The jack o’ lanterns are lit, the banshees are howling on loop, and very soon hunger will be clawing at your door. It’s Halloween party time, and we’ve got treats from A to Zombie that will cast a spell on all your spooky party guests. Mix ’n’ match our easy recipes to build a delicious Halloween spread and feed the creatures of the night with a unique trick for each treat.
Mulled Cranberry Punch
This bloody good concoction will have the attention of every vampire you invite in. Start with gory cranberry cocktail, which is then steeped with aromatic cinnamon, cloves and orange slices to create a warm and welcoming drink. It’s just what your guests will need when they step in from the cold.
Trick: Turn it into a cocktail by adding 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of vodka or rum.
Spiced Hocus Pocus Potion
Keep the witches and wizards happy with this enchanting brew. In a saucepan, heat milk before adding a hot cocoa mix infused with vanilla, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Top your potion with gooey marshmallows for a drink so good, it’s scary.
Trick: Multiply the recipe to make a large batch and then transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm.
Devilled Eggs with Chives
Satan and his minions love these nibbles, but angels won’t be able to resist them either. Kid-friendly, these tasty treats are frighteningly good-looking speckled with tangy sundried tomatoes, briny green olives and fresh chives.
Trick: Prepare a platter of the eggs a day in advance, cover and store in the fridge.
Cola Braised Pork Ribs & Sweet Potato Mash
Packed with King-Kong sized flavour, these ribs will have your guests piling the bones high. Baby back ribs are slow cooked in a spicy-sweet cola mixture until tender and served with roasted sweet potato mash.
Trick: To make devouring easier for monsters, slice ribs into individual pieces after cooking.
Ghoulish Pizza Fingers
Ready-made pizza dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and red pepper are all you need to make our cheesy Halloween fingers. These spine-tingling Halloween claws will have Freddy Kreuger and Hannibal scratching at your door.
Trick: Serve the pizza fingers with a bowl of “bloody” tomato sauce for dipping.
Scary Panna Cotta Eye Balls
Impress all ghouls with this googly-eyed dessert. Individual honey- and lemon-infused panna cotta custards are topped with a kiwi and blueberry “eye.” A generous serving of raspberry “blood” finishes the treat. Trust us, even zombies will bypass brains for these.
Trick: To easily unmould panna cottas, dip the base of the ramekins or moulds in hot water.
Chocolate Spider Web Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
These buttermilk-enriched, moist chocolate cupcakes are the perfect remedy for arachnophobia. Topped with hauntingly good cream cheese icing and a melted-chocolate web, they’ll make all creatures feel welcome.
Trick: If you don’t have a piping bag, create your own using parchment paper or a re-sealable sandwich or freezer bag.
Sugar Cookies
Roll out the red carpet for all the divas, royalty and celebrities with star- and crown-shaped cookies blinged out with sparkly glitter icing. Buttery and infused with vanilla, they’ll be featured on all the gossip websites.
Trick: Need an activity for the kids? Set up a cookie decorating station, so they can let their creativity run wild.
Pumpkin & Rum Raisin Cake
Rum-loving Captain Hook and his mateys will have a weakness for a slice (or two) of this fall-tastic cake. Sweet pumpkin teams up with fragrant nutmeg, cinnamon and rum-soaked raisins for a swashbuckingly delicious treat.
Trick: Out of rum? Substitute apple juice instead.
No Limits Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
When broody characters like Frankenstein or The Joker arrive, they’re in for a mysterious treat. These dark chocolate cupcakes are hiding a secret ingredient: barbecue sauce! Dense and flavourful, they’ll make all guests shriek with delight.
Trick: Play up the gross factor! Sprinkle cupcakes with chocolate wafer crumbs to create “mud” and top each off with gummy worms.
Throwing a Monster Bash this Halloween?
Try out these extra tricks to make your party a treat—they’re to die for!
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- Get everyone in the mood with a spooky playlist and creepy sound effects. Nothing says Halloween like Vincent Price’s maniacal laugh.
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- Give your party a deadly atmosphere. Play scary movies on loop on the TV, turn down the lights and place fake creepy crawlies around the house.
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- Set up a confessional camera in a room away from the main party where guests can share spooky stories and what scares them most, reality TV style. Make a unique visual memento and share the footage with them post-party.
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- Gather your best scary props (bloody axes, scary masks) and set up a photo booth where guests can snap and share spine-chilling selfies. Don’t forget to create your own party hashtag.
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- Games are a good way to get all guests involved. Split them into teams for a pumpkin carving competition or build-your-own monster contest.
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- Set food out buffet style to encourage costumed guests to move around and socialize. Label your dishes with scary and creative names. Cauldron Cakes and Witches’ Brew keep the menu delicious and fun.
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- Offer take-out containers so guests can bring your tasty treats home.
