Easy Halloween Recipes: Spooky Snacks, Treats and Drinks

Makes 8 · 25 minutes · Kid favorite

You need: 1 tube refrigerated crescent dough or pizza dough, 8 hot dogs, mustard or ketchup for eyes.

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet.
2. Cut the dough into thin strips (about ¼ inch).
3. Wrap strips around each hot dog, crisscrossing like bandages and leaving a gap near one end for the face.
4. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden.
5. Add two dots of mustard or ketchup for eyes.

Makes about 30 · 1 hour plus chilling

You need: 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2¾ cups flour, ½ tsp salt, whole almonds, red jam or gel icing.

1. Beat butter and sugar, then mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Chill 30 minutes.
2. Roll tablespoons of dough into thin finger shapes. Press an almond into one end as the “nail.”
3. Pinch in two spots for knuckles and score lines with a knife.
4. Bake at 325°F for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden.
5. Lift the almond, add a dab of red jam under it and press back down.

Serves 6 · 15 minutes · No cooking

You need: 3 ripe avocados, 1 lime, ¼ cup diced onion, 1 diced tomato, chopped cilantro, salt, sliced olives and a little sour cream.

1. Mash avocados with lime juice and salt. Stir in onion, tomato and cilantro.
2. Spread in a shallow bowl. Make eyes with sour cream dots and olive slices, and a jagged mouth with tortilla chip “teeth.”
3. Serve with blue corn chips for extra spooky color.

Makes 12 · 30 minutes

You need: 6 hard-boiled eggs, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp mustard, paprika, salt, a few chives or a green onion.

1. Halve the eggs and mash yolks with mayo, mustard and salt.
2. Stir in paprika until the filling turns orange.
3. Pipe or spoon filling back into the whites and draw ridges with a toothpick.
4. Add a short piece of chive on top as a pumpkin stem.

Serves 12 · 10 minutes · Family friendly

You need: 4 cups orange juice, 4 cups apple cider, 1 liter ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, orange slices, gummy worms.

1. Chill everything well. Combine juice and cider in a large punch bowl or cauldron.
2. Add soda just before serving so it stays fizzy.
3. Float orange slices and hang gummy worms over the edge.
4. For a frozen “hand,” freeze juice in a clean disposable glove (food-safe) and float it in the bowl.

Dry ice makes great fog, but never let anyone touch it or swallow it. Only place it in an outer bowl beneath the punch bowl, with adult supervision and good ventilation.

Makes 8 · 40 minutes

You need: 8 small tart apples, 8 sticks, one 11-oz bag of soft caramels, 2 tbsp milk or cream, toppings (chopped nuts, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips).

1. Wash and dry apples thoroughly so caramel sticks. Push a stick into each stem end.
2. Melt caramels with milk over low heat, stirring until smooth.
3. Dip and twirl each apple, let excess drip off, then roll in toppings.
4. Set on buttered parchment and chill 15 minutes.

About 1 cup · 35 minutes

1. Rinse seeds from your jack-o’-lantern and remove strings. Pat very dry.
2. Toss with 1 tbsp oil and ½ tsp salt.
3. Roast at 325°F for 20–30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden.
4. Try cinnamon sugar, ranch seasoning or smoked paprika.