Halloween has a bit of magic and mystery that none of the other holidays can match. You might be struggling to think of ways to create a fantastic Halloween coffee to celebrate the day properly, and you might be worried you’re going to miss your opportunity for a spooky brew.
Well, don't worry, because, in this guide, we'll introduce the best Halloween coffees and give you plenty of great options to try.
8 Halloween Themed Coffee Drinks (Unique Recipes!)
As soon as we get into October, it's all about Halloween, including the coffees. These Halloween day drinks are designed to capture the spooky essence of the holiday either through the look, texture, or taste.
Halloween coffee drinks use different garnishes to conjure images of blood, ghouls, or ghosts and combine spice with brown sugar to give you a unique taste that we all associate with Halloween. There's a lot to choose from and a lot to enjoy, and here are our favorite options:
1. Jack-O'-Lantern Latte
What could be more Halloweeny than the Jack O'Lantern latte? This is a twist on the classic pumpkin spiced latte, which has a bit of extra sweetness from the candy, and an eerie grin on top like you would see from a carved pumpkin. It's a great way to inject a bit more spookiness into your Halloween coffee and embrace the holiday season.
A jack o’lantern latte is usually made at home using pumpkin mix and spice to re-create a pumpkin spiced latte. You then drizzle chocolate syrup around the edges of the glass and top with whipped cream and orange food coloring to give it the pumpkin look. Finally, arrange cardy corn or white chocolate chips on top of the whipped cream to make a grinning Jack O'lantern face on the top.
The extra candy, brown sugar, and whipped cream in this coffee mean it isn't a particularly healthy option, and there are about 180 calories and 45 grams of sugar in a single serving. There's also about 140mg of caffeine from the two shots of espresso, so the mix of sugar and caffeine will definitely perk you up.
The look, feel, and taste of this drink all scream Halloween, and it’s a brilliant Halloween day coffee.
2. Trick or Treat Latte
The trick or treat latte captures the Halloween holiday mood by combining sweet and salty flavors in one drink. It incorporates pecans and maple syrup to give a rich but unique taste that is very different from your usual latte, but a bit like a nutty version of a classic pumpkin spice latte. The maple syrup, combined with the orange coloring, makes it a great Halloween-themed coffee that will definitely put a spring in your step.
The trick or treat latte is primarily made from one shot of espresso mixed with frothed milk, with added pecan butter, vanilla syrup or vanilla extract, maple syrup, and chopped pecans on top of a layer of whipped cream. The range of ingredients means that this is not a particularly healthy option and there are over 250 calories in a serving, with 50 grams of sugar.
There's also about 100mg of caffeine from the freshly brewed coffee base. If you like the combination of nuts, steamed milk, and coffee, you'll love this trick or treat coffee, and we think it's best enjoyed on a cool Halloween evening.
3. Frightful Fire Cocktail
This fiery coffee cocktail is an impressive one to show your guests this Halloween.
As the name suggests, it involves fire springing out from the drink, and if you turn the lights down low, you can really put on a show. Halloween is all about darkness, flames, fire, and magic, and this coffee-based cocktail captures it all.
This is an alcoholic coffee drink, so it isn’t going to be suitable for everyone. You make it by pouring rum and triple sec into a glass and then lighting it on fire. Then you quickly pour in brewed coffee and coffee liqueur which should extinguish the flames, and add whipped cream and cinnamon powder to the top. The combination of coffee and alcohol has always been good, but this fire cocktail takes it to another level, and it's the perfect after-dinner coffee-based Halloween drink.
Even though there's no milk or whipped cream, there are still 150 calories in a serving, with 95mg of caffeine and 2-3 units of alcohol (depending on your measures).
4. Ghoulish Coffee Punch
The ghoulish coffee punch is an excellent option for anyone entertaining this Halloween. It involves a mixture of coffee and ice cream, which is similar to an Italian Affogato, but with some devilish Halloween extras thrown in to make it suitable for the occasion. If you're looking for a creamy, caffeinated coffee treat, then this is one to try.
To make the punch, you'll need to dye some ice cream and find a few gummy eyeballs. Layer these in a glass, and pour in a fresh double espresso. Top with vanilla ice cream, a dash of whipped cream, and if you have it, some red strawberry sauce. As the ice cream starts to melt, you'll end up with a red punch with gummy eyeballs and red ice cubes floating around.
It's very spooky and remarkably delicious, making it the perfect accompaniment to a Halloween dinner. There are about 300 calories in a serving (mainly from the ice cream) and 150mg of caffeine from the espresso.
5. Pumpkin Spice Latte
The pumpkin spice latte is a classic, and you can't think of Halloween coffees without including this one. This is one of the most popular Starbucks halloween drinks on the menu and mixes the sweetness of pumpkin with a range of spices to give you a very unique latte. The pumpkin spice latte is available throughout Autumn and Winter, but we will always think of it as a Halloween special.
A pumpkin spiced latte is really popular with coffee drinkers of all ages, and social media is flooded with pictures every October. It's one of the coffee recipes that works well with soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk - making it perfect for vegan diets.
It's not exactly a healthy option because of the brown sugar, steamed milk, and whipped cream, and a typical pumpkin spice latte has over 350 calories, 50 grams of sugar, and 100mg of caffeine in a single serving. However, it's the ultimate Halloween drink, and we make it a point to have at least 1 pumpkin spiced latte on October 31st every year.
6. Witch's Cold Brew
The witch's cold brew is one of the favorites with strong coffee drinkers because even though it's suitably festive, it doesn't lose the flavor of the brewed coffee. It's easy to make and high in caffeine, making it the perfect Halloween drink for those who need a big energy boost.
