43 Party Foods To Make For A Dia De Los Muertos Celebration
Celebrate and honor your the loved ones you've lost with these festive ideas.
This fall, why not celebrate another important holiday: Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. A traditional Mexican holiday that celebrates loved ones who have passed away, Dia de los Muertos is observed every November 1st and 2nd. All across Mexico, families create altars (or ofrendas) to the dead to encourage them to visit, adorning them with offerings and mementos such as flowers, photos, candles, the departed's favorite foods, and skull-shaped candies and sweets. Rather than a time of mourning, Dia de los Muertos is a party, the idea being that for a few days you can once again enjoy a meal and celebrate with those who have passed on. We’ve gathered up our 42 favorite (Mexican-inspired) recipes here, but feel free to make whatever your dearly departed loved ones liked best.
Looking for something to get your party started? You can’t go wrong with classic guacamole or queso fundido. For mains, we’re thinking of things that are easy to serve to a crowd (you’re sharing with your family and the dead, after all), like our pozole, our salsa verde enchiladas, or our chiles rellenos. If your family is a little smaller, try our Mexican tostadas, our arepas, or our bean & cheese taquitos—because you assemble them individually, you can make as many (or as few) as you like. Next up, desserts, which some might say are the most important part of the celebration. We’ve included traditional pan de muerto, churros, tres leches cake, and flan, as well as some not-so-traditional spins, like our churro cookies, our sopapilla cheesecake bars, and our Day of the Dead cookies. Make a batch of any of these and the smell alone will be sure to bring your ancestors back from the beyond.
And don’t forget the drinks! This is the time to break out the good stuff, so we’ve included our Cadillac margarita and mezcal margaritas for those who are drinking, and our Mexican hot chocolate, our horchata, and our champurrado for anyone who isn’t. Check out the rest of our Mexican drinks for more ideas too.
As always, we hope these recipes will help broaden your perspective, and inspire you to try something new. We think the best part about appreciating a culture you’re not a part of is the opportunity to try something new while also having the flexibility to (respectfully!) not be perfect about it.
Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Elote is an unbelievably popular antojito (little craving) that you can find sold on the street in Mexico. It's often served on a stick, though you could skip the skewer and make it the same way you'd boil or oven bake regular corn on the cob.
Get the Elote: Mexican Street Corn recipe.
Michelada
If you've never had a Michelada, you're in for a treat. The addition of hot sauce and lime juice add a spicy/sour kick that takes your average light Mexican beer from good to great. Thanks to our secret ingredient (soy sauce!), there's also a hint of umami flavor that keeps you coming back for more.
Get the Michelada recipe.
Sopa De Fideo
Sopa de fideo is a low-lift Mexican-style soup consisting of toasted fideo noodles in a base made of pureed tomato, onion, and garlic. If you love chicken noodle or tomato soups, then consider this version as its fabulous cousin. It’s a fragrant and simple soup you can turn to in the fall and winter via canned tomatoes or summer with tomatoes off the vine.
Get the Sopa De Fideo recipe.
Sopes
One of the greatest pleasures of Mexican street food are sopes: round bundles of masa lightly fried and piled with refried beans, shredded chicken, salsa roja or salsa verde, and cotija cheese. These little antojitos, or snacks, can be eaten throughout the day, and make for perfect anytime party apps.
Get the Sopes recipe.
Carne Asada Tortas
These loaded tortas are a fun weekend project, and many of the steps can be done ahead of when you plan to serve them. Plus, you'll never make refried beans the same after trying this method out.
Get the Carne Asada Tortas recipe.
Chicken Empanadas
Empanadas come in many different forms with many different fillings. This version is a flavor bomb, with tender chicken thighs, peppers, and olives, bolstered by tomato paste and paprika. Yum!
Get the Chicken Empanadas recipe.
Pan de Muerto
Pillowy-soft and fragrant with anise and orange flower water, this Mexican sweet bread is eaten during the weeks around Dia de Los Muertos. This recipe yields 1 very large loaf, but you can also divide the loaf in half to make 2 smaller loaves, which will bake in around 35 minutes.
