Halloween Spicy Cornbread Skulls made from a buttery rich cornbread batter, stuffed with pepper bacon and cheese and baked to spooky perfection!
A Fun Halloween Culinary Cornbread With A Bit Of Spice
Who said Halloween couldn’t be fun for adults too! Sure, the kids get their candy fix, but we grown-ups deserve a little treat of our own, something buttery, savory, and just a little wicked.
This cornbread is not your average side dish. It’s loaded with crispy bacon, plenty of cracked black pepper, and a rich, buttery batter made with whole milk and stone-ground cornmeal. It bakes up golden and fragrant, the kind of aroma that lures even the ghosts from their hiding places.
Scary Skull-shaped Bread
The real fun in this easy cornbread recipe, is in the presentation. I pour this spicy, smoky batter into my Halloween skull mold, and every year it gets the same reaction, wide eyes, laughter, and a rush to grab one before they “disappear.”
But honestly? These are far too good to save for just one spooky night. Bake them in a muffin tin, a loaf pan, or spread them in a sheet tray, and you’ve got cornbread that’s hauntingly delicious any time of year.
Halloween Calls For A Little Ingredient Magic!
Every ingredient in this cornbread plays a role in casting the perfect kitchen spell:
Pepper Bacon – Smoky, salty, and crispy, it adds deep flavor and a bite of bold heat.
Milk – Keeps the crumb moist and tender, balancing out the crisp, golden edges.
Lemon Juice – A little acidity for brightness and lift, helping the batter rise light and fluffy.
Eggs – Give the bread structure, richness, and that beautiful golden color.
Butter – The flavor backbone, rich, savory, and soul-satisfying.
Sugar – Just a hint to balance the spice and enhance the natural corn sweetness.
Cornmeal – The rustic heart of cornbread, full of texture and flavor.
Flour – Softens the texture so each bite holds together perfectly.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda – The dynamic duo for rise and fluff, with a hint of tang.
Salt – The quiet hero that sharpens every flavor note.
Grated Cheese – Adds melt, depth, and that indulgent, savory finish that makes this cornbread unforgettable.
Flavors Of Halloween
Whether you serve them alongside chili at your Halloween gathering or sneak one with honey butter the next morning, these little skulls prove that Halloween in the kitchen is just as much fun for the grown-ups.
As for me, these will be served on Halloween night for our family, with a huge cauldron of Squid Ink Pasta, slimy black noodles!
Spicy Pepper Bacon And Corn Are Just A ‘Thing’
Bacon, for me, is a great way to add both fat and saltiness to foods. We all know how delicious corn is with salt and melted butter, so bacon was the perfect marriage with corn in this cornmeal batter.
The bacon gets baked in the oven in about 10-minutes while mixing the batter, crumbled and added to the batter just before baking.
Pepper
Pepper. While I could have chosen fresh chili peppers from my garden for this recipe, still producing in October, I wanted to be mindful of the little ones who will definitely want to eat this cornbread.
For this reason, freshly cracked black pepper is both spicy yet kind to a young palate.
However, if heat is no issue, by all means chop jalapenos into the batter too!
If you really like a spicy bite to your cornbread then for sure you will love my recipe for my favorite summertime Gluten-free Jalapeño Cornbread.
Fun Halloween Cornbread Skulls
Corn. Cornbread is so easy to prepare but if you really want to elevate these corn muffins, toss some whole corn kernels in the batter as well. The sweetness from the corn is perfect with the salty bacon bits.
We often think of corn again, around Thanksgiving time. The giant meal on this special day is not the only time to serve yummy dishes.
I created Harvest Thyme Corn Fritters to serve on an appetizer table while the family is enjoying sips and conversation long before dinner time.
Skeletons And Skull Muffin Pans
These Skull Muffin Tins are just too darn fun not to own, even if you only pull it out for Halloween to use.
This particular skull muffin tin was exceptionally easy to work with. It is metal, so it got hot fast when I popped these in the oven.
I thought for sure, the details in the face wouldn’t come out in the cornbread once it was baked, but I was wrong.
