Skull Bones Spooky Spread (Print)

Creamy spread shaped with fresh veggies into a spooky skull and crossbones for festive fun.

# What You Need:

→ Creamy Spread

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 2 tbsp sour cream
03 - 1 tsp garlic powder
04 - 1 tsp lemon juice
05 - Salt, to taste
06 - Black pepper, to taste

→ Skull Features & Decoration

07 - 1 small cucumber, sliced into rounds
08 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
09 - 2 large black olives, halved
10 - 1 small carrot, sliced into rounds and cut for teeth and nose
11 - 2 to 4 long celery sticks or breadsticks
12 - Fresh parsley or chives, optional for garnish

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth.
02 - Spread the mixture on a large serving platter, shaping it into an oval to resemble a skull and smooth the surface.
03 - Place celery sticks or breadsticks crossing underneath the bottom of the skull shape to simulate crossbones.
04 - Position black olive halves as eyes, a carrot piece or olive slice for the nose, and use red bell pepper strips and carrot rounds for the mouth and teeth.
05 - Enhance with cucumber slices and additional vegetable pieces to complete the skull’s facial details and add color.
06 - Garnish with parsley or chives if desired and serve chilled with crackers or vegetable dippers.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It's the kind of appetizer that gets people talking before they even take a bite, turning a simple platter into the star of the party.
  • Zero cooking required means you can spend your Halloween actually enjoying your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
  • Kids and adults alike get genuinely excited about eating something shaped like a skull—vegetables have never been cooler.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and easily adaptable for gluten-free diets, so nobody feels left out.
02 -
  • Soft, room-temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable—don't even try to shape it straight from the fridge, or you'll spend twenty frustrated minutes fighting lumpy texture.
  • This spread needs seasoning to actually taste good. I learned this the hard way at my first attempt when everyone politely ate it but nobody raved. Don't be timid with the garlic powder and salt.
03 -
  • Use herbed cream cheese as your base for instant flavor without extra ingredients—it's a restaurant trick that takes this up a notch immediately.
  • Press your vegetable pieces into the spread firmly so they don't shift around during serving—they should feel anchored, not just balanced on top.
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