When you throw open your doors on Halloween, the creatures of the night will come to feed. Some will be scary. Some will be silly. But they’ll all have one thing in common: a monster appetite. Get ready with creature-friendly fare—and spooktacular decor and music ideas—for all your guests, whether they be skeletons or superheroes.
Delight with Ghoulish Pizza Fingers
We created these delicious pizza treats for horned fiends, but their crispy crust and gooey cheese topping will attract everyone from astronauts to zombies. Prevent a creature showdown at the snack table by prepping extras. Make-ahead tip: Dress your pizzas a few hours before guests arrive, then pop into the oven just before serving.
Satisfy monster hunger with Scary Panna Cotta Eyeballs
Every beast that lumbers over to the treats table will be mesmerized by these sweet peepers, but don’t be surprised if the witches (who appreciate an evil eye) and skeletons (who need eyes) start munching on them, too.
Power up a superhero with Halloween Boo Bark
Even superheroes have a weakness, and our research indicates that chocolate is a favourite. Conveniently, it’s also preferred among princesses, pirates, ninjas, fairies and, well, everyone. This colourful treat is ready in a flash, with just 15 minutes of prep time required. Make-ahead tip: Get these goodies ready up to a week in advance and store in an airtight container for one less thing to do on party day. And if you have any leftover Halloween candy, you can turn it into a bonus batch!
Spook a ghost with Grave Cakes
Remind your ghost pals of their favourite haunt with these spooky treats. Using black icing gel, create creepy tombstones by decorating ladyfinger cookies with crosses or the letters R-I-P. Top chocolate cupcakes with crushed sandwich cookies to look like dirt, then add a gummy worm and a cookie gravestone, and wait for the creatures of the night to descend. If you’re into baking from scratch, whip up a batch of our buttery Halloween Gravestone Cookies and use these instead of the ladyfingers.
Feed a vampire with Red Velvet Halloween Cupcakes
Vampires generally prefer a liquid diet, but our blood-red cupcakes, ready in 40 minutes, are in the same vein as their usual fare, offering a delicious incentive to try something new. After all, you only live forever once! Make-ahead tip: Bake and ice the day before the party and refrigerate. Then see if you can resist the temptation to gobble them all before the big night.
Tricks for Extra Treats
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- Satisfy the celebs in attendance with a walk of fame: Make star-shaped cookies and decorate with famous names.
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- Pirates will bypass treasure for crunchy “fish ’n’ chips”—a mix of salted potato chips and fish-shaped crackers. Serve in a big bowl or divvy up single servings in paper cupcake liners.
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- Make your buffet scary good with a big bowl of Witches’ Brew: Mix your favourite yellow juice (such as pineapple or apple) with an equal amount of clear pop or sparkling water, and add in green food colouring to create a convincing hue.
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- Invading aliens will gobble up exotic earthly eyeballs: Prep No Limits Devilled Eggs by cutting boiled eggs crosswise instead of lengthwise, then top with a slice of green olive and a pimento “pupil.”
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- Fill up famished phantoms (or hardworking ghostbusters) with these hauntingly easy ghosts-on-a-stick: Skewer large marshmallows, dip in melted white chocolate, let cool, then use black icing to dot on some eyes.
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- Sea monsters will gobble up swamp goo: Prep Guacamole with Goat Cheese and Tomato and add a can of rinsed black beans for more “bugs.” Serve with steamed green and yellow beans as “larvae” for dipping.
Haunt Your House
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- Scary is the word of the night, so don’t hold back on spider webs, caution tape and jack-o’-lanterns.
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- Removable wall decals in spooky designs offer a modern, mess-free decor solution.
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- Get more bang for your buck with centrepieces that also feed your guests. Fill trick-or-treat pails with candy for decorations, which also double as snacks.
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- For an extra treat, here’s a trick: Make a witches’ mystery bowl by taping pieces of paper over an assortment of Halloween candies and letting guests know that while some are blank, others contain “tricks”; if they draw one, they must complete the task or forfeit the candy. Safe tricks for kids include pat your head and rub your belly at the same time, balance a candy on your nose for 10 seconds, and do a crazy dance for 20 seconds.
- For an extra treat, here’s a trick: Make a witches’ mystery bowl by taping pieces of paper over an assortment of Halloween candies and letting guests know that while some are blank, others contain “tricks”; if they draw one, they must complete the task or forfeit the candy. Safe tricks for kids include pat your head and rub your belly at the same time, balance a candy on your nose for 10 seconds, and do a crazy dance for 20 seconds.
Music for Monsters
It’s not a fiendish fete until someone plays “Monster Mash,” and don’t even think of hosting a Halloween party without having Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” on standby. We also recommend mixing scary tracks with your favourite party tunes or choosing songs with Halloween-ish titles, such as Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters.”
Give Every Creature a Happy Halloween
Whether you choose one idea or all of them, it’s wickedly easy to prep a party that will cast a spell over your guests. Turn the monster mash into a monster bash!
