20 Halloween Recipes Celebrating Gourds, Ghouls, Candy, and Fall Spices

Your Halloween gathering or family event will be all treats with this collection of orange, spooky, and autumnal recipes for the occasion.

Sugar Cookie and Marshmallow Fluff Ghosts
Photo:

Abby Hocking

If you're hosting a Halloween party, your menu should be just as festive as your decorations. Our collection of Halloween recipes spans ghoulish to understated. From cocktails with eyeballs to marshmallow fluff ghosts and stuffed pumpkins to pumpkin-spiced cocktails, these are Food & Wine's most festive treats for the spooky season.

01 of 20

Squash Fondue

Acorn Squash Fondue

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Hollowed acorn squash is baked and filled with melty cheese fondue in this festive recipe from Amanda Shulman.

02 of 20

Pumpkin Praline Bars

Praline Pumpkin Bars

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Enjoy these rich, seasonal praline bars from chef Ouita Michel that feature pecans and ample pumpkin. A decadent brown sugar frosting puts these Halloween treats on the must-bake list.

03 of 20

Pumpkin Spice Shrub Spritz

PUMPKIN SPICE SHRUB SPRITZ

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell

You can make Evie Negri-Albert's pumpkin spice shrub (which can be enjoyed without alcohol) using pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Add it to a glass of ice with some Prosecco and soda water for the perfect Halloween spritz.

04 of 20

Black Forest Cake

Black Forest Cake

Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco

Celebrate the festive occasion with this classic German dessert, which pairs a light, airy genoise sponge cake with dramatic chocolate shards and infuses the filling and frosting with cherry flavor.

05 of 20

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Seed Cupcakes

Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser

Pumpkin spice cupcakes please a crowd with crunchy pumpkin and sunflower seeds and fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

06 of 20

Café de Olla Alegría

Cafe de Olla Allegria
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Autumnal flavors from amaranth seeds, pepitas, maple syrup, and cinnamon abound in Esteban Castillo's version of alegría, a traditional Mexican candy.

07 of 20

Black Russian

Black Russian Cocktail

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

Make it through a late Halloween night with coffee liqueur and vodka in this perfectly spooky black cocktail.

08 of 20

Greens-and-Cheese-Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin

Greens-and-Cheese Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Anna Theoktisto's stuffed pumpkin will be the belle of the Halloween ball. Roasted pumpkin houses a vegetarian kale stuffing with loads of cheese, and a festive phyllo pastry crown rests atop the lovely dish.

09 of 20

Pumpkin Spice Conchas

Pumpkin Spice Conchas
Pumpkin Spice Conchas.

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

In chef Ellen Ramos’ festive recipe, these Mexican conchas feature a crunchy, pumpkin-spiced, seashell-shaped sugar crust. 

10 of 20

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Sarah Kieffer

Swirl the flavors of pumpkin pie and cheesecake together for these one-hour treats from baker Sarah Kieffer.

11 of 20

Sweet Potato Honey Beer Pie

Sweet Potato Honey Beer Pie
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Nik Sharma's sweet potato pie sings of warm spices like turmeric, ginger, and cardamom. Wonderful autumnal depth comes from a mixture of dark beer, dark brown sugar, and honey in the pumpkin filling.

12 of 20

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
Oriana Koren

Crowd-pleasing gnocchi can be made ahead to add an orange-hued comfort food to your dinner or party.

13 of 20

Spiced Candy Corn Crispies

Spiced Candy Corn Crispies
© David Malosh

These are not your average rice cereal treats. Rather than being cloyingly sweet, these treats are smoky spice-meets marshmallow fluff.

14 of 20

Halloween Whoopie Pies

Halloween Whoopie Pies
© David Malosh

Grace Parisi brings us these Halloween-ready whoopie pies featuring tender cocoa cakes and a fluffy vanilla filling.

15 of 20

Mini Spiced Pumpkins

Mini Spiced Pumpkins
© David Malosh

These adorable mini Bundt cakes feature pumpkin pie spice and an orange glaze. A dark licorice topping makes the stems on these sweet little pumpkins.

16 of 20

Soft Apple-Cider Caramels

Soft Apple-Cider Caramels
© John Kernick

Sweet, spiced apples meet buttery richness in these homemade caramels. After a few hours of candy-making, you'll have 150 seasonal caramels to gift out at your Halloween parties and potlucks.

17 of 20

Chocolate Mice

Chocolate Mice. Photo © David Malosh
© David Malosh

These festive mice feature three kinds of chocolate. Pumpkin seeds serve as the ears, a sugar glaze as the eyes, and black licorice strips as the clever tails.

18 of 20

Chewy Black Licorice Chocolate Brownies

Chewy Black Licorice Chocolate Brownies
John Kernick

These luscious brownies were created as a tribute to Gail Simmons' father's upbringing and love of salty, chewy black licorice. Licorice root powder, anise seeds, and chopped licorice chews bring loads of licorice flavor to each bite.

19 of 20

Sugar Cookie and Marshmallow Fluff Ghosts

Sugar Cookie and Marshmallow Fluff Ghosts
Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

Sugar cookies and a marshmallow topping make these fun, kid-friendly ghosts from recipe developer Paige McCurdy-Flynn. A dip into a white chocolate glaze gives them a cocoa-buttery finish.

20 of 20

Dark and Stormy Death Punch

Dark and Stormy Death Punch
© David Malosh

This adults-only treat is Grace Parisi's spooky version of the Dark and Stormy. Cherry-stuffed lychees make for creepy eyeballs in this gingery refresher.

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