22 Unique Dia De Los Muertos Food Ideas

Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is a wonderfully colorful celebration that takes place right after Halloween. It’s a time to honor the dearly departed with offerings and festivities and a chance for those still living to remember the joys of life through good food and drink. Are you looking for a few unique Dia de los Muertos food ideas for an upcoming party? Let Peerspace help with some of our best ideas for holiday recipes!

1. Bake pan de muerto (bread of the dead)

Sweet and delicately flavored, pan de muerto shows up everywhere in Mexican bakeries as the date approaches. It’s easy to make yourself as well; the hints of orange and anise are a wonderful combination. Each piece of bread should be decorated with dustings of plain or colored sugar as well!

2. Serve mini beef flautas as finger food

Beef flautas are an instant finger food that you can be sure there won’t be any leftovers remaining. A batch is a little more time-consuming than some of our other Dia de los Muertos party ideas. But they are absolutely satisfying – and pretty to look at as well!

Before you start making your flautas though, you’ll need a venue for your upcoming party. Did you know that Peerspace has one of the largest online collections of party venues to explore? For a Dia de los Muertos celebration, it’s hard to beat an outdoor space like this resort-style backyard in Los Angeles, CA, with a pool, games, and an outdoor kitchen!

3. Make sweet and savory empanadas

Empanadas are one of the world’s most perfect foods because you can make them as appetizers, mains, and desserts! It all depends on how big you make them and what you stuff them with. Delicate chocolate and banana empanadas are amazing desserts while big chicken and cheese empanadas are equally good as main dishes.

4. Stuff some tamales with your favorite flavors

Tamales can be enjoyed any time of the year but holidays like the Day of the Dead are a great chance to make your own! You can stuff them with all kinds of mixtures; try beef and cheese or chicken for a surefire hit. Tamales should be wrapped in either corn husks or banana leaves for the most authentic presentation. 

5. Enjoy some authentic champurrado

Champurrado is underappreciated in non-Latino communities yet it’s one of the best beverages. Chocolate and masa harina (corn flour) are at its core. Each community and family makes it a little different but the spices and flavors make it a winning drink for any Día de los Muertos party!

6. Keep things cool with agua de jamaica

Are you looking for Dia de los Muertos food ideas that are perfect for a warm outdoor day? Have a few jugs of cold agua de jamaica ready to serve! The drink uses jamaica (hibiscus) tea leaves but you can use powder or syrup mixes as well to save time instead of brewing it.

Want to add a dress code for your party? Then you need to scope out these dress-up party themes for adults for some inspiration!

7. Decorate some sugar skulls

Sugar skulls are some of the most instantly recognizable Dia de los Muertos food ideas. So you’ll definitely want to decorate your party table with a few of these! Each color has its own meaning so decorate with care using these instructions.

8. Make a plate of caramel flan

Sweets abound during this holiday and caramel flan is one of the most popular. It’s a light and creamy dessert that takes less than an hour to make and uses just six ingredients!

9. Serve spicy Aztec hot chocolate to warm things up

Aztec hot chocolate is a little closer to its origins as it uses spices like chile to bring on some heat! You can still make it sweet along with spicy since sugar is the ingredient most people enjoy alongside chocolate. This recipe is ideal for a Dia de los Muertos party where you’ll be outdoors and feeling a little chill. 

10. Celebrate your ancestors with mezcal cocktails

Mezcal is what many families place on the altars of their ancestors during Dia de los Muertos. It’s the smokier version of tequila and you can easily make themed cocktails using recipes like this one.

Before you start serving up drinks, you’ll need to get the venue decorated, however. You do have a party venue, right? If not, check out what we have on Peerspace! Our party venues near you come with amenities like projector screens, swimming pools, and backyard fire pits.  

11. Serve tres leches cake and watch it disappear

Tres leches means “three milks” in Spanish and is a thick, dense dessert that’s best served in small portions. This creamy milk-soaked sponge cake topped with whipped topping and strawberries is one of our favorite Dia de los Muertos food ideas. Since tres leches needs time to first bake and then soak in the milk mixture, budget extra time before serving! 

12. Whip up some horchata cocktails

Horchata is a Mexican beverage that uses rice and milk, spiced with cinnamon. You can serve horchata as it is for a Dia de los Muertos party but how about something a little more inventive, like some horchata cocktails? If you don’t have time to make the horchata yourself, stick to the store-bought version and add some vodka and dark rum!

13. Get inventive with chicken mole

Mole is a sauce that’s at the heart of true Mexican cuisine. Each region – and family – has their own way of making it. So celebrate Mexican heritage on Dia de los Muertos with some chicken mole. This recipe from Delish has a list of mole ingredients to try. With some experimenting, you might make a custom mole using this recipe as a foundation!

14. Mix and serve lemon drop margaritas

No one is going to turn down a few bright yellow lemon drop margaritas! Best of all, they take just a few ingredients to make using stuff you probably already have in your pantry. Don’t forget some sugar around the rim to counter a bit of the tangy lemon.

15. Decorate some Day of the Dead cookies

Galletas de Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead cookies) are a fun alternative if you don’t want to make sugar skulls or pan de muerto. They have the same orange and anise flavor as the bread yet you can decorate them like sugar skulls. Each cookie combines the best of both iconic Dia de los Muertos food ideas! 

16. Serve sweet and salty candied pepitas

You can do more with pumpkins than eat the flesh; even the seeds make for a tasty treat! Candied pepitas are a nice alternative to chips on the snack table. Add a little cinnamon or chili powder to make them as spicy as you like.

Dia de los Muertos is only the start of the month’s fun! Check out these November party themes to keep the good times going.

17. Set out a bowl of homemade guacamole

Skip the store-bought stuff and try making your own guacamole! It’s way easier than you think plus you can customize it with ease using the right ingredients. Stick to a classic guacamole or add some chunks of tomatoes or jalapenos for something more interesting.

18. Make some amazing alegrias candy

Have you ever tried alegrias before? The word is Spanish for “joy” and they use amaranth, dried fruit, and nuts for a flavor that matches the name. Alegrias take just 20 minutes to make and are a truly authentic addition to your Dia de los Muertos snack table.

19. Slow-cook an amazing pozole

Pozole is a hearty Mexican soup filled with homestyle flavor. It takes hours to cook a batch of pozole so start cooking it well in advance of your upcoming Dia de los Muertos party! All that time helps the meat become softer while imparting a rich flavor to the broth.

20. Try some heart-healthy arepas

Arepas stuffed with black beans, cheese, and avocados are a nice and healthy addition to a Dia de los Muertos party! You can skip a little of the sugar and fat that many dishes feature with this recipe. Substitute in a reduced-fat cheese for even more health benefits.

21. Set tortilla soup out in colorful bowls

Tortilla soup is a wonderful blend of flavors that tastes like a taco but eats like a stew. From the tomato broth base to the crunchy tortilla topping, this soup has an incredible blend of colors, textures, and flavors to experience!

22. Bake quick and easy black bean tostadas

Sometimes we don’t have much time to get fancy before serving a dish at a Dia de los Muertos party. So how about something simple yet satisfying, like these black bean tostadas? Cheese and refried black beans are the base of this recipe. Customize it further using avocado slices, ground beef, or other toppings!

Dia de los Muertos food ideas: conclusion

A Dia de los Muertos party should be filled with colorful and unique snacks. What do you think of the recipes we at Peerspace have to share with you? You’ll find sweet, spicy, and savory options here by the dozen! And if you haven’t already, check out a few of our party venues near you to go along with our recipes for the holiday.

Find unique event spaces for your Dia de los Muertos party on Peerspace