Halloween party planning, and need some great ideas? These 25 Best (Gluten-Free) Halloween Recipes and DIY ideas have you covered! Psssst…..gluten-eaters love them too.
Updated for 2020!
Do you have fun plans for Halloween? I still have costume duty to attend to this weekend, more house decorating to do and then we’ll be ready for the ghouls and goblins to descend. We’ve noticed in recent years the age and amount of Trick-or-Treaters has changed, certainly from when I was a child.
We have a ‘drop off neighborhood’ where carloads will come in and Trick-or-Treat. We get packs of older teens and full, multi-generational families! Loving Halloween, anyone is welcome at our house. If someone is willing to put on a costume, they’ll get a treat from us and a whimsical scare with the loads for animated Halloween décor we’ve amassed over the years.
FUN HALLOWEEN RECIPES
With this being a prime weekend for Halloween parties and last minute menu planning for Halloween itself, it seemed the perfect time to share a gluten-free collection of my Halloween recipes to help you out with fun ideas!
Everything from snacks to main dishes, cocktails to gooey desserts are included in this Halloween recipe list! Enjoy!
By the way, your gluten-eating party guests will never guess these are all gluten-free!
PARTY SWEET TREAT HALLOWEEN RECIPES
NEW!! Toxic Waste Jello Cups
The easiest Halloween treat idea you’ll ever make! Green goo with a foamy top, wriggling with worms and green flecks. Of course it’s completely delicious and fast to make!
NEW!! Mummy Halloween Cookies
These 3-ingredients cookies are fun to make with an adorably creepy outcome. No one will ever know how easy they are to create!
Cinnamon Witch Bits (Puppy Chow)
‘Puppy Chow’ is an easy sweet treat to make using cinnamon cereal coated with melted butterscotch baking chips, tossed in powdered sugar. They are mixed in with creepy Halloween candies for a ghoulishly great sweet party mix treat.
Graveyard Halloween Cupcakes
These cute cupcakes enchant every ghost and goblin at your festitivites. FREE printable tombstones make the treat. And who can resist a gummy worm slithering out of the (cookie crumb) dirt?!
Candy-Coated Caramel Apples
These homemade caramel apples are covered with buttery soft caramel. Use your favorite candy to roll them in!
A great way to use up Halloween candy too.
Great Pumpkin Pinata Cake
I really think there is no more fun a surprise than when opening a Pinata Cake.
As the name suggests, the cake is filled with Halloween candy that comes spilling out when the cake it cut! Using a cute large pumpkin cake pan makes it a cinch.
The cake can be made from scratch of with a spice cake mix (gluten-free or regular) for a shortcut!
Red Devil Cupcakes
Gluten-free Devil’s Food cupcakes with Red Hots Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting!
Deep chocolate cupcakes with a spicy sweet cinnamon frosting is the star of the Halloween party buffet!
Need a shortcut: use a box chocolate cake mix but make the frosting from scratch. You won’t be sorry!
Orange-flavored Kettle Corn and Halloween Orange Kettle Corn Treat Mix
Orange-flavored kettle corn mixed with candy in fall colors makes this sweet snacking mix irresistible! My favorite tool for making the kettle corn?
This affordable old-school style stove top popcorn maker.
Jack-o-Lantern Fruit Dessert Pizza
Squeezing a little-bit-of-healthy into an evening of Halloween fun can be tricky. This pumpkin-shaped fruit dessert pizza gives is a go with a sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting and orange fruit on top (with a bit of fruit leather for eyes and a mouth).
Fast Easy Popcorn Balls for Halloween
You’ll never guess what flavors and colors these FAST popcorn balls! No candy thermometers needed; these treats are EASY. A gummy worm inching out gives the perfect cringey touch.
NEW!! Popcorn Balls for Halloween
Another version of the easy popcorn ball method uses Halloween sprinkles, candy eyes and colorful straws for fun popcorn balls on a stick.
SPOOKY SAVORY HALLOWEEN RECIPES
Turkey Meatball ‘Eyeballs’ with spicy Black Bean Pasta
Filling up on some protein-rich, nutritious dinner before a night of trick or treating is a must. But it can still be fun!
These ‘devil’s eyeballs’ are really homemade turkey taco-flavored meatballs with a well-placed green olive for effect!
Served with black bean spaghetti and favorite flavors of Mexican food are gobbled up.
Pumpkin Chipotle Cream Sauce for Pasta
Halloween or not, this spicy, smoky pumpkin cream pasta sauce is an all time favorite.
The smoky flavors of chipotle pair perfectly with the sweet pumpkin for a pasta that is spot-on for an exciting Halloween party celebration.
You can even use Homemade Pumpkin Puree to use in the recipe!
‘Candy Corn’ Chicken Quesadillas
No Halloween candy was used in the making of these fun chicken quesadillas!
They are super easy to make and with the help of three colors of cheese, look just like the iconic Halloween candy.
Screaming Witch Crudités for Halloween
Craving something healthy for your Halloween buffet?
Wishing you could get the kids to eat more vegetables? Here is the answer.
Screaming Witch Crudite (vegetable platter) is made up of all vegetables including Spiralizer witch hair! Pick your favorite dip to put in her ‘mouth’ (a sweet pepper) and you have a decoration AND a wholesome dish.
Black Quinoa with Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash
This black and orange dish is holiday coordinated and bursting with loads of flavor and protein!
Black quinoa is perfect for this celebration along with some butternut squash in brown sage butter!
Mexican Cheese Ball
Appetizers are a must and this taco-flavored cheese ball is covered with black sesame seeds to fit right in with Halloween.
If making it at other times of the year, swap the black seeds for crushed tortilla chips. Served for Halloween with black rice crackers!
