Better Homes And Gardens Fluffy Dumplings

Almond Spider Cakes

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Linda Hirst

Whether you need Halloween party food for a school, work, or in-home celebration, these festive treats will impress every ghoulish guest. From creepy-crawly finger foods to spooky and sweet desserts, we have easy Halloween party food for every budget, skill-level, and time frame. We amped up plain ol' party snacks using everything from jack-o'-lantern guts (a.k.a. pumpkin) to slimy, slithering gummy worms. With these Halloween party food ideas, frightening on the outside still means delicious on the inside.

Sweet and Savory Tortilla Bats

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Sweet and Savory Tortilla Bats Recipe

Making a spooky snack for your Halloween table is as easy as cutting tortillas with a bat-shaped cookie cutter (R&M Flying Bat; amazon.com). We seasoned one panful with cinnamon and sugar and the other with chile salt, but you can go for all sweet or all savory if you prefer. These Halloween snacks can be served as appetizers alongside salsa for a savory bite or Greek yogurt swirled with honey for something sweet that goes beyond candy.

Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs

Midori Lemon Gin Fizz image

Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs Recipe

Serve a mad scientist-inspired, Jekyll and Hyde-themed appetizer for the ultimate spooky Halloween or horror snack. Your friends will not believe just how real these mozarella balls look and just how delicious they taste. With spices like garlic and red pepper and fresh Italian herbs, this ballin' recipe is packed with flavor that will keep your guests coming back for more.

Monster Brownies

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Monster Brownies Recipe

Your little human monsters will love decorating brownies with chocolate, marshmallows, and M&M's to make these sweet treats. For the base, we doubled the recipe for Dark Chocolate Brownies, baking it in a 9- by 13-in. pan and omitting the glaze. Thin, flat chocolate bars work best for the faces.

Cheddar Witch's Fingers

Credit: Leigh Beisch

Cheddar Witch's Fingers Recipe

These ghastly little nibbles are rich with cheesy flavor, and a real snap to make. Prep and Cook Time: 55 minutes. Notes: Keep the dough cool as you work with it to prevent stickiness.

Stuffed Pepper Mummies

Credit: E. Spencer Toy

Stuffed Pepper Mummies Recipe

An adorable take on jalapeño poppers, these sweet pepper "mummies" are stuffed with a gently spicy mix of Mexican chorizo, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and cilantro.

Halloween Hummus

Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Styling: Mindi Shapiro

Halloween Hummus Recipe

For a truly spooky treat, this hummus is a great way to create a fun and festive Halloween effect. Simply fill a carved skull prop with this ghoulishly delicious hummus for a great appetizer to serve to guests. This hummus is red pepper based and features cayenne pepper, cumin, and plenty of garlic cloves for some great flavor. This dip is great to serve with crackers, chips, or veggie sticks. Dig right in, if you dare!

Frankenstein Cookie Bars

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Frankenstein Cookie Bars Recipe

These bars make a fun Halloween treat, and they're very flavorful: the green tea frosting cloaks a chewy-soft coconut-lime cookie. They're easy enough that the kids can help you make them.

Severed Hand Pies

Severed Hand Pies image

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Severed Hand Pies Recipe

This freaky-delicious treat serves up classic flavors with a Halloween twist. Impress your guests with sweet cherry filling in flakey puff pastry... in the shape of a human hand.

Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce

Credit: John Kernick

Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce Recipe

These wrinkly dumplings are filled with pork, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, scallions and ginger. For Halloween, David Burtka soaks the brain-like dumplings in the dipping sauce, then serves them in science-lab beakers.

'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Caviar

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Caviar

Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Styling: Mindi Shapiro

'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Caviar Recipe

Need a great appetizer for your Halloween bash? Serve up chips and this classic veggie and bean dip for some spook-tacularly good flavor. This recipe features staples that you may already have in your pantry or fridge, making this a perfect last-minute appetizer to take to the party. And while the name suggest that a Halloween party is where it's at with this recipe, you can just as easily much on this great dip any day of the week!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Meringue Ghosts

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Linda Hirst

Lookie-Lookie Cookie Pops

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Lookie-Lookie Cookie Pops Recipe

These fun, kid-friendly, and super yummy cookie pops are the perfect treat for Halloween! Your friends and family will not be able to resist one–or two, or three.

