35 Halloween Appetizer Ideas To Trick-Or-Treat Your Guests

If it was up to me, Halloween would be an everyday affair. Easy to make and full of flavor, Halloween appetizer ideas have a not-so-scary twist that’s perfect for a themed party or your next witch coven gathering. Not to mention, they’re visually adorable. 

Whether you go the gory route with my personal favorite, the shrimp brain, or choose something kid-friendly like the jalapeno mummies, you and your guests will have a good time chowing down. 

So pop in your favorite scary movie, pick a recipe, and wow your friends with tasty Halloween treats!

Quick Table: Halloween Appetizer Ideas

Recipes	Calories Per Serving	Preparation Time
Witches Fingers	329	40 Minutes
Witches Brooms	57	12 Minutes
Pepperoni Pizza Pumpkin	Not Available	35 Minutes
Halloween Bats	166	25 Minutes
Jalapeno Mummies	166	44 Minutes
Shrimp Cocktail Brains	77	7 Hours 25 Minutes
Boo-nana Pops	103	2 Hours 20 Minutes
Spider Web Pizzas	276	20 Minutes
Spider Crackers	200	20 Minutes
Caramel Apple Slices	128	45 Minutes
Hot Dog Mummies	244	25 Minutes
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ghost	32	45 Minutes
Eye Of Newt Deviled Egg	99	25 Minutes
Spider Deviled Eggs	112	25 Minutes
Spider Hot Dogs	265	35 Minutes
Loaded Rice Crispy Treats	323	15 Minutes
Spider Web Taco Dip	90	22 Minutes
Jack-O-Lantern Sandwich Bites	194	30 Minutes
Graveyard Taco Cups	226	30 Minutes
Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs	30	30 Minutes
Ghostly Cookies	288	20 Minutes
Chocolate Pretzel Bones	13	30 Minutes
Vampire Sandwich Cookies	225	1 Hour
Witch Hat Cupcakes	204	55 Minutes
Monster Wraps	Not Available	10 Minutes
Coffin Pop Tarts	423	40 Minutes
Pumpkin Charcuterie Board	Not Available	1 Hour
Baked Ghost Chips	50	15 Minutes
Snake Breadsticks	184	1 Hour 30 Minutes
Chocolate Pretzel Spider Web	Not Available	20 Minutes
Jack O Lantern Peppers	383	50 Minutes
Shrunken Potato Heads	217	1 Hour 10 Minutes
Meatball Mummies	150	37 Minutes
Dirt Balls	35	20 Minutes
Slithering Hummus Bites	67	20 Minutes

1. Witches Fingers 

Can you believe that all you need to make these cackling witch fingers are some mozzarella sticks, breadcrumbs, and pumpkin seeds for the fingernails? That’s it! These fingers can be air fried, oven baked, or traditionally deep fried. 

To get that perfect crunch, roast the pumpkin seeds until they’re lightly browned at the edges.

Once cooked, cut out a small section at the top of each finger and place the “pumpkin nail’ while the cheese is warm. Serve with a warm marinara sauce for a “bloody” effect.

Calories Per Serving: 329

Preparation Time: 40 Minutes

2. Witches Brooms 

You’ve got the witch fingers; it’s time for the broom. With some mozzarella cheese, pretzels, and a little time, you can have these quick pop-in-your-mouth appetizers ready.

To add to the texture, slice some carrots julienne style and tie them to the cheese. 

You can probably tell by now that I have a love for all things witchy. What’s better, this recipe requires no cooking. Just some pre-party assembly.

Tie the elements together with some chives, green onion ends, or edible string and stand upright to create a supernatural look. It can be one of the best halloween appetizer ideas.

Calories Per Serving: 57

Preparation Time: 12 Minutes

3. Pepperoni Pizza Pumpkin

Rich in texture and bursting with flavor, these pepperoni pizza pumpkins are a fantastic way to elevate your Halloween snack bar. Once your guests open them up, they’ll find a gooey mix of cheese, sauce, and your favorite pizza topping. 

Since they’re one of the more advanced recipes on this list, you’ll need time to get the pizza dough going. If you’re in a hurry, try some pre-made pizza dough.

These Halloween appetizer ideas works just as well. Then, glaze the tops in a light egg wash for that crispy, smooth finish. 

Calories Per Serving: Not Available

Preparation Time: 35 Minutes

4. Halloween Bats 

What’s Halloween appetizer ideas without some bats? Made from dates, nuts, and seeds, these energy balls are great for anyone who wants a healthy sugary snack this spooky season. They’re vegan, no-bake, and easy to whip up. 

