We’ve paired our top five family-friendly Halloween movies with some homemade Halloween snacks for the ultimate themed night in. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that there’s a fun food pairing for every Halloween classic!
To amp up the Halloween vibe and make it a day the kids will never forget, be sure to check out these at-home Halloween party game ideas for the whole family.
Hocus Pocus Paired With Book of Spells Rice Krispies Treats
Booooook, oh boooook. No Halloween is complete without the Sanderson sisters trying to suck the life out of the children of Salem! Watch the Sanderson sisters try to take back the night after being resurrected 300 years after their death to exact revenge and begin a reign of terror after Max, a young boy who moves to Salem with his family, lights the cursed Candle of Black Flame. The sisters have until dawn on Halloween to become immortal, and the clock is ticking. Watch as Winnie and her sisters search for her beloved spellbook by snacking on these delicious Book of Spells Rice Krispie cakes with the trusty eyeball included from a Pumpkin & a Princess. Hocus Pocus can be found on Disney+.
Ingredients:
- Rice Krispies cereal (enough to fill a 9×11 pan)
- Marshmallows
- Butter
- Melting chocolate
- Black icing
- Candy eyeballs
- Parchment paper
- To make the spellbook treats you will need to make a 9×11 pan of rice krispies treats.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, heat butter and marshmallows at HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.
- Stir in Rice Krispies cereal until well coated.
- Once your mixture is prepared, spread the treats on a parchment covered baking sheet.
- Tip: use a greased spatula or piece of parchment paper to evenly spread the rice krispies treats.
- After the rice krispies treats are set, cut into squares (we recommend a 2.25-inch square cookie cutter).
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Dip rice krispies treats in chocolate and shake off excess. Place treats on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Add candy eyeball to the right side of the treats. Allow chocolate to set before decorating.
- Use black icing or melting wafers to decorate the treats to resemble the Hocus Pocus spellbook.
The Addams Family With Meringue Bones
This family-friendly Halloween movie that first hit screens in 1964 and has had multiple reiterations is still a huge favorite for kids and adults alike. The movie focuses on a bizarre, aristocratic family who reconnects with who they believe to be a long-lost relative, Gomez’s brother Fester Addams, when strange things start to happen. This movie is full of funny, interesting characters that exude all of the spookiness Halloween is known for. Watch The Addams Family while enjoying these scary but yummy Meringue Bones from Good Housekeeping!
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Parchment paper
- Computer or construction paper to make bone template
- Heat oven to 225°F.
- Draw a 6-inch bone on the paper and cut it out to create your template.
- Trace your template onto 2 large sheets of parchment paper, leaving 1 inch space between each stenciled bone.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with the parchment paper, stenciled side down.
- In a medium bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and a pinch of salt until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat on medium-high until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until meringue stands in stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in vanilla extract.
- Transfer meringue to a large disposable piping bag and snip off end. Using stencils as a guide, pipe bone shapes onto the parchment paper.
- Turn the oven off. Place meringues in the oven for 1 hour with the oven door closed. Remove from the oven; cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temp for up to 2 weeks.
The Nightmare Before Christmas With Strawberry Worms
Don’t be fooled by the title, this movie is full of enchanting, creepy beings that are sure to keep you on your toes. The main character is Jack Skellington, a being from Halloween Town who is now bored with the same routine of frightening people in the “real world.” He finds Christmas Town and is instantly enchanted. The situation becomes riveting when his obsession with Christmas leads him to abduct Santa Claus and take over the role, but Jack soon discovers that even the most thought-out plans can go astray! Catch this movie on Disney+ and pair your movie night with a creepy treat like these strawberry worms from Disney.com.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups boiling water
- 2 packs strawberry jello
- 1 package unflavored gelatin
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- 15 drops green food coloring
- 100 flexible straws (pulled to their full length)
- Rubber band
- Tall container (1 quart or 1 liter carton)
- Stir boiling water, jello, and gelatin until well-combined.
- Let cool to lukewarm, and then add whipping cream and green food coloring. Mix well.
- Place straws in a tall container. Use a rubber band or add more straws for a secure fit.
- Add the gelatin mixture to the straw-filled container and let set in the fridge until firm.
- To remove the worms from the straws, hold them over warm water. The worms will slip right out. Do this process one by one, placing the worms next to one another (not touching) on a baking sheet. (This will prevent them from sticking to one another.) Place in the fridge until they’re ready to serve.
Halloweentown With Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Wands
When Grandma Aggie comes to visit, the Piper children notice her odd use of magic. Curious, they follow her back to Halloweentown where the kids find out they come from a family of witches. Halloweentown is the only place where supernatural beings, like mummies, witches, and monsters can lead a “normal life.” Trouble arises when on her 13th birthday Marnie not only finds out she is a witch, but that she and her family are involved in a fight against the evil that is threatening to take over the world. Find this movie on Disney+, but not before you prepare these fun chocolate-covered pretzel wands from Spoon University to help fight evil too!
Ingredients:
- 10 pretzel rods
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup colored sprinkles
- Place chocolate in a microwaveable bowl.
- Microwave chocolate in 30 second intervals until completely melted. This usually takes 2 minutes.
- Hold each pretzel rod above the bowl of melted chocolate and use a spoon to coat ¾ of the rod.
- Wait a few seconds for chocolate to stop dripping, then dip the tip of the rod into the sprinkles.
- Immediately place on a lined baking sheet.
- Freeze for 15 minutes. Take out and enjoy!
Casper With Ghost Marshmallow Brownies
An afterlife therapist and his daughter Kat meet a friendly young ghost, Casper, when they move into a crumbling mansion in order to rid the premises of wicked spirits, Casper’s mischievous ghost uncles. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state but also by his trouble-making ghost uncles. Indulge in these Ghost Marshmallow Brownies from Delish while watching Casper, the friendly Ghost on Netflix.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp. butter to coat the pan
- 1 ¼ cups bittersweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- ½ cup kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped
- ½ cup M&Ms
- ½ cup candy corn
- 16 large marshmallows
- 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil
- Black decorating gel
- Parchment paper
- Preheat oven to 350°. Brush a 9” square baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Coat the parchment paper with 1 tbsp butter.
- Set a large heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt ½ cup butter and bittersweet chocolate chips in the bowl, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in sugars. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.
- Whisk in cocoa and salt, then fold in flour, chopped Reese’s, M&Ms, and candy corn. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and cut into 16 squares. Arrange squares on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Top each square with a marshmallow.
- In a heatproof medium bowl, microwave white chocolate chips with coconut oil until melted. Stir until smooth.
- Drizzle chocolate over each marshmallow topped brownie. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.
- Use black decorating gel to create eyes and a mouth on each marshmallow.
If you’re looking for a cozy Halloween night in, these movie and snack suggestions will help you create a spooktacular night. For more Halloween recipes, check out our post Candy, Sweets, and Sugar Treats in 30 Minutes or Less.
