AI-generated recipe illustration. Representative portions shown; Daily Decide has not kitchen-tested these recipes.
You don’t need a complicated party menu to make Halloween feel like an occasion. Pick one of these snacks for a movie night, or make the trio for a small gathering: warm mummy pizzas, a pumpkin-shaped cheese ball and ghost-decorated strawberries.
Start with the cheese ball because it needs chilling. Make the berries next, then bake the pizzas close to serving. No novelty molds, candy eyes or specialist decorating kit required.
1. Mummy mini pizzas
Makes 8 | About 30 minutes total
Ingredients
- One 8-ounce can Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls or Crescent Dough Sheet
- 1/3 cup pizza sauce
- 8 mozzarella slices from an 8-ounce package
- 16 black olive slices
- Cooking spray
Steps
- Heat the oven to 375°F and spray a large baking sheet. Make four dough rectangles, sealing perforations. Halve each crosswise; arrange the eight pieces on the sheet and flatten slightly.
- Bake for 8–9 minutes, until pale golden. Cut each cheese slice into eight strips.
- Spread roughly 2 teaspoons of sauce over each baked base. Cross one cheese slice’s strips over each pizza like bandages. Add two olive eyes.
- Bake another 2–3 minutes, just until the cheese starts melting. Serve warm.
The olive-eye version is meat-free. Check labels for your dietary needs.
Source: Pillsbury Kitchens’ Crescent Mummy Pizzas.
2. Pumpkin-shaped cheddar cheese ball
Serves 10–12 | Chill for 2 hours or overnight
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 ounces orange sharp cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- A dash of Worcestershire sauce
- A dash of Sriracha or Tabasco, optional
- One small parsley or cilantro sprig
- One pretzel stick or bell-pepper stem
- Crackers, for serving
Steps
- Combine the cheeses, yogurt, garlic, Worcestershire and optional hot sauce. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Form a ball. Make a hollow in the top; score shallow grooves down the sides.
- Insert the stem and herb; serve with crackers.
Orange cheddar supplies the color. This is a savory spread, not pumpkin-flavored.
Source: Cabot Creamery’s Pumpkin Holiday Cheese Ball.
3. Ghost-decorated strawberries
Makes 16 | Includes 15 minutes of chilling
Ingredients
- 16 strawberries
- 12 ounces Hershey’s Premier White Creme Chips
- 12 ounces Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Steps
- Line a tray with wax paper. Rinse the berries and dry thoroughly.
- Microwave white chips in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 90 seconds; stir. Repeat in 15-second bursts, stirring, until smooth. Reserve about 1/3 cup.
- Holding the leaves, dip some berries in white coating. Drain excess; place on the tray. Repeat with semisweet chips and remaining berries, reserving another 1/3 cup. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
- If needed, rewarm reserved coatings at 50% power in 15-second bursts in microwave-safe bowls. Transfer to separate piping bags or food-safe zip-top bags with corners snipped. Pipe dark faces on white berries. On dark berries, pipe white circles; pull downward with a toothpick for tails and add dark faces.
Source: Hershey’s Halloween Chocolate-Covered Strawberries.
Keep the snacks safe to serve
Keep the cheese ball and dipped berries refrigerated until serving, with the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Put out small portions rather than leaving everything on the table. Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly; discard any that have been at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. See the FDA’s buffet food-safety guidance.
Check ingredient labels and guests’ dietary needs before serving. These recipes are not presented as allergy-safe.
About these recipes
These are independently written, condensed instructions based on the linked manufacturers’ recipes. Daily Decide has not kitchen-tested them. Quantities and cooking or chilling times follow those sources; product substitutions may behave differently.
Handing out candy as well? Set up your trick-or-treat station for the night, then enjoy these snacks at home after the candy rush.