You can go for the cashew nuts and hazelnuts the recipe calls for or experiment with your nut mix. My personal favorite is a pistachio and almond medley.

Instead of dairy, coconut oil and vanilla extract act as the moistening agent, but you can still pre-soak your dates.

Calories Per Serving: 166

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

5. Jalapeno Mummies

You’ll never go wrong with jalapeno mummies that are wrapped in crispy pastries and stuffed with cheese. These little guys are as tasty as they are adorable.

The combination of cream cheese and pepper jack cheese creates a warming and cooling effect in your mouth. 

For a surprise flavor, add bacon and use flaky crescent rolls. Keep the stems on so your guests can use them as a handle and pop them off before eating. Don’t worry about the mummy eyes; all you need is some plain hard candy.  

Calories Per Serving: 166

Preparation Time: 44 Minutes

6. Shrimp Cocktail Brains

What do you get when you combine cooked shrimp, gelatin, vermicelli noodles, and cocktail sauce? A zombie’s brain. This recipe is a labor of love, taking over 7 hours to complete, so it’s best Halloween appetizer ideas you start this the day before. 

You don’t even need a brain mold to pull this off. Simply use a semi-circle cake tin or bowl, and create the contours yourself. It will be like a creepy art project, and the results are eerie yet satisfying. 

Calories Per Serving: 77

Preparation Time: 7 Hours 25 Minutes

7. Boo-Nana Pops 

With a creamy banana center and crackly chocolate exterior, these pops are simple to make and quickly devoured. You’ll need chocolate with a high amount of cocoa butter so that it can melt and solidify in a reasonable amount of time. 

Ideally, you should make these during Halloween, but there’s no reason why you can’t turn them into a midsummer treat. After all, a banana is an excellent substitute for dairy ice cream.

In addition, you can use mini chocolate chips for the eyes and an optional sprinkle for the mouth. 

Calories Per Serving: 103

Preparation Time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes

8. Spider Web Pizzas

There are so many ways to make pizza, so why not get creative with strings of cheese and sauce? To make these, simply assemble mini pizzas as you regularly would. You can use an English muffin as the crust or create your own from scratch.

When adding the cheese, lay each piece strategically to create a web shape. You can do the same to generate mummy faces in some of the pizzas.

For the mummy eyes or spider in the web, use black olives and let the sauce show, creating a bloody effect.

Calories Per Serving: 276

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

9. Spider Crackers 

Spider crackers are perfect for a quick afterschool appetizer option. You can use pre-packed salty crackers with cheese filling or make your own custom flavored critters with cream cheese or peanut butter.

Then, make the eyes with royal icing and flat chocolate chips.

For the spider legs, use mini stick pretzels and stick three on each side. If you’re filling your crackers yourself, you can spread the filling beforehand and use it as glue. Kids will have a fun time picking this critter apart.  

Calories Per Serving: 200

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

10. Caramel Apple Slices

You can’t go wrong with a classic, so make sure you have some caramel apples on standby for your next big Halloween party. Topped with orange and black sprinkles, these treats will get you in the Hallow’s eve mood. 

Not a fan of apples? No problem! You can use pears, nuts, peanut brittle, or any hard fruit that can maintain its structure when drenched in caramel. If you want to elevate your apples, drizzle them in dark chocolate and chill them in the freezer. 

Calories Per Serving: 128 

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

RELATED: 35 Mind Blowing Halloween Cakes To Wow Trick-or-Treaters

11. Hot Dog Mummies 

If you loved jalapeno mummies, you’d love their cousins, hot dog mummies. Instead of cheese and bacon, wrap your crescent rolls around a hot dog link.

This would be an excellent Halloween appetizer ideas for kids who aren’t used to the spicy effect of jalapenos. 

To maintain their bitesize charm, chop the hot dogs into one-bite portions, which means you won’t waste too much money on individual filling. Alternatively, you can buy tiny sausage links.

Finally, spice up your mummy dogs with a simple relish, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise dip. 

Calories Per Serving: 244

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

12. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ghost

Want to hear something crazy? These homemade strawberry bites are only 32 calories each! I was just as shocked as you are. Three ingredients are all you need. Some white chocolate, strawberries, and candy eyes. 

To get the best results, pat your strawberries dry and wait a few minutes to ensure any extra water on the surface evaporates. The water won’t work well with your chocolate. Plop on some candied eyes, and you’ve got a ghoulish delight.

Calories Per Serving: 32

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

13. Eye Of Newt Deviled Egg

Perfectly boiled center, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, olives, and creepy designs. What’s not to love? So the next time you’re hosting a Harry Potter party, come with these eyes of newt eggs and watch your platter disappear. 

