31 Simple Halloween BBQ Party Ideas [Plus Tips for Decorations and Spooky Games]

Fall is one of the most festive seasons, and I always want to embrace it without creating much extra work on my to-do list, which is why I always try to use my DIY ideas to host a spooky Halloween BBQ party. Hosting a Halloween barbeque party is fun for kids and adults, and it isn’t too much work, either.

Plus, if you enjoy crafting, cooking, and decorating, planning a backyard shindig is the best way to make the season fun.

So, this article is for you if you’re a busy DIYer who wants some ideas on how to host a festive Halloween backyard BBQ party on a budget. Here are some of the best easy-to-make Halloween food, budget-friendly decoration, and simple game ideas for your Halloween barbeque.

Even if fall does feel impossibly busy, you can bring a couple of these simple ideas to your next Halloween BBQ.

Let’s take a look!

Festive Food and Recipe Ideas for Your Halloween BBQ Party

This assortment of mains, appetizers, snacks, and treats will create a festive and fun atmosphere for your Halloween barbecue party. Some are savory, and some are sweet, so you can mix and match to make a whole meal, complete with a delicious dessert.

So, let’s look at some recipes!

Savory Halloween Recipes

We’ve got you covered if you want a savory snack with a festive flare.

Savory Halloween Recipes:

• Dead Man’s Ribs
• Little Potato Halloween Monster Eyeballs 
• Mummy Pizzas 
• Mummy Sausage Rolls  
• Pumpkin Soup in Roasted Pumpkin Bowls
• Mozzarella and Pretzel Broomsticks
• Wicked Witch Guacamole
• Skeleton Veggie Tray 
• Spooky Spider Deviled Eggs
• Sausage Head Charcuterie Board
• Jack-o-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers

When hosting a party, I try providing options for gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian friends! It can be surprisingly easy to do! Everyone enjoys veggie platters – especially when they’re as cute as that skeleton veggie tray!

Charcuterie boards and dips are also fantastic because people can easily pick and choose the foods they want. For a festive take, I love the Food Network’s idea for a skeleton-shaped charcuterie platter:

If possible, you’ll also want to make some of the food the night before!

Some foods are best fresh that you should prepare the day of, but it’s surprising how much you can do in advance.

You can chop veggies the night before. Whipping up dips is easy. You can also bake your cakes the day before. Anything you manage to do the day before is one less thing to do the day of the Halloween barbeque!

Read More – 23 Scary Garden Gnomes for Halloween!

Sweet Halloween Recipe Ideas for Your Halloween Barbeque Party

These sweet snacks and desserts have really outdone themselves!

Sweet Halloween Recipes:

• Chocolate Crescent Witch Hats 
• Tangerine Pumpkins and Banana Ghosts
• Apple Monsters 
• Strawberry Ghosts 
• Monster Cupcakes
• Worms in Dirt Pudding Cups 
• Halloween Popcorn Treats 
• Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Still, if you aren’t one for sugary foods, there are plenty of ways to use fruits to make a spooky treat. For example, these tangerine pumpkins and banana ghosts are just plain fruit in a spooky Halloween “costume!”

If you want another idea with a bit more intrigue, try Irish Barmbrack, a traditional, buttery, fruit-filled Halloween bread. In Ireland, where Halloween originated, people make this bread on October 31 and share it over a bonfire.

Inside the bread are various trinkets, such as a ring and a coin. According to tradition, if you end up chewing on the ring, you will get married soon or have a healthy marriage, and if you get the piece with the coin, you are supposed to gain great fortunes in the coming year.

So, for a more traditional – and sweet – taste of Halloween, make yourself a loaf of Barmbrack and try your hand at a bit of delicious divination! I can’t guarantee the predictions are accurate, but it’s so yummy and a lot of fun.

Read More – 13 Weird Fruits and Vegetables You Have to See to Believe!

Best DIY Decoration Ideas for a Halloween Barbeque Party

I love a good DIY project, and Halloween decorations are no exception. It also means another opportunity to break out the hot glue gun and acrylic paint, and who doesn’t love that?

Here are the best craft ideas that require minimal supplies and time.

I’d recommend making your decorations early in the fall so you can enjoy them around the house throughout the season.

Crafting can be a fun way to spend an evening with friends or family, too. So, sit down with some supplies and get ready to get in the mood for this spooky season!

Mason Jar Centerpieces, Decorations, and Containers

Mason jars are plentiful in my house, but if they are not so common in your home, you can snag a batch of 6 canning jars from most online stores for a great price.

