Halloween Party Food Recipes

Although a skull is the traditional Day of the Dead motif, you can stamp these cookies into any festive shape, from pumpkins and witches to cats and ghosts.

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.

Super-spooky and extra-delicious, these toasts look just like eyeballs.

Perfectly crunchy and spicy, these sriracha-flavored pumpkin seeds are a great afternoon snack.

Rachel Thebault has reimagined the humble Oreo as an indulgence that is spectacular as an afternoon snack or as the end to an elegant meal. She replaces the creamy center with gooey golden caramel and then dips the sandwich in rich dark chocolate. Perfect with milk–or even better with a tawny port.

Loaded with parsley, tarragon and chives, this creamy dip has a texture and color perfect for all sorts of Halloween gags. It would also be delicious served with poached chicken or seafood.

This punch is cooled with a block of raspberry ice, which releases berries into the bowl as it melts.

Crazy-chocolaty and super-crispy, these clusters are seriously addictive.

These wrinkly dumplings are filled with pork, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, scallions and ginger. For Halloween, David Burtka soaks the brain-like dumplings in the dipping sauce, then serves them in science-lab beakers.

The floating "eyeballs" in this spooky punch are made by stuffing lychees with brandied cherries.

These soft, lightly spiced cake-like cookies are studded with minced candied ginger and topped with a buttery sugar glaze.

The sesame seeds on these wasabi-spiked salmon balls are unexpectedly high in calcium.

Alex Stupak prepares this outstanding Yucatán-style dip by pureeing pumpkin seeds with roasted tomatoes, garlic and chile. Typically served with tortilla chips, it also makes a healthy vegan accompaniment for vegetables.

F&W's Grace Parisi made several versions of these brilliant little jam-topped cheesecakes, substituting fromage blanc and other tangy soft cheeses for the usual sour cream. Some versions were sweeter, others more tart; all were delicious. You don't need any special equipment to make them--just a muffin tin and foil liners. Top with a piece of candy corn to be extra festive. 

Sautéed shallots and feta cheese flavor this simple spread, which is a delicious hors d'oeuvre at any time of year. Here, it's formed into a spooky spider.

Tender chocolate cake with a luscious creamy filling is great in any form, but it's most fun of all in a whoopie pie. These little cakes are dressed in their Halloween finest with orange sashes made by rolling the creamy edges in bright orange nonpareils.