Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Home & Garden
  • Style & Culture
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021

      The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. Read More Next
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More Next
    • The Right Way to Heat a Pre-Cooked Ham

      It's so easy, trust us. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food

    Lost Cakes of the South

    These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback
    • All Food
    • All Recipes
    • Holidays & Occasions
    • Quick Fix Suppers
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Casseroles
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining

    70 Wedding Vow Examples That Will Melt Your Heart

    Fight writer's block and find ways to express your love with these romantic, funny, and short wedding vow examples.
    • Christmas
    • Entertaining
    • Thanksgiving
    • Southern Weddings
    • Easter
    • Kentucky Derby
    • Valentine's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Mother's Day
  • Home & Garden

    Home & Garden

    See All Home & Garden

    7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020

    ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Before & After
    • Inspired Communities
    • Curb Appeal
    • House Plans & Builders
    • The Grumpy Gardener
    • Plant Names A-Z
  • Style & Culture

    Style & Culture

    See All Style & Culture

    50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime

    Curl up with a classic!
    • Southern Culture
    • Hair
    • Travel
    • Beauty
    • Pets
    • Southern Fashion
    • Healthy Living
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. food
  3. Holiday and Occasion Food
  4. 25 Easy Appetizers for a Spooktacular Way to Start Halloween

25 Easy Appetizers for a Spooktacular Way to Start Halloween

By Zoe Denenberg
Updated September 23, 2020
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

On Halloween night, you’ll undoubtedly be busy shepherding around your costume-clad kids and bestowing candies on local trick-or-treaters. The last thing you want to worry about is checking on food in the oven, so we’ve taken all the fear of out of hosting a Halloween party. We’ve come up with Halloween party appetizers and snacks that are so easy you’ll have your guests spooked into thinking that you worked all day in the kitchen on creative foods. Serve these fun finger foods with clever Halloween drinks, like a bubbling cauldron of punch, and fun Halloween desserts packed with lots of pumpkin.Hosting a small soiree for adults and kids to gather before or after the trick-or-treating festivities doesn’t have to be stressful. With our easy Halloween finger foods, you’ll have plenty of time to spend on your Halloween costumes (and don’t forget a costume for the dog, too). From spooky Beet Pickled Eggs to Frankenstein’s favorite guacamole, these Halloween appetizers will have all the wolves howling. Kids and adults alike will enjoy these spooky snacks. If you’re in a pinch, these Halloween party appetizers could be given as party favors for kids or to charming trick-or-treaters!

Start Slideshow

1 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Fried Deviled Eggs

Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Fried Deviled Eggs

For a new take on classic deviled eggs, drop them in the deep fryer. The golden-brown crust screams “ready to party.”

1 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The Great White Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: The Great White Pumpkin Cheese Ball

You don't have to wait all night in the dark in a pumpkin patch to enjoy this delicious delight. And these simple-to-follow directions will ensure that your pumpkin is great. Both a perfect appetizer and a great conversation piece, this pumpkin-shaped cheese ball is made with a yummy mix of white Cheddar, cream cheese, and goat cheese. You can use a braided pretzel to form the stem, and muscadine vines provide just the right flair—with no scare. You’ll still have plenty of time to don your costume — maybe a yellow-and-black striped shirt, or a blanket—before your guests arrive.

2 of 25

3 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Beet Pickled 'Alien Eggs'

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Beet Pickled Eggs

Call these funky, spooky pink-ribboned eggs “alien eggs” and the kids might just be scared off. You can tell your guests not to worry: these eggs may look freaky, but they taste delicious!

3 of 25

Advertisement

4 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Caramel-Peanut-Popcorn Snack Mix

Credit: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Caramel-Peanut-Popcorn Snack Mix

Your guests will be grabbing one paper cone to devour on the spot and another one to go if you make this delicious take on traditional popcorn. Sure, you’re going to start with those fifteen cups of freshly-popped kernels that you’ve just made, but it will be the homemade brown sugar, butter, and dark corn syrup topping that you’ve drizzled on, plus the delicious candies that you’ve mixed in, that can truly take this popcorn to the next level. With peanuts, caramel, and colorful candy-coated peanut butter candies, it’s no wonder Caramel Peanut Popcorn Snack Mix is such a Halloween surprise.

4 of 25

5 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Molded Egg Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Molded Egg Salad

No Halloween spread is complete without a creepy gelatin creation. It's wobbly, it’s gooey, and it’s wonderfully delicious.

5 of 25

6 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Sorghum Caramel Corn

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Sorghum Caramel Corn

A sticky-sweet coating can make popcorn even more delicious than it always is, and this Sorghum Caramel Corn is the perfect recipe to sink your teeth into. For Halloween happiness, this recipe begins with simple microwave popcorn, then mixes in roasted peanuts, brown sugar, and that classic Southern staple: bacon. After you’ve coated this creative concoction with sorghum syrup flavored with just a little hint of vanilla, bake it in the oven until it is mixed to sugar-glazed perfection. You’ve just taken this already-delicious bacon-caramel corn to the next level. Bag it up for guests to enjoy and you’re ready to go. Happy Halloween.

