Halloween Dip is a fun and creative on theme cream cheese dip that is super fast and easy to make! Make it to get the party started, the chat going or the eaters fed as soon as they see it! This Halloween cheese dip is a little spooky, creative and fun for adults, kids and everyone wanting a Halloween themed dip!
Recipes like my Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Dip and Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip celebrate fun, festive times of year.
My Funfetti Dip, Halloween Pancakes and Marshmallow Pancakes are other ways to be creative, use simple ingredients and have fun!
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Recipe Highlights
I have summarised the reasons why you will love this recipe in the points below:
- Super quick, super easy, taking very basic steps to create!
- Supermarket ingredients: whilst I wouldn't describe a recipe that uses 'candy eyes' as 'everyday ingredients', they are all easy to find at the local supermarket. Look for the candy eyes where you see the sprinkles. They will be in a small tall cylinder.
- Fun, creative and something different: every now and then it is fun to celebrate a special occasion or time of year. This dip allows you to do that without taking hours or whipping up something complex.
- Big kids and little ones: the big kids will love the flavour combination for this dip. The little ones will love how it looks. If you are heading to a Halloween party and needed to take a plate, let this be your easy way to achieve that!
Top Tip: if you want to make a 'healthier' version of the dip and add some chopped fruits on top, that is no worries. Both chopped strawberries and blueberries work well!
Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements.
As you can see, the recipe calls for:
- Cream cheese: we start with a regular 8 oz (250 gram) block of this. It forms the foundation for the recipe which we layer all the yum on top off!
- Caramel sauce: store bought caramel sauce that you would use to top ice cream is fine for this recipe! it is quick, easy, budget friendly if you get the home brand and can be kept in the fridge to be called upon as needed.
- Candy eyes: you will be able to get these in the baking aisle or a baking store. To save you the trip trekking around town, stores like Spotlight or Big W often sell these too, so before you head off on a special trip, check your local stores as it is highly likely you will be able to get them there!
- Halloween sprinkles: these won't likely be called that at the shops. They will be called 'galaxy' sprinkles or similar. Anything that you think reminds you of spooky times and they will do the job!
- Mini marshmallows: these are cute and easy. They usually sell them in packets of pink and white in the cake decorating section of the shops. They don't need any chopping and can be used as an ingredient as is!
Top Tip: by all means if you want to chop up some fruit like raspberries or strawberries for the top of the dip to make it 'healthier', you can go right ahead!
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. Start by grabbing the cream cheese from the fridge, removing the cardboard box and cutting the foil off.
- Plate cream cheese on serving board (Photo 1)
- Pour over caramel sauce (Photo 2)
- Add sprinkles (Photo 3)
- Then add mini marshmallows (Photo 4)
How to Make Halloween Dip
To make the dip, grab the cream cheese out of the fridge, tear off the cardboard box and use scissors to cut off the foil, discard the packaging.
Next place the block of cream cheese in the centre of the serving board.
Grab a spoon and dollop the top of the dip with the caramel sauce, flip that to the other side and then use it to spread that as a layer on top of the cheese.
Once that is done, spread the sprinkles out in a layer that sits on top of the sauce. Then gently place the mini marshmallows on top.
Separate the candy eyes into pairs, then decorate the top of the cheese with the pairs of eyes. If you press these lightly, it will save pushing the caramel sauce down the sides of the dip.
- Add the candy eyes to the top of the dip (Photo 5)
Once the candy eyes have been pair and spread on top, grab some crackers (chips work well too) and place them around the outside of the dip.
- Place crackers around the side of the dip for serving (Photo 6)
I generally spread the crackers out from the edges of the dip. This is to ensure that they don't sit in the caramel sauce which would led to them getting soggy and no one likes a soggy cracker!
Serving Suggestions
To serve the dip, I recommend using a cheese knife. Or you can use a butter knife.
The idea here is that people cut into the dip and spread it onto their crackers as opposed to dunking them into the dip! The cream cheese is quite firm even when it sits out of the fridge for a little bit. So using a knife to cut it and spread ensures less mid dip break offs!
In the photos below, you can see what I mean by that idea as each cracker gets loaded with dip without breaking in half!
Another benefit to this is that if you have leftover sprinkles, sauce, candy eyes and marshmallows, you can place them in small bowls around the sides of the dip.
This allows people to load and decorate their cracker so that it presents, the way it is intended with a little bit of each kind of yum on their cracker!
Whilst yes, you could have people simply digging into the dip, it gets a little bit messy and you loose both the presentation effect as well as the easy spreadable nature of the combination of ingredients.
By using the cheese knife, you can ensure every eater gets crunch from the cracker, smooth irresistible cheese from the cream cheese, a sweet stickiness from the sauce, crunch from the sprinkles and fun yum from the candy eyes!
How to Guide
How to Store
This is a no bake dip that requires very little effort to bring together. It is best made moments before serving.
Over time the caramel sauce softens the cream cheese, so whilst it can be left out for a while, if more than 2 hours, it is best to place the leftovers on a plate with cling wrap.
There is no need to heat the dip and I do not recommend freezing it.
If you want to prep it in advance, the best way to go about this is to portion out the ingredients like I have shown you in the ingredients photo and place these in the fridge. Then when you are ready to make the dip, grab all of these out, start layering and the dip is done!
Substitutions and Variations
As you guys know, I love to give you options with all of my recipes and here is my chance to do that, try these ideas:
- You can use chocolate or strawberry sauce if you like in place of the caramel sauce.
