Halloween is the one party of the year when your food is supposed to be a little ridiculous. TABLE developed these eight recipes so our readers would have the most amazing, amusing, and gorgeous food and drink for their Halloween parties this year. You’re guaranteed to get oohs and aahs for the witty visuals: punch that fogs like a cauldron, a brie skull in a salami wig, bats in black sesame coats, and a platoon of tiny mummy shepherd pies. Then they get more oohs and aahs when your guests take a bite.
Every recipe was developed and styled by Anna Franklin, tested in the TABLE studio, and photographed by Dave Bryce. They lean on fall’s best ingredients, like pumpkin, apple cider, winter squash, beets, and sweet potatoes, and many of them can be made ahead. And they work just as well at the office as they do at home.
Halloween Party Recipes at a Glance
Poison Apple Punch: a big-batch cocktail for a crowd
Savory Pumpkin Dip with a Halloween Skull Cheese Board: the party centerpiece
Berry Scary Spider Treats: a no-bake fruit treat or garnish
Batty Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Harissa Hand Pies: a savory finger food
Mummified Shepherd’s Pie: a hearty main in individual crocks
Roasted Squash Salad with Mozzarella Skulls: a healthy side
Jack O’Lantern Roasted Beets: a vegetable side
Ghostly Pumpkin and Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies: dessert for a crowd
8 Halloween Party Recipes to Make This Year
1. Poison Apple Punch
Best for: a crowd, and the moment everyone arrives
Makes: 18 six-ounce servings
Every good fairy tale has a poisoned apple, and every good party needs a punch bowl. Butterfly pea tea turns this sparkling mix of vodka, apple cider, ginger beer, and brut prosecco an eerie violet, and green apple slices soaked overnight in the tea come out stained purple for the wickedest garnish at the party. Top the bowl with food-grade dry ice and it smolders like a cauldron. The recipe includes how to handle the dry ice safely.
2. Savory Pumpkin Dip with a Halloween Skull Cheese Board
Best for: the centerpiece of the party table
Makes: about 3 cups of dip, or about 12 servings
We’re so used to pumpkin in sweet treats that we forget its savory side. Brown butter, bacon, garlic, shallot, cream cheese, and cheddar turn roasted or canned pumpkin into a bewitching dip that you can serve cold or bake until bubbly. It anchors a showstopping cheese board, where a little sculpting turns Brie or Camembert into a skull with pomegranate eyes, a black sesame grin, a yogurt-pretzel spine, curls of salami for hair, and a crown of marigolds.
3. Berry Scary Spider Treats
Best for: a no-bake treat, or a garnish for the cheese board, a cheesecake, or a sundae
Makes: 20 spiders
One blackberry, one blueberry, a little melted chocolate, and two candy eyes. That’s all it takes to make these funny, delicious spiders, with piped chocolate legs that bring each one to life. They take about half an hour and no baking, and they’re a fresh, fruity counterpoint to the candy bowl.
4. Batty Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Harissa Hand Pies
Best for: a savory finger food that needs no plate or fork
Makes: about 8 large hand pies
A thick coat of glossy black sesame seeds makes these bat-shaped hand pies unlike any other. Inside, mashed sweet potato and black beans are warmed with dry harissa spices, butter, and Pittsburgh-made Hot Rod Honey from Pittsburgh Honey. Store-bought pie crust and a 6-inch bat cookie cutter keep them easy. The gorgeous flavors will have you coming back for more, which is more than can be said for actual bats.
5. Mummified Shepherd’s Pie
Best for: a hearty main course on a buffet
Makes: 6 individual pies
Our otherwise classic shepherd’s pie, a rich filling of ground beef, vegetables, thyme, and Cabernet Sauvignon, is mummified with piped stripes of mashed potatoes and finished with two candy eyes peeking out from the bandages. Baking it in individual cast-iron crocks makes it more buffet-friendly than usual, which means it’s perfect for your next gathering of goblins. If your goblins lean gourmet, pour a Cabernet Franc.