This recipe makes 12 eggs, but you can easily double it for a larger crowd. If you’re wondering how to achieve that swamp green tone, all it takes is some food color.

Plop a black olive in your green center, and you have one wicked-looking eyeball. 

Calories Per Serving: 99

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

14. Spider Deviled Eggs

I think deviled eggs are the universal go-to for parties, and we all know why. They’re an affordable way to keep your guests full as they wait for the main course.

Deviled eggs are loaded with filling protein even if you’re not serving a heavier meal. They’re a great addition to your spooky charcuterie board, and the smoky center is to die for.

Each egg will require one olive sliced in half and divided into six parts. Mix these spider-deviled eggs with some eye of newt eggs to double the creepiness. 

Calories Per Serving: 112

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

15. Spider Hot Dogs

Don’t get me wrong, I can’t stand spiders, but these are alright with me. This recipe takes the classic pigs in a blanket formula and flips it on its head, shaping the hot dog into spider legs. You just need three ingredients and 15 minutes in the oven. 

Hot dogs, crescent rolls, and ketchup for the red eyes make for a fast appetizer that both kids and adults will love. They also work as a freezable option that can be made in advance and popped in the oven when needed. 

Calories Per Serving: 262

Preparation Time: 35 Minutes

16. Loaded Rice Crispy Treats

Rice crispy treats are my personal favorite. There’s something nostalgic about biting into one and feeling that loud crunchy cereal coated in butter and marshmallows melt in my mouth. So if you’ve dreamt of making these, here’s your chance. 

Instead of the classic crispy treat recipe, this version offers an added mixture of m&ms, sprinkles, and candy corn. Feeling daring? Try adding peanut butter cup pieces. You can add anything sweet, really. 

The sweet spot for the ratio is 9 cups of cereal to 15 ounces of marshmallows. You get a gooey, toasty finish that won’t dry up.  

Calories Per Serving: 323

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

17. Spider Web Taco Dip

Fun, festive, and easy to share, this seven-layer taco dip is excellent for any year-round gathering. You can fill your dip with whatever you want, but some classic elements include refried beans, cheddar cheese, olives, taco sauce, and onions. 

Try incorporating some shredded beef or chicken to take your dip to the next level. It will thicken the dip and make for a heartier appetizer.

Finally, make it specifically spooky for Halloween with sour cream, creating a web design in your guacamole pool.

Calories Per Serving: 90

Preparation Time: 22 Minutes

18. Jack-O-Lantern Sandwich Bites

This is the least scary jack-o-lantern you’ll ever see. This is why it’s perfect for your next October get-together. Stuffed with ham and cheese and baked to a golden crisp, it’s a strong contender for the “go-to” appetizer.

After all, it only takes 30 minutes to have these ready to eat. 

You can save time using a store-bought cookie cutter for the pumpkin shape and some pie crust for a rapid bake. If you’re feeling fancy, make the crust yourself, though that will take significantly more time and effort. 

Calories Per Serving: 194

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

19. Graveyard Taco Cups 

These cups are for you if you love a party dip but hate the communal dipping aspect. They’re individually portioned to ensure everybody gets a healthy taste of guacamole, black beans, green onions, and black olives. On top of that, they’re healthy. 

To add the graveyard touch, roll out some pre-made pizza dough until it’s flat and nearly see-through. Use cookie cutters to create ghost and tombstone shapes and crisp them up in the oven until golden.

In these Halloween appetizer ideas you can write creepy messages on the crackers or draw ghost eyes. 

Calories Per Serving: 226

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

20. Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs 

It’s hard to explain the sensation you get when popping one of these garlic tofu ricotta mushroom eyeballs in your mouth. The gooey warm center pairs perfectly with the firm, toasted mushroom. It’s a match made in Halloween heaven. 

In thirty minutes or less, you’ll have a healthy, vegan-friendly appetizer for guests from all dietary backgrounds.

For the red veins, julienne cut some sun-dried tomatoes, and top your dish off with a sliced olive pupil. Bake until your cremini mushroom caps slightly wrinkle. 

Calories Per Serving: 30 

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

21. Ghostly Cookies 

Sugar cookies shine no matter the occasion, so this recipe offers a base batter that can be molded into your desired shape. So pick up your favorite Halloween-themed cutters and go to town making ghostly bites.

Of course, how you decorate your cookies is up to you, but a little royal icing and some sprinkles go a long way for me. 

Cut the batter’s sugar in half to minimize sweetness if you use heavy icing. Even if it is a sugar cookie, you wouldn’t want our guests to be overwhelmed by anything. 

