1. Pumpkin spice popcorn
Ingredients: 10 cups popped popcorn, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and a pinch of salt.
How to make it: Melt the butter and stir in the sugar, spice and salt. Pour it over the popcorn and toss well. Spread it on a tray and let it cool for a few minutes.
2. Pumpkin oat energy bites
Ingredients: 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup peanut butter or seed butter, 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips.
How to make it: Stir everything together in a bowl and chill it for about 20 minutes so it firms up. Roll into about 16 balls and keep them in the fridge.
3. Mummy pizza bites
Ingredients: 4 English muffins split in half, 1/2 cup pizza sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 4 string cheese sticks and sliced black olives.
How to make it: Spread sauce on each muffin half and top with the shredded cheese. Pull the string cheese into thin strips and lay them across like bandages. Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until bubbly, then add two olive slices for eyes.
4. Witch finger breadsticks
Ingredients: Refrigerated breadstick dough (about 12 sticks), 12 sliced almonds, 1 beaten egg and warm marinara sauce for dipping.
How to make it: Press an almond onto the tip of each stick for a fingernail and make three small cuts for knuckles. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Serve with warm marinara.
5. Monster pretzel rods
Ingredients: 8 pretzel rods, 1 cup melted chocolate or candy melts, sprinkles and candy eyes.
How to make it: Dip each rod about halfway into the melted chocolate. Add sprinkles and eyes right away, then set the rods on parchment paper until the coating is firm.
6. Mini caramel apples
Ingredients: 4 small apples, 4 sticks, about 1 cup melted caramel (soft caramels melted with 2 tablespoons milk) and 1/3 cup chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips.
How to make it: Dry the apples very well so the caramel sticks, then push a stick into each. Dip in the melted caramel, roll in the nuts or chocolate chips and set on parchment paper. Chill until the caramel is firm.
7. Ghost banana pops
Ingredients: 3 bananas cut in half, 6 popsicle sticks, 1 cup melted white chocolate or candy melts and mini chocolate chips.
How to make it: Push a stick into each banana half and freeze for about 1 hour. Dip in the melted white chocolate, add chocolate chip eyes and a mouth, and serve right away.
8. Plan the snack table
Ingredients: Too many separate dishes make a party table messy.
How to make it: Pick one crunchy snack, one fruit, one baked snack and one sweet. Make the frozen and cold items last so they stay fresh, and set out small cups and napkins.
Recipes that use these tips
More Halloween and party food:
- Easy Halloween dinner ideas: dinner before trick-or-treating.
- Easy holiday appetizers: more party snacks.
- Homemade seasoning mixes: pumpkin pie spice for the popcorn and bites.
- Beef chili: a Halloween-night pot.