This Easy Halloween Veggie Tray is a showstopper for spooky season with just two ingredients! Carrots and olives, both family favorites, come together to create a fun and festive platter for the table. It’s affordable, quick to assemble, perfect for a last-minute snack on Halloween night, and always delicious. Plus, it offers a healthy alternative when everybody already has plenty of candy around this time of year.
Jump to:
- Easy Halloween Veggie Tray
- Why You'll Love This Spooky Veggie Tray
- Supplies Needed
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to Make a Veggie Tray
- Variation: Pumpkin Veggie Tray
- Gluten-Free and Vegan Halloween Platter
- Dips to Serve with a Veggie Tray
- Storage Suggestions
- Pro Tips
- More Fall & Halloween Themed Appetizers
- Recipe
Easy Halloween Veggie Tray
As far as Halloween veggie tray ideas go, this one takes the cake! It's ridiculously easy while also being very impressive and dramatic. The black olives are a stark contrast against the orange carrots!
And what little kid doesn't love to run around with black olives on all of their fingers acting scary? No? Just my kids? Nevermind...
In addition to the overall look of this Halloween veggie platter, it's so inexpensive and easy to make. Other than the two vegetables, the only other thing you might add is a fun dip (or dips) and you're set!
Why You'll Love This Spooky Veggie Tray
- Budget-Friendly. You won't need a big budget to put together this veggie tray masterpiece. A couple of bags of baby carrots plus some canned black olives and you're set!
- Easy. Anybody can make this easy Halloween appetizer. No baking or cooking skills are needed.
- Last-Minute. In 15 minutes or less, you can go from start to finish on this quick Halloween veggie tray. Open the bags and cans, arrange them on a platter, and your finger food is ready!
- Make Ahead. You can make Spooky Halloween Veggie Trays a day ahead covered with plastic wrap!
- Healthy. This appetizer is made from raw, fresh veggies, guys. What could beat this healthy Halloween snack?
Supplies Needed
- 10-Inch Black Platter - this is a Walmart link. Hurry and order before Halloween is here, or you may even be able to grab one at your local store! There's also this one on Amazon.
- Triangle Cookie Cutter (I used a 3-inch candy corn cutter or you could find a candy corn cutter in sets like this with different shapes)
Ingredients
- Baby Carrots
- Medium Black Olives
Substitutions
If you don't like carrots or don't want to only serve carrots and olives, there are other different veggies you can use in this veggie tray. You may not get the same dramatic look as you do with the baby carrots, but you can still make an impressive Halloween Vegetable tray with orange bell pepper strips and others...
Other Orange Veggies
- Regular Carrots - Cut a large carrot into thin carrot sticks! This may be obvious, but I had to mention it because you can get the same look as you have with the baby carrots.
- Orange Bell Pepper - cut into thin strips
- Sweet Peppers - like this mini bell pepper, come in orange varieties.
Make a Veggie & Fruit Tray
- Use cubes or strips of cantaloupe with the black olives to have a mixed tray of fruits and veggies for your Pumpkin Face Veggie Tray.
How to Make a Veggie Tray
This Halloween-themed Veggie Tray is such a fun way to add a healthy snack to your Halloween parties.
- Place a triangle (or candy corn) cookie cutter in the upper left area of the black tray, about an inch from the top. Fill the cookie cutter center in with olives.
- Assemble the carrots around the cookie cutter. It looks great if you can lay them all in the same direction. Don’t fill in the right side of the plate just yet! You're just building a "dam" of carrots around the cookie cutter on the left side. Once you’ve arranged the carrots around it, gently press the olives into place. Carefully remove the cookie cutter, little by little.
- Now, repeat steps 1-3 for the right side of the plate.
- Next, place a row of carrots under the eyes, lengthwise, and then run a line of carrots along the very bottom edge of the plate, connecting the left and right sides to the top. Be sure to layer each row of carrots twice and fill in the center of the tray.
- Finally, fill the rest of the tray at the bottom with olives to create the mouth, arranging them to fill any gaps. Grab a few dip bowls, serve, and enjoy!
Variation: Pumpkin Veggie Tray
Don't want to make a Jack-O-Lantern Veggie Tray? You can still use the round tray and cover it with orange veggies for a festive pumpkin veggie tray.
Add some celery sticks to make the pumpkin stem on top of the pumpkin and you're set with a super cute Halloween appetizer!
Gluten-Free and Vegan Halloween Platter
Need a healthy Halloween treat for sensitive diets? This is a gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan Halloween appetizer.
You can also add one (or more) of the dips below and still offer your guests vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options on your Halloween party table!
Dips to Serve with a Veggie Tray
You don't have to have dip with your veggie tray, I suppose, but that's how we do things around here.
You can use a store-bought dip for convenience or mix up a semi-homemade dip with sour cream and dry ranch mix (our family favorite veggie dip)... or go all the way scratch and make your favorite dip homemade.
Can't choose? Grab a few small bowls and some different flavors for your Halloween veggies.
