This Halloween buffalo chicken dip is one of the most fun Halloween appetizers for any Halloween party! A classic buffalo chicken dip gets a fun Halloween spin with the addition of cheese ghosts, turning it into a boo-ffalo dip that everyone will love! It’s a simple, festive, and delicious Halloween snack that’s almost too cute to eat!
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Booffalo chicken Dip
One of our most popular recipes is this buffalo chicken dip. My family has been making it for most parties for a good part of ten years and thousands of people around the world have made it too!
But it tends to only get made for things like Super Bowl parties because well it’s buffalo chicken dip! So I thought instead of reinventing the wheel and coming up with a new recipe that hasn’t been tested out like this one – that I would just start from a reader favorite and make a Halloween version instead!
And this Halloween buffalo chicken dip turned out maybe even cuter than I anticipated. It’s ghost themed so it works for most Halloween party themes and it’s simple to make – so it’s one of my new favorite last-minute Halloween party ideas!
Why you’ll love this halloween dip
- Tried and true – the buffalo dip has been a staple in my house (we’ve even used it for buffalo chicken egg rolls and buffalo chicken dip roll ups) for decades and adding the ghost cheese slices just makes it even better!
- Great for sharing – this themed Halloween buffalo chicken dip serves quite a few people with just a little bit of work, making it perfect for a party!
- Perfectly themed – it’s almost too cute to eat. Almost.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Shredded chicken – I typically just cook up chicken in an Instant Pot then shred it but you can cook and shred it however you want or use rotisserie chicken if you really want! This tool is great for shredding chicken!
- Buffalo sauce – pick your favorite brand, I always just go with the classic Frank’s.
- Cream cheese – don’t forget to let it soften, otherwise it will be harder to spread around.
- Mozzarella cheese – any type of cheese will work so adjust according to your tastes. However, make sure to get the sliced sandwich kind. The amount of slices you’ll need depends on the size of your cookie cutter, but a half-pound is typically enough. If you want your ghosts to be more abstract, you can use fresh mozzarella as well.
- Decorating gel – this was the cheapest option that didn’t change the dish. You can also use olives, candy eyes, or an edible pen to get the same results.
- Ghost cookie cutter – try to find one that is smaller than a typical slice of cheese. Anything around 3 inches should be safe.
How to make a Halloween buffalo chicken dip
Now that you have your ingredients all prepped, it’s time to get spookin’, I mean cooking. Your boo-ffalo chicken dip will be ready in no time!
1 – Make the Buffalo Chicken
First things first, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While it’s preheating, you’ll make the dip.
Place your shredded chicken and buffalo sauce into a large plastic bag and mix around until the chicken is thoroughly coated.
You can also use a large bowl for this step, but I’ve found it’s much easier to just put them both in a zipper top bag and toss until the chicken is completely coated.
2 – Add The Cream Cheese
With your chicken all tossed in yummy buffalo sauce, it’s time to start layering the dip in the pan!
Spread the cream cheese into an even layer at the bottom of a 9×13 pan. The softer the cream cheese, the easier it will be.
Tips to soften cream cheese quickly
I typically take my cream cheese out at least 30 minutes before I’m going to make this dip but if it’s still not soft (or you forget to take it out), try one of these:
- Place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave at 15-second increments. Give it a soft stir in between each increment to avoid uneven heating.
- Put cream cheese in your 9×13 and stick it in your preheating oven until it is soft enough to spread.
3 – Add the Chicken
With your cream cheese layer ready to go, it’s time to add the chicken. Spread your buffalo chicken onto an even layer over the cream cheese.
Then top the chicken with an even drizzle of ranch. Then carefully use a spatula or wooden spoon to spread the ranch dressing over all of the chicken.
4 – Add the ghosts
Next, you need to grab your cookie cutter and cheese slices. Cut out your cheese ghosts and arrange them wherever you want onto your chicken dip. Also, I only did a handful of cheese ghosts so they would have some space in between them, but you technically could put them closer if you really want a bunch!
