Forget the Candy Bowl: 17 Halloween Appetizers Everyone Will Fight Over Before Trick-or-Treating

Kids remember the candy, but the grown-ups remember who brought the mummy hot dogs. These Halloween appetizers are the savory side of the party: warm, cheesy, a little bit creepy and ready before the first doorbell rings. Most take 30 minutes or less, cost less than a store party tray and are easy enough for little hands to help. Pick two or three for trick-or-treat night, or make the whole spread for the office potluck. Which one will your crew grab first..

Mummy Hot Dogs, the Halloween Appetizers Kids Love to Wrap

This is the one that always vanishes first. Strips of puff pastry turn plain hot dogs into little mummies, and two dots of mustard make the eyes. They look like you worked hard, but they take 10 minutes to wrap and 15 to bake. Let the kids do the wrapping, because messy mummies look even better. Set out ketchup and mustard for dipping and watch them disappear before the candy bowl gets touched.

You will need: 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed), 8 hot dogs, 1 egg (beaten), yellow mustard or candy eyes, ketchup for dipping.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet. 2. Cut the puff pastry into thin strips, about 1/4 inch wide. 3. Wrap 2 or 3 strips around each hot dog, leaving a gap near the top for the face. 4. Brush with beaten egg and bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden. 5. Add mustard dots or candy eyes and serve warm.

Jack-o’-Lantern Cheese Ball

Every spread of Halloween appetizers needs one thing in the middle of the table, and this is it. A classic cheddar cheese ball gets rolled in finely shredded orange cheese, then pressed with the back of a knife to make pumpkin ridges. A bell pepper stem on top finishes the look. Make it the night before so the flavors blend. Serve it with crackers, pretzels and celery, and watch the grown-ups hover around it all night.

You will need: 8 oz cream cheese (softened), 2 cups sharp cheddar (finely shredded, divided), 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 green onions (chopped), 1 green bell pepper stem, crackers to serve.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar, garlic powder, Worcestershire and green onions until smooth. 2. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. 3. Roll in the remaining cheddar. 4. Press 6 to 8 lines from top to bottom with a knife back. 5. Push the pepper stem on top and serve with crackers.

Spiderweb Taco Dip: Halloween Appetizers for a Crowd

This one feeds a whole room for about the price of one store veggie tray. Layers of refried beans, sour cream, salsa and cheese go into a shallow dish, then a thin line of sour cream gets piped in circles and pulled with a toothpick into a spiderweb. One black olive spider sits in the corner. Quick poll: are you (A) a chip scooper, (B) a careful dipper or (C) the one who eats the cheese off the top?

You will need: 16 oz refried beans, 1 packet taco seasoning (or 2 tbsp homemade), 1 cup sour cream plus 1/4 cup for the web, 1 cup salsa, 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, 2 black olives, tortilla chips.

How to make it: 1. Stir the taco seasoning into the beans and spread in a 9 inch dish. 2. Spread 1 cup sour cream on top, then the salsa, then the cheese. 3. Pipe circles of sour cream from a zip bag with the corner cut. 4. Drag a toothpick from the center out to make the web. 5. Make a spider from olive halves and slices. Serve with chips.

Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

Roll pizza dough with sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni, slice it into spirals and bake, and you get a tray of golden pinwheels that look like little spooky swirls. They are easy to grab with one hand while the other holds a candy bag. Kids love helping roll them up. Serve warm marinara on the side for dunking, and make extra, because these are the first to go at every party.

You will need: 1 tube (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza dough, 1/3 cup pizza sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup mini pepperoni, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 cup warm marinara.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet. 2. Roll the dough into a rectangle and spread with sauce, leaving a small edge. 3. Top with cheese, pepperoni and seasoning, then roll up tightly from the long side. 4. Slice into 1 inch rounds, set them on the pan and brush with butter. 5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden and serve with marinara.

Halloween Appetizers for the Snack Table: Cheesy Monster Munch Mix

This is the salty answer to all that candy, and it makes a big batch. Cereal squares, pretzels, cheese crackers and bagel chips get tossed with butter, ranch seasoning and a little garlic, then baked low until crisp. Scoop it into paper cups or little treat bags for school parties and the office. Have you ever noticed that the savory bowl at a Halloween party is always empty first? Now you know why.

You will need: 4 cups corn or rice cereal squares, 2 cups mini pretzels, 2 cups cheese crackers, 1 cup bagel chips (broken), 6 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp ranch seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 250 F. 2. Mix the cereal, pretzels, crackers and bagel chips in a big roasting pan. 3. Whisk the butter, ranch seasoning, garlic powder and Worcestershire, then pour it over and toss. 4. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 5. Cool on paper towels and store airtight up to 1 week.

Ghost Quesadillas

All you need is a ghost cookie cutter and a few tortillas. Cut the ghosts first, then sandwich cheese between two shapes and toast them in a skillet until golden and melty. Two little black bean or olive pieces make the eyes. They are fast, cheap and perfect for picky eaters who will not try anything else on the table. Do your kids like theirs plain cheese, or do they let you sneak in some chicken?

