We don’t celebrate Halloween in the UK as much as in other countries but that is slowly changing. If you are looking to cook or bake something to put a smile on the faces of your family and make the 31st of October a bit unusual then take a look at our choice of great Halloween Cookbooks. In the pages of these recipe books you will unearth terrible treats, malevolent meals, despicable desserts and blood-curdling beverages! Read on to find out more… if you dare!
Editor’s note: It’s 2020 as I write this and COVID-19 is making many party plans difficult, or indeed impossible, but you can still have a special Halloween evening at home. Why not make an unexpected meal with a selection of snacks or treats to turn your Halloween into something a little bit different? This will cheer up the children and lift your spirits in these troublesome times!
Halloween Recipe Books and Cookbooks in Detail
Eerie Elegance Eats: A Halloween Cookbook of Creepy Cuisine
Described as “a cross between Martha Stewart and Tim Burton”, author Britta Peterson brings you her collection of Halloween recipes that she has curated from over 20 years of her published works. Inside you will find chapters such as: Mad Scientist Body Parts; Beverages, Brews & Potions; Scary Savories; Dastardly Desserts; Dia de los Muertos Delights; and lots more! Eerie Elegance Eats: A Halloween Cookbook of Creepy Cuisine is available as a paperback book containing 108 pages, or it can be purchased as a Kindle book. This Halloween cook book is full of colourful images, easy-to-follow recipes, and lots of tips and advice to make your Halloween party extra special!
The Nightmare Before Dinner: Recipes to Die For: The Beetle House Cookbook
The Beetle House is a small chain of restaurants located in the USA. The menu is inspired by Halloween, movies like The Evil Dead, and the films of Tim Burton such as Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas (hence the name of the book). At The Beetle House “every day is Halloween” and you can create over 60 of their most popular dishes with this dark and delicious cookbook. This recipe book offers a vegan alternative or ingredient swap for each and every recipe which is very unusual and will please many people. Recipes include ‘Edward Burger Hands’ and ‘Silence of the Lamb Chops’, as well as a section devoted to spooky cocktails with names like ‘Coco Skellington’ and ‘The Beetle’s Juice’. Zach Neil’s The Nightmare Before Dinner is available in paperback and on Kindle devices.
Magical Kitchen: The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook
Here is a brilliant recipe book for all Harry Potter fans. Magical Kitchen: The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook is full of 42 stunningly illustrated recipes, arranged in order of a degree of skill. Inside you will discover magical meals, colourful drinking potions, and spooky sweet treats all presented in a way that makes this book not only great for young chefs, but a lovely gift for anyone that is a fan of the Harry Potter world. This lovely cookbook is available in paperback, hardcover and in Kindle format. This cookbook may be unofficial but we think Harry Potter would be very proud to have such a fine book dedicated to him.
The Room on the Broom Cookbook
Children and adults alike love the books written by Julia Donaldson, especially the Room on the Broom picture book series, and in this cookbook your youngsters can really get involved in the entire preparation and cooking process in a fun way they will love. The Room on the Broom Cookbook contains 23 recipes that have been specially designed for adults to use with children. Delights include Cheese Wands, Roasted Dragon, and Witch & Chips, as well as a fantastic Horrible Beast Cake that all kids will crave to make with you! The cooking instructions are easy-to-follow with simple steps that will inspire your children and make them feel confident in the kitchen.
A Zombie Ate My Cupcake!
Cupcakes needn’t be twee, pretty or tame – they can also be scary, spooky and frightening! In A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! by celebrated artisan baker Lily Vanilli, we find inspiration for bakes taken from insects, zombies and roadkill (why not?!) that may look quite terrifying but are sure to taste amazing. Perfect for Halloween, these nightmarish cupcakes will make your guests weak at the knees with choices such as Dracula’s Bite red velvet cupcake with cream cheese or Morbid Meringue Bones dipped in raspberry blood sauce. It is a beautifully designed book with excellent photography and easy-to-follow recipe instructions. You can purchase A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! by Lily Vanilli in hardback or Kindle format.
Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook
The Betty Crocker brand is known around the world and in this recipe book we find almost 100 recipes that are sure to make any Halloween party or meal memorable! In its 200 plus pages you will find recipes for scary sweet treats, magical main meals and deathly drinks and beverages. Each recipe has simple to follow instructions and a full page photograph of the resulting dish. There are many helpful tips and advice throughout the pages which will make your Halloween baking and cooking be easy and fun. The Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook is available in paperback and for Kindle devices. This book is aimed towards Americans and uses quite a few Betty Crocker products but UK reviewers say that it is full of handy ideas and all the ingredients can be converted easily to suit us in good old Blighty!
The Necronomnomnom: Recipes and Rites from the Lore of H. P. Lovecraft
This recipe book is an absolute must-buy for H. P. Lovecraft fans, especially those that enjoy cooking, but it is also a stunningly illustrated and wonderful cookbook for your Halloween meal or party. The Necronomnomnom contains 50 recipes to mess with your mind and feed (on) your soul. Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s Necronomicon, the legendary and forbidden book of the dead that is “alien to all sane and balanced readers”, this cookbook is full of many dark, yet delicious secrets. If you are not used to reading fantasy, sci-fi or horror type books you may wish to stay clear of this magnificent cookbook, however for those that love the bizarre and strange you will not be disappointed in this wonderfully weird tome! Available to purchase in hardcover and Kindle edition.
Taste of Home Halloween Mini Binder
The Taste of Home Halloween Mini Binder has over 100 recipes that are sure to make your Halloween perfect! Each recipe in this Halloween cookbook is accompanied by a full page photograph which inspires confidence and the easy-to-follow instructions will allow you to create the most terrifying treats with the least amount of fuss. There are tips on carving pumpkins and a special Day of the Dead bonus chapter along with other sections covering snacks, meals, sweets, drinks and more.. Recipes include fantastic food such as Make-a-Monster Pizza, Day of the Dead Cookies, Halloween Punch, Mummy-Wrapped Brie, and Ghostly Cupcake Cones. This booked is aimed at the US market but all ingredient measures can easily be converted using one of the many conversion apps available for your phone!
