Are you throwing a Halloween party this year? You want it to be the best party people have ever been to. This is a party you want people talking about all year, as something to beat the next year. Part of this is through the Halloween treats that you have on offer.
You want treats that are healthy and filling but are also fun and Halloween-inspired at the same time. Many people want a mixture of handheld treats and those that need a little plastic cutlery to eat. You will also want something that is suitable for all ages.
We have you covered. These eight Halloween party treats are worth trying this year.
Great Pumpkin Cheese Balls
What if you could manipulate cheese to look like a pumpkin? Not sure how this can become an edible treat? Well, it makes an excellent side for your dishes, sitting in the middle of your serving table to act as part of the decoration at the same time.
You will get a good mixture of cheese and pepper kick with the cheesy pumpkin. If you have guests that do not like spice, then you may want to consider avoiding the pepper. You could always make two!
Serve with some crackers and vegetables. Your guests can then just dip into the cheese pumpkin. Kids will love having their own to enjoy, so do not forget to make a slightly smaller one for your kid’s party.
Ingredients:
- 10oz of Cheddar cheese, grated and preferably extra-sharp
- 8oz cream cheese softened
- 4oz goat cheese logs softened
- Breaded pretzel of choice
- 1/2ts pepper
Method:
- Mix the three kinds of cheese and pepper in a bowl
- Shape it all together to look like a pumpkin, smoothing the outer edges
- Add grooves to your cheese ball, so it seems like the grooves in a pumpkin
- Tear off some of the breaded pretzels and add to the top of your ball, so it looks like the stem of the pumpkin
You can serve with some bay leaves around the breaded pretzel if you want. This acts like the leaf of the pumpkin.
It is possible to make this a day or two before your party. It will keep in the fridge if it is wrapped in cling film. However, leave the breaded pretzel away from the cheese until you are ready to serve!
Caramel, Peanut, Popcorn Mix
How about a popcorn mix for the snack table? People can keep going back for more. Just make sure people are aware of the peanuts. If you have guests that you know are allergic to peanuts, opt for sunflower seeds or other types of nuts (if they are not allergic to them).
This mixture is also great for a Halloween movie party. You can have bowls of the popcorn ready for all your guests while you watch the horror movies back to back.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup of popcorn kernels, popped
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup of dark brown sugar, plus 2tbsp
- ½ cup of butter
- ½ cup of dark corn syrup
- 1/4tsp salt
- 1 cup of dry roasted, salted peanuts (or alternatives)
- Wax paper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line a baking tray with aluminum foil, spraying the cooking oil
- Spread the popcorn on the baking tray
- In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt together, bringing to a simmer for a minute
- Pour the mixture over the popcorn and place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring at 5-minute intervals
- Add the peanuts and bake for another 5 minutes
- Remove from the oven and spread over wax paper, leaving for 20 minutes until cool
- Break up larger sections of the candy and place in a bowl
You can keep this mixture for up to a week in an airtight container. That means you do get to make it ahead of time if you want. Nobody will taste the difference, but everyone will ask for the recipe.
If you do not have a popcorn machine and you want to pop your plain kernels, you can use the microwave:
- Place ¼ cup of the kernels in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a microwave-safe plate
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, until all kernels have popped
- Repeat with the rest of the kernels
Pumpkin Pie Cookies
You have heard of pumpkin pie and pumpkin pie flavored cake, well now it is time to do something a little more party friendly. Cookies will always be a welcome treat at Halloween parties. One of the best things about cookies is you can quickly make them ghoulish with the cut-outs. You just need to have a fall-inspired taste to the cookies.
These are delicious and healthier than most other cookies. They are also perfect for snacks for the kids before the party! Do not forget to let your kids help you make the treats for the party!
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup of butter softened
- ¾ cup of sugar, granulated
- 1 egg
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, plus 2tbsp
- 1 3/4tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4tsp salt
- Parchment paper
- Ingredients for the icing:
- 16oz powdered sugar
- 2 egg whites
- Food coloring of choice
Method:
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
- Add the egg and extract, beating for another minute or so
- In another bowl, sift the flour and mix with the salt and pumpkin pie spice
- Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat to combine completely
- Roll up the dough and wrap in cling film, before chilling for 2 hours
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Roll the dough out and cut out your cookies with the shapes of choice, chilling the dough for a few minutes if it starts to get soft
- Place the cookie cut-outs on the parchment paper until all the dough is used
- Bake for around 10 minutes, until golden brown, and then remove and allow to cool on wire racks
- While the cookies cool, make the icing by beating the sugar and eggs whites in a bowl with 2tsp water
- Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint with your various food coloring (this is an optional step)
- Cover the icing with cling film until you are ready to use it
- Spread the icing on the cookies with the patterns or styles that you want
Make the cookies five days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container. You will find it much easier to manage all your party needs by doing this. Look out for different types of cutters for your cookies. Leaves and pumpkin shapes can be good for the rest of the year if you want something a little more cost-effective, but ghosts, witches, and other Halloween-inspired shapes are always fun.
