Top 10 most popular Halloween recipes
Discover our top-rated Halloween dishes for the spooky season, including a mix of ghostly and ghoulish sweet treats and helpful ways to use pumpkin leftovers
Need inspiration this October for your Halloween festivities? Halloween is the perfect opportunity to show off your baking talents, with garish bakes that ooze fake blood and celebrate the wacky and wonderful. For more impressive bakes, check out our Halloween baking ideas. But, it's also a great time to try out new meals using seasonal produce. Autumn brings cooler weather, and with it, a need for comforting, warming meals. Hearty produce, such as carrots, pumpkins and cabbages, come into season, which are the perfect base for casseroles, soups and traybakes. For more Halloween dinner inspiration, check out our Halloween dinner ideas guide.
Check out our 10 best spooky recipes to try this Halloween below – each one is rated highly by the bbcgoodfood.com community. Which one will you make? Don't forget to register for a My Good Food account so you can save the recipes for a later date – you can organise them into your own collections for easy access.
10) Creamy pumpkin pasta
Turn leftover pumpkin flesh into this silky, creamy pasta sauce by blending it, then mixing with mascarpone and parmesan. It's a brilliant high-fibre meal for four that can be on the table in under an hour.
Discover more winter pasta recipes.
9) Hooting Halloween owls
These simple and delicious chocolate cupcakes are a real crowd-pleaser. They're a great project to make with the kids, as they can be made in only three steps. The decorations may look impressive, but they're easy to achieve as you don't need to pipe on the icing, simply spread it.
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Discover more chocolate cupcake recipes.
8) Classic pumpkin pie with pecan & maple cream
If you're looking for a tasty way to use up the flesh from your carved pumpkin, this recipe is great for reducing waste. Microwaving the pumpkin minimises oven use so you can also save energy, plus shop-bought pastry saves time.
Discover more pumpkin pie recipes.
7) Spider web chocolate fudge muffins
These special Halloween bakes can be ready in under an hour, or baked ahead of time and frozen before decorating. Create the spooky spiderweb effect by dragging a cocktail stick through circles of white and dark chocolate.
Discover more chocolate muffin recipes.
6) Haunted graveyard cake
This haunted graveyard cake is the perfect centrepiece for your Halloween festivities. It might require a little more effort, but the final result will wow guests. Plus, kids can help create the haunting decorations, so it can become a fun family project.
Discover more showstopping cake recipes, and for more bakes to make with kids, check out our kids' cake recipes.
5) Witches' brew (pea & bacon chowder)
This pea & bacon chowder is delicious any time of year, but it's an ideal Halloween supper, as it looks like a bubbling cauldron of witches' brew. It requires about an hour of your time and just under 10 ingredients, but it can be made in advance and frozen to defrost when you need it. It's healthy, too, but the kids won't notice – the theme is too fun!
Discover more pea soup recipes.
4) Pumpkin bread
Use up a glut of pumpkins in this moist, cake-like tea bread. It pairs perfectly with an afternoon cup of tea, but it can also be served with butter as a pick-me-up during the work day, or alongside a packed lunch.
Discover more afternoon tea recipes.
3) Pumpkin cupcakes
These spiced pumpkin cakes are made using grated pumpkin, and are a festive treat that can be ready in under an hour. The recipe makes 12, so you can easily serve a crowd of Halloween revellers, if you need.
Discover more recipes for entertaining with our feed-a-crowd recipes.
2) Creamy pumpkin & lentil soup
Whether you've carved a Halloween pumpkin or have a squash you need to use, this soup is a healthy and gluten-free solution. It’s simple to make and recipe is freezable, so you can save it for an evening when you don’t have the energy to cook.
Discover more pumpkin soup recipes, or for more inspiration, check out our soup recipe ideas.
1) Halloween pumpkin cake
If you’re a fan of carrot cake, you’ll love this twist that uses leftover pumpkin. Replace carrots with pumpkin or butternut squash, and enjoy the familiar, comforting flavours of orange zest and sultanas. Top with a rich, orange-flavoured soft cheese icing.
Looking for more Halloween recipe inspiration? See more:
17 Halloween recipes to make with kids
Top 10 Halloween cupcake ideas
Best Halloween gift ideas
Halloween afternoon tea ideas
Best Halloween party snacks
