If there’s one thing Filipinos love to do, it’s throw a great get-together. With Halloween fast approaching, why not give your Halloween table a local twist with these spooky Pinoy dishes! After all, Halloween is not just about spirits, monsters, and scares — it’s about the treats and eats, too!
From bloody-looking dips to black-as-midnight noodles, here are five Filipino-inspired Halloween dishes are equal parts creepy and tasty:
1. Chicken Fingers with Bloody Giniling Dip
Pinoy-style chicken fingers (flavored with Filipino pantry staples like Maggi Magic Sarap) are always a party favorite. Turn them spooky by adding a dollop of mayo, ranch dressing, or a small slice of cheese at the end to create a nail shape. Make it bloodier with a matching dip made of tomato sauce, paste, and giniling for a meatier, chunkier texture. Credit: BiteSized PH
2. Dinuguan with Eyeball Puto
This Filipino stew made of pork blood is a comfort food favorite all year-round but makes for the perfect main dish on Halloween. Bring up your favorite dinuguan recipe but throw in some red bell peppers and chilies for pops of bright, menacing red among the brown-black soup base. If you’re talented enough, you can even make eyeball-designed puto to add to the plate.
3. Adobong Pusit Pasta
Combine Filipino favorite adobong pusit with the classic squid ink pasta for a creepy-looking but delicious pasta dish. This has all the makings of a star Halloween dish — the alien-like squid chunks, the black worm-like spaghetti, and the black ink that is sure to leave your teeth and lips stained. Credit: FEATR
4. Pumpkin Kakanin (Biko Kalabasa)
It’s not Halloween season without pumpkin-flavored treats. Biko Kalabasa is the perfect way to integrate pumpkin into a classic Filipino rice cake. Using coconut milk, pumpkin puree, glutinous rice, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice, you can have a sticky, sumptuous pumpkin-flavored kakanin for your table. Don’t forget to top with latik! Credit: Sweet Simple Vegan
5. Eyeball Mamon Pops
This “eye-popping” dessert gives a Filipino twist to classic cake pops by using soft mamon as the base. Crumble your choice of store-bought or ready-made mamon into a frosting-like mixture of butter, confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. For extra points, add in a dollop of strawberry jam in the cake for a bloody center. Like cake pops, finish off the mamon pops with a white chocolate coating and eyeball décor. Credit: BiteSized PH
Whether it’s a hauntingly good dessert or a bloody good snack, make sure your Halloween feast is all treats and no tricks! What are some of your favorite Halloween-inspired Pinoy dishes?