60 Make-Ahead Halloween Party Recipes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pumpkin Caramel Cupcakes

Not only do kids love to eat these cupcakes, they can help bake them, too. To make things even easier for them, we got the idea to dunk them in premade caramel apple dip instead of using frosting. —Donna Schaab, Belleville, Illinois

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Eyes On You

Look out! This crazy cupcake only has eyes for you. Don't worry though, he's delicious! —Karen Tack, Riverside, Connecticut

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silly Snake Sub

This slithering sub makes a fun and tasty centerpiece. Add your own zany, creative touches and feel free to mix and match the meat and cheeses to suit your family's tastes. You also can add breadsticks to make "legs" if you want the sub to look like a centipede. —Linda Overman, Wichita, Kansas

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

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

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

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

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.

Coffin Pumpkin Cake

The maple flavoring in the frosting makes this spooky cake taste delicious! And the gingersnap crumbs make the "coffin" look like a pine box…to suit the season perfectly. —Kathy Michel, Dubuque, Iowa

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

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

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

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

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

Mediterranean Shrimp Dip

Guests will help themselves to seconds of this savory Mediterranean shrimp dip that features shrimp, feta cheese and Greek seasoning. —Gina Wilson, Austin, Texas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monster Munchies

Magically transform squash or pumpkin seeds into a spellbinding snack with ranch salad dressing mix. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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

Cauldron Dip

This witch’s cauldron doesn’t hold a spooky brew–just a Halloween snack that’s frightfully fun! Our Test Kitchen formed a pot by toasting a slice of rye bread, then filled it with a creamy dip that’s perfect with the pretzel “logs” and sweet pepper “flames” that are placed underneath. Next, try these Halloween potluck ideas that feed a crowd.

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

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

Festive Pumpkin Dip

Pumpkin adds a sweet element to savory cream cheese dip. It's a chunky, satisfying snack for fall. —Evelyn Kennell, Roanoke, Illinois

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, Utah