Halloween Party Ideas for a Trick-or-Treat After-Party

Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore. It’s become a fun holiday to show off your creativity and entertain people in your home. After trick-or-treating, there’s plenty of time for adults, with or without the kids, to enjoy some social time. Get inspired by your neighborhood activities like block party games and costume contests when you start planning your Halloween party. 

To start Halloween off right, invite friends and family over so that all your little monsters can trick-or-treat together. During an after-party, the kids can swap candy while the parents indulge in Halloween-inspired appetizers, beverages, and maybe a bowl of hearty fall chili.

Here are some tricks (and treats) to plan a wickedly fun Halloween party for the whole family.

Easy Halloween Party Food

Halloween is one of the biggest celebrations in the fall, and when you think of fall, you probably think of hearty, comfort food. And that’s what you should serve at your Halloween after-party. Bring out your slow cooker or pressure cooker and make Homemade Chili. It will be a party favorite and it’s easy to serve throughout the night because your guests can help themselves. You can also serve a delicious White Bean, Kale & Sausage Stew or Root Beer Ribs.

You don’t need an extensive or elaborate menu. If you want to stop at one dish, that’s perfectly fine or you can add a few more appetizers or desserts to the menu.

Make a Frankenstein Cheese Spread for the kids and a charcuterie spread for the adults. For dessert, get more use out of a gingerbread house mold and turn it into a haunted house. A haunted gingerbread house can be an impressive table centerpiece or a decorating activity to occupy the kids.

DIY Halloween Decorations

Unless you’re competing in the neighborhood haunted house decorating contest, you can keep your Halloween party décor easy and affordable. A great way to dress up your tablescape is with beautiful pieces of stoneware and serving bowls.

Here are a few more quick and spooky decorating ideas:

• Start with black and orange streamers hung from the ceiling and doors.
• Pumpkins create a traditional Halloween look that works indoors, as well as outside.
• Black trash bags are a budget-friendly material for making creepy curtains, backdrops, and table covers.
• Draw ghost faces on empty, clean milk jugs with black marker for instant ghost lanterns. (You could also use white paper bags instead of milk jugs.)
• Dyed cheesecloth looks like eerie spider webs in doorways. Or leave it white and cut holes in it to make an easy table runner.

Halloween Punch With Shrunken Heads

Carve apples into shrunken heads and float them in hot apple cider. It’s the best Halloween party drink because you can make a large batch of cider for everyone and then let the grown-ups mix in spiced rum or cinnamon whiskey.

Wondering how to make shrunken apple heads? Cut apples in half lengthwise and core each apple to remove the seeds. Then use a coring tool and paring knife to carve each face. Press some cloves into the eye sockets or use them as noses. Dip apples in fresh lemon juice and bake for 90 minutes or until apples are dry and begin to brown around the edges.

If some of your guests aren’t fans of apple cider, bring out your cocktail set and prepare them a tasty drink like an Old Fashioned or a Classic Moscow Mule.

Recipes for Leftover Halloween Candy

There is always a surplus of candy at Halloween. Use your extra candy to create a whimsical dessert for your after-party.

Make a cookie pizza ahead of time and then top it with crushed mini chocolate bars and a chocolate drizzle for an instant party dessert. Or mix the candy with popcorn and pretzels and create a custom popcorn mix.

Got a Halloween party idea to share? Tell us your best Halloween tips in the comments below.