6 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Monster Eyes

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Monster Eyes

There will be a look of hunger rather than fear in everyone's eyes when they first get a glimpse of this deliciously devilish Halloween party treat. In this recipe, we switch from traditional Cheddar cheese to Muenster cheese—you can call it Monster cheese—to give a new taste to traditional sausage balls. To make these amazing Monster Eyes seem even more frightening, Spanish olives complete the spooky look of this Halloween party appetizer. But don’t be afraid, they taste great. So fill your plate with these—but be sure to keep an eye out for monsters!

7 of 25

8 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Frankenstein's Favorite Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole

He did the mash, he did the monster mash-up with this combination of pimiento cheese and guacamole. This vibrant green dish is a great way to add some ghoulish color to your appetizer spread.

8 of 25

9 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Cheddar Cheese Straws

Credit: Lee Harrelson

Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws

When these Cheese Straws hit the table, nobody will be able to resist the cheddar goodness. When piping the cheese dough, shape the straws into witches’ brooms for added spook.

9 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Potato Puffs with Toppings

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Potato Puffs with Toppings

This is our new favorite way to serve potatoes, and it’s perfect for parties. Top these puffs with jalapeño peppers for a devilish twist.

10 of 25

11 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Don’t be afraid to eat your greens. This spinach-artichoke dip is creamy, indulgent, and addictively good.

11 of 25

12 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Classic Deviled Eggs

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Classic Deviled Eggs

These devilish eggs are sure to please a hungry Halloween crowd. Feel free to add red food dye to the filling to dress these eggs up in their devil garb!

12 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites

For Halloween, we like to mix things up, and these Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites are just creative enough to earn a spot on our holiday menu.

13 of 25

14 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Alabama Fire Cracker Saltines

Credit: Kate Robertson

Recipe: Fire Crackers Recipe

Leave a bowl of these devilishly spicy Fire Crackers out on the table. Your guests won't be able to get enough of this savory snack.

14 of 25

15 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Blue Cheese-and-Pecan Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Blue Cheese-and-Pecan Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Cut these peppers into miniature jack-o-lanterns for a festive twist on this classic party appetizer.

15 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Classic Pimiento Cheese

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Classic Pimiento Cheese

The bright orange color of this classic Southern dip will complement all those decorative pumpkins.

16 of 25

17 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Baked Brie Bites

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Recipe: Baked Brie Bites

With bags of candy floating around, you’ll be craving something savory and sophisticated, and these Baked Brie Bites fit the bill.

17 of 25

18 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Party Poppers

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Party Poppers

These ever-classic Jalapeño Poppers are devilishly spicy and, with a cream cheese filling, refreshingly cool.

18 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes

You could wrap just about anything in bacon and we’d be on board. You’ll want to make a double batch of these dressed-up potatoes.

19 of 25

20 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Homemade Salsa

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Homemade Salsa

Serve this slightly-spicy homemade salsa in a cauldron at your spooky Halloween party.

20 of 25

21 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

Baked zucchini fries? More like witches’ fingers. These veggie fries just might help counteract that sugar rush.

21 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Spicy Cheddar Appetizer Cookies

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Spicy Cheddar Appetizer Cookies

Use festive cookie cutters, like a pumpkin or a ghost shape, to tailor these cheddar cookies to your Halloween party.

22 of 25

23 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Rotel Dip

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Rotel Dip

The scariest part about this Rotel Sausage Dip? Just how easy it is to make.

23 of 25

24 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Sausage Balls

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Sausage Balls

This classic fried Southern dish graces most of our holiday tables, and Halloween should be no exception.

24 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 25

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Goblin Dip with Bone Crackers

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Goblin Dip with Bone Crackers

For a simple appetizer that guests will enjoy at any party, Goblin Dip with Bone Crackers is a great choice. This warm, cheesy bean dip is easy to make and gets 5-stars from reviewers. Serve with Bone Crackers, which are also easy to make and taste fantastic, for a perfect start to your Halloween festivities. To make this dip truly your own, grab a spoonful of any of these great toppings: we suggest chopped black olives, shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, or green onions. If you put all the toppings on, the dip will also taste great—you’ll just need a few more bone crackers.

25 of 25

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Zoe Denenberg

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 25 Fried Deviled Eggs
2 of 25 The Great White Pumpkin Cheese Ball
3 of 25 Beet Pickled 'Alien Eggs'
4 of 25 Caramel-Peanut-Popcorn Snack Mix
5 of 25 Molded Egg Salad
6 of 25 Sorghum Caramel Corn
7 of 25 Monster Eyes
8 of 25 Frankenstein's Favorite Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole
9 of 25 Cheddar Cheese Straws
10 of 25 Potato Puffs with Toppings
11 of 25 Spinach-Artichoke Dip
12 of 25 Classic Deviled Eggs
13 of 25 Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites
14 of 25 Alabama Fire Cracker Saltines
15 of 25 Blue Cheese-and-Pecan Stuffed Cherry Peppers
16 of 25 Classic Pimiento Cheese
17 of 25 Baked Brie Bites
18 of 25 Party Poppers
19 of 25 Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes
20 of 25 Homemade Salsa
21 of 25 Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks
22 of 25 Spicy Cheddar Appetizer Cookies
23 of 25 Rotel Dip
24 of 25 Sausage Balls
25 of 25 Goblin Dip with Bone Crackers

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Southern Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Southern Living
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

View image

25 Easy Appetizers for a Spooktacular Way to Start Halloween
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.