This Halloween Platter is packed with fun sweet and savoury Halloween party food, all loaded onto one big tray for everyone to help themselves to. With sausage mummies, spooky pizzas, Oreo spiders, cheese broomsticks and plenty of easy fillers, it's an impressive-looking Halloween party platter that is actually really simple to put together.
Whenever we have people over for Halloween, I want the food to look fun without spending the entire day making tiny complicated decorations. That's why I love this platter. A few of the elements are homemade, plenty are simply assembled and you can bulk everything out with inexpensive shop-bought snacks.
The kids never quite know what to grab first. The sausage mummies and Oreo spiders disappear quickly in our house, while I always make sure there are plenty of cheese broomsticks left for me!
Use our Halloween platter ideas as a guide rather than a strict list. Pick your favourites, leave out anything you don't like and make the tray as big or small as you need.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 19 October 2021 and was updated in September 2026 with expanded instructions, serving suggestions, tips and FAQs.
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love It
- Perfect Halloween party food - Put everything on one big tray and guests can help themselves.
- Sweet and savoury - There is a good mixture of savoury snacks, fruit and Halloween treats, so there is something for everyone.
- Easy to adapt - You definitely don't have to make everything shown here. Choose your favourite Halloween snacks and fill the remaining spaces.
- Great for kids - Lots of the individual elements are simple enough for children to help assemble and decorate.
- Looks impressive - A full Halloween food platter makes a fantastic centrepiece for a party table, but much of the work can be done ahead.
- Budget friendly - Use a few eye-catching homemade items and inexpensive crisps, fruit, sweets and pretzels to fill the gaps.
Recipe Overview
- Prep time: Around 40 minutes, depending on which Halloween snacks you choose.
- Skill level: Easy - most of the platter is assembling and decorating rather than cooking.
- Best for: Halloween parties, kids' parties, Halloween buffets and family Halloween nights.
- Flavour: A mixture of sweet and savoury, with plenty of crunchy, cheesy and chocolatey snacks.
- Make ahead: Many of the individual elements can be prepared in advance, but assemble the complete platter shortly before serving.
- Easy to adapt: Choose as many or as few of the suggested Halloween foods as you like. You can make it mostly savoury, mostly sweet or add extra fruit and vegetables.
- Budget tip: Pick two or three homemade Halloween centrepieces and fill the remaining spaces with inexpensive popcorn, pretzels, crisps, fruit and sweets.
What Goes On a Halloween Platter?
The easiest way to build a Halloween party food tray is to choose a mixture of larger homemade items, smaller snacks and inexpensive fillers.
You don't need ten complicated recipes on the same board. I usually choose a handful of foods that look a little impressive and then fill the spaces around them.
Repeating those colours around the tray helps everything look coordinated, even when you're using a mixture of homemade and shop-bought snacks.
Savoury Halloween Party Food
Halloween pizzas - Mini pizzas are ideal for a Halloween platter because they make it feel more substantial. Turn them into mummies with strips of cheese and olive eyes, or try our full Easy Halloween Pizzas recipe for mummy, ghost and vampire variations.
Sausage mummies - These always go quickly. Chipolatas wrapped in strips of puff pastry make an easy savoury Halloween snack and are much simpler than they look. See our Sausage Mummies recipe for the full instructions.
Cheese broomsticks - Cut cheese strings into shorter pieces and gently pull apart the bottom to make the broom bristles. Push a pretzel stick into the other end and tie with a small piece of chive if you want to make them look extra impressive.
You could also swap these for Babybel Cheese Monsters for another quick cheese-based Halloween snack.
Zombie celery - Fill celery sticks with your favourite spread and finish with edible eyes. Cream cheese works particularly well. If you are serving children or anyone with allergies, always check what is suitable for your guests rather than automatically using nut butter.
Halloween tortilla chips - Our homemade Halloween Tortilla Chips are another easy savoury addition. Cut tortillas with Halloween-shaped cutters and bake until crisp. They are especially good if you want to add a bowl of dip to the middle of the platter.
Sweet Halloween Treats
Oreo spiders - Oreos, pretzel legs and edible eyes make one of the easiest Halloween platter ideas. They are also a good one for children to help assemble. See our Oreo Spiders recipe for all the variations.
Marshmallow ghosts - Draw spooky faces onto large marshmallows with an edible pen. You can add a pretzel or chocolate stick underneath or simply scatter the ghosts around the board.
Mini Frankenstein cake rolls - Turn chocolate mini rolls into little Frankenstein faces with icing, edible eyes and chocolate sticks. Making each face slightly different is half the fun.
