Halloween recipes

Halloween is the perfect excuse to get creative in the kitchen. It is the season for summoning ghoulish snacks and decadent cakes, and to play with colours, flavours, and decorations that surprise your guests as much as they delight them.

The best part is that Halloween recipes can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Some are quick enough to whip up on a weeknight, while others become centrepieces at themed parties. Here you will find both savoury and sweet recipes, so there is something for everyone.

Halloween recipes for a party

Halloween parties call for food that is fun, easy to share, and just a little spooky. You want treats that will wow guests with their appearance but also taste great and keep them coming back for more. These recipes can be prepared in advance and make a great addition to any party table or buffet.

Halloween party snacks

No party without party snacks, and no Halloween party without delicious snacks to match the mood. Halloween apples fit the bill perfectly. Tart apple slices topped with tangy cottage cheese and finished with marshmallow “eyes” for a cheeky treat.

For something more classic, homemade popcorn is always a crowd-pleaser. Keep it salty, sweet, or coat it in sticky caramel for a golden crunch that vanishes by the handful. You can find the recipe for caramel popcorn right here.

Also, be sure to include these cute meringue ghosts. They melt in your mouth and look festive lined up like little apparitions. While they are perfect for decorating Halloween cakes, they do just as well on their own. A little spooky, a little sweet, and all too easy to enjoy.

Savoury Halloween snacks

Savoury snacks are just as important as sweet ones at a Halloween party. They need to taste good first and look the part second. Halloween sausage fingers deliver with their eerie presentation. After being boiled and decorated with cheese nails, the sausages are served with ketchup for a bloody effect.

Pumpkin-shaped pizza is another standout, with creamy cheese and savoury toppings baked into festive little portions. They really do look like mini pumpkins, but the classic pizza flavours will please most guests.

And for those who enjoy a kick, jalapeño poppers bring heat wrapped in a crisp, golden coating. The poppers are a little spicy, but their gooey cheese filling and crisp puff pastry dough make them a standout finger food.

Baking recipes for Halloween

Halloween baking is where imagination truly shines. This is your chance to play with frosting colours, unusual shapes, and decorations that tell a story on the plate. Between cookies and cakes, the recipes here cover a range of skill levels. Some are simple enough for kids to help with, while others give you the opportunity to go all out with a showpiece.

Easy Halloween cookie recipes

Cookies are a must for Halloween and are always the first to disappear. Our spooky Halloween cookies are filled with red cream cheese, mini marshmallow “teeth” and a set of edible fangs that look far scarier than they taste.

If you want something more eerie, witch finger cookies deliver crisp, buttery bites shaped like gnarly fingers with almond “nails.” Both recipes make your cookie tray look both creepy and colourful, especially if you decorate further with meringue ghosts, fake spiders, and other seasonal additions.

Delicious Halloween cupcakes

Cupcakes are party favourites, and Halloween is a great excuse to get even more creative with them. These brain cupcakes are frosted and decorated with marzipan and jam for a creepy and indulgent treat.

Classic Halloween cupcakes can be dressed up in any colour or theme, whether you go for orange and black swirls or playful monster faces. These are crowned with an orange buttercream to embrace the hues of the season. Plus, they are made extra sweet and cute with small, adorable fondant ghosts perched on top.

And while Halloween muffins cannot quite be categorised as cupcakes, their size and shape make them perfect for cupcake-style decorations. With a little food colouring and imagination, cupcakes become an edible canvas for your scariest and sweetest ideas.

Halloween cake recipes

Halloween cakes are all about going big – bold flavours, rich layers, and decoration that make people stop and stare before taking a slice. If you need a place to start, a Halloween cake decorated with bright frosting and sprinkles makes a fun focal point for any party. If you want to go darker, a graveyard cake topped with cookie tombstones and chocolate “dirt” is as striking as it is delicious.

