57 Make-Ahead Halloween Party Recipes
Updated: Feb. 15, 2024
These make-ahead Halloween party recipes will make getting ready for your spooky shindig a breeze. Think deviled eggs, pumpkin dip, a brain-shaped cake and so much more.
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Mummy Brownies
The grave couldn't hold these mummified treats for long! Watch these fudgy brownies pull a disappearing act at your Halloween get-together. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Brownie Haunted House
You don’t have to worry about getting this spooky showstopper to stand upright. These fudgy brownies are the perfect canvas for creating a silly haunted house. Trick-or-treaters beware! —Sarah Farmer, Greenfield, Wisconsin
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Skull Deviled Eggs
Thrill partygoers with Halloween deviled eggs. The mayonnaise-filled bites are one of my favorite apps, so I had fun creating a spooky version. —Nick Iverson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Candy Corn Cookies
Get a head start on these buttery cookies by shaping and chilling the homemade dough ahead of time. When you're ready, just slice and bake the tricolor treats. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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So-Easy-It's-Spooky Bat Cake
This gorgeous dessert starts with a boxed cake mix. Then it’s an easy and magical trick to make the bat silhouette with cocoa. —Crystal Schlueter, Babbitt, Minnesota
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Meringue Bones
This unique treatment for meringue travels well, too! You will certainly get requests for the recipe, and folks will be surprised at how simple it is! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Creepy-Crawly Pasta Salad
A sweet-and-sour dressing tops off this easy pasta salad that's actually good for you! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Day of the Dead Cookies
I make these cookies for all occasions. In the spring, I cut them in flower shapes and insert a lollipop stick in each to make a bouquet. Using candies, food coloring and a wild imagination, try your hand at this Day of the Dead version. —Kristine Fossmeyer, Huntley, Illinois
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Witches' Brew
Stir up some Halloween beverages that are as bewitching as the rest of your menu. Omit the vodka for a nonalcoholic version so the kids can have some, too! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Quick Ghost Cookies
Spruce up store-bought cookies for the holiday. These are a real hit with "goblins" of all ages. —Denise Smith, Lusk, Wyoming
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Tombstone Treats
My brother loves Rice Krispies squares, and my mom loves sugar cookies. I came up with a cute treat they'd both like.
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Magic Wands
These fun and colorful wands don't need to be made by a magician to be magical. You can change the colors to fit any party theme. —Renee Schwebach, Dumont, Minnesota
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Halloween Layer Cake
There's nothing "scary" about this cake. I make it every Halloween for my husband, Mike, and our three children. —Karen Wirth, Tavistock, Ontario
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Mini Meringue Pumpkins
Cast a sweet spell over your Halloween party guests by making a pumpkin patch’s worth of treats. It’s easy to use this basic meringue recipe spiced with pumpkin flavor to scare up fun cookies. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Owl Cookies
I came up with these cookies as a treat for my kids’ class parties. Not only do they look cute, but they are also delicious.—Starrlette Howard, Ogden, Utah
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Frosted Pistachio Bars
Bar cookies are the best-so fast and easy. Go as spooky as you dare when decorating this pan for Halloween. Shannon Sheehy, Chesterfield, Virginia
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Eyes On You
Look out! This crazy cupcake only has eyes for you. Don't worry though, he's delicious! —Karen Tack, Riverside, Connecticut
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Witch's Caviar
I like to serve this dip with triangle-shaped tortilla chips because they look like pointy witch hats. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
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Mini Pretzel Pumpkins
Folks are sure to share some tricks in order to get some of these pleasing pumpkin-shaped treats. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Crazy Halloween Blondies
I have a real sweet tooth, so Halloween is my favorite holiday. I came up with these bars for my kids, but I think I like them even more than they do! —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
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Halloween Punch
My bright orange sipper fits right in with October fun. To serve it in a festive way, I often put the punch bowl inside a hollowed-out-pumpkin. —Sue Thomas, Casa Grande, Arizona
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Kiss from a Vampire Cookies
Raspberry jam eerily oozes from these soft butter cookies. One bite, and you'll have a hard time stopping! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Freaky Frankenstein Cookies
They're alive! Each year when the Halloween invites start coming my way, I create a little treat to bring. These cute cookies bring a lot of life to every party. —Philia Kelnhofer, West Allis, Wisconsin
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Colorful Candied Apples
The glossy coating in this candy apple recipe is hard, so it's best to lick them like a lollipops or cut 'em into wedges to serve. Be sure your apples are clean and dry before dipping. —Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario
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Halloween Monster Cookies
Don’t be surprised if all the monsters come out of hiding when you assemble these fun and easy Halloween party treats. My kids and I made them for their classroom Halloween party one year. Their classmates loved them, and it’s now a tradition to make them every year. —Dina Crowell, Fredericksburg, Virginia