Calories Per Serving: 228

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

22. Chocolate Pretzel Bones

Here’s another simple yet tasty treat from my party archive. Chocolate pretzel bones combine sweet and salty tastes with fluffy and crunchy textures to create ultimate indulgence. If you’re wondering how to achieve this shape, it’s pretty easy. 

You don’t need to bake pretzels with a bone outline. Instead, simply attach marshmallows to each pretzel end using melted chocolate and wait for it to set.

Afterward, drench your makeshift bone in the rest of the chocolate, and you’ve got yourself a bone. 

Cover a few with dark chocolate for extra spookiness, and blacken the mix with food dye. 

Calories Per Serving: 13

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

23. Vampire Sandwich Cookies 

As iconic as he is, Dracula had to make an appearance on this Halloween treat list. You’ll be tempted to take a bloodsucking bite of these, made from marshmallows, icing, slivered almonds, and chocolate chip cookies. 

Color your vanilla icing with red dye, and ensure your cookies are thin enough to accommodate two or three bites in one go.

Take note that this appetizer is super sweet, so you’ll need to limit how many you give to the kids at the party. If you want to be extra creepy, toast the marshmallows for a tortured Dracula denture. 

Calories Per Serving: 225

Preparation Time: 1 Hour

24. Witch Hat Cupcakes

Halloween Appetizer Ideas are without cupcake and chocolate sounds incomplete. To complete Halloween party create these cackling cupcakes, you only need a simple chocolate cake recipe and some green food coloring. Once you’ve made the cake mix, add a few drops of dye until you get this swampy green look.

You can use the same color for the first batch of frosting. 

The witch’s hat is equally as simple. After you’ve added a dollop of green frosting. Take one half of an oreo, and add a drop of orange frosting on top. Follow that up with a Hershey’s kiss and your favorite Halloween-themed sprinkles.  

Calories Per Serving: 204

Preparation Time: 55 Minutes

25. Monster Wraps

This recipe allows you to fill your wrap with whatever sandwich mix you prefer. So it can be a bacon and cheese wrap or a vegan spring roll wrap. After that, it’s all up to you.

Given the decorations, each wrap takes ten minutes to make, so it’s ideal for a small party. 

The great thing about these wraps is the room you have to create funny, serious, or sad faces. Each roll can have its own personality, so you get to interpret the different moods of Frankenstein’s monster.

Use small olives for the electrodes on his head, and you’ve got a franken-snack. 

Calories Per Serving: Not Available

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

26. Coffin Pop Tarts 

If you love store-bought pop tarts, I’m here to tell you that the homemade version is ten times better! Warm jam or Nutella covered in pie crust and topped with royal icing is as simple as it gets.

Of course, you can choose whatever jelly you want, but I’m partial to grapes. 

To ensure that your crust doesn’t get soggy, poke a few holes in the top before baking. Your coffins can be plain or embellished with spider webs and spooky messages.

To go the extra mile, try a red jam that will look like Dracula’s had an unfortunate accident. These kind of creative and attractive Halloween appetizer ideas loved by kids.

Calories Per Serving: 423

Preparation Time: 40 Minutes

27. Pumpkin Charcuterie Board

If you’ve got a bunch of ingredients and nothing to do with them, I present this charcuterie board to the rescue! No cooking skills are required, and so many Halloween-themed arrangements are available.

This specific display follows a pumpkin pattern, but you can try a skull or crescent moon. 

Most boards feature crackers, pretzels, cheeses, bite-size vegetables, and a dip. Seeded crackers offer texture, while pretzels give salt and crunch. Cool vegetables like carrots go well with hummus dip, which is further down on the list, so keep reading.  

Calories Per Serving: Not Available

Preparation Time: 1 Hour

28. Baked Ghost Chips 

Looking to add a personal touch to your charcuterie board? Try these baked ghost chips made for the humble flour tortilla. It’s a three-ingredient recipe that takes 5 minutes or less to make, and it goes perfectly with any of the dips on this list. 

Take your tortillas and flatten them, lightly coating them with olive oil. Next, cut out your ghost shapes with a cookie cutter, and sprinkle with sea salt for seasoning. Try black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika if you want extra flavor. 

Calories Per Serving: 50

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

29. Snake Breadsticks 

For Halloween, plain breadsticks are out, and these snake sticks are in. You can have these crunchy serpents ready for an HP party using a simple dough, some skewers, and a little food dye.

If you want a speckled snake, adorn your slithering breadsticks with poppy or black sesame seeds. 

