recipe, shape it to look like a pumpkin, and roll in finely shredded cheddar cheese. Add a pretzel rod for the stem and fresh spinach for the leaves.

Trouble-free main dishes for Halloween

While they may look the part, there’s nothing scary about the flavor these foods offer:

16. Jack-o-lantern cheeseburgers

Cut cheese slices to look like a jack-o-lantern and place atop hamburger patties. Serve open-faced and let guests add toppings and the other bun to suit their tastes.

17. Stuffed peppers

A fun twist on traditional stuffed peppers. Use orange bell peppers and “carve” them before adding the filling. Bake and serve as usual.

18. Witches Hair Pasta

Add cooked squid ink pasta to a pan with sauteed garlic. Add a bit of olive oil, one cup of water, and a dash of crushed red pepper. Cook until the liquid reduces and creates a sauce.

19. Pumpkin quesadillas

Place your favorite yellow cheese on top of a flour tortilla. Then cover with a tortilla that you’ve cut to look like a pumpkin face. Cook until cheese is melted.

Effortless Halloween desserts

20. Crispy pumpkins

Make your favorite recipe, adding about ten drops of orange food coloring. Then, rather than place the mixture into a pan, mold the mixture into small pumpkins. Use green icing to create leaves and a short pretzel rod for the stem.

21. Caramel apple nachos

A sweet twist on everyone’s favorite Tex-Mex treat. Arrange thinly sliced apples on a platter and top with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, marshmallow sauce, chopped peanuts, and a dollop of whipped cream.

22. Creepy cookies

Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to make sugar cookies. After they’re cool, decorate them with black and red icing to make them as creepy as you dare!

23. Dirt cups

You can’t go wrong with a cup of pudding that’s covered with finely crushed Oreo cookies. Place a few gummy worms or other Halloween candies on top to create spooky desserts.

Simplify shopping for your Halloween event

Ready to get started on these Halloween foods but can’t spare time for a trip to the grocery store? Let an Instacart shopper help you! Order the foods you want and have them delivered to your door the same day.

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