A Grateful Meal

Halloween

Pumpkin Spice Margarita

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This Pumpkin Spice Margarita is the perfect drink for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving or any crisp fall day!

I know that liking anything pumpkin spice-related is very basic, cliché, or whatever. But, I do not care one bit. I like what I like, and based on the fact that you are reading this, I think you agree too.

Two glasses of pumpkin spice margaritas with an orange kitchen towel, sliced oranges, a lit candle, and cinnamon sticks next to it. The background is white and there is a tequila bottle in the light gray background.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Margarita

  • Pumpkin puree: I always go with just the plain canned kind. Just make sure you’re getting the 100% pure pumpkin. Libby’s is a go-to brand.
  • Orange juice: I love the taste of oranges with winter squashes like pumpkin or butternut squash, so it’s a perfect choice as a mixer in this margarita.
  • Orange liqueur: There are many types of orange liquors. Some of the most popular orange liqueurs are Grand Marnier and Cointreau.
  • Tequila: I used silver tequila for this recipe. I tend to stick to silver tequilas when I make margaritas. It’s a personal preference, but go with what you like.
  • Ground cinnamon and sugar: There is no added sugar in the actual margarita, but the cinnamon-sugar rim is the perfect hint of sweetness that makes the drink taste well balanced.
  • Garnishes – orange peel or cinnamon stick: Garnishes are always optional, but they make a drink feel extra special even if it is a regular weekday evening.

How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Margarita

First, you’ll wet the rim of the glass with either water or the juicy side of an orange wedge and roll the rim in the ground cinnamon and sugar. You can add ice to the glass if you want it on the rocks, as I did, but you can also serve it straight up. All of the rest of the ingredients except for the garnishes are added to a cocktail shaker with ice. After shaking well, you strain into the cinnamon-sugar rimmed glass. Top with your favorite garnish, and you are good to go.

An overview of the pumpkin spice margaritas in two glasses with a cinnamon sugar rim. There are whole cinnamon sticks, slice oranges, and orange kitchen towel, and springs of rosemary in a white cup - all on a gray background.

How to Serve for a Halloween or Thanksgiving Margarita

This Pumpkin Spice Margarita is so incredibly perfect for the fall holidays – Halloween and Thanksgiving. For Thanksgiving, I usually break out the cocktails while I cook and prep – it makes it a lot more fun. Although be careful you don’t have a kitchen accident because you imbibed a bit too much. I typically go with wine with the actual Thanksgiving dinner,  but this cocktail would be excellent with the meal as well. The recipe can easily be multiplied and put into a pitcher if you have a crowd of people.

For Halloween, since I’m childfree, I tend to enjoy Halloween sitting on my porch passing out candy while drinking a cocktail – and this one would be an excellent option for that. It’s usually still pretty hot outside in the south for Halloween, so I tend to like nice icy and festive drinks instead of warm or hot drinks. But if you’re located in a colder climate, you might want to check out my spiked Apple Cider Hot Toddy. It’ll definitely keep you warm. Fun fact – two years ago, my friends and I passed out candy to the kids and a cocktail to all the parents. It was a super simple one with just juice and vodka. Needless to say, we were pretty popular that night. We had a few repeat trick-or-treaters on the count of parents wanting more of their “treat.” It was really fun and a great way to strike up a conversation with new people.

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Pumpkin Spice Margarita

An close up of the pumpkin spice margarita that has a orange peel and whole cinnamon stick on top. The margaritas have a cinnamon sugar rim. There are whole cinnamon sticks, slice oranges, and orange kitchen towel, and springs of rosemary in a white cup.
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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This Pumpkin Spice Margarita is the perfect drink for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving or any crisp fall day!

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 0 min
  • Total Time: 5 min
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
  • Category: cocktails
  • Method: Mixing

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
  • 3 oz. of  orange juice
  • 1 oz. orange liqueur
  • 2 oz. of tequila
  • Ground cinnamon and sugar, to taste for the rim
  • Orange peel and/or cinnamon sticks for garnish

Instructions

  1. For the cinnamon-sugar rim, add your desired amount of ground cinnamon and sugar to a small plate. Wet the rim of the glass with water or the fleshy part of a citrus wedge, if available. Roll the rim in the cinnamon and sugar on the plate. Fill the glass with ice if you want the margarita on the rocks.
  2. Add the pumpkin puree, orange juice, orange liqueur, and tequila with some ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour the margarita mix into the glass and top with an orange peel or cinnamon stick (if using garnishes).

