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Editor’s Note: This post originally ran on Oct. 5, 2015. It’s been updated to ensure the links are all working & that you have everything you need to get ready for All Hallows Eve.
Halloween is by FAR the biggest holiday of the year for Collegiate Cook, our sister site. We’ve been celebrating since the site launched in 2009, first with a single recipe post, then expanding into pop culture costumes and All Hallows Eve-themed treats. (Now, we’re bringing that costume series to LBW. It launches Sept. 27, 2021, so set an alert to check us out!)
Over the years, some recipes have stood out more than others, and some year-round favorites have become staples at our Halloween parties, even if they don’t have a Jack O’Lantern’s face carved into ’em. (Shocking, right?) Here are some of the standout treats.
Our Top 5 Favorite Halloween Snacks
Oreo Ghost Truffles
When I first discovered Oreo truffles in 2010, they became my go-to recipe any time I needed to make something special for someone. Before long, I started experimenting with all kinds of variations on these truffles (including a Chips Ahoy version that Buzzfeed featured), and in 2013, I couldn’t resist making these little ghosts.
Get the recipe for 3-ingredient Oreo ghost truffles.
Pepperjack Cheese & Black Bean Dip
When it comes to cutesy, themed snacks, I’m much more prone to baking than cooking, so my recipes tend to veer on the sweet side. But, every once in a while, I challenge myself to get cheesy in the most literal sense. Like carving a Jack O’Lantern’s face on a slice on cheese, then melting it atop a spicy black bean dip.
Get the recipe for Cheesy Black Bean Dip.
Peanut Butter-Banana Beasties
This is the very first Halloween recipe I ever made for Collegiate Cook, and to this day, it’s one of my favorite posts I’ve ever done. Sure, the photos aren’t styled (I just shoved them on a paper plate and snapped away using my point-and-shoot camera), and the photo quality is borderline awful (this was before I wrangled Nate into snapping pics). But I always liked the idea. And it’s a relatively healthy treat!
I used Jif Reduced Fat Peanut Butter, because it has a thicker, less runny consistency that coats (and hardens) better than traditional PB.
Get the recipe for Peanut Butter-Banana Beasties.
Jekyll & Hyde “Brookies”
Initially, I thought I’d make little brownie cauldrons with green cookie dough inside and a pretzel stick poking out like a spoon, then call the treats “Witch’s Brew-kies.” Get it? Like a bubbling cauldron + cookies? Yeaaaah. It failed horribly, in that they looked NOTHING like witch’s cauldrons. But the cookie dough turned an awesome shade of green, and I realized I didn’t have to be so literal — these treats were awesome on their own.
Get the recipe for Cookie Dough-Stuffed Brownies, AKA Jekyll & Hyde “Brookies.”
Apple Ciderinis
Based on a classic mimosa, this two-ingredient cocktail couldn’t be easier to make — and it’s practically a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
