28 Halloween Potluck Ideas That Will Satisfy Girls and Ghouls of All Ages
You’ve been invited to a Halloween party—yessss. Your costume is ready to go, but what tasty dish are you going to bring? Don’t panic, friend: We found 28 ingenious Halloween potluck ideas that are just right for the occasion. Whether the vibe is risotto-level elegant or candy-corn-in-a-cake fun, these apps, mains, sides and desserts are guaranteed to win over the crowd (including picky kids). Even better, these dishes are easy to make ahead, transport and reheat.
51 Halloween Dinner Ideas for Adults
Appetizers
1. Winter Squash Galette with Caramelized Onions and Gruyère
Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Assemble the galette before heading to the party, then bake it once you get there to serve it fresh. (And cut back on prep time by using store-bought pie crust.)
2. Pumpkin Soup in Mini Pumpkin Bowls
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Personal-sized sugar pumpkins > stoneware. (Although you can totally use a stockpot instead for easier transportation.) Don’t forget to toast the pepitas for an easy garnish.
3. Kale Salad with Persimmons, Crispy Chickpeas and Fried Shallots
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Oh, you fancy, huh? Plate the entire salad ahead, then prep the fried shallots right before you head to the party.
4. Roasted Mixed Nuts
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Behold: the world’s easiest appetizer. It’s vegan, seasonal, filling and you can make it days ahead of the party. Make them extra tasty by warming them up before serving.
5. Macaroni and Cheese in Acorn Squash Bowls
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
You can’t go wrong with pasta, white cheddar cheese and an unexpected autumnal gourd. Did we mention the mac is finished with breadcrumbs, Parmesan and extra butter?
6. Pumpkin Pizza Crust with Arugula and Prosciutto
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 2 hours
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein
We love pumpkin bars too, but this just might be our favorite way to use canned pumpkin purée. Don’t be shy with the crumbled blue cheese.
7. Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup
Jacqui Melville/Apple
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, one pot, beginner-friendly
Transfer the finished soup into your Crockpot, load it into the car and leave it on warm at the party. That way, guests can serve themselves without you needing to keep the stove on.
Mains
8. Cheater’s Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 8 hours and 20 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe, high protein, make ahead
Julia Child would be so proud. Keep the meaty masterpiece in the Crockpot and pack it in a box to transport it without spills. Might we suggest serving it over make-ahead mashed potatoes?
9. Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Herbed White Wine Sauce
Half Baked Harvest
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
Elegant enough to impress, simple enough to make without breaking a sweat. Use a dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc for the sauce.
10. Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
Colin Price/Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, high protein, beginner-friendly
A protein and veggie on one baking sheet, aka a potluck home run. Pair the sweet, zingy dish with steamed white rice.
11. Cheater’s Sicilian-Style Pizza with Jalapeños and Honey
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, sheet pan recipe
When there are kids and grown-ups at the party, you can never go wrong with pizza. Let the little ones pick off the jalapeños if they can’t handle the heat or top half the pie with only pepperoni and honey instead.
12. Spicy Turkey Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seeds
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, make ahead
Enchiladas are like lasagna in the sense that they can be assembled ahead and easily transported, but they’re way more unexpected. Feel free to substitute shredded turkey for store-bought rotisserie chicken.
13. Butternut Squash Carbonara
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, high protein
And you thought carbonara couldn’t get any more decadent. Mashed butternut squash makes for the creamiest, silkiest sauce of all time.
14. Baking Sheet Quesadillas
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Assemble them on your trustiest baking sheet, pack up the toppings (salsa! guac! sour cream!) and pop the quesadillas in the oven once you get to the party. Bonus points for cutting them into pumpkin and bat shapes.
Sides
15. Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead, vegetarian
This seasonal side can be served hot or cold, so it’s just right for a potluck. Feel free to substitute chopped pistachios for pine nuts, or feta for goat cheese.
16. Crunchy Broccoli Salad
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
This side has fresh broccoli, sunflower seeds and Greek yogurt dressing, as well as crispy crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar. Balance is everything, no?
17. Pumpkin Polenta
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
It’s cheesy, creamy and chock-full of fresh herbs—what more can you ask for in a fall side dish? It would pair great with buttery mushrooms, dressed arugula and short rib alike.
18. Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
When in doubt, give your veggies the Pecorino-and-black-pepper treatment. Even picky kids won’t be able to turn these buttery Brussels down.
19. Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan-Phyllo Crust
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Any casserole dish is prime for bringing to a potluck because they’re a breeze to reheat before serving. Don’t even get us started on those phyllo dough rosettes.
20. Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, gluten free
We can’t decide what we love more, the smoky roasted chickpeas or the umami-rich dressing, which is similar to an egg-free Caesar. Pile on the Parmesan curls to make it even tastier.
21. Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Leeks
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
This decidedly rich side is a cinch to reheat. Just tote it to the party in the pot you made it in, warm up the risotto and pack the crispy leek garnish separately so it doesn’t get soggy.
Desserts
22. Candy Corn Surprise Cake
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Fun, nostalgic and just classy enough, this cake is the perfect dessert for a Halloween potluck. The best part? You can bake and frost it the night before the party.
23. Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Guests will think you snagged these doughnuts from your local apple orchard or farmers market, so they’ll be totally wowed when you reveal you made them from scratch.
24. Giant Peanut Butter Cup
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
It’s so drool-worthy that it might even eclipse the kids’ trick-or-treat hauls. Mix things up by using white chocolate instead of dark for a sweeter final product.
25. Apple Tart with Soft Pretzel Crust
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
If sweet-and-salty treats are your kryptonite, look no further than this fall stunner. Drive the flavor contrast home by finishing the crust with coarse salt and pearl sugar.
26. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, make ahead
Pop it on a pumpkin-shaped cake stand and prepare to be crowned the hostess (or guest) with the mostest. Go the extra mile by mixing big-batch pumpkin spice lattes to wash it down with.
27. Mini Mason Jar Apple Pies
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
There are two ways to tackle this treat: Assemble the pies and bake them to perfection at the party (just check to make sure your host’s oven will be free), or bake them to completion before heading over and simply reheat them before serving. Either way, have vanilla ice cream at the ready.
28. Candy Land ‘Jarcuterie’
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, kid-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Candy and chocolate never hurt—especially on Halloween. This low-maintenance potluck contribution will excite all the party guests, despite you barely having to do any work.
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
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