- Add some chocolate chips for an extra texture.
- Serve the dip with chips instead of crackers.
- Use specific Halloween sprinkles if you like, some places may call them 'eye ball sprinkles' instead of 'candy eyes'.
- Use star sprinkles instead of the round coloured ball ones I have gone for.
Top Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks so that you can get the recipe right from the get go:
- There is no need to let the cream cheese come to room temperature as a recipe step. You will find that by the time you grab it, unwrap it and make the recipe, it becomes soft and spreadable.
- This is a dip that is meant to be fun and easy, so don't stress, I've got you covered, spooky, weird, its all a part of Halloween, no perfection seeking needed with this one!
- A cheese knife or butter knife is pretty essential for serving.
- You don't have to use the same crackers as me, you can use your favourite. See above for my substitutions and variations.
- Plate the cream cheese on the platter that you will serve it on, so that you don't have to move it after you have topped it (risky business!).
- Provide the leftover toppings (or additional quantities) on small bowls near the dip, it can be like a 'dip station'. So the eaters cut the dip, spread it onto the cracker and then fully load it with all the extra bits of stuff you provide for them. They will find it super fun to create their own 'Halloween Spooky Face' cracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the traditional food for Halloween?
Pumpkin is a hugely popular Halloween food, especially the Jack O Lantern's with the faces cut out.
Also popular are cupcakes jellies, brews, Witches' hats, cake pops and spooky candy used for trick or treat gifting.
What is the most popular Halloween food?
Chocolate and candy are the most popular Halloween foods.
This is because both can be purchased in individually packaged portions, making them perfect to gift to the trick or treaters who come knocking.
What are Halloween flavors?
Halloween flavours are generally fall related.
5 popular Halloween flavours are:
- Pumpkin
- Caramel
- Pecan
- Toffee
- Peanuts including Peanut Butter
More Easy Dip Recipes
If you love getting your chip or cracker and dipping and dunking then I have some more recipes that I know you will find enjoyable! Try one of these or find all of my dips and spreads in the one spot.
- Gherkin Dip
- Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly
- Cream Cheese Onion Dip
- Corn Relish Dip
- Cream Cheese Salsa Dip
- Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip
If you are feeding a crowd, I highly recommend giving my Grazing Platter a go!
Adrianne xx
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📖 Recipe
Halloween Dip
Equipment
- 1 Serving platter
- 1 Small spoon
- 1 Cheese knife
Ingredients
- 250 grams/8 oz cream cheese Note
- ¼ cup caramel sauce Note 2
- 2 tablespoon mini marshmallows Note 3
- 1 tablespoon Halloween sprinkles Note 4
- 10 candy eyes Note 5
Instructions
- Cheese: remove the cheese from the fridge, undo the cardboard box and use scissors to cut the foil off. Discard the foil and box. Place the block of cheese onto the serving plate.
- Caramel sauce: use a spoon to dollop the caramel sauce over the cream cheese, cover the top surface and don't be worried if it flows down the sides.
- Sprinkles: spread the sprinkles out on top of the caramel sauce into a layer of their own.
- Mini marshmallows: sprinkle the mini marshmallows over the layer of sprinkles, pushing them gently down so they hold in the sauce.
- Candy eyes: separate the candy eyes into pairs. Place these over the top of the dip in the pairs to form a set of eyes.
- Serve: provide a cheese knife and crackers and spread these slightly off the sides of the dip so that they don't sit in the caramel sauce. Use the cheese knife to cut into the dip and spread it onto the crackers.
Notes
- Note 1 - Cream cheese: in Australia the block is 225 - 250 grams, which is the same as the American 8oz cream cheese block. This is a rectangular shape. The dip won't look as impressive if you use the spreadable tub (round shape). Don't think twice on it if you get a 225 gram block as opposed to 250 grams as this is 'same, same' for the recipe. Tesco in UK sells this in a butter like container weighing 200 grams, again this is fine to use as 'same, same'. No need to adjust anything in the recipe across these different, but similar measurements.
- Note 2 - Caramel sauce: I use store bought caramel sauce that is the type you use for ice cream and sundaes. It is budget friendly and can be kept in the fridge to be used as needed.
- Note 3 - Mini Marshmallows: these will be in the cooking aisle of the supermarket with the sprinkles and cake mixes. My local stores have pink and white or a pastel version. You can use your favourite. The standard packet of these will give you 2 cups which is well and truly enough for the recipe as we only need a small amount.
- Note 4 - Halloween sprinkles: these won't likely be called that at the shops. They will be called 'galaxy' sprinkles or similar. Anything that you think reminds you of spooky times and they will do the job!
- Note 5 - Candy eyes: you will be able to get these in the baking aisle or a baking store. To save you the trip trekking around town, stores like Spotlight, Walmart, Tesco or Big W often sell these too, so before you head off on a special trip, check your local stores as it is highly likely you will be able to get them there!
- Note - Serving Size: you will be able to spread the dip onto the cracker at least 12 times. Portion per person will depend on how many crackers with dip you think each person needs. You might prefer to think of it as a 6 person dip with each person getting '2 crackers spread with dip' as opposed to serving 12 people.
Belinda says
This looks so fun and tasty. We will add it to our list of your recipes to try. Thanks for the inspiration.
Adrianne says
No worries. Thanks Belinda for your feedback.