Get the Pan de Muerto recipe.
Chicken Mole
Pollo mole is a Mexican dish that may be easily intimidating with its infamous long list of ingredients, but the truth is it’s very straightforward, and you’ll end up with something very special on your dinner table. Our sauce has very earthy, bittersweet, and spiced flavors you'll love, so make extra!
Get the Chicken Mole recipe.
Champurrado
Unlike the plain, watery version you make with the powdered stuff, this hot chocolate is thick, rich, and decadent, thanks to masa harina. Instead of tasting like a Choco Taco, the masa lends a delicately sweet corn flavor and gives the champurrado a delightful richness.
Get the Champurrado recipe.
Tamales
Mexican tamales aren’t just fun to eat, they’re a great solo or group project for anyone who loves to cook. Tamale making is a joy, and tamales are a great canvas for different kinds of fillings. Make it a party by involving your friends, or get the whole family involved.
Get the Tamales recipe.
Spiced Hot Chocolate Brownies
Mexican hot chocolate is very much unique. It’s rich in chocolate, not too sweet, and the added spices will surprise yet comfort you. Inspired by that classic drink, these brownies are reminiscent of those iconic flavors with a little something extra.
Get the Spiced Hot Chocolate Brownies recipe.
Carne Asada Tacos
This flavorful handheld food has it all—tender marinated carne asada, an aromatic corn tortilla, and all of the classic street taco toppings. Served for lunch or dinner, these are delicious with a hearty side of refried beans and rice, or you can keep it light with corn salad.
Get the Carne Asada Tacos recipe.
Day Of The Dead Cookies
These colorfully decorated sugar cookies reminiscent of traditional sugar skulls are almost too pretty to eat. Use your favorite colors and decorate each skull to your own desire—these are like snowflakes, with each face different from the next.
Get the Day Of The Dead Cookies recipe.
Cadillac Margarita
A Cadillac margarita is basically a higher-end margarita made with a high-quality tequila (typically a reposado) and Grand Marnier. Reposado tequila will have notes of oak and vanilla, making this margarita really stand out (perfect for honoring ancestors this Dia de los Muertos).
Get the Cadillac Margarita recipe.
Roasted Kabocha Squash
We took inspiration from calabaza de tacha for this roasted squash, adding caramelized umami-sweet flavor through a maple-soy brown butter. Feel free to use pumpkin or butternut here, but we love it with savory and nutty kabocha if you can find it!
Get the Roasted Kabocha Squash recipe.
Candied Pepitas
We took inspiration from the traditional Dia de los Muertos candied pumpkin (or calabaza en tacha) for these pepitas. They're crispy, crunchy perfection with a dash of warm spice to make them ideal for snacking, tossing in salads, or topping desserts this November.
Get the Candied Pepitas recipe.
Best-Ever Pozole
Don't let the time commitment on this fantastically flavorful pozole recipe scare you. It's as easy as bringing water to a boil and letting it simmer away while you multitask on other things going on in your life. The longer you let the soup simmer, the better it will be. With time, the meat will turn tender, soft, and buttery, the aromas will deepen, and the color will become as rich as the soup tastes.
Get the Best-Ever Pozole recipe.
Mezcal Margarita
With an earthy, slightly smoky flavor, mezcal brings a uniquely savory quality to the typically tequila-based margarita. To spice things up, we add a colorful salt rim spiked with grapefruit zest and red pepper flakes. Tweak the mixture to your preference with different citrus (orange would also be delicious!) or other spices.
Get the Mezcal Margarita recipe.
Queso Fundido
Queso fundido is a true party trick. It’s likely the lowest-effort, highest-reward party dip. Go for Mexican chorizo here instead of the Spanish, which is usually dried.
Get the Queso Fundido recipe.
Bean & Cheese Taquitos
These crispy, cheesy vegetarian taquitos are quick and easy to make, and are great for everything from a tasty appetizer to a low-key dinner alongside rice and salsa this Dia De Los Muertos. We're particularly proud of the green chile sour cream sauce—you might never serve Mexican food without it again.
Get the Bean & Cheese Taquitos recipe.
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