You will need: 8 flour tortillas (8 inch), 2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack, 1 cup cooked shredded chicken (optional), 1 tbsp butter, black olives or black beans for eyes, salsa and sour cream.

How to make it: 1. Cut ghost shapes from the tortillas with a large cookie cutter or a knife. 2. Top half the ghosts with cheese and chicken, then cover with a matching ghost. 3. Melt a little butter in a skillet over medium heat. 4. Cook 2 minutes per side until golden and melted. 5. Add olive or bean eyes and serve with salsa.

Mummy Jalapeno Poppers

These are the grown-up version of mummy hot dogs. Jalapeno halves get filled with a creamy cheddar mix, wrapped in thin strips of crescent dough and baked until golden. Two tiny eyes peek out from the wrapping. Scraping out all the seeds keeps them mild enough for most guests. If you like your Halloween appetizers with some heat, leave a few seeds in and mark those with a dot of sriracha so nobody gets a surprise.

You will need: 10 jalapenos (halved and seeded), 8 oz cream cheese (softened), 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 can crescent dough sheet or crescent rolls, candy eyes or tiny cheese dots.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F. 2. Mix the cream cheese, cheddar and garlic powder, then fill each jalapeno half. 3. Cut the dough into very thin strips and wrap each pepper like a mummy, leaving a gap for eyes. 4. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden. 5. Add the eyes once they cool for 2 minutes.

Mummy Baked Brie With Cranberry

If you want one fancy thing on the table, make this. A whole wheel of brie gets wrapped in strips of puff pastry like a mummy, baked until the cheese inside is soft and gooey, and given two cranberry eyes. Cut it open and the cheese pours out. Serve it with sliced baguette, apples and crackers. It looks dramatic, it takes 30 minutes, and the adults will talk about it all night.

You will need: 1 wheel brie (8 oz), 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed), 1 egg (beaten), 2 tbsp cranberry sauce or jam, 2 dried cranberries, baguette slices and crackers.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F. 2. Spread the jam on top of the brie. 3. Cut the pastry into strips and wrap the brie in crisscross layers, leaving a small face gap. 4. Brush with egg and bake 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden. 5. Rest 10 minutes, add cranberry eyes and serve.

Monster Sliders, Hearty Halloween Appetizers With Olive Eyes

Little cheeseburgers turn into monsters with one simple trick: a slice of cheese cut into a zigzag so it hangs out like teeth, and olive slices stuck on top with toothpicks for eyes. Bake a whole pan of them on slider rolls and they are ready all at once, which is a lifesaver when the doorbell will not stop ringing. Give each monster a name and let the kids pick their favorite.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb ground beef, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 12 slider rolls, 6 slices cheddar, 12 pimento stuffed olives, 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toothpicks.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F. 2. Press the beef and onion into a 9×13 pan, season and bake 20 minutes; drain. 3. Set the bottom rolls in a clean pan, cover with the cooked beef sheet and the cheese, cut in zigzags. 4. Add the roll tops, brush with butter and sprinkle seeds; bake 10 minutes. 5. Cut apart and pin olive eyes on top.

Spider Pizza Bites

Mini pizzas are already one of the most loved Halloween appetizers, and black olives make them spooky in seconds. Use half an olive for the body and thin slices for the legs, and suddenly every bite has a spider crawling on it. English muffins, mini bagels or small rounds of pizza dough all work. Set out bowls of toppings and let everyone build their own. Which side are you on: (A) more spiders or (B) more cheese?

You will need: 6 English muffins (split) or 12 mini bagel halves, 1 cup pizza sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup mini pepperoni, 1 can whole black olives, 1 tsp Italian seasoning.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425 F and toast the muffin halves 3 minutes. 2. Spread with sauce and top with cheese and pepperoni. 3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese bubbles. 4. Halve olives for spider bodies and slice others into thin legs. 5. Arrange the spiders on top and serve hot.

Witch’s Cauldron Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl

A round loaf of dark bread, hollowed out, becomes a bubbling witch’s cauldron for hot spinach and artichoke dip. The torn bread from the middle turns into dippers, so nothing is wasted. Bake it until the top is golden and the cheese pulls in long strings. It is green, it is warm, and it is gone in about 15 minutes. Tell the kids it is witch’s brew and see who is brave enough to dip.

You will need: 1 round pumpernickel or sourdough loaf, 10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry), 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts (chopped), 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 2 garlic cloves.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F. 2. Cut the top off the loaf and pull out the middle, leaving a thick shell; cube the inside. 3. Mix the spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, garlic and most of the cheese. 4. Fill the bread, top with the rest of the cheese and bake 25 to 30 minutes. 5. Toast the bread cubes alongside for dipping.

Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Carve little faces into orange bell peppers, fill them with seasoned beef, rice and cheese, and bake. They come out looking like a row of glowing pumpkins. For a party, use mini sweet peppers and make one bite versions. For a sit-down dinner before trick-or-treating, use the big ones. Either way, these are the sneakiest Halloween appetizers for getting a vegetable onto a plate. Have your kids ever eaten a pepper because it had a face?