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Witches' Fingers
You don't need a cauldron to conjure these frightening fingers. They're a sweet-and-salty treat that's spookily easy to make. —Beth Tomkiw, Chief Content Officer, Taste of Home
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Pumpkin Spice Cutouts
Through all the years I've been baking, I’ve never come across a pumpkin cookie recipe that you can actually cut out with cookie cutters. (Most I’ve found are drop cookies.) Each bite tastes just like pumpkin pie—delicious! —Marion Kearley, Ladner, British Columbia
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Spiced Chocolate Truffles
I make truffles for family events and gift-giving. Someone once asked me to add pumpkin spice, and now my recipe is legendary. —Gerry Cofta, Milwaukee, WI
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Crescent Roll Witch Hats
It doesn’t take magic to transform these crescent rolls into charming witch hats—just a few minutes and a couple of ingredients. They’re so good, you’ll want to make a double batch. —Mara Fletcher, Batesville, Indiana
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Freaky Frankenstein Cookies
They're alive! Each year when the Halloween invites start coming my way, I create a little treat to bring. These cute cookies bring a lot of life to every party. —Philia Kelnhofer, West Allis, Wisconsin
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Out-Of-This-World Cupcakes
These are a cinch to bake—and even more fun to decorate! Save the decorating fun for a party activity, and let the kids top their cakes any way they want. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Halloween Party Mix
"This colorful snack mix has a light coating that also makes it perfect for gatherings," notes field editor Jeanette Urbom of Overland Park, Kansas.
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Broccoli Boo Salad
There's nothing scary about the recipe for this popular salad—it's delightfully easy to put together. The mandarin oranges also look nice with the colors in other foods and decorations for my theme.—Vicki Schlechter, Davis, California
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Jack-o'-Lantern Cake
I pieced two fluted tube pan cakes together to make this gap-toothed grinner that will make the best-ever centerpiece at your Halloween party. —Julianne Johnson, Grove City, Minnesota
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Eyeball Cookies
All eyes will definitely be on these adorable cookies when they're set on any buffet table. I created them for my son's kindergarten class for Halloween. —Sherry Lee, Columbus, Ohio
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Edible Arachnids
I bring cake pops to my church group when we have movie nights. This year for Halloween, I used my go-to recipe to make these not-so-scary spiders. —Nicole Rae Paoli, Newark, Delaware
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Brainy Cake
My Godson and I made this cake after fun day at the science museum. We've made it several times now, and we get a kick out of experimenting with the frosting colors. —Faith Cromwell, San Francisco, California
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Ghostly Hot Cocoa
Chocolate pudding mix is the convenient start to this clever cocoa mix. Kids of all ages get a kick out of the marshmallow ghost floating on top. —Ruby Gibson, Newton, North Carolina
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Scary Eyeballs
Kids will squeal with delight at the sight of these eyeball treats. But the peanut butter flavor is the best part! —Shannon Blatchley, Ludlow, Massachusetts
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Candy Cupcakes
Rich chocolaty cupcakes include a cream cheese surprise. Get kids in on the fun by letting them help decorate. ‐Mrs. Walter Jacobson, Ashland, Ohio
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Ghost Shortbread Cookies
Pac-Man was my favorite video game when I was growing up. For a party, I decided to get creative and shape my go-to sugar cookies into the ghosts from the game. —Jamie S, Regina, Saskatchewan
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Brownie Spiders
I'm absolutely petrified of real spiders. But I can make an exception for these cute ones made from chocolate. They make perfect Halloween treats. —Ali Ebright, Kansas City, Missouri
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Witches' Brooms
Pair these edible mini brooms with Witches’ Brew for a spellbinding combination. The only ingredients you need here are pretzel rods and licorice. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Ghosts to Go
Are these adorable or what? Little kids would love to eat these treats, made colorful with food coloring and decorated with candy treats. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Monster Munchies
Magically transform squash or pumpkin seeds into a spellbinding snack with ranch salad dressing mix. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Halloween Sugar Cookies
I've been making these Halloween sugar cookies for about 40 years—first for my children and now my grandchildren and all their friends, too. I make about 20 trays a year to give away to trick-or-treaters. —Pamela Shank, Parkersburg, West Virginia
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Trick-or-Treat Pizza
Don’t let your leftover Halloween loot go to waste. Pile your favorite candies onto a monster-size cookie. — Kendra Bowen, Louisville, Illinois
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Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls
Friends and family are always happy to receive these tasty peanut butter popcorn balls. I love making them as well as eating them! —Betty Claycomb, Alverton, Pennsylvania
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Goblin's Orange Popcorn
Your little goblins will love to munch this tasty, colorful popcorn that features a crispy crunch and sweet flavor. Donna Higbee, Sandy, UtahOriginally Published: July 30, 2018