Here are some great dip options to serve with a veggie tray:
- Gluten-free Hummus – A classic, healthy option that pairs well with most veggies. You can offer different flavors like roasted red pepper, garlic, or even spicy hummus.
- Ranch Dressing – A traditional favorite, creamy and tangy, perfect for carrots and olives (or any different vegetables, really)
- Guacamole – Fresh and flavorful, guacamole adds a creamy, rich dip that goes great with a variety of veggies.
- Greek Yogurt Dip – A lighter, protein-rich option. Mix Greek yogurt with herbs like dill, garlic, or chives for added flavor.
- Peanut or Almond Butter – A great choice for carrots, offering a nutty and slightly sweet flavor.
- Salsa – A light, tangy option, especially good with carrots. This salsa recipe is a crowd favorite with my family. (a vegan dip that is also gluten-free and vegetarian)
These dips provide a variety of flavors and textures to complement the fresh crunch of veggies.
Storage Suggestions
Refrigerate: Refrigerate any leftovers in plastic zip-top bags!
Do not freeze.
Make Ahead. This Spooky Vegetable Halloween appetizer can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge, covered in tight plastic wrap. If it’s not covered properly, it will dry out the veggies. It is best when served immediately or shortly after assembly.
Pro Tips
- The easiest way to assemble your Halloween vegetables is to put them on a platter with straight up and down sides. If you don’t use the exact platter I did, that’s okay, but you’ll definitely want one with flat sides. It’s not difficult to adjust the veggies to your platter; however, it turns out best when you can do at least two layers of carrots, as it fills it in better and doesn’t leave holes.
- If your baby carrots look dried out and white on the outside, soak them in a bowl of water for five minutes before assembling them on the platter.
- I serve this easy appetizer with a small set of tongs and a bowl of ranch dressing or ranch dip for those who want it.
- If your veggie tray looks a little dry, gently brush some water over the veggies with a basting brush. This will liven them up a bit.
- If you can’t get your hands on a cookie cutter, it’s pretty easy to position the carrots into the correct shape and fill it in from there.
- If you use a bigger or smaller platter size, this will adjust how many veggies you’ll need and it will most likely adjust the size of cookie cutter you’ll need for the eyes.
More Fall & Halloween Themed Appetizers
- Flatbread Halloween Pizzas
- Cinnamon Tortilla Chips and Apple Pie Dip
- Mummy Cake Pops
- Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies
- Chewy Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies
- No Bake Black Cheesecake with Spider Webs
- Fall Charcuterie Board with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip
- Perfect Halloween Birthday Cake (Black Velvet Cake)
Recipe
Easy Halloween Veggie Tray (2 Ingredients!)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This Easy Halloween Veggie Tray is a showstopper for spooky season with just two ingredients! Carrots and olives, both family favorites, come together to create a fun and festive platter for the table. It’s affordable, quick to assemble, perfect for a last-minute snack on Halloween night, and always delicious. Plus, it offers a healthy alternative when everybody already has plenty of candy around this time of year.
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Baby Carrots
- 12 Ounces Canned Medium Black Olives, drained
Instructions
- Place the cookie cutter in the upper, left, top of the plate, about an inch from the top. Fill the cookie cutter center in with olives.
- Assemble the carrots around the cookie cutter and do your best to keep them going the same direction. Do not fill in the right side of the plate yet, you’re just building up a dam around the cutter.
- Once you’ve built up the carrots around the cutter, press on the olives gently, and carefully, a bit at a time, pull out the cookie cutter.
- Repeat steps 1-3 for the right side.
- Put a line of carrots under the eyes, lengthwise, and then run a line of carrots along the very bottom part of the plate until the left and right sides meet the carrots at the top. Remember that each line of carrots needs two layers.
- Fill the empty space at the bottom of the plate with olives, arranging them to fill holes properly. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge, covered in tight plastic. If it’s not covered properly, it will dry out the veggies. Do not freeze. Best when served immediately or shortly after assembled.
- If you don’t use the exact platter I did, that’s ok, but you’ll definitely want one with sides that sits flat. It’s not difficult to adjust the veggies to your platter, however, it turns out best when you can do at least two layers of carrots as it fills it in better and doesn’t leave holes.
- If your baby carrots look like they’re dried out with white on the outside, soak them in a bowl of water for five minutes before assembling on the platter.
- I serve this with a small set of tongs and a bowl of ranch for those who want it.
- If your veggie tray is looking a little dry, use a basting brush to brush some water over the veggies, gently. This will liven them up a bit.
- If you can’t get your hands on a cookie cutter, it’s pretty easy to position the carrots into the correct shape and just fill it in from there.
- If you use a bigger or smaller platter size, this will adjust how many veggies you’ll need and it will most likely adjust the size of cookie cutter you’ll need for the eyes.
- Calorie count below does not account for any dips
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Appetizer
Katie
I love how creative and easy this is to pull together!