Keywords: Pumpkin spice margarita, thanksgiving margarita

El Diablo Cocktail

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The El Diablo cocktail is exactly what you need for Halloween. It’s simple and the perfect drink to for any fall gathering or to sip on while sitting the porch handing out candy, which is exactly my plan. (Don’t worry, this year the candy will remain at the end of my driveway for adequate social distancing!) I mean how can you not have a cocktail named “el diablo” on Halloween.

Overview of an el diablo cocktail with limes and blackberries on the side on a white countertop.

This classic cocktail is just slightly sweet and a little spicy thanks to the addition of ginger beer and creme de cassis. To give the drink an extra tang, make sure that you use a good quality ginger beer that will give you the spice required for this drink. I recommend Fever Tree or Q Mixers ginger beer – I have used both with great results in the past. The creme de cassis adds a deep earthy sweetness as it is a liquor made from black currant berries. It adds a nice deep reddish/purple hue that just screams Halloween. The drink hits all the key flavor points of a quality cocktail (at least in my book): slightly sweet, a tad spicy, and a good bit tart.

You can serve the drink on the rocks or neat in a champagne coupe for a little extra drama. Top it with an extra lime wheel and some blackberries, and you’re golden.

Close up of an el diablo cocktail garnished with a blackberry and lime with a bottle of tequila in the background.

Ingredients

Tequila: I use white tequila or “blanco” for this cocktail. Sometimes this tequila is called “silver” tequila. Either way, it’s unaged and does best in cocktails vs. the darker tequila (amber tone, not the one colored with caramel color that looks gold) is aged and does better for shots.

Crème de cassis: As I mentioned, this is a liquor made from black currants. They have a strong berry flavor. It typically hails from France and is a key ingredient in another classic cocktail, Kir – which is white wine topped with crème de cassis. For a Kir Royale, you swap the white wine for champagne.

Limes: Fresh lime juice is always best in cocktails and gives a fresh punch of acidity, which works so well in this cocktail.  Keep a few wedges or wheels of lime for garnish or extra squeezing on top.

Quality ginger beer: As mentioned, Q Mixers or Fever Tree are my favorite high-quality ginger beers. A higher quality ginger beer will let the ginger flavor come through more for a sweet and spicy kick.

Blackberries: This is optional but is a nice touch. Black currants are hard to find for garnish so blackberries are a good sub. Tip: If you freeze the berries in advance, you can use them as ice cubes.  

Picture of two el diablo cocktails on a white background with a bottle of tequila, limes, and blackberries on the side

How to Make an El Diablo Cocktail

All of the ingredients except the ginger beer and garnishes go into a cocktail shaker with ice. After shaking them all up, you strain the cocktail in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice (or champagne coupe for neat) and top with the ginger beer. Don’t put the ginger beer in the shaker – you might end up with a huge mess by shaking up something with carbonation!

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El Diablo Cocktail

Close up of an el diablo cocktail garnished with a blackberry and lime with a bottle of tequila in the background and blackberries and limes on the side.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
  • Category: cocktail

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tbsp. (or 1.5 oz) tequila blanco
  • 1 tbsp. (or 1/2 oz.) creme de cassis
  • 1 tbsp. (or 1/2 oz.) lime juice
  • 6 tbsp. (or 3 oz.) quality ginger beer (such as Q Mixers or Fever Tree)
  • Extra lime wedges or wheels and blackberries for garnish

Instructions

  1. Pour tequila, creme de cassis, and lime juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake, then strain into a glass filled with ice for on the rocks or without ice for neat. Top with ginger beer.

Keywords: cocktail, halloween, blackberries, tequila, creme de cassis

Churro Chex Mix

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This Churro Chex Mix is a sweet party mix or dessert made with Chex cereal, chocolate, and cinnamon that can be made right in the microwave! It’s a total crowd-pleaser. 

Who doesn’t love churros? I mean it’s sweet cinnamon dough dipped in chocolate – what’s not to like? Yum. Now take those flavors and put it into party mix? Double yum.

Sheet pan of churro chex mix with a spoonful a cinnamon next to it.

Ingredients

White chocolate chips: I really like white chocolate – I used a 22 oz. of white chocolate chips. You can use your favorite brand. It’s much more neutral-flavored over regular chocolate, so it’s a great vehicle to allow the cinnamon flavor to come through.