Halloween is also a great time for dark, chocolate-heavy cakes. Even our ghost cake has impressive, decadent chocolate layers and a few playful ghost figures on top for that added whimsical element. If you are after indulgence, a dark Halloween cheesecake provides a rich, creamy filling with a sweet, festive red glaze. Each cake recipe will make a statement grand enough for Halloween.

Dinner recipes for Halloween

Halloween dinners work best when they take familiar favourites and make them feel seasonal. Using autumn ingredients like pumpkin, squash, and root vegetables, or adding small decorative touches, turns everyday meals into something a little more extraordinary. These recipes balance comfort with creativity, giving you meals that fit both casual family dinners and themed parties.

Hearty Halloween mains

Here are a few classic dinner recipes with a seasonal twist, as well as a few new surprises. Black Halloween pasta with a rich tomato sauce brings fun to the table while staying hearty and satisfying, just like you expect from a spaghetti recipe.

If you like burgers, our monster burgers offer juicy patties inside a burger made to look like a scary sea creature. You can use our recipe for black burger buns to turn a monster burger into a wild, eye-catching appearance.

Seasonal vegetables also get to shine at Halloween. Try our butternut squash quiche with a creamy filling and crisp pastry; it holds everything you want from a quiche, just with a slightly sweeter flavour. And finally, Hasselback pumpkin gives you tender butternut squash slices with caramelised edges, making it a striking side dish or even a meat-free main.

Halloween soup recipes

A warm soup is the perfect way to start a Halloween meal, especially as the weather cools. This Halloween soup uses tomato as a base, enriched with cauliflower and topped with mozzarella-and-olive “eyeballs”.

You can also top regular seasonal soup with your own spooky decorations. For instance, butternut squash soup delivers creamy sweetness, usually topped with soft black beans and sour cream, but feel free to add your own Halloween flair. The same goes for red kuri soup, which highlights pumpkin’s natural richness with a velvety texture and vibrant colour. A warm seasonal start that makes the rest of the evening feel festive.

Pumpkin bread recipes

Pumpkin bread is a true autumn favourite, with a soft, moist crumb and gentle sweetness that makes it welcome any time of day.

A classic pumpkin bread brings out the vegetable’s natural flavour with warm spices, perfect with a cup of tea or coffee and a nice cream cheese spread.

For a softer, more delicate option, pumpkin buns offer pillowy rolls with a festive pumpkin shape that looks right at home at any gathering. They are a hit with the kids and adorable to look at.

Halloween dessert recipes

Desserts are where you can let loose with fancy twists and experiments and mould recipes into your own perfect little creations. Halloween sweets do not have to be overly complicated. They just need to feel festive and fun. Fluffy pumpkin pancakes bring a cosy seasonal flavour, and you can still serve them with classic toppings like syrup, diced sour apples, or cinnamon and sugar.

Pumpkin pancakes are more about the flavour, while our Halloween pancakes take on a very Halloween-themed design, as you shape them into spider webs in the frying pan. They work equally well for a fun dessert as they do for an exciting breakfast, sure to brighten the day for the kids.

If you prefer something more stylish, a carrot and pumpkin cake offers a moist texture and earthy sweetness, with the bright colour of pumpkin giving it a seasonal edge. It has an indelible cream cheese frosting that rounds off any evening dinner with class. In fact, all of these desserts finish a Halloween menu on a high note, leaving guests with something sweet and memorable.

Find more Halloween food ideas

Looking for more Halloween food ideas? Pumpkin is at the centre of many delicious recipes. It works beautifully in soups, breads, and cakes, so be sure to explore our full collection of pumpkin recipes. Butternut squash is another autumn favourite, its natural sweetness making it just as good in savoury quiches and pastas as in bakes. Discover even more ways to use it in our butternut squash recipes. And if you want something with a nutty, silky flavour, red kuri squash is ideal for roasting, soups, or even desserts. Do not miss our red kuri squash recipes for more inspiration.