The 5 food trends that will haunt Halloween in 2023

Where the Halloween shelves at home decor stores used to be bright orange, black and bright green, the color scheme for 2023 is way more muted. Pastel-colored decorations are the rage right now and soft pink, lilac and pale green pumpkins are going viral on TikTok. This unique twist on the traditional Halloween look will find its way towards seasonal snacks too. According to our latest Taste Tomorrow worldwide consumer survey, 64% of consumers agree that food that looks good is tasty too. So the appearance of Halloween snacks is extra important, and for this year’s celebration the theme is sweet & spooky! Other trending color palettes this fall are jewel tones and metallics.

The spirit of sustainability has infiltrated Halloween, with eco-conscious consumers demanding more environmentally friendly options. Two out of three consumers look for products that are produced sustainably, according to our survey among 20,000 consumers in 50 countries. That will be a consideration for Halloween purchases too. So brands that adopt eco-friendly packaging, use ethically sourced ingredients and offer plant-based options will be in demand for parties and trick-or-treating this year.

As we’ve seen with the Barbie movie, food producers are embracing pop culture references like never before. So expect to see a lot of Halloween snacks that pay homage to movie characters and popular tv shows. In the wake of the popular HBO show Last Of Us, there will be a bunch of zombie and fungus-related snacks. Think of a Cordyceps Corndog and foods decorated with fried enoki mushrooms which will be served at the Halloween Horror Nights 2023 at Universal Studios in Orlando. The Netflix show Wednesday, following a young girl from the Addams family, will inspire a lot of Halloween outfits and snacks. Think of black-and-white gothic-themed cookies and cupcakes or creations referring to ‘Thing’ – the show character that is a live hand. These pop culture treats add an extra layer of fun to Halloween celebrations.

‘Baking with a creepy twist is this TikTok creator’s year-round passion’, The Washington Post headlined in January this year. While the Halloween craze with severed finger cookies, black eyeball spotting cake and mummy cupcakes used to start in September, home bakers are now enjoying spooky baked goods all year round. This means there’s room for a Halloween season that starts earlier and lasts longer for bakeries, patisseries and chocolatiers too.

In 2023, Halloween is all about getting your hands dirty in the kitchen. Inspired by the spooky baking trend on TikTok, many consumers will want to have a go at creepy cookies or ghoulish cocktails themselves. To help these consumers out, there will be products such as the Toll House M&M's Ghoul's Mix Sugar Cookie Dough or sets to decorate pre-baked cookies at home for sale. This way, everybody can serve a homemade treat, even those without much baking or cooking experience.