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Candy Is Cool And All, But I'm Most Excited To Eat These Spooky-Good Apps On Halloween

Pre-game your candy haul with these spooky appetizers.

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mini pumpkins made out of pizza dough stuffed with cheese
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

We've said it once, we'll say it a thousand more times: Halloween is the food holiday to beat, especially when it comes to spooky snacking. Of course, Halloween might be ALL about the candy, but you can’t survive on sugar alone. You’re still going to want to get your party started off right by offering a sweet and savory mix of options. Which is why we’re big (HUGE) proponents of a good appetizer spread, particularly on holidays not known for their food. Keep your party guests happy all the way 'til the witching hour with these 59 appetizer ideas. They’re sure to please everyone, young and old, this Halloween season.

Much like costumes, Halloween food is a great opportunity to show off your creativity. We’re talking ingenious uses for cookie cutters, like our ghost pizza bagels; putting scary faces on everything, like our Jack-o’-lantern quesadillas, our mummy brie, or our ghost s'mores dip; and using garnishes in unexpectedly spooky ways, like in our cheesy witch brooms, our pumpkin deviled eggs, or our ghoulishly green avocado hummus. When in doubt, pipe a spiderweb on it, like our our spiderweb black bean dip, or add some scary legs to your spread, like we did with our spider taco ring. Trust us, everyone will love the effort.

Looking for Halloween appetizers that are a little less… on the nose? We’ve also included some fall appetizers here that feature pumpkins, butternut squash, apples, and more. Check out our caramel apple cheeseball, our butternut squash potstickers, our pumpkin butter and brie pull-apart bread, or our candied walnut Brussels sprouts bites. They’re perfect for Halloween and can be enjoyed all season long too.

Want more Halloween inspiration? Check out our favorite Halloween cocktails, Halloween dinners, and Halloween desserts too.

1

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

seasoned roasted pumpkin seeds with flaky sea salt
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Looking for a way to use up all those leftover pumpkin seeds? Our go-to solution is always to season + roast. These roasted pumpkin seeds are so easy to make, and completely versatile based on how you want to season them (sweet, savory, spicy... everything is fair game here). If you're looking for an easy, healthy snack to counter all that sweet candy, then these roasted seeds should be your new go-to.

Get the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe.

2

Halloween Chex Mix

a bowl of halloween themed chex mix with chex cereal, chocolate pretzels, reese's pieces, candy corn, and sweet potato chips
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This Chex Mix recipe is perfect for Halloween parties, for pre-trick or treat snacking, or for using up your leftover candy. In honor of the holiday, this blend uses a cinnamon- and vanilla-scented seasoning, along with dessert-friendly components: chocolate-covered pretzels, cinnamon Teddy Grahams, and candy corn (naturally). But if you’re anything like us, you love a salty-sweet combination. That’s why we season the entire mixture with just enough salt to offset the sweet flavors.

Get the Halloween Chex Mix recipe.

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3

Coconut-Lime Chicken Wings

coconut lime chicken wings on a tray topped with lime zest
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Buffalo sauce on a wing is a tried-and-true classic, but what if you’re in the mood for something different this Halloween? Tossed in a sweet and zesty glaze, these coconut-lime wings are giving Buffalo and blue cheese a run for their money.

Get the Coconut-Lime Chicken Wings recipe.

4

Pizza-Stuffed Pumpkins

mini pumpkins made out of pizza dough stuffed with cheese
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Stuffed with creamy ricotta, baked to golden perfection, and brushed with garlic butter, this festive, pizza-inspired snack will surely be a hit. Serve alongside marinara, then dig in!

Get the Pizza-Stuffed Pumpkins recipe.

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5

Caramel Apple Bark

chocolate bark with apple pieces, pretzels and caramel
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

What's better than chocolate-covered pretzels? How about this chocolate bark inspired by caramel apples. Looking for something sweet, without dipping into your trick-or-treating stash? This is the treat for you.

Get the Caramel Apple Bark recipe.

6

Apple Cheddar Bundles

apple cheddar bundles with puff pastry honey pecans and thyme
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

If the aroma of toasted puff pastry, roasted apples, and nutty cheddar cheese doesn’t wake up your spirit… we're not sure what will. These flaky puff pastry bundles will get everyone in the fall spirit, especially while sipping on amaretto sours and apple cider mimosas.

Get the Apple Cheddar Bundles recipe.

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7

Graveyard Chicken Enchilada Dip

graveyard chicken enchilada dip
Ethan Calabrese

It takes fewer than 10 ingredients to throw this simple graveyard together—you might have some of them at home already! Feel free to use all store-bought ingredients to make it easier, or make your own enchilada sauce, homemade chicken, and taco seasoning.

Get the Graveyard Chicken Enchilada Dip recipe.