6. Roasted Squash Salad with Mozzarella Skulls
Best for: a fresh, healthy side among the treats
Makes: 6 servings as a side
Start with a healthy salad of roasted sweet dumpling squash, crisp Granny Smith apple, kale, and pepitas. Then get crafty: melt ciliegine in a microwave-safe skull candy mold, and pop the winningly grinning results on top. A homemade fig and honey vinaigrette ties it all to the season.
7. Jack O’Lantern Roasted Beets
Best for: a colorful vegetable side
Makes: 6 servings as a side
The first jack o’lanterns were carved from turnips, not pumpkins. Because we’re quite unsure that scorched turnip makes for good eating, we carve golden beets instead, roast them until tender, and drizzle them with a glaze of apple cider, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and rosemary. A platter of tiny grinning faces is devilishly delicious.
8. Ghostly Pumpkin and Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies
Best for: dessert for a crowd, at home or at the office
Makes: about 24 cookies
Browning the butter makes this shortbread richer and nuttier, and pumpkin butter and pumpkin spice give it a warm fall flavor. Shape the slice-and-bake dough into a ghost-shaped log, and every slice comes out a little ghost. A snowy coat of powdered sugar and chocolate-droplet eyes make each one beautiful.
How to Plan Your Halloween Party Menu
Pick one recipe from each part of the menu and you have a party: a punch to greet guests, the cheese board and hand pies to graze on, the shepherd’s pies as a main, the salad and beets on the side, and the ghost cookies and berry spiders for dessert. For a smaller gathering, the cheese board, the punch, and the cookies make a complete spread.
Get a head start. Several recipes can be started days ahead. The shortbread dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, the salad’s fig and honey vinaigrette for up to 2 weeks, and the punch garnish soaks overnight. The pumpkin dip, the hand pie filling, and the beets’ apple cider glaze can all be made a day or more ahead.
Save the last-minute work for the fun parts. Add the prosecco and dry ice to the punch, the eyes to the mummies, and the vinaigrette to the salad just before serving. Make the berry spiders the same day, since fresh berries soften.
Tips for a Halloween Office Party
Choose individual portions. The hand pies, mummified shepherd’s pies, shortbread ghosts, and berry spiders are already portioned, so there’s no slicing or scooping at your desk.
Travel smart. The shortbread and hand pies travel well. Assemble the cheese board and salad on site, and bring the dip, vinaigrette, and beet glaze in jars.
Label the food. Coworkers will thank you. Several recipes contain common allergens: the hand pies and cheese board include sesame, the Worcestershire sauce in the shepherd’s pie usually contains anchovies, and many of the dishes include dairy, wheat, or pork. The punch contains vodka and prosecco, and the shepherd’s pie is made with wine.
Handle dry ice with care. If you bring the punch, check that your office allows dry ice, use food-grade dry ice only, and follow the safety tips in the recipe.
Halloween Party Food FAQs
What food should I serve at a Halloween party?
Aim for a mix: a showpiece drink, a few finger foods, something hearty, a fresh side, and a dessert. These eight recipes cover all of it, from Poison Apple Punch and a skull cheese board to mummified shepherd’s pies and ghost-shaped shortbread.
What Halloween food can I make ahead?
The shortbread dough for the cookies keeps for up to 5 days, the salad’s vinaigrette for up to 2 weeks, and the punch garnish needs to soak overnight. Several of the other components can be made a day ahead.
What’s good Halloween food for an office party?
Individual portions are easiest: bat hand pies, mummified shepherd’s pies in small crocks, ghost shortbread cookies, and berry spiders.
Are there meatless options?
Yes. The roasted squash salad, jack o’lantern beets, berry spiders, and ghost shortbread contain no meat, and the hand pies have a meatless filling. For strictly vegetarian guests, check the labels on store-bought ingredients like pie crust, which may be made with lard.
Is there a Halloween punch for adults?
Yes. Our Poison Apple Punch is a big-batch cocktail made with vodka and prosecco. It serves 18.
Who developed these recipes?
All eight were developed and styled by TABLE food stylist and recipe developer Anna Franklin, tested in the TABLE studio, and photographed by Dave Bryce.
Looking for more? Try our Halloween cocktails, Halloween treats to make with kids, and apple cider recipes.
About the Recipe Author
Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. Read more of her work at TABLE.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com
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