White Chocolate 'Butterfinger' Bars

Credit: Andrew McCaul; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

White Chocolate 'Butterfinger' Bars Recipe

Jessica Segarra, 25, Tampa, Fla., thenovicechefblog.com

Halloween Ham and Cheese Hand Pies

Credit: Erin Kunkel

Halloween Ham and Cheese Hand Pies Recipe

This is an adaptable little recipe. We love the warm, spicy flavor of brown mustard, but feel free to use your family's favorite mustard. You can also customize the filling by using any kind of thinly sliced cheese and/or meat that you or your kids prefer.

Crispy, Sweet Air-Fried Beet Chips

Air-Fried Beet Chips

Credit: Anna Theoktisto

Crispy, Sweet Air-Fried Beet Chips Recipe

Specialty root chips can cost $5 to $6 per bag at the grocery store; save big bucks by whipping up a couple batches in your air fryer. The secret to crispy beet chips is to slice the beets super thin; if your knife skills aren't Top Chef level, use a mandolin to get wafer-thin slices. Don't overcrowd the basket; air flow is crucial to getting the chips nice and crispy.

Spooky Sangria

Credit: Carol Shih; Styling: Margo True and Carol Shih

Spooky Sangria Recipe

What could be more fun than a cauldron full of seething, smoking sangria? It's delicious and wickedly strong (use more sparkling water if you want to dilute it a little). Although dry ice is not toxic, it's dangerous to swallow chips because of the extremely low temperature. Using a chunk of the ice, and wrapping it in cheesecloth, avoids that problem.

Pumpkin Pasties

Pumpkin Pasties image

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Pumpkin Pasties Recipe

A favorite treat at any magical feast, pumpkin pasties are surprisingly easy to make (even for muggles). We developed two pumpkin-based fillings—one sweet and one savory—for these buttery hand pies, so they're perfect for serving (alongside a goblet of pumpkin juice!) at any point during a Harry Potter inspired party. If you're looking to save a little time and effort, you can certainly opt for prepared, refrigerated pie dough.

Vegan Mini Pumpkin Spice Bites

Mini Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bites

Credit: Jamie Vespa

Vegan Mini Pumpkin Spice Bites Recipe

For a guilt-free, vegan dessert that's sure to get you in the fall spirit, there's no better option than these adorable mini pumpkin spice bites. Encased in a simple walnut-pecan-date crust, the key to this autumnal treat lies in the silken tofu filling. Providing a creamy consistency without affecting flavor, silken tofu is the best kept vegan dessert secret.

Weiner Worms

Weiner Worms Recipe

Hard-core haunted house fans will love this "Halloweenie" dish made by grilling strips of hot dogs. Buns are optional.

Drogon's Breath Cocktail

Drogon's Breath Game of Thrones

Credit: Time Inc. Food Studios

Drogon's Breath Cocktail Recipe

In Game of Thrones lore, the dragon has three heads. And each would love to sate their thirst on this libation. A hint of bright citrus perfectly balances the rich earthy element the wine in this cocktail delivers. Refreshing, delicately sweet, and tangy, this drink if fit for a queen. A few leaves of fresh basil adds a delightful herbaceous layer to the drink, but feel free to leave it out if basil isn't your flavor of choice or you don't have it on hand— the cocktail will still be delicious. Tame the Mother of Dragons with the refreshing summer sipper, or double up on the ingredients and serve this at your next King's Moot.
Pro-Tip: Using crushed or pulverized ice and packing it tightly in the glass will ensure you're able to "float" your red wine on the cocktail mixture.

Black Sesame Cupcakes

black-sesame-cupcakes

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Black Sesame Cupcakes Recipe

There's nothing artificial about these dramatically hued treats. Supermoist (and whole-grain) chocolate cupcakes get their blackout color from black sesame seeds and antioxidant-rich dark cocoa powder. These desserts are delicious and better for you, with every bit of fun, festive flair you crave.

Pumpkin Madeleines

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Pumpkin Madeleines Recipe

Make these sweet little cakes throughout the fall. For Halloween, all you need are some edible eyeballs and a bit of black food coloring to turn them into charming pumpkin ghosts. You'll need 2 (12-mold) madeleine pans to make this recipe. Find them at a kitchenware shop or online.