I sprayed a little non-stick in the crevices, dusted a little cornmeal inside, then tapped the extra out, and they were perfect!
Halloween Food For A Spicy Celebration
Halloween Food should be just as much fun as the day itself, for both kids and adults.
A large cauldron of chili or Oyster Chowder (since October is oyster season), and these muffins will become a Halloween favorite.
After all, a traditional meal to look forward to every Halloween, whether adult or kid, makes the day fun for all!
Us adults also like to have some fun for Halloween, which has become my tradition to arrange a totally adult Boo’s & Booze Halloween Dinner Party.
Come join me for this fun evening!
Ingredients Needed
- Pepper Bacon – The smoky, salty crunch of bacon adds irresistible flavor, while the cracked pepper brings just enough heat to make every bite bold and lively.
- Milk – Whole milk keeps the batter rich and tender, giving the cornbread a moist crumb that balances the crisp edges.
- Lemon juice – A quick splash of acidity brightens the flavors and reacts with the baking soda for a fluffier rise.
- Eggs – Eggs bind everything together while adding structure and that golden hue every cornbread dreams of.
- Butter – Melted butter infuses every crumb with a savory richness that screams comfort. It’s the flavor backbone of the bread.
- Sugar – Just a touch enhances the natural sweetness of the cornmeal and rounds out the smoky, spicy notes.
- Cornmeal – The star of the show, cornmeal gives cornbread its classic texture and a rustic, hearty flavor.
- AP Flour – Balances the cornmeal to create a tender bite that holds together beautifully, especially in fun skull shapes.
- Baking powder- Gives the batter a light lift, ensuring it’s not too dense.
- Baking soda – Works with the lemon juice to create extra rise and that slight tangy undertone.
- Salt – Sharpens every flavor, from the butter and cheese to the smoky bacon.
- Grated cheese – Adds a savory melt-in-your-mouth richness and a touch of indulgence, the final spell that makes this cornbread hauntingly delicious.
- Jalapeno – An optional spice to the cornbread, if only used for the eyes of the skull, though you might enjoy more chopped finely into the cornbread batter.
Equipment Needed
My favorite Halloween spooky toy is this heavy gauge skull baking mold. Baked goods pop out easily with a little non-stick spray and a dusting of flour.
- Nordic Ware Skull baking pan is the most reliable mold pans for intricate molds.
- Mixing bowls, a wooden spoon, measuring cup and measuring spoons, the essentials for baking.
- Sauté pan – to precook the bacon and melt butter
- Oven
My Muffin Madness Cookbook
Now that I’ve got you thinking outside the box about muffins, are you ready to try other creative and delicious muffin recipes you won’t find anywhere else?
If you think these cornbread skulls are fun, for sure you will love:
- Spanakopita Muffins – all the yummy spinach, feta, lemon, fresh oregano and eggs found in spanakopita, made into a muffin, without phyllo!
- Cheeseburger Muffins – All your favorite burger ingredients in a muffin batter with another mini cheeseburger on top, pickles and tomatoes!
- Cheesy Beer Biscuit Muffins – are an easy ‘quick bread’ recipe with olive oil, herbs, cheese and beer, which aerates the dough, making them light and fluffy.
Hot off the press, 52 unique muffins in all – My Muffin Madness Cookbook!
Halloween Spicy Cornbread Skulls
Equipment
- Skull Baking Mold or muffin pan
Ingredients
- 12 oz Pepper Bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups Whole Milk or yogurt
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 2 Whole Eggs
- 1 Egg yolk
- 16 oz Butter melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 cups Cornmeal
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Grated Cheese optional
- 2 tbsp Jalapeno optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Place non-stick spray in molds/tins and lightly dust with cornmeal.
- In a small bowl, whisk milk and lemon juice and let it sit 5 minutes to sour.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and soured milk. While whisking, slowly pour in melted butter and jalapeno if using.
- Whisk in the remaining dry ingredients.
- Fold in bacon and cheese (if using).
- Fill tins 3/4 full and bake for about 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
- Cool 5 minutes, and remove from cooking molds onto a wire rack to cool.
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.