FROM cheesecakes with creepy faces to chocolate pumpkins, there are plenty of hair-raising treats lining the supermarket shelves ahead of Halloween.
Whether it is gory goodies or supernatural nibbles you’re after, you will be spoilt for choice in the run-up to October 31.
I sampled Halloween-inspired snacks from major supermarkets ahead of October 31, so you don’t have to.
This included treats from Aldi, Asda, Lidl, M&S, Tesco, and an assortment of sweets from Haribo.
Whether you’re craving a sugar hit, hosting a Halloween party, or preparing to welcome trick-or-treaters, we’ve got you covered.
Here are our top picks.
BEST SWEETS
- The Haribo Halloween collection
- Price: From 99p
Haribo has truly embraced the Halloween spirit this year by unveiling a variety of new Halloween-inspired sweets across its range.
Shoppers at most major supermarkets can now choose from three new Haribo offerings: a multipack ideal for trick-or-treating, sour skeleton-shaped gummies, and fizzy monster treats.
Additionally, there’s a new Halloween-themed edition of Maoam’s popular pinballs available.
All of these sweets were standout hits for me, and I must say, you can’t go wrong with Haribo.
The Trick or Treat multipack features individual bags filled with a magical assortment of bat, broomstick, frog, and spider-shaped pieces.
Each bite brings a burst of fruity goodness, and the chewy consistency of the gummy and foam-based sweets are a perfectly satisfying treat.
For those who like a bit of fizz on their tongue, Haribo’s Monsters Z!ng gummies are equally delightful.
However, given my love for sour treats, the sour skeletons were my absolute favourite.
Supermarkets have long tried to replicate Haribo’s delectable gummies with their own versions.
However, they rarely match the quality of these iconic German sweets.
That said, I was pleasantly surprised by Lidl’s Halloween sweets offering, which managed to impress even a devoted Haribo fan like myself.
This year, the budget supermarket is selling 1kg tubs of “spooky” jelly sweets for just £4.49.
That’s more than enough to satisfy the entire family and still have plenty left over for trick-or-treaters knocking on the door.
BEST CAKES
- Tesco’s 9 Halloween Cupcakes
- Price: £4 with a Clubcard (£5 without)
I absolutely adore supermarket cakes; they take the hassle out of baking from scratch and are often moister and more scrumptious than my homemade attempts.
Among the supermarkets we tested, Tesco’s Halloween-inspired cakes stood out as the best.
Not only are they reasonably priced, but they also offer a variety of flavours in one pack.
Tesco’s nine-pack of Halloween cupcakes includes three vanilla sponges topped with chocolate-flavoured frosting, green vanilla icing, and sugar decorations.
Additionally, there are three chocolate sponges topped with purple vanilla frosting and a sugar paste ghost-shaped decoration.
Finally, the pack features three more chocolate sponges topped with orange vanilla frosting and sugar decorations.
Every single cake in the pack was moist, and the frosting was deliciously sweet but not too sickly.
In terms of presentation, Tesco outshines Asda’s more basic cupcake options.
M&S also offers nine Halloween “mini” cupcakes (£5), but these fall short compared to Tesco’s, as they are smaller and offer less value for money.
If you prefer a chilled dessert, Aldi’s Cookies and Scream Cheesecake (£3.49) is a must-try.
This delectable pudding, adorned with a design reminiscent of Kevin Williamson’s Ghostface, delivers everything you could want in a cheesecake.
Plus, it costs less than a fiver.
BEST BISCUITS
- Asda
- Price: £8
I adore biscuits, but cookies are my absolute favourite when it comes to sweet, crunchy snacks.
After all, who can argue against the addition of chocolate to anything?
If you love going all out for any festivity or major event, then Asda’s Trick or Treat cookie will be perfect for you.
This isn’t just any cookie, it’s the size of a flipping baking tray – so there’s plenty to go around.
It tasted exactly as it should, but I liked its moist and slightly soft texture the most.
You’ll also be guaranteed a chocolate chip with every bite, as Asda hasn’t skimped on the essentials.
It’ll set you back £8 in-store and online.
Lidl came runner-up with its Halloween biscuits with milk chocolate (£1.29), but these were still worlds away from Asda’s showstopper.
BEST CHOCOLATE
- Lidl’s
- Price: £5.99
When it comes to chocolate, my favourite was chosen less for its taste and more for its presentation.
If you love an Easter egg, you and your kids will love Lidl’s Petrifying Pumpkin Piñata (£6.99).
This 300g chocolate pumpkin is packed to the brim with chewy sweets and marshmallows, and every bite is simply delicious.
If the flavour of chocolate is paramount but you still want a touch of fun, M&S’s Glow in the Dark Ghost Train is another excellent choice (£5.40).
The tin, cleverly shaped like a ghost train, is filled to the brim with hollow milk chocolate “spooky passengers”.
Why do we celebrate Halloween?
HALLOWEEN has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in Pagan times.
But today, Halloween is the festival of scary costumes, carved pumpkins, horror films, and trick-or-treating. Read on to find out more about the spooky celebrations…
Halloween falls on October 31 every year.
It dates back to the ancient festival of Samhain, celebrated by the Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago on the lands now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France.
One of the most important celebrations in the Celtic calendar was Samhain, or the Feast of the Dead.
Samhain celebrated the harvest and marked the end of summer, heralding the start of winter, a time of year most closely associated with death.
The Celts believed that at this time of year, ghosts of the dead came back to earth.
But the Celtic pagans didn’t fear the dead— instead, Samhain was a time for Druids (Celtic priests) to make prophecies.
Huge bonfires were built, where people would offer crops and animals as sacrifices, and costumes were worn to ward off evil spirits.
The modern name of Halloween has evolved from All Hallows’ Evening, also referred to as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve.
Halloween is on the day before Christian holy day of All Saints’ Day, which is still celebrated widely across Europe today.
All Saints’ Day takes place on November 1 each year, and used to remember all the saints, especially those who do not have an official day of their own.