I love that mason jars are not only cute but can be tremendously functional at a BBQ. Use them to hold cutlery, straws, napkins, or sweets on your buffet table, then pop your leftovers inside for storage!

Here are some other adorable and inventive Halloween craft ideas for your Halloween BBQ party that use mason jars:

• Scarecrow Mason Jar Craft
• Candy Corn Mason Jar Craft 
• Jack-o-lantern Jars 
• Mason Jar Ghost Lanterns
• Pumpkin Mason Jar Craft
• Mason Jar Mummy Lantern Craft
• Halloween Themed Mason Jar Vases 
• Dollar Tree Mason Jar Graveyard for Halloween

Read More – Cinder Block Fire Pit Grill – DIY Design Tips for Epic Fires and BBQs!

Spooky Signage For Your Halloween BBQ Party

If you’re like me, the garage is where old fence boards and off-cuts from other woodworking projects accumulate.

Use some of that scrap and create some spooky signs to decorate your yard and home. Most of the Halloween sign ideas in this article work with a smidgen of paint and just a little patience.

Best Outdoor Game Ideas for Halloween Barbeque Parties

If you have kids, you might want to include some structured activities in your Halloween BBQ party. Still, they can also be a lot of fun for adults and help you get in the mood for this spooky season!

These activities are low-cost and outdoor-friendly, so there’s no reason not to give them a shot!

Witch Hat Ring Toss

A familiar game with a spooky twist!  

You can use any sturdy witch hats you may have accumulated over the years from costumes, or you can use a poster board to make some witch hats. This video on how to make witch hats from paper will help:

If you’re making hats, challenge your players by making some hats larger or smaller. 

You can form rings from pieces of twine or cut the center out of paper plates to make rings that you can toss over top of the hats. 

Still, if you don’t want to try and DIY this idea for your Halloween BBQ party, you can always get a pre-made witch hat ring toss set. I like this one because it’s inflatable and easy to store for next year.

Ring toss is a great game for all ages because adjusting the difficulty is easy. Little kids can get closer to the target – while you instruct older kids and adults to get farther away. 

Read More – 13 Insanely Spectacular Flowering Cacti and Succulents

Bowling for Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Mini Golf 

This is one of my favorite ideas for a Halloween barbeque party! If you grow winter squash, fall is the season when pumpkins and butternut squash are plentiful. So, why not put them to use at your next BBQ? 

Butternut squash can work as pins in a goofy backyard bowling game, and a mostly-round pumpkin can be a comical substitute for a bowling ball. 

If golf is your game, consider carving your pumpkins into mini-golf holes. 

This blog provides excellent instructions for playing some backyard games using squash.

Eyeball Egg and Spoon Race

An eyeball egg and spoon race can be as easy to prep for as you want it to be, and it yields maximum fun.

You can either get a cool, colorful game set like this or use spoons from your kitchen and ping pong balls to make the “eggs” and spoons. If you use ping pong balls, they’ll come in handy for the next game idea.

Then, give everyone a set and see who can make it to the finish line without dropping their eggs!

Eyeball Scavenger Hunt 

I love this idea for an eyeball scavenger hunt. The premise is simple enough!

Hide a bunch of eyeball ping pong balls and see how many the kids can find. In my experience, kids of all ages love a good scavenger hunt – if you have a big backyard with many obstacles, all the better! 

Pumpkin Popping 

This one can get a little loud, but if you’re feeling rowdy, the kids will love a chance to stomp, squish, and pop orange “pumpkin” balloons to see what treats are inside. 

Here are the instructions. 

Whether you love the costumes, the decorations, the sweets, or simply gathering together for a spooky evening with friends, a Halloween BBQ is a great way to enjoy the holiday.

Halloween BBQ Ideas – Share Your Own!

Hopefully, these Halloween barbeque party ideas come in handy as you prepare for fall!

Do you have any epic plans for Halloween this year? Reply in the comments and let us know your favorite Halloween treats – savory or sweet?

Thanks so much for reading!

And – happy Halloween!

More Halloween and Fall Homesteading Ideas:

• 36 Fun and Creative Pumpkin Face Carving Ideas
• How to Save Pumpkin Seeds for Planting [From Store Bought or Homegrown!]
• 23 Creepy Garden Gnomes for Halloween
• 8 Spooky Fruit and Veggie Snacks for Your Pantry or Party!
• 14+ Cinder Block Fire Pit Design Ideas and Fireplace Design Tips!