Snack trays and food boards are still such a popular way to put out a bunch of munch-able treats, and this time of year is perfect for creating not-so-haunted Halloween-themed snack trays for any gatherings you’re hosting. . .or just for your own trick-or-treaters to devour before they head out the door to collect their body weight in candy.
Not familiar with Halloween snack trays? They’re basically a Halloween variation of a fancy charcuterie board, jam-packed with items you can call “eye of newt” or “witch fingers.”
And, there are so many clever ways to interpret the ingredients to suit your family’s tastes and food sensitivities which is why we’ve rounded up 8 creative Halloween snack trays to give you plenty of ideas. You know, for your braaains.
Top Photo: Char’Boo’terie Board from Little Spice Jar
This post has been updated for 2022.
The creativity of the Char’Boo’terie Board (shown at top) from Little Spice Jar is bound to make everyone scream with laughter when you bring it out. It’s amazing how much personality some edible eyeballs and other small embellishments can add to finger foods!
Instructions for every item seen here, plus more, is on Marzia’s site, so fly on over there, my pretty.
Related: The best boards for charcuterie boards (like, the actual boards)
If you’re hoping to sneak some dinner into those grumbling bellies before they hit the candy, this Halloween Snack Board from Fork and Beans includes the most hilarious-looking Frankenstein sandwiches I’ve ever seen! Plus, you’ll find green-tinged deviled egg bats and a witchy guacamole to fills them up before they hit the mini Snickers.
Created by the author of Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking, be sure to look up her recipe for DIY edible googly eyes too, which you can use to top everything from grapes to chocolate-covered pretzels — it’s an easy Halloween treat hack!
They can have their sweets and eat them too, especially when they’re found on this creepy-crawly, fruit-filled Halloween snack tray from Haute and Healthy Living. Detailed instructions will help you make the most fearsome apple slices and kiwi fruit spiders. Eat them if you dare!
Related: 9 of our favorite easy Halloween treat ideas on Instagram. You can do these!
Have kids who scream in horror if their foods touch? This wonderful muffin tin Halloween snack tray idea is such a clever idea from Meg Quinn, author of the recipe deck The Cheese Board Deck,50 Cards for Styling Spreads, Savory and Sweet. Muffin tins keep everything nice and separate, but it’s her ingenious mix of healthy ingredients that really caught our eye.
Dips and fruit become “frightening” monsters and one peeled clementine is easily transformed into a tiny pumpkin. And I love that she goes semi-homemade with the addition of some store-bought snacks from Trader Joe’s.
This is also a terrific Halloween snack tray idea if you have more than one child to feed. You can give them each their own tray of scary snacks, and you won’t have to worry about Jekyll turning into Hyde if anyone has a hard time sharing.
Trick-or-treating is about fun-sized everything, so I love this ingenious, extra creative pumpkin face Halloween snack board for kids from The BakerMama, author of Spectacular Spreads and Beautiful Boards. (Tip: you’ll find an awesome platter for this pumpkin head at Crate and Barrel.)
See how this tray is packed full is full of snacks, fruits, and cheeses, all in a Halloween-ready shade of orange? Brilliant! Feel free to follow her instructions exactly for a relatively healthy Halloween food board, or freeform your own edible Jack-o-lantern with your kids’ own favorites. For instance, it’s easy to replace those black olives with more blackberries, black licorice nibs, or even malted milk balls.
Related: 11 cool Halloween craft projects for teens and tweens that they won’t think are lame
Your kids will think you are definitely a good witch if you put together a colorful Halloween candy-filled snack tray like this one from A Pumpkin and a Princess. Note: You may want to require some jumping jacks while trick-or-treating to burn off that sugar energy!
There’s no bones about it (haha), this plastic skeleton Halloween dessert snack tray from In Katrina’s Kitchen is so perfect for a bunch of kids, it’s scary. Click on over to see instructions on how to make it look like those treats are pouring out of the rib cage (mmm… candy guts), and how to make all of those spooky Halloween-themed treats the go around Mr. Bones.
And, I mean, those Tootsie Roll logs? That will get a BIG laugh from the adolescents in the group.
I’ve also seen similar Halloween food trays created with meats that spill out of the skeleton frame, but, while a bit healthier, it may be a wee too realistic for younger kids. (Or even for me!) However, if you have gross-out-loving teens, go for it!
Related: 6 easy Oreo Halloween treats your kids can help make
If you really want to get some veggies into the kids before they go on a candy bender, or you’re just looking for a less sugary alternative for your Halloween snack tray, you might want to check out this creepy-crawly vegetable dip Halloween snack tray from It’s Always Autumn. This idea also proves that you don’t need candy to make something perfect for Halloween.
