The History Of Halloween Treats & How To Host The Best Party On The Block 👻

Halloween really doesn’t get it’s flowers when it comes to the “Food Holiday” Hierarchy. Thanksgiving has turkey, Christmas has three million kinds of cookies, and Easter has chocolate, deviled eggs, and their niche finger food compatriots. Halloween, on the other hand, is relegated to CVS-bag-o-mixed-candy territory, when really it can be so much more. No shame to mini Snickers…I too love to question my fine motor skills 5 times in a row only to consume 2.5 bites of chocolate. 

Halloween may not be a classically gourmet holiday, but it issss a hosting one.

Whether you’re feeding a pack of kids before they sprint around the neighborhood on a sugar-fueled rampage, throwing a costume party, appointed yours the Grown-Up House, or are simply trying to become the house that the HOA gossips about because you give out full-size candy bars and have the best decorations, this letter is dedicated to all things Halloween hosting and history.

Candy Corn Was Originally Called Chicken Feed"

Candy corn is no ones favorite candy (it tastes a little bit like chewing on an orange taper candle), but it does get a disproportionate amount of hate. It’s festive and fun and literally everywhere this time of year, so we all should put some respect on its name. Speaking of its name…

The fascinating thing that I learned from Condiment Claire’s newsletter last year, is that it wasn’t always called candy corn. Its original name was “Chicken Feed?!”

In 1888, a candy maker named George Renninger, working for the Wunderle Candy Company, came up with the idea of making a sweet that would appeal to America's largely agricultural population. At the time, most people worked in farming, and corn was primarily associated with feeding livestock. So naturally, he made candy shaped like kernels of corn and called it Chicken Feed.

The candy became more widely popular in the late 1890s, when the Goelitz Confectionery Company (now Jelly Belly) began mass-producing it. The name changed to Candy Corn in the 1920s, and it was sold year-round until a Halloween marketing campaign in the 1950s turned it into an exclusively October staple.

Today, the National Confectioners Association estimates that around 9 billion pieces (?!) are sold annually.

The Ultimate Halloween Hosting Guide

Halloween hosting is unique in that there are a million different ways to do it. Unlike Thanksgiving or July 4th, there aren’t the most obviously set expectations when it comes to the food. For Halloween, the food comes in second place after the ~vibe~.

Here are four ways to do it, depending on what kind of Halloween house you're trying to be:

1. The Pre-Trick-or-Treating Dinner House

Your job: Feed everyone before they leave the house dressed as a dinosaur, a princess, a pop culture reference you don’t understand, or Wednesday Addams. The ideal pre-trick-or-treating dinner is filling, easy to eat, and quick enough that nobody is still sitting at the table when the neighborhood starts filling up with kids.

What I'd serve:

A big pot of chili

Set out bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, tortilla chips, and hot sauce. Everyone can serve themselves, and you can make the chili ahead of time. Recipe here!

Halloween-shaped quesadillas

Cut little jack-o'-lantern faces into the top tortilla, fill with cheese and beans or chicken, and cook until golden. Recipe here!

A tray of roasted sweet potatoes

Toss with olive oil, salt, smoked paprika, and a little maple syrup. Check out our one pan recipes newsletter here!

A festive dessert

There are so many options for fun Halloween treats on the featured collection on the Pepper homepage! I love these mummy nutter butters.

2. The Halloween Party House

Your job: Host the party people talk about the next morning, without spending the entire evening in the kitchen. Choose food that can sit out, be eaten with one hand, and doesn't require you to assemble every serving individually while someone asks where you got your costume.

What I'd serve:

• A Halloween snack board. Cheddar, Gouda, crackers, grapes, salami, olives, dried apricots, and a little dish of pepper jelly. Add black and orange accents, ta da, the end!

• Mummy jalapeño poppers. Wrap stuffed jalapeños in thin strips of puff pastry, bake until golden, and add little eyes. Theme is FUN!

• A big tray of pigs in a blanket. Use strips of pastry to make them look like mummies. Serve with blood (ketchup).

• Buffalo chicken dip. Put it in a small slow cooker so it stays warm, and surround it with tortilla chips, celery, and carrots.

• Festive drinks. A big batch of apple cider is easy, seasonal, and works for people who aren't drinking alcohol. For a party cocktail, make a pitcher of something apple/cranberry-based rather than attempting individual drinks all night.

3. The Grown-Ups' Trick-or-Treating House

Your job: Make the neighborhood feel like a neighborhood again, except with better snacks and adults who are finally allowed to eat the candy they buy. This is my favorite kind of Halloween setup because it gives parents somewhere to stop, catch up, and have a little fun while the kids run around collecting their loot.

What I'd set up:

• A self-serve hot cider station. Keep cider warm in a slow cooker with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange slices. Put out mugs, and let people add their own garnishes.

• A pot of soup or chili. Small cups are perfect for people who are standing around in the driveway.

• A snack table. Popcorn, pretzels, chips and dip, and a few bowls of candy. Nothing that needs a fork or a big plate.

• Somewhere to sit. A few folding chairs, a bench, or even hay bales if you're going for the full autumn aesthetic.

4. The Full-Size Candy Bar House

Your job: Become a neighborhood legend.

There is a special place in every child's memory for the house that gives out full-size candy bars. You might not remember every house you visited as a kid, but you remember The One. The one where you got an entire Snickers instead of three fun-size ones and immediately understood that this was a household of extraordinary generosity.

If you're going to commit, you should commit properly.

What I'd do:

• Buy candy you actually like. Full-size chocolate bars are the obvious choice, but variety matters. Reese's, Kit Kats, Snickers, Twix, and M&M's cover a lot of ground.

• Have a backup bowl. If the line gets long, you'll want to be able to hand out candy without digging around in a bag every time.

• Decorate the entrance. Pumpkins, orange lights, a few skeletons, and something slightly spooky go a long way.

• Have a plan for running out. Once you're out, you're out. Turn off the porch light and enjoy the rest of your evening without feeling guilty about the children who arrive at 9:47 p.m.