A witch's brew is made with hazelnut cold brew mixed with vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, and extra hazelnut cream. You can add in any other garnishes and spices that you like, and we like to serve it in a mini-cauldron mug to complete the Halloween look.
Dunkin Donuts homebrew works really well in this Halloween coffee, and witch's cold brew is perfect for anyone who wants a nutty coffee without steamed milk and without too much sugar. There are about 125 calories and 20 grams of sugar in a serving and about 230mg of caffeine from the cold brew, so it will certainly wake you up.
7. Reese’s Peanut Butter Iced Coffee
Reese's peanut butter cups are the guilty pleasure of the nation, and many of us associate Halloween with receiving some of them in our trick or treat bags. This iced coffee combines the sweet flavor with espresso to give you a really enjoyable Halloween drink that should bring back all the memories of your young trick-or-treating days.
To make a Reese’s peanut butter iced coffee, combine strong coffee with Reese’s peanut butter sauce, chocolate syrup, and milk, adding in extra powdered sugar to taste. It's then topped with some whipped cream or heavy cream.
You can whisk to combine or blend these together if you have the equipment. This guilty pleasure is great to enjoy while the kids eat their candy, and there are 250 calories, 50 grams of sugar, and 80mg of caffeine in a serving - though if you use soy milk or almond milk there are fewer calories.
8. Spooky Spiked Espresso Float
The spooky spiked espresso float is a boozy Halloween drink that combines vodka, espresso, and pumpkin beer (which replaces the steamed milk).
It's one for younger drinkers (though only those over 21, obviously) and is perfect for Halloween parties.
To make your spooky spiked espresso float, you'll need to put 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a glass, pour in one shot of espresso, add in 1 tablespoon of vodka, and pour in the pumpkin beer.
It's boozy but delicious, and as the ice cream melts, it gets even richer and creamier.
There are around 350 calories in a serving, with 60 grams of sugar and 100mg of caffeine. If you love beer, you'll really enjoy this Halloween coffee.
How To Make Halloween Themed Coffee Drinks At Home?
Not everyone can make it out to coffee shops this Halloween, and it can end up being really expensive if you're trying all the specialty drinks. The good news is that it’s easy enough to make your own Halloween themed coffee drink at home, and here are some tips on how to do it:
Choose The Right Coffee
Some coffees are harder to make at home than others. If you want to make a hot Halloween coffee, we recommend making a latte because all you'll need is a milk frother for the steamed milk. If you're making a cold Halloween coffee, we'd suggest using a cold brew. You can buy this readymade or make your own version of the strong coffee by steeping grounds in cold water for 12 hours. Super easy, and no special equipment required.
Sugar And Spice
Halloween coffees are all about capturing the flavors of the season. Your coffee needs to be sweet, and there are a lot of different syrups and creams you can use to add this, but it should also have a bit of spice. We always try to mix cinnamon powder (or cinnamon sugar), nutmeg, or spice mixes into the coffee drink and use pumpkin syrup or pumpkin spice whenever possible. Peppermint syrup can also be useful in some alcoholic drinks. Combining sweet and spice is key, so at a minimum, we would recommend stocking up on:
Presentation
Finally, you should consider your presentation and how it’s going to look. You should try and use orange, red, and black in your drink as much as possible to emulate the Halloween colors. Food coloring works well, but you can also introduce other ingredients as needed. Don't be afraid to go over the top, either. We love putting gummy eyeballs and other Halloween candy into the mix to freak people out.
How To Order Halloween Drinks At Dunkin Donuts?
Dunkin Donuts does introduce various Halloween drinks around October, but their most popular is the peanut butter cup macchiato. It has the irresistible flavors of a peanut butter cup, with bold espresso layered on top or a rich layer of steamed milk. This gives it a rich taste but also makes it strikingly black and orange, so it works perfectly as a Halloween coffee.
Dunkin only offers the peanut butter cup macchiato around Halloween, so you'll have to look for it on the main menu, but when it is on there, you just order it from your server without any specific instructions needed - though you can choose specific coffee beans if you like. It's available in small, medium, and large, and a large one will cost you $4.89 (average).
There are about 280 calories in a serving of the Dunkin peanut butter cup macchiato with 44 grams of sugar. There's a whopping 240mg of caffeine in a cup, though, and it's the combination of sweet flavors with the big caffeine boost that makes it popular with coffee drinkers.
Frequently Asked Halloween Themed Coffee Drinks Questions
Does Starbucks have a Halloween coffee drink?
Starbucks introduced the zombie Frappuccino in 2017, and it was one of the best most popular coffee recipes so they've brought it back every year. The zombie Frappuccino is different from other cream Frappuccino recipes and has flavors of tart apple and caramel syrup. It also has a green body and pink whipped cream, so it looks like brains on top, with a red mocha drizzle to complete the look.
How do you order Halloween drinks at Starbucks?
Starbucks Halloween drinks start in October, so you should be able to go in and order one directly from your barista. You can also go off menu and order Starbucks secret menu drinks to get Halloween coffee recipes year round.
How much do Halloween coffee drinks cost?
If you’re buying a Halloween coffee drink from a coffee chain, you should expect it to cost $3-$5, and some Starbucks secret menu coffee recipes are over $6. However, if you're making one yourself, you can do it for a fraction of the price, and it should only cost you $1-$2 for ingredients.
Conclusion
Halloween is all about enjoying the spooky vibes, and there’s no reason your coffee shouldn’t get into the holiday spirit too. There's a wide variety of store-bought or homemade options out there. Hopefully, this guide has introduced some Halloween coffee drinks you're excited to try and given you some inspiration ahead of October 31st.