You will need: 6 orange bell peppers, 1 lb ground beef or turkey, 1 small onion (chopped), 2 cups cooked rice, 1 cup marinara or salsa, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F. 2. Cut off the pepper tops, remove the seeds and carve small faces with a paring knife. 3. Brown the meat with the onion, then stir in the rice, sauce, chili powder, salt and 1 cup cheese. 4. Fill the peppers, set them in a baking dish with 1/4 cup water and cover with foil. 5. Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese and the pepper lids, and bake 10 more.

Spooky Charcuterie Board: No-Cook Halloween Appetizers

This needs no cooking at all, just a little arranging. Pile salami, cheddar cubes, crackers, pretzels, grapes and olives on a big board, then add Halloween touches: cheese cut with mini bat or pumpkin cutters, salami folded into roses, and a small bowl of mustard for dipping. Fill every gap so it looks generous. It is the easiest way to look like the most organized host on the block.

You will need: 8 oz salami, 4 oz pepperoni, 8 oz cheddar, 8 oz pepper jack, 1 box crackers, 2 cups pretzels, 2 cups grapes, 1 cup olives, 1/2 cup nuts or seeds, small bowls of mustard and jam.

How to make it: 1. Set small bowls of mustard and jam on a large board first. 2. Cut the cheddar into shapes with mini cookie cutters and cube the pepper jack. 3. Fold the salami into roses and fan the pepperoni. 4. Add crackers and pretzels in rows, then fill the gaps with grapes, olives and nuts. 5. Keep chilled until 30 minutes before serving.

Coffin Pizza Hand Pies

Puff pastry cut into coffin shapes, stuffed with pizza sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni, then crimped shut and baked until flaky. A thin cross of pastry on top makes them look like tiny coffins, and they are easy to eat while walking door to door. Make a double batch, because these Halloween appetizers reheat well the next day. If you want a fun treat for this year’s haunted house party, here are more Halloween treats kids love for the sweet side of the table.

You will need: 2 sheets puff pastry (thawed), 1/2 cup pizza sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup mini pepperoni, 1 egg (beaten), 1 tsp Italian seasoning, extra marinara for dipping.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F. 2. Cut 16 coffin shapes from the pastry (8 bottoms, 8 tops). 3. Spread sauce on the bottoms, leaving an edge, and add cheese and pepperoni. 4. Cover with the tops, press the edges with a fork and add a small pastry cross. 5. Brush with egg, sprinkle seasoning and bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Vampire Mozzarella Sticks With Bloody Marinara

Crispy mozzarella sticks with a bowl of bright red marinara is a vampire’s dream party snack. The trick for no blowouts is to freeze the breaded sticks for at least an hour before frying or air frying, so the cheese stays inside. Serve the marinara in a little dish and call it the blood bowl. Be honest: are you a single dipper or a double dipper when nobody is looking?

You will need: 12 mozzarella string cheese sticks (halved), 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs (beaten), 1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, oil for frying or cooking spray, 1 1/2 cups warm marinara.

How to make it: 1. Coat each stick in flour, then egg, then the breadcrumb and Parmesan mix. 2. Dip in egg and crumbs a second time for a thick crust. 3. Freeze on a tray at least 1 hour. 4. Fry at 350 F for 1 minute, or spray and air fry at 390 F for 6 to 7 minutes. 5. Serve hot with the marinara.

Monster Guacamole With Bat Tortilla Chips

Guacamole is already green, so it is basically a monster waiting to happen. Add two mozzarella ball eyes with olive pupils and a jagged row of sour cream teeth, and you have a dip that stares back at your guests. For the bat chips, cut tortillas with a bat cookie cutter, brush with oil and bake until crisp. Homemade chips cost less than a bag, and they make the whole table of Halloween appetizers feel special.

You will need: 4 ripe avocados, 1 lime (juiced), 1/2 small red onion (minced), 1 jalapeno (minced), 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 tsp salt, 1 tomato (diced), 2 mini mozzarella balls, 2 olive slices, 10 corn tortillas, 2 tbsp oil.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F. 2. Cut bat shapes from the tortillas, brush with oil, salt lightly and bake 8 to 10 minutes until crisp. 3. Mash the avocados with lime juice and salt. 4. Stir in the onion, jalapeno, cilantro and tomato. 5. Add the mozzarella and olive eyes on top and serve with the bat chips.

Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs, the Creepiest Halloween Appetizers

These end the list on a creepy, cheesy note. White mushroom caps get filled with a garlic, cream cheese and Parmesan stuffing, baked until golden, then topped with a slice of olive in the center so they look like eyeballs staring up from the plate. Even people who say they do not like mushrooms usually take two. Make them ahead and bake them right as the party starts.

You will need: 24 white button mushrooms (stems removed and chopped), 4 oz cream cheese, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 2 garlic cloves (minced), 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp parsley, 6 black olives (sliced).

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375 F. 2. Cook the chopped stems and garlic in butter for 3 minutes. 3. Mix with the cream cheese, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley. 4. Fill the caps and bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden. 5. Press an olive slice in the center of each and serve warm.