Spooky Recipes to Make for Halloween

Sugar Cookie and Marshmallow Fluff Ghosts
Photo: Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

If you're hosting a Halloween party, your menu should be just as scary (in a good way, of course) as the decorations. Think canapés that look like eyeballs, chocolate mice, and marshmallow fluff ghosts. It's a holiday when you can really get creative in the kitchen — but, if you'd prefer more subtle nods to Halloween, we've got you covered with festive drinks and deviled eggs, too. Your guests will be impressed either way.

01 of 17

Mini Spiced Pumpkins

Mini Spiced Pumpkins
© David Malosh

These spice cakes look like tiny pumpkins when they're covered with orange glaze and topped with a piece of dark licorice, twisted to look like a stem.

02 of 17

Blood Orange Margaritas

Blood Orange Margaritas
© John Kernick

Chef Dean Fearing calls this drink, which is a bestseller at his wife Lynae's popular Dallas restaurant Shinsei, "the fall margarita." Sweet-tart blood oranges lend an intense citrus flavor and gorgeous blush color to this beloved cocktail. If you can't find blood oranges, standard navel oranges also make a tasty margarita.

03 of 17

Sugar Cookie and Marshmallow Fluff Ghosts

Sugar Cookie and Marshmallow Fluff Ghosts
Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

These adorable white chocolate ghosts from Food & Wine's Paige McCurdy-Flynn are a take on a Danish marshmallow cookie known as a flødeboller. You will need four rimmed baking sheets to make these.

04 of 17

Spiced Candy Corn Crispies

Spiced Candy Corn Crispies

These charming sweet-and-savory rice cereal treats are spicy enough to serve with drinks and sweet enough to satisfy a candy craving.

05 of 17

Dark and Stormy Death Punch

Dark and Stormy Death Punch
© David Malosh

This is Grace Parisi's take on the Dark and Stormy, a classic rum and ginger beer drink. Floating in the punch bowl are round ice cubes made with lychee syrup and lychees stuffed with brandied cherries, which have an uncanny resemblance to eyeballs.

06 of 17

Halloween Whoopie Pies

Halloween Whoopie Pies
© David Malosh

Tender chocolate cake with a luscious creamy filling is great in any form, especially a crowd-pleasing whoopie pie. These little cakes are dressed in their Halloween finest with orange sashes made by rolling the creamy edges in bright orange nonpareils.

07 of 17

Fabada (Spanish Bean Stew with Chorizo and Blood Sausage)

Fabada (Spanish Bean Stew with Chorizo and Blood Sausage)
Christopher Testani

Fabada asturiana is a deliciously rich and hearty bean stew from Asturia, Spain, made with fabes (creamy white beans) as well as chorizo and blood sausage.

08 of 17

Sriracha-and-Wasabi Deviled Eggs

Sriracha-and-Wasabi Deviled Eggs 
PHOTO © CON POULOS

Chef Joanne Chang's mother used to make hard-boiled eggs for dinner: She would add them to the beef or chicken she was braising in soy. This is Joanne's riff on those eggs, made spicy with hot sauce and wasabi.

09 of 17

Shakshuka Deviled Eggs

Shakshuka Deviled Eggs
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Shakshuka meets deviled eggs in this colorful snack. Instead of poaching eggs in a tomato-based sauce, you'll spoon a garlicky, slightly spicy tomato jam flavored with harissa and smoked paprika on top of deviled eggs. The yolks are pureed with mayo and plain yogurt for a creamy, perfectly balanced filling with a little bit of tang. The recipe yields an extra 1/2 cup of tomato jam — save it to spoon over scrambled eggs, smear on a grilled cheese sandwich, or pair with fish, chicken, or steak. You can also loosen the jam with olive oil and drizzle it over hummus.

10 of 17

Soft Apple-Cider Caramels

Soft Apple-Cider Caramels
© John Kernick

These chewy treats are like caramel apples in candy form, combining the tangy-sweet flavor of cider with buttery caramel. To create your own spin on them, use a flavored apple cider or add different spices, like ground ginger or black pepper.

11 of 17

Greens-and-Cheese-Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin

Greens-and-Cheese Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Inspired by Cassie Piuma's squash spanakopita at her restaurant, Sarma, in Somerville, Massachusetts, this stuffed pumpkin is filled with a nutty, creamy blend of Gruyère and feta cheeses; sweet, anise-scented fennel; and hearty green lacinato kale for a stunning vegetarian main dish fit for any Halloween celebration. After roasting and before stuffing, scrape the inside of the pumpkin to loosen about 3 cups of the sweet, tender flesh to yield a flavorful base for the kale filling. Use a gentle hand when scraping to leave the pumpkin walls intact.

12 of 17

Sweet Potato Gyoza with Beet Puree

Sweet Potato Gyoza with Beet Puree Recipe
Victor Protasio

Sweet potato and hazelnut butter make up the filling for these inventive and satisfying gyoza. A silky beet puree shot through with preserved lemon adds a hit of brightness.

13 of 17

Devil's Island Daiquiri

Devil’s Island Daiquiri

"This is basically a cold buttered rum," says mixologist Jeff Berry. "You could serve it during the holidays in lieu of eggnog."

14 of 17

Chocolate Mice

Chocolate Mice Halloween Treat

These icky-cute mice feature three kinds of chocolate: semisweet in the creamy, cakey center and white and bittersweet in the crisp chocolate shell.

15 of 17

Delicata Squash and Sausage Crostata with Ricotta and Honey

Delicata Squash and Sausage Crostata with Ricotta and Honey
Justin Walker

In their book Wine Food, sommelier Dana Frank and recipe developer Andrea Slonecker pair funky, bright wines with flavorful, vegetable-forward dishes. They compare crostatas and galettes to pizza, making them the perfect weeknight dinner. This version layers fennel-spiced sausage, chile, delicata squash, and honey for a dinner that pairs well with a northern Italian Dolcetto.

16 of 17

Za'atar-Spiced Beet Dip with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts

Za'atar-Spiced Beet Dip with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts
© Antonis Achilleos

Beets have a strong presence in the cuisine of almost every ethnic group in Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi explains. They color pickling juices on the Arab table and form the basis for a soup of Jewish, Iraqi, and Kurdish origin. Ottolenghi purees them for this luscious spread. The bright color lends a delightful pop for any Halloween spread.

17 of 17

Halloween Sugar Cookie Pizza

Halloween Sugar Cookie Pizza
Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

This is a playful riff on the classic margarita pizza, made with a crisp sugar cookie "crust," strawberry jam, and marshmallows. This would also be terrific with a peanut butter cookie crust.

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