5 Easy Halloween Party Snack Ideas That Guests Will Devour Like Braiiiiiiiins

Halloween was one of my favorite holidays as a kid, but as an adult I find the preparation to be bewitching. So, when I received a last-minute invitation to a Halloween party, I remembered how helpful Walmart’s Recipe Library had been.

I pulled out the Walmart app for some quick, spooky ideas. The options that came up were so affordable and easy, it was scary. From healthy to sweet, Walmart has you covered with these hauntingly simple recipes.

Bell Pepper Pumpkins

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cost per serving: $0.59 (See notes)
• Serves: 1

These pepper pumpkins are a no-brainer for a healthy Halloween appetizer. The recipe is basic, calling for only three bell peppers and ranch dressing. (I threw in an extra pepper, just in case my carving skills needed a practice round.) Each pepper costs about 50 cents and each serving of Great Value Classic Ranch averages out to 11 cents.

After deseeding the inside, the faces were easier to carve than expected. Since this recipe doesn’t come with additional crudité to stuff your nutritious Jack-O-Peppers with, the extra pepper came in handy as “brains" filler. Next time I would get a few more bell peppers along with some carrots, celery, and broccoli — then add some hummus to accompany the ranch — for a Halloween veggie plate. Cheese and crackers would work for the brains too.

Monster Rice Krispie Treats

• Prep/cook time: 45 minutes (mostly resting)
• Cost per serving: $1.59
• Serves: 12

These Monster Rice Krispie Treats are surprisingly easy to make because 40 out of the 45 minutes of prep time is waiting for the candy-melt coating to cool and set. Otherwise the entire decorating process, streamlined with premade Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Mini Squares, takes just a few minutes.

All you have to do is microwave Wilton Candy Melts for one minute, dip the Rice Krispies Treats, and add candy eyes to your sweet monsters — number of eyes negotiable.

This was my first time using candy melts, which made the preparation fun, albeit a little messy. They come in multiple colors but the Walmart online recipe automatically added black to my cart. In the future, I would purchase multiple colors, like red and green, for variety.

That said, the monsters were a tasty success, and I recommended the recipe to all of the parents at my Halloween gathering. They are so easy to make, even kids can do it. (And if parents feel it’s too much sugar, there’s always bell pepper pumpkins.)

Easy Halloween Party Snack Honorable Mentions

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (Cost per serving: $3.83)
• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (Cost per serving: $3.13)
• RITZ cracker peanut butter cups (Cost per serving: $0.62)