If you're in need of a Halloween drink, halloween app, or halloween dessert that looks like it was dreamed up in Frankenstein's lab, these spooky recipes will do the trick. Don't worry—they taste way better than they appear. These Halloween treats are both scary looking and scary delicious, and include our Ouija board cake, poison apples, and monster truffles!
Want to really creep out your party guests? Look no further than these scary and gross-looking Halloween food recipes, like Bloody Mary syringes, blood drip cupcakes, and a brain big batch Jell-O shot. Our dead velvet cake is one that's truly to-die-for too! Be sure to round out your terrifyingly delicious spread with eyeball pasta and pickled brains.
We're pretty sure you'll want to sink your teeth into these Dracula denture cookies and mummy pops. Not even scary spiders can keep us from eating spiderweb cake, glowing black widow Oreo pops, and Halloweentown marshmallow spiders. One of our favorite spooky treats is, without a doubt, dirt pudding and dirt cake. Mix up some almost too realistic jelly worms to top yours, and you'll really freak out your friends and family.
And if you're still stuck on how to decorate this Halloween, we've got some Jack-O'-Lantern ideas that will trick out your front yard, as well as next-level trunk or treat ideas. Looking to keep that party going? Check out our Halloween desserts and halloween cocktails for more spooky recipes and creative ways to use up Halloween candy.
Dead Velvet Cake
This spooky spin on a red velvet cake is...wait for it... bloody delicious.
Get the Dead Velvet Cake recipe.
Zombie Brain Cupcakes
Don’t just make plain old cupcakes for your next Halloween bash, make zombie brain cupcakes! They’re nothing more than a moist, chocolate cupcake with rich vanilla frosting, but some neon green food coloring and clever piping turn these into a super-festive, spooky treat. (Oh, and some blood red decorating gel—we're really getting into it.)
Get the Zombie Brain Cupcakes recipe.
Vampire Poke Cake
This soft, rich, buttermilk almond cake is infused with a tart cherry sauce (“blood”!) and topped off with a light, fluffy whipped cream for a dessert that’s equally tasty and scary. Trust us when we say this is one time you’ll be craving blood too. 😉
Get the Vampire Poke Cake recipe.
Witch Finger Cookies
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.
Bloody Mary Syringes
These shooters are the PERFECT spooky Halloween cocktail. No Halloween party is complete without a little blood, right? Bonus: These go great with eyeball pasta!
Get the Bloody Mary Syringes recipe.
Ghost Purse Ravioli
Looking for something delicious that's only a little bit spooky this Halloween? Try these adorable raviolis filled with ricotta, Parmesan, and finely chopped pear. We made these from wonton wrappers, rather than pasta dough, to make them scary easy on you too. You're welcOoOme.
Get the Ghost Purse Ravioli recipe.
Pumpkin Risotto
Take your favorite risotto recipe into fall with the addition of pumpkin puree, sage, and just a pinch of nutmeg. We love the creaminess the shaved ricotta salata adds, but Parm's fine if that's all you got.
Get the Pumpkin Risotto recipe.
Pumpkin Juice
In the Harry Potter books, pumpkin juice is traditionally served over ice for a refreshing drink that screams fall; however, you could also warm this up in a mug for something more cozy.
Get the Pumpkin Juice recipe.
Pumpkin Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sticks
While we love classic tomato soup, we sometimes want to shake things up a bit when fall comes around. This soup gets an extra creamy dose, not only thanks to sweet pumpkin puree, but also with heavy cream and sharp Parmesan. One of the best parts? Both the soup and cheese sticks are ready in under 30 minutes, great to throw together before going out trick or treating.
Mummy Brie
Thanks to puff pastry, your basic baked brie becomes a totally spooky Halloween appetizer. Perfect for your Halloween party spread or to snack on while you watch scary movies!
Get the Mummy Brie recipe.
Brain Big Batch Jell-O Shot
Kick off your Halloween bash with this booze-spiked brain Jell-O shot! This is truly insane in the membrane.
Get the Brain Big Batch Jell-O Shot recipe.
Spider Taco Ring
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.
Creamy Pumpkin & Parmesan Chicken Skillet
This creamy pumpkin & Parmesan chicken skillet is a one-pan dish that bathes chicken breasts in a garlicky pumpkin cream sauce. This recipe is super-versatile, allowing you to mix up whatever you want to pair it with (of course, you can also just enjoy it on its own!)
Dirt Pudding
Dirt pudding (aka dirt cups) is a classic kids' recipe that everyone should know how to make. Using crushed Oreos to mimic dirt and garnishing with gummy worms might sound kind of silly, but the truth is this: This creamy and indulgent layered dessert tastes ridiculously good, is incredibly easy to whip together, and is equally as fun to make as it is to eat.
Get the Dirt Pudding recipe.
Monster Truffles
These scary cute no-bake monsters are essentially Oreo truffles all dressed up for Halloween. We've added our favorite candies to the mix too. As far as the coating goes, we like to dye melted white chocolate green, but candy melts would work equally well. There is, however, no substitute for the candy eyeballs.
Get the Monster Truffles recipe.
Chili Cheese Sweet Potato Casserole
If you think every bowl of chili should be hidden under mounds of melty cheese and a big dollop of sour cream, this is the casserole for you. With roasted sweet potatoes and black bean chili layered together under a gooey blanket of cheese, this easy vegetarian weeknight dinner is both incredibly comforting and surprisingly hearty, perfect for Halloween night.
Hocus Pocus Binx Cookies
Hocus Pocus is a must-watch every year, and with a new one finally coming out this year, we had to celebrate. These chocolate cookies are simple, chewy, and slightly crispy. Black cocoa powder is what makes them their dark rich color, perfect for a black cat.
Get the Hocus Pocus Binx Cookies recipe.
Candied Pepitas
These candied pepitas are crispy, crunchy perfection with a dash of warm spice to make them ideal for fall snacking. If you can avoid eating all of these directly off the pan with your hands, you can use them to top pretty much anything.
Get the Candied Pepitas recipe.
Blood Drip Cupcakes
Channel your inner vampire with these deliciously gory cupcakes. The secret? Glass candy and red food-dyed corn syrup!
Get the Blood Drip Cupcakes recipe.
Dracula Dentures
These are the spookiest treat to make with your kids at home or in the classroom for the annual Halloween party. We used store-bought ingredients just to make things a little easier for you. All the fun comes in assembling so we don’t want you to tire out baking; however, if you really want a good homemade chocolate chip cookie, we have it.
Get the Dracula Dentures recipe.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine. If wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.