scatterIMG_6998Halloween is hands-down one of the sweetest holidays of the year and truly one of the best times to bring out your creative side. Sweet treats, healthy snacks, fizzy drinks and the cutest packaging around top off any Halloween party. Here are my top eight ideas to get you started. (click through to find the recipes)

1. Witches’ stew
There is nothing fancy about this recipe. Actually, there is no recipe. Just mix together whatever snacks you have in the pantry — such as pretzels, goldfish, candy corn, marshmallows and chocolate chips — to satisfy the hungry witches in your family.

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2. Cookie critter pops
These chocolate-dipped Oreos on a stick will surely spook your guests. Decorate them with black licorice to create spider legs, or add a candy eyeball to make a cute one-eyed monster.

3. Candy corn pretzel sticks
Old-fashioned candy corn is a childhood favorite, but with a month full of sugar, you might want to throw something salty into the mix. Candy corn pretzel sticks are dipped in white chocolate with yellow and orange food coloring.

4. Tangerine pumpkins and banana ghosts
Halloween gives everyone an excuse to eat endless amounts of candy. Throw in a healthy twist with tangerines and bananas decorated to look like pumpkins and ghosts, a recipe courtesy of weelicious.com. The kids will never miss the sugar.

5. Marshmallow apple chompers
This recipe, from Lindsay Weiss’ BabyCenter blog, is the perfect DIY craft with simple ingredients: apples cut to create a mouth, marshmallows arranged as the teeth and peanut butter sticking it all together.

6. Halloween watermelon punch
This Frankenstein-green watermelon punch, from the food blog Design Eat Repeat, will satisfy the thirsty monsters roaming around your house on Halloween.

7. Fizzy pumpkin punch
This recipe from House of Smiths mixes orange juice, lemon-lime soda, pineapple juice and orange sorbet. You might skip the candy and just sip on this sweet drink.

8. DIY broom bags
So many wonderful treats need the perfect packaging. Martha Stewart does it with “witch’s broom” party favor bags made with paper lunch bags, sticks and a ribbon of your choice. Simple and sweet.