8

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

pumpkin cheese ball with crackers
Photographer: Lucy Schaeffer. Food Styling: Makinze Gore

Part retro, part cult classic, it’s hard to go wrong with a cheese ball. This festive pumpkin rendition may not contain any actual pumpkin, but it’s full of fresh herbs, minced jalapeños, and of course, plenty of cheese (and is SO cute on a Halloween cheese board!).

Get the Pumpkin Cheese Ball recipe.

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9

Antipasto Roll-Ups

antipasto rollups
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLIST: BARRETT WASHBURNE

Your favorite antipasto just got even better—it’s now wrapped in buttery puff pastry. A couple bites in, and you’ll be going back for another. And another. Layered with Provolone, salami, pepperoni, roasted red peppers, and slathered in a Kalamata olive and pepperoncini spread, you’re going to be dreaming about these bundles for days.

Get the Antipasto Roll-Ups recipe.

10

Pumpkin Empanadas

pumpkin empanadas on a platter
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Pumpkin pies, beware! Pumpkin empanadas have arrived. Boasting a flaky, buttery crust and a jammy, spiced pumpkin filling, these bite-sized beauties will be a serious contender on any holiday dessert table. They may be small, but they pack BIG pumpkin flavor.

Get the Pumpkin Empanadas recipe.

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11

Mummy Hot Dogs

hot dogs with mustard eyes wrapped in crescent dough with cheese and served a mustard and ketchup dip
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS

There are a lot of mummy hot dogs in the world, but ours is the best for a couple of big reasons. Firstly, they're stuffed with cheese. Secondly, each mummy is brushed with melted butter before baking. Buttery, flaky, and cheesy, you really can't go wrong!

Get the Mummy Hot Dogs recipe.

12

Crispy Sweet Potato Bites

fried cheesy sweet potato bites
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

These sweet potato bites have a crunchy, herbaceous crust, with a sweet, silky inside that, when topped with a light drizzle of honey, will have you craving them again and again. Once you bite through the crust, the sweet potato mixes with that melted, nutty Gruyère for a dream flavor combination that works so well.

Get the Crispy Sweet Potato Bites recipe.

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13

Spider Taco Ring

spider taco ring
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If you love crescent rolls and are as obsessed with tacos as we are, this Halloween-inspired appetizer is calling your name. Created to playfully represent a spider with crescent roll legs and a crescent roll ring body stuffed with a beefy taco-spiced filling, it’s equal parts cute, creepy, and downright tasty.

Get the Spider Taco Ring recipe.

14

Ghost S'mores Dip

s'mores dip with ghost marshmallows on top served with graham crackers
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

This s'mores-inspired dip is the perfect dessert or appetizer to throw together last minute. Graham crackers make for perfect dippers, but sliced apple, pretzels, or potato chips would certainly do the trick. You can even make it ahead of time—to reheat, return to a 450° oven until melty, 3 to 5 minutes.

Get the Ghost S'mores Dip recipe.

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15

Avocado Hummus

avocado hummus topped with red pepper flakes and cilantro
ERIK BERNSTEIN

This ghoulish green dip is the best of hummus and guacamole combined.

Get the Avocado Hummus recipe.

16

Mummy Brie

mummy brie
Ethan Calabrese

Thanks to puff pastry, your basic baked brie becomes a totally spooky Halloween appetizer. Perfect for a Halloween party spread or to bring to snack on during a scary movie marathon.

Get the Mummy Brie recipe.

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17

Witch Finger Cookies

witch finger cookies
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: FRANCESCA ZANI

Ghouls, goblins, and witches to the front, please! Spooky season is here, and we’re celebrating in style with these scary delicious witch finger cookies. A witch finger cookie is exactly what it sounds like: a shortbread cookie shaped into a severed finger and adorned with an almond nail and a bit of blood-red jam.

Get the Witch Finger Cookies recipe.

18

Skillet Chili & Meatballs

chili and meatballs in a cast iron skillet, topped with melty cheese
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

This recipe combines the best of a game-day snack and the components of spicy chili into a single dish, perfect for any fall party. Rather than crumbling the ground meat as in the classic dish, you'll form those same elements into perfect meatballs. Bathed in a tasty chili sauce, the dish becomes spooky good dip and app all in one.

Get the Skillet Chili & Meatballs recipe.

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19

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

pumpkin deviled eggs

These adorable pumpkin deviled eggs are way easier to make than Jack-o'-lanterns! Paprika gives a wash of bold color, while a fresh chive (or snip of scallion) makes for the perfect stems.

Get the Pumpkin Deviled Eggs recipe.

20

Ghost Pizza Bagels

ghost pizza bagels
Ethan Calabrese

The scariest thing about these pizza bagels is how fast we're going to eat them. 😉 We definitely recommend using a cookie cutter for the ghosts—try other shapes too if you got 'em!

Get the Ghost Pizza Bagels recipe.

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