Doughnut bats - Mini chocolate doughnuts, mini Oreos and edible eyes make really cute Halloween bats. Our Halloween Doughnut Bats take around 5 minutes to put together.
Pumpkin satsumas - Peel satsumas or clementines and push a tiny piece of celery into the centre to create little pumpkins. They are one of the easiest ways to add some fresh fruit and Halloween colour to the tray.
For even more fruit, add some Chocolate Covered Apple Slices, our Halloween Fruit Tray or Jack-O-Lantern Orange Fruit Cups alongside the platter.
Magic wand breadsticks - Snap long breadsticks into smaller pieces, dip one end into melted chocolate and add Halloween sprinkles. Milk, dark or white chocolate will all work.
Easy Halloween Platter Fillers
Once your main Halloween foods are on the tray, you will probably have lots of little gaps. Don't make another recipe just to fill them!
This is where inexpensive snacks are really useful. We use things like jelly worms, mini marshmallows, pretzels, popcorn, chocolate buttons, small sweets and crisps. Basically, raid the Halloween aisle of your local supermarket.
Orange cheese balls work particularly well because they look a little like tiny pumpkins, and Monster Munch obviously fits the theme perfectly.
Fresh fruit is another easy filler. Grapes, blackberries, blueberries and satsuma segments all work well with typical Halloween colours.
Our Halloween Popcorn is good for filling a bowl in the middle of a larger platter too.
How To Assemble a Halloween Party Platter
Start with the biggest items first. Put any bowls of dip or popcorn on the tray, followed by the pizzas, sausage mummies and other larger foods.
Next, arrange the medium-sized Halloween snacks around them. Rather than putting one of everything everywhere, keep some foods together in little groups. This makes the platter look more organised even though it is supposed to feel full and fun.
Add the smaller foods such as Oreo spiders, cheese broomsticks, marshmallow ghosts and fruit.
Finally, fill every remaining space with easy snacks such as pretzels, sweets, popcorn or crisps.
You don't need a special Halloween serving board. I used the biggest baking tray we had because I was feeding a group of hungry kids. A chopping board, grazing board, large plate or baking tray all work.
For a really big Halloween buffet, I would make two or three smaller trays rather than trying to squeeze everything onto one enormous board. They are easier to move around and you can make one mostly savoury and another mostly sweet.
Make Ahead
You don't want to be making every tiny Halloween snack five minutes before everyone arrives.
Make the individual elements at different times depending on what they are. Oreo spiders, chocolate-dipped treats and some of the decorated snacks can be made earlier and stored separately.
The sausage mummies and pizzas are best cooked closer to serving so they can be served warm if you want them to be.
Prepare anything that needs refrigerating separately and keep it chilled until you are ready to assemble the platter.
I don't recommend completely assembling the tray too far ahead. Crisps and pretzels can soften next to moist foods and chilled items shouldn't be left sitting at room temperature unnecessarily.
The quickest option is to prepare all the components first and then give yourself around 10 minutes just before the party to arrange everything.
Extra Tips
- Put your largest foods and any bowls on the tray first, then work down to the smallest fillers.
- Don't feel that you have to make every element shown here. Five or six different foods can still make a really impressive Halloween platter.
- Keep hot, chilled and crunchy components separate until close to serving.
- Use orange, black, green and white foods throughout the tray to give it an instant Halloween look.
- Fill gaps with inexpensive popcorn, pretzels, fruit, crisps and sweets.
- Check edible decorations carefully if serving younger children, as some candy eyes can be very hard.
- For a large party, two smaller platters are often easier to refill and move than one enormous tray.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The platter looks empty | The board is too large for the amount of food you have. | Move everything onto a smaller tray or fill the gaps with popcorn, pretzels, crisps, fruit or sweets. A full smaller platter usually looks better than a sparse large one. |
| The platter looks messy rather than full | Too many different foods have been scattered randomly across the board. | Keep similar foods together in small groups. Add the largest items first, followed by medium-sized snacks, then use small fillers for the gaps. |
| Crisps and pretzels have gone soft | They have been sitting next to moist foods or the platter was assembled too far ahead. | Keep crunchy snacks separate until shortly before serving and add them as the final fillers. |
| The hot food is cold by the time you serve it | Everything has been assembled at the same time. | Prepare the cold elements first and add warm pizzas, sausage mummies and other cooked foods just before serving. |
| I don't have enough time to make everything | There are lots of individual Halloween ideas on the platter. | Don't make them all. Choose two or three homemade items that have plenty of visual impact, then add simple shop-bought snacks around them. |
| The platter isn't looking very Halloween-themed | There aren't enough recognisable Halloween shapes or colours. | Include a few obvious spooky foods, such as sausage mummies or Oreo spiders, and repeat orange, black, white and green ingredients around the board. |
| I need to cater for different dietary requirements | A mixed sharing platter can contain lots of different allergens. | Check every ingredient and packaged snack carefully. Where necessary, make a separate smaller platter to prevent allergen cross-contact rather than simply removing an ingredient from the main board. |
Frequently Asked Questions
That depends on how many people you are feeding and whether the platter is the main party food or just one part of a larger buffet.