Coconut oil: Adding a little bit of coconut oil helps the melted chocolate have a consistent, silky texture. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use a neutral-tasting oil like canola, light-tasting olive oil, or avocado oil.

Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is the star of the show with its warm spicy flavor.  

Chex cereal: I used three different kinds of Chex cereal: rice, wheat, and corn. If you want a gluten-free snack mix, use only rice and/or corn Chex, but you’ll also have to trade out pretzels for a gluten-free version.

Pretzels: You can use salted or unsalted pretzels, but I personally prefer the salty ones for a salty and sweet combination.

Dark chocolate chips: Typically, you dip your churros in rich, dark chocolate, so adding some dark chocolate chips seemed natural. You don’t end up melting the dark chocolate – you keep them whole as a mix-in. Pick your favorite dark chocolate chips, or you can also use something like dark chocolate M&Ms if you’d prefer.

Mixed nuts: Feel free to use mixed nuts or your favorite nut by itself. I used almonds because it’s what I had on hand. You can’t go wrong here. Use salted or unsalted depending on your preferences. You do you.

Close up of churro chex mix

How to Make Churro Chex Mix

All Chex mixes are easy to make, and this Churro Chex Mix is no different. I made a Ranch Chex Mix recently that was just as delicious and easy. For this recipe, you’ll need to first melt the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave. Once the chocolate is smooth and silky, you’ll add the cinnamon. After this, you’ll add in the cereal, pretzels, dark chocolate chips, and nuts to evenly coat with the white chocolate and cinnamon. Lastly, you’ll need to spread the mixture out on a sheet pan to cool and harden. At this point, you’ll only need to try to refrain from snacking on the mix until it’s cool. Good luck. 

Bowl of churro chex mix next to a sheet pan of churro chex mix
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Churro Chex Mix

Bowl of churro chex mix next to a sheet pan of churro chex mix
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes + cooling time
  • Yield: 12–13 cups of snack mix 1x
  • Category: dessert, snack
  • Method: microwave

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large bag of white chocolate chips (about 22 oz.)
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups of rice Chex
  • 3 cups of wheat Chex
  • 3 cups of corn Chex
  • 2 cup pretzels
  • 1 cup of dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup of mixed nuts or nuts of your choosing (I used almonds)

Instructions

  1. Melt white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a large microwave-safe bowl on high in the microwave on intervals of 1 ½ – 2 minutes until completely silky smooth.
  2. Add cinnamon into white chocolate and stir until thoroughly distributed.
  3. Mix together the rest of the ingredients (Chex cereal, pretzels, chocolate chips, and nuts) in a separate large mixing bowl. Pour white chocolate and cinnamon mixture over the top and mix until all of the ingredients are equally coated.
  4. Spread out cereal mixture on a sheet pan until cool and hardened.

Keywords: dessert

Salted Chocolate & Peanut Popcorn Clusters

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Popcorn cluster with peanuts and chocolate drizzle

Salted chocolate and peanut popcorn sound like they just belong together. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like the sweet and salty vibe. Salt just enhances the taste of the sweet. These clusters also have nutty, toasty goodness from the peanuts and popcorn. Make sure that you use plain popcorn, meaning unsalted, un-buttered, and no other flavor. You want to be able to control the taste. You’ll get the salt flavor from the salted, roasted peanuts.

Three popcorn clusters on brown paper with chocolate drizzle and peanuts

They’re super simple and basically about as complicated as a rice crispy treats, but yet they taste like so much more. I think it’s the perfect October treat with Halloween just around the corner. In my opinion, simple is always best. If you feel the same, you might want to also check out my free weeknight meal planner. It’s the perfect frame work to be able to whip nothing into something delicious, nourishing, and quick on a weeknight.

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Salted Chocolate & Peanut Popcorn Clusters

Popcorn cluster with peanuts and chocolate drizzle
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  • Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 8 oz. (about 5 1/2 cups) mini marshmallows
  • 8 cups plain popcorn (no salt, no butter)
  • 2/3 cup salted peanuts
  • 2 oz. dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add in mini marshmallows and stir until marshmallows melted – careful not to burn. Remove from heat. Add in popcorn then fold in peanuts.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour mixture onto baking sheet and spread as much as possible with spatula. Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in microwave for about 1-1 1/2 minutes on high or until melted and spreadable.
  3. Once cooled, break into popcorn mixture into 12 pieces/clusters. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill for additional 10 minutes or until chocolate solid. Enjoy!

Shop the recipe:

Plain popcorn

Large saute pan

Parchment paper