You can use chocolate chips, sprinkles, and other cookies toppers if you would like. Make your cookies however you want to your Halloween party. Do not forget to have some that the kids can just go crazy with!
Green Goblin Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a delicious party treat. It is time to make them a little more Halloween in a friendly way. The benefit is this recipe is straightforward to make. You will find it is one of the healthiest Halloween recipes on the list.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups of hot water
- 0.3oz of blue, green and yellow food coloring
- 2tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 12 large eggs, hard-boiled with cracked shells but unpeeled
- ½ cup of instant potato flakes
- ½ cup of mayo
- ½ cup of sour cream
- ¼ cup of fresh chives, crushed
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/2tsp pepper
Method:
- Stir the water, all the food colorings, and vinegar together in a large bowl
- Add the eggs and allow to stand for an hour
- Remove the eggs and drain on paper towels, before peeling the eggs fully
- Chop the eggs in half lengthways and then remove the yolks carefully
- Place the yolks in a bowl and mash with the remaining ingredients until they are completely blended together
- Spoon the yolk mixture back into the holes where the egg yolks used to sit
- Place the half of the eggs back together carefully
Make sure your guests know that the eggs have been purposely dyed! Some of your guests may be a little worried about the coloring initially.
You can leave the egg halves separate if you want. Make sure you cover them with cling film before your party. This is a dish best made on the day of your party just a few hours before you serve them.
Create Your Monster Eyes
You have likely made monster mouths in the past, but what about monster eyes? These can accompany your mouths on the same plate if you want! They are fun for all, offering something easy for your guests to eat with their hands.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of all-purpose baking mix
- 1lb of pork sausage, your spice of choice
- 10oz Cheddar cheese, grated; extra sharp is the best
- 72 small pimiento-stuffed olives
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Combine the baking mix, sausage, and cheese in a bowl until the ingredients are fully blended together
- Shape the sausage mixture into small balls and place on the baking sheets
- Press an olive into the center of each ball
- Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned
You can pop toothpicks in the eyes if you want or just put the toothpicks on the side to make it easier for your guest to pick up the eyes.
Chips with Spooky Green Dip
Chips and dips are one of the most popular treats at parties. It is easy to make and is perfect for almost everyone. People can choose to use the dip or just enjoy the chips on their own.
One of the benefits is you can make chips and dips to suit the theme of the party. In this case, it is Halloween, so you want something ghoulish and spooky. While not opt for a green dip to make it look like ghoul or monster mush for the chips?
Not sure about the chips? You can always switch for some fried chicken bites and vegetable sticks instead!
Ingredients:
- 3tbsp pine nuts
- 1oz of fresh basil
- 16oz of sour cream
- ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- 2tbsp lemon juice
- 1tsp sugar
- 1/4tsp salt
Method:
- Place the pine nuts in a skillet and heat over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often
- Allow the pine nuts to cool for 15 minutes
- Place the nuts in a blender, with the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth
- Transfer to a serving bowl and chill, covered, for at least an hour
You can store the mixture in the fridge for up to two days. Leave the chips in their packaging until just before the party to avoid them getting soft. You can chop up the vegetables early and keep in the fridge covered to save up some time before your party.
Of course, you will want to put a note that your dip has nuts to make sure people are aware. State the type of nuts used, as this can affect whether people with some allergies can eat the dip or not.
Witch’s Brew (A Delicious Punch)
Halloween treats are not only the ones that you can eat. There are some that you can enjoy drinking. A witch’s brew is something you want to add to your repertoire of Halloween offers available. This is extremely easy to make, and you can add some alcohol to it if you want. However, it is perfect as listed for a kid’s party.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of sugar
- 2qts of water
- 0.13oz of lime drink mix
- 46oz of pineapple juice
- 1qt of ginger ale
Method:
- Stir the sugar in the water until all the sugar is dissolved
- Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring to combine and then place in the fridge
Do not forget to transfer the punch to a large serving bowl for your party. Put the cups on the side, so people can grab as much of the punch as they want throughout the night. You will soon find you have people asking you for the recipe.
Bobbing for Apples Punch
You may not want actually to go bobbing for apples, but that does not mean you have to avoid the game altogether. It is time to turn the game into a delicious punch to finish off your Halloween party treats.
Ingredients:
- 32oz of apple cider
- 32oz of cranberry juice
- 16oz of whole crab apples, undrained
- 6pz of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 6oz of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 1lt of ginger ale, chilled
Method:
- Mix everything except the ginger ale together and place in the fridge
- Add the ginger ale just before you serve the mixture
- Add ice to the punch bowl when you serve
If you do not like ginger ale, you can use a lemon-lime soft drink instead. The choice is completely up to you.
Add More Fun and Horror to Your Halloween Party
A good Halloween party is not just about having delicious food but having treats that work with the theme. Make sure you get your fun, creative side out. You do not need to put much effort in on the day of the party. Make a lot of the food and drinks days before your party. You will just have to hope you have enough space in your fridge for all the treats before the day of your party.
This does mean you do not have to put all the treats out together. Add new Halloween treats to the table throughout the night.