For around 10 people, a large baking tray or chopping board works well. For a bigger party, I prefer several smaller platters because they are easier to assemble, move and refill.
There isn't a strict serving size because everyone will choose different things. For 8-10 people, I make sure there are enough of the more substantial savoury foods for everyone to have at least one or two, then fill the rest of the tray with smaller snacks, fruit and treats. If this is the main party food rather than one part of a larger buffet, make extra pizzas and sausage mummies and keep some fillers aside for topping up the tray.
Use whatever you already have. A baking tray, chopping board, large serving plate or wooden board is perfect.
You can even cover a table with food-safe paper and create a much larger Halloween grazing table if you are feeding a crowd.
Separate the leftovers rather than putting the whole platter into the fridge.
Refrigerate foods that need chilling in airtight containers and store dry snacks separately at room temperature. Follow the storage guidance for the individual recipes, particularly cooked meat and dairy products.
You can prepare many of the individual components ahead, but I would assemble the complete platter shortly before serving.
Store chilled foods in the fridge and keep dry foods such as pretzels and crisps in airtight containers so they stay crisp.
Absolutely. You don't need to remove all the treats - just add more fruit, vegetables and savoury foods.
Satsuma pumpkins, berries, grapes, vegetable sticks, cheese and dips are all easy additions. Our Halloween Fruit Tray and Halloween Veggie Tray are useful if you want more fresh options.
Yes. Make a savoury Halloween platter with sausage mummies, Halloween pizzas, cheese broomsticks, vegetable sticks, olives, crackers, tortilla chips and dips.
More Party Food Ideas
If you've tried any of these Halloween Platter ideas, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Easy Halloween Party Platter
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Halloween food
- Halloween pizzas
- Mummy sausages
- Marshmallow ghosts
- Frankenstein mini rolls
- Oreo spiders
- Doughnut bats
- Satsuma "pumpkins"
- Celery zombies
Halloween fillers
- Magic wands
- Witches broomsticks
- Various jelly sweets
- Pretzels
- Halloween popcorn
- Crisps
Instructions
- Prepare any cooked components such as the sausage mummies and Halloween pizzas.
- Put any bowls and the largest foods onto your serving tray first.
- Arrange the medium-sized snacks around them in small groups.
- Add the smaller Halloween treats and fruit.
- Fill any remaining gaps with sweets, pretzels, popcorn and crisps.
- Serve straight away, keeping any foods that require refrigeration chilled until needed.
Recipe Notes
- You do not need to use every suggested food. Choose the elements that suit your party, budget and dietary requirements.
- Prepare individual components ahead where possible, then assemble the platter shortly before serving.
- The exact amount needed will depend on the size of your board and what other food you are serving.
- For a larger party, make two smaller trays and refill them as needed.
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
sonia says
So many great recipes for Halloween night.
My kids will love them
Danielle Wolter says
This is such a fun idea! I bet it would be a hit at a kid or adult party :-)
Denise says
What a cute idea! I love that there's sweet and savory options!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Such fun to make with the kids and then watch them choose their favourites! I love this idea and easy to do too.
Toni says
This is really cute!! My kids really enoyed this idea!
Julie says
Wow!!! This platter is packed with so many great treats and is so festive. It will be the hit of my Halloween party!
Kristen says
This is seriously so fun! I can't for Halloween to put together my own platter. Hopefully, it will look as festive as yours!
MJ says
Thank you for the inspiration! This was such a fun board to make with the kiddos. The cheese string broomsticks were a hit.
Cathleen says
Okay, this is the most adorable thing that I ever did see! Bookmarking this to make for Halloween. Thanks so much for this idea!
Natalie says
This platter looks fantastic. Fun and impressive. Thanks for showing how to plate it.
Suzy says
This is the BEST party platter! So fun to put together! We LOVED the doughnut bats! So cute!
Gus says
It looks like a super fun Halloween platter to make. I haven't taken part in the festivities arrangements, but I think I will do it this year with this platter. thank you!
Shashi says
This is such a fantastic idea! Each element is adorable! Perfect for Halloween!
Kate says
This is AWESOME - so many easy but brilliant ideas. My kids have friends over for Hallowe'en this year and we'll definitely be trying lots of these. Thanks!