The dough itself is pretty simple. All you need is some all-purpose/bread flour, yeast, salt, water, and olive oil. To create an entirely edible stick, use olives for the eyes and bell peppers for the forked tongue. 

Calories Per Serving: 184

Preparation Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

30. Chocolate Pretzel Spider Web

Pretzels are a lifesaver if you need a quick, crispy snack that can easily absorb sweeter elements like chocolate or caramel. These spider webs are as easy as they come. You only need pretzel sticks, a piping bag, cooking chocolate, and wax paper. 

Spread the pretzels in a web formation and drizzle either dark, milk, or white chocolate on top, depending on what you want. If you can’t find cooking chocolate at your local grocer, chocolate chips work just fine.

Anything that has a high cocoa butter content is ideal. 

Calories Per Serving: Not Available

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

31. Jack O Lantern Peppers

Confused with multiple Halloween appetizer ideas? Then go for Stuffed peppers. It is a great 30-minute meal option for dinner, but if you’re having guests over, try this Halloween variation. The extra 20 minutes comes from carving out each pepper, so go for fun but simple designs.

Some people like to fill a raw pepper, but I think the final dish tastes better when cooked together. 

I like to use lean beef, but you can use pork, chicken, or turkey for the stuffing. Brown rice will keep your guests full, but simple basmati will give you a smooth and airy finish. 

Calories Per Serving: 383

Preparation Time: 50 Minutes

32. Shrunken Potato Heads 

Potato skins are great for parties, and if you want to go the extra mile for your October bash, these shrunken heads are perfect. You’ll want to use a potato that tastes great with the skin, like russet or a charlotte potato.

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and pat them dry to ensure you don’t have a muddy meal. 

Be sure to use a sharp, small knife while carving your potatoes, and don’t go too deep into each piece. One centimeter is more than enough. Cool things off with creamy guacamole & sour cream dip. 

Calories Per Serving: 217

Preparation Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

33. Meatball Mummies 

Round, soft, and slightly crunchy, these meatballs are “pop in your mouth”ready. For the eyes, use a simple marinara sauce and black olives, which have really come through for most of these recipes. It tastes like a mini pizza in your mouth. 

If you really want to get crazy, I suggest slow cooking your meatballs in a crock pot before wrapping them in crescent dough and baking them. It will one of amazing Halloween appetizer ideas and they’ll taste phenomenal! 

Calories Per Serving: 150

Preparation Time: 37 Minutes

34. Dirt Balls 

Feta cheese, tangy dill, and ghoulish garlic that’s all you need to make this delicious dip. Roll your feta balls in some black sesame seeds to add a spooky Halloween touch. The result is a dark dirt ball that looks like a spider’s hiding spot. 

Encourage your guests to be messy with this dip; it will only look better afterward. Decorate with a few black olive spiders and serve with ghost chips. 

Calories Per Serving: 35 

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

35. Slithering Hummus Bites

Whether you use store-bought hummus or make it yourself, these bites will be a hit at any party. First, you can make the serpent’s head with black olives. They’re so versatile. For the tail, roast some red peppers and cut them into thin slices. 

Insert one end into the love hole and place it on top of your hummus. Voila, you have a slithering treat that tastes phenomenal.

Calories Per Serving: 67

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Most Popular Appetizer For A Halloween Party? 

Hands down, caramel apples are a popular Hallow’s eve staple, and you’ll most likely find these sweet treats at every Halloween party. Coming in a close second is candy corn.

Most people have a love-hate relationship with these starchy treats, but they’ll always be a tabletop option no matter what. 

For the traditionalists, pumpkin pie will always be a classic, but you can switch this out for pecan or apple pie. Whichever warm weather pastry suits you. 

What Food Should I Take To A Halloween Party? 

If you’re invited to a Halloween bash and want to wow the host, go for a dip, as the host will most likely have their own hors d’oeuvres on hand. Try a shrimp cocktail brain and have some ghost chips on the side.

The shrimp dip takes several hours to make, so plan ahead. Dirtball dip, slithering hummus bites, and spider taco dip are great options for those pressed for time. 

Which Halloween Appetizer Ideas Are Good For Adults & Kids? 

If you want to host a party that appeals to all ages, it’s best to go with cute but tasteful snacks. Kids won’t be scared of jalapeno or hot dog mummies, and adults will love the pop of flavor. 

Both grown-ups and kids would love witch hat cupcakes, baked ghost chips, spider web pretzels, and meatball mummies.

Of course, you can go both ways with a pumpkin charcuterie board or pepperoni pizza pumpkins, which are always a crowd pleaser.