Just make sure to leave enough room so they can spread a little when they melt or you won’t have a Halloween buffalo chicken dip – you’ll just have normal buffalo chicken dip with mozzarella cheese slices instead of shredded cheese topping!
Note!
We tried making this with both fresh mozzarella sliced thin and mozzarella cheese slices – both were delicious but the slices held their shape much better. If you want it to be a little more abstract looking, you can use fresh mozzarella as well!
5 – Bake And Finish
Once you’ve got your ghosts on, throw the pan into the preheated oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until your ghosts have melted and the chicken is heated through. Take out of the oven and add the eyes.
If you are using writing gel or an edible pen, be careful not to burn yourself during this part. I had an oven mitt on my left hand to hold the pan steady while I drew on the eyes with the gel.
Once all of your ghost eyes are drawn on, the dip is ready to serve! Serve your ghost dip warm with a bowl of chips or bread.
What Goes Well with Halloween Buffalo Dip?
If you want to go all out with the ghost and Halloween theme, serve this buffalo chicken dip with these ghost brownies or this graveyard cake!
And you could play this ghostbuster game, go ghost bowling, or do this ghost craft to finish off your ghostly gathering!
Or if you’re looking for other Halloween snacks, try these spider deviled eggs or mummy pizza loaves!
Expert Tips
The smaller the chicken is shredded, the easier the dip is to eat.
Place hot chicken into a stand mixer then turn it onto low and it will shred the chicken for you. Or use the tool I linked above!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Reheat in an oven at 350 degrees until the dip is warm or you can always spoon out small servings and just reheat a little at a time too!
Recipe FAQs
Can Boo-ffalo Dip Be Made Ahead?
Yes! Completely assemble your dip, then cover it and stick it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. The bake time may be a little longer with colder ingredients, so plan on an extra few minutes in the oven.
Is Buffalo Dip Better Hot Or Cold?
Buffalo dip is meant to be eaten hot, and in my opinion, is always better that way. It can be eaten cold as well, but the ingredients don’t blend as well, especially the cheese.
What Is The Best Thing To Eat With Buffalo Chicken Dip?
Tortilla chips are the standard thing served with this dip. However, it also goes great with bread, veggies, and wrapped in tortillas.
More Easy Halloween Party Food
Want more fun Halloween appetizers to serve at your next Halloween party? Try one of these delicious Halloween snacks that would make the perfect Halloween party food!
- Halloween charcuterie board – all sorts of snacks and treats make this skeleton snack board the ultimate Halloween snack!
- Mummy dogs – this classic Halloween appetizer is popular for a reason!
- Halloween snack board – need some healthier Halloween snacks to go with all the treats, this board has tons of cute ideas!
- Pumpkin pizzas – fun pizzas decorated to look like pumpkins, the perfect Halloween dinner!
- Frankenstein guacamole – it’s not easy being green but it sure is delicious!
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Halloween Buffalo Chicken Dip (Booffalo Dip)
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast shredded
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1-2 cup buffalo sauce varies based on spice preference
- ¼ cup ranch
- ½ lb mozzarella cheese sliced
- 1 tube writing gel black
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine shredded chicken and buffalo sauce in a large plastic bag. Mix until all chicken coated with buffalo sauce.1 lb chicken breast, 1-2 cup buffalo sauce
- Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish16 oz cream cheese
- Add buffalo chicken in a single layer on top of the cream cheese.
- Pour ranch dressing on top of the buffalo chicken, don’t mix in.1/4 cup ranch
- Use cookie cutter to cut out ghost shapes from cheese slices.1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
- Top chicken mixture with ghost cheese, making sure to not overlap ghosts.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Use writing gel to draw eyes and mouth on all the ghosts.
- Serve warm with chips, bread, crackers, and veggies.
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