Ariana Losch
Growing up, I never really liked candy. Tragic, I know. Woe is me. I could eat an entire block of parmesan cheese in one sitting, but one bite of a gummy bear was too much for me. (My taste buds have evolved since then. Now I can comfortably eat three gummy bears in one sitting.) Still, Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, even if I found the treat options lacking. I would literally hunt for a small bag of any savory snack in a bowl of candy… and often be disappointed. Cue the tiny violin.
So yeah, in honor of my inner child and younger self, I went from store to store in search of the best Halloween snacks for the weird little savory freaks like me. The ones who used to pour table salt into their palms and lick it off. Is there something wrong with us? Yes, deeply, but the point of Halloween is celebrating all the freaks and monsters out there. Also, let’s be honest: October would be way more fun if it had more spookified salty snacks and savory Halloween food to break up the monotony of candy. I’m actually pretty surprised by how limited the options are!
Where we found the savory Halloween treats:
Not to repeat myself, but it’s worth underlining: There are not a lot of great options out there for savory Halloween snacks! C’mon, brands! We’ll reinvent candy shapes and seasonal pumpkin spice products year after year, but you can’t give me a new monster-inspired chip flavor? I think y’all are missing out on money in an untapped market, honestly. For context, I hit up Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Aldi, Amazon, Kroger… the list goes on. And I did find spooky snacks and savory Halloween foods worth recommending below—I just wish there was more! (The fact that I couldn’t find a classic popcorn ball good enough to include deeply saddens me.)
What we looked for in the savory Halloween food:
- Craveable and thematic flavors: We want snacks that taste delicious, even if they use flavors that are a little cursed. (Like, don’t be super spicy just because it’s scary.)
- Spooky shapes: If your chips are shaped like a ghost, they better actually look like a ghost.
- Party potential: We wanted to find the best Halloween snacks for trick or treaters and party hosts. Anything that tastes good and looks spooky in a skull-shaped bowl earns major points.
Whether you’re throwing a party or just want something salty between handfuls of candy, here’s our ranking of the best savory Halloween snacks.
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- Garden Veggie Chips Ghosts & Bats
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Take a page out of Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling’s book and pack a bag of these spooky veggie chips into your little goblin’s lunch all October. The ghost and bat shapes are fun, whimsical, and nicely defined. They might not pack the most flavor, but they’re a nice, healthier snack alternative, with 60 calories and 150g of sodium per bag. I wouldn’t necessarily hand these out to trick-or-treaters; next to candy, they’re a little lackluster. But there’s certainly a place for them in lunchboxes and snack tables at your next Halloween party. (Just, like, put them next to a dip, too.)
Credit: Merc / Target
- Tyson Spooky Nuggets
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After the Mega Dino Nuggets disaster, we were impressed by how well these Tyson Spooky nuggets held their shape and still tasted like a good, crispy Tyson chicken nugget. (Those mushy mega nuggets really scarred us, guys—and honestly, we’re not huge fans of the regular Tyson Dino Nuggets, either.) These really do look like the shapes advertised: bats, ghosts, and pumpkins. Served as appetizers, I would be all over these at a Halloween party. We just wish they would bring back the Heinz purple ketchup to go along with them.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Zapp’s Voodoo Heat
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I looked for Zapp’s Evil Eye Chips, I really did. I know they’re out there, but I couldn’t find a bag for myself, so I opted for Voodoo Heat instead—and it worked out for the best. These are better than Evil Eye, which is pretty low in our Zapp’s ranking. They just take that addictive tangy, smoky seasoning from classic Voodoo and give ‘em a little kick. And look at that scary face on the bag! Freaky! Also, despite the name, Voodoo Heat isn’t too spicy. Unless your kids are really heat-averse, they can definitely still enjoy these. Child-me would have been over the damn moon to get this as a trick-or-treat snack. And hey, speaking of moons…
Credit: Merc / Utz
- Lesser Evil Moonions Hyperspace Hot Onion
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What makes Lesser Evil’s Hyperspace Hot Onion “Moonions” a Halloween-themed snack, you ask? Well, I found them in the Halloween snack aisle at Target, the lady on the bag looks like she’s in costume, and I know at least two people who are dressing up like astronauts this year—so I’m counting them, damn it. They really don’t taste like Funyuns, if that’s what you’re thinking. Instead, they have this very genuine fried onion flavor and spicy jalapeño heat that makes them pop. We were not expecting to like these, but they’re undeniably creative and yummy.
Credit: Merc / Lesser Evil
- Zombie Takis
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Kids are always excited to find Zombie Takis in a trick-or-treat bowl. I have first-hand experience with this as someone who handed them out last year. The rest of my Sporked team members may disparage the flavor of spicy cucumber-lime corn chips, but as someone who still gets carded at movie theaters and maintains a childlike sense of wonder, I love them. They’re bright green and taste as freaky-deaky as they look. Other snack brands need to do something like this (though maybe make it more palatable to the average adult).
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Kelly’s Killer Popcorn Spicy Nacho + Salted Agave Caramel
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Kelly’s Killer Popcorn is the real fun find from this taste test. It’s a small family-owned brand based in Austin, Texas, that you can buy online and find at certain retailers across the country (we found ours at a Halloween specialty store in Los Angeles). Both of these flavors—Spicy Nacho and Salted Agave Caramel—are super unique. Spicy Nacho has a light cheesiness and sharp queso spice to it that builds over time, while Agave Caramel has a deep caramel flavor that balances the salty popcorn really well. If you’re looking for something a little unexpected to serve this Halloween, these are the perfect find.
Credit: Merc / Kelly’s Killer Popcorn
- Kelly’s Killer Popcorn Salt Pepper Garlic
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Yep, we liked Kelly’s Killer Popcorn so much, they dominated our top two spots. This Salt Pepper Garlic flavor is the true crowd pleaser of the Kelly’s line-up and makes one of the best Halloween snacks for a party, scary movie watch party, gift bag, you name it. The garlic, pepper, and spices are so simple yet so layered with flavor. They aren’t very buttery at all, yet still so flavorful. We fought over who would take this home (Jordan won…and brought it to AMC to watch the new Frankenstein, so). What can I say other than: Kelly, you killed it.
Credit: Merc / Kelly’s Killer Popcorn
Best for School Lunches
Best Party Appetizer
Best Halloween Chips
Best Funky Snack
Most Freaky
Runner Up
Best of the Best
Other savory Halloween treats we tried:
Utz Pretzel Bats & Jacks, Utz Popcorn Balls, LOVE CORN Limited Edition Halloween Delicious Crunchy Corn, Hangry Witch Cauldron Crunch Premium Trail Mix Funny, Peanuts From Hell, Goldfish Halloween Edition, Pirate’s Booty, Kathy Kaye Popcorn Ball, Annie’s Halloween Mac & Cheese, Spontaneous Combustion Ghost Pepper Popcorn
Sporked Staff
Luke Field
Naajia Shukri
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!