Ghoulish Green Goddess Dip
Add this dip to the Screaming Witch Crudite or make up plastic tumblers of vegetables with Green Goddess Dip in the bottom for walking appetizers.
BOOZY POTIONS – HALLOWEEN COCKTAIL RECIPES
Candy Corn Martini with Pop Rocks rim
{includes how to make homemade Candy Corn infused Vodka}
If you thought you could never like candy corn, try these Candy Corn Martinis.
Made with homemade candy corn vodka, the infusing process removes the sickly sweet flavor and leaves the butter flavor of the candy behind (along with this gorgeous color).
Served in a glass rimmed with Pop Rocks (a Halloween edition) and you have the star party cocktail for Hallow’s Eve.
Glowing Candy Corn Vodka Jello Frogs {shots}
Don’t use ALL the homemade Candy Corn Vodka on the martinis above, you’ll want to save some for these creepy frog jello shots that glow in the dark with a black light!
Squirm Jello Shots
If you like the jello shot idea, Squirm Jello Shots are a great creepy addition too.
Grave Digger Cocktail
The flavors of apple and ginger combine with some whiskey for a cocktail grave diggers and party go’ers will love.
Add a creepy hand drink stirrer coming out of the glass for effect.
Brain Hemorrhage Shooters
You’d never guess something that looks so gross actually tastes really good!
A few perfect ingredients create a ghastly effect. Served in test tubes and see how many party goers will dare to drink them!
Glow-in-the-Dark Infected Brain Cocktail
This creepy sipper is not only unique it glows in the dark! With the help of a special mold and a few easy ingredients you’ll hit it out of the Halloween party park serving this.
Where to buy beakers for serving included in post.
Corpse Reviver Cocktail
If this cocktail won’t wake a corpse from the dead, nothing will. Tamed down from the traditonal all liquor recipe, it will warm your insides!
NEW!! Tequila Sunrise Vampire Cocktail
The classic cocktail is Vampire perfect with syringe injected ‘blood’. It’s a fun party drink that’s easy to make. Mocktail version included too.
NON-ALCOHOLIC SIPS – HALLOWEEN RECIPES
Creepy Shirley Temple Drink
Who would think the classic ‘kids drink’ could be made shutter-worthy?
Some well placed props are all you need. Serve in a glass beaker with the grenadine filled syringe in the glass for party guests to inject into their drinks.
Candy Corn Layered Halloween Sipper
This layered mocktail employs weight of different drinks coordinated to the colors of candy corn for a refreshing colorful party drink.
Slow Cooker Vampire Punch (serve warm or cold)
Three fun ingredients combine to make this fruit-flavored punch a great surprise! Made in the slow cooker, it’s perfect to keep Trick-or-Treaters warm on a cold Halloween night.
Off With Your Hand Punch with Severed Ice Hand
A fun trick of making an ice hand to keep this delicious punch cold gives an eerie effect.
Pumpkin Mexican Hot Chocolate
A great warm up on a cold Halloween night mixes the flavors of cinnamon-Mexican hot chocolate with a bit of seasonal pumpkin!
TRICKS
The Ultimate Dry Ice Guide
Nothing makes a spookier effect than dry ice. This guide tells whey to buy it, how to use it, how to store it and more. Important tips for a fun Halloween party!
Best Tips for a Ghoulishly Glorious Gluten-Free Halloween
Need some inspiration for a great gluten-free Halloween? We’ve got you covered!
Making a the Best Halloween Trick-or-Treat Wreath
This adorable door wreath transforms into a ‘treat’ on Halloween night. Trick or Treaters LOVE realizing it is the treat and getting to pull a treat from what they thought was simple door decor!
DIY Halloween Cocktail Napkins
Calling all crafters! This is a simple stamping project that transforms inexpensive fabric into Halloween cocktail-size napkins on the cheap.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds {no more goo!}
This recipe is a life-changer, seriously. It makes the best roasted pumpkin seeds both by removing the messiest part and by plumping the seeds for perfect roasting. Great for all winter squash seeds.
11 Unique Pumpkin Carving Ideas
Tired of the standard triangle-eye pumpkin carving? This list of unique ideas will make your house stand out as a favorite on Hallow’s Eve!
The Lore of the Jack-o-Lantern
Do you know where Jack-o-Lanterns originated? Well I’ll tell you here.
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[ratemypost]Originally published: October 25, 2013
C Jakab says
The “New” Red Devil Cupcakes recipe is missing a link to the recipe. I’m quite intrigued by the Red Hots Candy Frosting! Thank you for all the fun suggestions.
Toni Dash says
Yikes! Thanks for letting me know. Here is the link: Red Devil Cupcakes.
Sandra | A Dash of Sanity says
This is such a great list! They all look delicious!
Krista says
Love all 25 of these! I have to make a few of them!
Mahy Elamin says
Wow and Wow! These are really incredible recipes for Halloween. Look very nice and interesting. And of course I’m sure it’s very tasty. Thank you for sharing.
Sherry says
I have never gone all out for Halloween before. I found I was always too busy, especially when the kids were young. All of these look like fabulous recipes. Now that the kids are teenagers I want to try new things.
Veronica says
So fun! I love all these ideas. I am sure the kids will enjoy these
Dee says
All of these look like so much fun! I will definitely try some out!
Peter says
I vent hear god reattach Halloween treats. THose rave yards cupcakes look delish. Some very creative cocktails there too
Kathy says
All of these look like great Halloween recipes/crafts! I see so many recipes I want to make with my daughters. They’re going to love all these.
krystal says
Love that these can be gluten free so everyone can enjoy the holiday treats!