Sausage Head Charcuterie Board

Sausage Head Charcuterie Board image

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Sausage Head Charcuterie Board Recipe

Sculpting a terrifying head using the components of a classic charcuterie board may be a labor of love, but for anyone who takes their Halloween entertaining seriously… trust us, it's so worth it.

Brain Dumplings with Kimchi-Chile Sauce

Brain Dumplings with Kimchi-Chile Sauce image

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Brain Dumplings with Kimchi-Chile Sauce Recipe

Take your Halloween eats to the next level with these Jekyll and Hyde-inspired dumplings. Make ahead of time and freeze for a stress-free, yet totally spooky, spread.

These Skull Cookies Are Made of Cereal So You Can Eat Them for Breakfast

EC: These Skull Cookies Are Made of Cereal So You Can Eat Them for Breakfast

Credit: PHOTO BY Daniel Agee

These Skull Cookies Are Made of Cereal So You Can Eat Them for Breakfast Recipe

When you were a kid, nothing was scarier to your parents than you eating too much sugar for breakfast, so this Halloween we're embracing that fear in the form of skull cookies and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. And we took it one step further—instead of a standard flour and sugar cookie, these skull cookies are made with pulverized sugary cereal. Better call your dentist now.

Grind Cinnamon Toast Crunch into a fine meal in a food processor. Mix the cereal with flour, powdered sugar, salted butter, and an egg until a smooth dough forms. Roll out the dough and use a skull cookie cutter to make these killer cookies. Bake until crisp, then frost the cookies with a powdered sugar glaze. Don't forget to give each cookie a face, because it's just not Halloween unless you're munching on something that appears to be alive.

Skull Cookies

Bat Cake

Bat Cake image

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Bat Cake Recipe

For the Halloween crafter inside all of this, this simple Halloween sheet cake is a fun, easy dessert to make. Devil's food cake is very dark chocolaty color, but a red velvet cake would look just as fitting and festive for the bat, too. Piping bags and tips are found in craft stores or specialty baking shops. Be sure to cut the cake rounds in the prescribed order so that the bat's head with ears comes out as 1 of the cuts.

Dark Soul Fondue

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Dark Soul Fondue Recipe

This chocolatey fondue will be a hit at the party. Cut the pound cake into bone shapes or other fun shapes to fit your movie party theme.

Midori Lemon Gin Fizz

Midori Lemon Gin Fizz image

Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Midori Lemon Gin Fizz Recipe

Egg whites form a spooky, frothy top, giving the cocktail a mad-scientist makeover. The cocktail gets its green hue from Midori liqueur, a super sweet muskmelon-flavored liqueur. Serve in beakers or test tubes to up the Halloween aura.

Mummy Dogs

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey, Rose Nguyen

Mummy Dogs Recipe

These make-ahead hot dogs use refrigerated breadstick dough, perfect for goblins, pretty princesses, superheroes, and even their parents. Watch the how-to video at SouthernLiving.com.

Bell Pepper Jack O'Lanterns with Vegetables and Dip

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Bell Pepper Jack O'Lanterns with Vegetables and Dip Recipe

Give your Halloween party some personality with these carved edible "bowls." Make them as goofy or as scary as you like, depending on your mood! Not only do these jack o'lantern snacks add a festive touch, they will make sure kids and adults alike will continue to snack on vegetables in between bites of Halloween candy. This healthy Halloween snack is a must.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies

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Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Gingerbread cutters work if you're making skeletons. You can also use 2 1/2-inch cat or bat cutters. Look for meringue powder at craft stores or in the craft section of some big-box retailers.

Pumpkin Juice

Pumpkin Juice image

Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Julia Levy

Pumpkin Juice Recipe

Inspired by the magical world (specifically, the magical dinner table) of Harry Potter, this easy pumpkin juice recipe couldn't be simpler to whip up for a crowd. You can even prep the sweet beverage in advance and refrigerate, leaving the pumpkin juice in your blender, until ready to serve. Just give it a quick blend to reincorporate the ingredients before pouring into goblets for your Potter party.

Candy Corn and M&M's Chewy Crispy Bars

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Blakeslee Wright Giles

Candy Corn and M&M's Chewy Crispy Bars Recipe

Candy Corn and M&M's Chewy Crispy Bars make fun Halloween treats.

Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodle

Credit: Sara Tane

Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodles Recipe

Perfectly crispy on the outside, while light and fluffy on the inside, these festive, fall treats are your new favorite cookie. Rolled in a chai-spiced sugar mixture, these cookies are basically all of your favorite latte flavors mixed up into one perfect cookie. Best served after a dunk in coffee, if we do say so ourselves.

Tangled Web Rice Pops

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Tangled Web Rice Pops Recipe

For a guaranteed hit, garnish these yummy treats with bug candies or sprinkles in Halloween shapes and colors.

Halloween Kitty Cake

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Halloween Kitty Cake Recipe

What a sweet kitty this is! The cake is baked, cut into shapes and then put together to make a purr-fect cake for any Halloween party.

Skeleton Cupcakes

Credit: Mark Thomas

Skeleton Cupcakes Recipe

Stop the presses! These too-cute cupcakes are a must-bake for your Halloween party. There's room for creativity on these delicious desserts, so make the faces fun or scary--your choice.

Lemon and Black Sesame Baked Doughnuts

lemon black sesame doughnuts

Credit: PHOTO BY DANIEL AGEE / FOOD STYLING BY TORI COX / PROP STYLING BY KASHARA JOHNSON

Lemon and Black Sesame Baked Doughnuts Recipe

If you need a break from rainbow-smattered sweets and unicorn-coated everything, these deliciously dark doughnuts are exactly what you're looking for. A bright lemony glaze balances the warm toasty flavors delivered by black sesame seeds for a balanced, not-too-sweet doughnut. Being an oven-baked doughnut, this recipe is perfect for the first-time doughnut maker or anyone who's not trying to spend their Saturday morning cleaning up a deep-fry station in their kitchen. We used black food dye to intensify the darkness of these doughnuts, but feel free to leave it out if you'd prefer. Beyond being an incredibly tasty way to boycott rainbow foods, these black sesame doughnuts are the perfect treat to whip out for Halloween.

Lemon and Black Sesame Baked Doughnuts

This recipe originally appeared on Myrecipes.com .

Kitty Cat Sandwiches

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Kitty Cat Sandwiches Recipe

Surprise the kids with these tasty little Halloween cats.

Olive Spiders

Olive Spiders Recipe

Dress up your spooky Halloween table (or your drink) with this fun garnish.

Wizard Hats

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Wizard Hats Recipe

Make this fun Halloween treat for the kids to take to school.

Ghost Cookies

Credit: Sara Tane

Ghost Cookies Recipe

Prepare for a sweet scare when these adorable Halloween ghost cookies are all iced, decorated, and ready to party. Super easy and kid-friendly to make, these butter cut-out cookies coated with royal icing are the perfect dessert for your Halloween spread. Candy eyeballs add a playful, whimsical touch to these spooky treats, but you could also use black icing to draw eyes on your ghost cookies. Using a classic cut-out butter cookie dough keeps the edges of your ghost cookies shape neat and clean—no worries about the cookies expanding when they bake. Whip up a batch with the kids and let them go to town with the decorating for a fun Halloween kitchen activity.

Jack-o'-Lantern Cheese Ball

Credit: Andrew McCaul; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Monster Eyes

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Monster Eyes Recipe

Halloween is dominated by sweets so go the savory route and make these Monster Eyes with simple sausage ball ingredients and green olives with pimentos.

Devilish Eggs

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Linda Hirst

Devilish Eggs Recipe

Black and red caviar add a diabolical finish to a party favorite.

Ogre-Eye Cookies

Credit: Mark Thomas

Ogre-Eye Cookies Recipe

No Halloween party is complete without these cute cookies that, thanks to licorice strips, white chocolate chips and brown M & Ms, look just like monster eyeballs.

Blood Orange-Bourbon Coolers

Credit: Tara Donne; Styling: Erin Swift

Blood Orange-Bourbon Coolers Recipe

Blood Orange-Bourbon Coolers are an adults-only treat featuring three different fruit juices, bourbon (of course), and the perfect Halloween hue.

Wormy Popcorn Balls

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Wormy Popcorn Balls Recipe

Add a gummy worm to this little treat for some Halloween fun.

Almond Spider Cakes

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Linda Hirst

Almond Spider Cakes Recipe

A web of sugary goodness awaits you in these Halloween cupcakes. Almond paste in the batter and a colorful almond glaze give these cakes a distinctive nutty taste that kids will love. Top with plastic or gummy spiders for a spooky touch.

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