These Halloween Bat Chips with Salsa and Guacamole are such a fun way to kick off a Halloween dinner! The little bats bake until golden and crisp in about 7 minutes, then you can serve them with fresh tomato salsa and creamy guacamole for dipping.
We made these chips with piadina, a thin Italian flatbread, but large flour tortillas work well too. Cut out the bat shapes with a cookie cutter, brush them lightly with olive oil, then bake.
And they also work really well as a party snack. Set everything out together and let everyone grab a bat and pick their dip (I usually end up going back and forth between both, haha).
Homemade Chips, Halloween Style
If you’ve never tried making homemade chips, this is your sign. Piadina gets wonderfully crisp in the oven and cutting it into little bats makes the whole thing feel way more fun than opening a bag of chips.
This is also a good one to make with the kids. Let them press out the bat shapes while you get the salsa and guacamole ready, then everyone can help arrange the finished chips on the platter.
Serve them as an appetizer or set them out as a party snack. Put everything on the table and let everyone choose between the salsa or the guacamole!
Halloween Bat Chips with Salsa and Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 large piadina flatbreads or large flour tortillas
- Extra virgin olive oil as needed
- Salt as needed
- 2 medium tomatoes
- ½ red onion
- A few fresh basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil as needed
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 ripe avocado
- ¼ red onion
- 5 to 6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about ½ lemon
- Salt as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the piadina flatbreads on a cutting board. Use a bat-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many bats as possible. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet without overlapping.
- Lightly brush both sides of each bat with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Bake for about 7 minutes, flipping the bats halfway through. Keep a close eye on them because the thin edges can brown quickly. Remove them once they’re golden and crisp, then leave them to cool on the baking sheet.
- While the chips bake, make the tomato salsa. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, removing the firm centers first. Finely chop the red onion.
- Add the tomatoes and onion to a bowl. Tear in the basil leaves, then add a drizzle of olive oil and the salt. Stir together and let the salsa rest for about 10 minutes.
- For the guacamole, cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash it with a fork until creamy but still a little chunky.
- Finely chop the red onion. Cut the cherry tomatoes into very small pieces and drain away any excess liquid.
- Add the onion and tomatoes to the avocado. Pour in the lemon juice, add a little salt, and mix until combined. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Serve the crispy bat chips with the tomato salsa and guacamole for dipping.
Notes
- We used piadina: Piadina is a thin Italian flatbread. Large flour tortillas are an easy substitute if that’s what you can find.
- Watch the chips closely: They’re thin and can go from golden to too dark pretty quickly, especially around the wings.
- Drain the tomatoes: Removing extra liquid from the cherry tomatoes helps keep the guacamole from becoming watery.
- Yield can vary: Two piadine made about 30 bat chips, but the exact number depends on the size of your flatbreads and cookie cutter.
How to Make Halloween Bat Chips with Salsa and Guacamole
These bat chips are easy to make, but a few small details help them bake up crisp without burning around the edges! You can check the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card above.
Cut out the bat shapes: Place the piadina on a cutting board and use a bat-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many pieces as possible. Keep the shapes close together so you get the most bats from each flatbread. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet without overlapping.
Brush and bake: Lightly brush both sides of each bat with olive oil, then sprinkle with a little salt. Bake at 350°F for about 7 to 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Start checking at the 7-minute mark. They’re ready when the centers feel crisp and the edges are lightly golden.
The wing tips can brown before the middle, so keep a close eye on the last couple of minutes.
Make the tomato salsa: Cut the tomatoes into small cubes and remove the firm center. Finely chop the red onion, then add both to a bowl. Tear in the basil leaves, add a drizzle of olive oil and the salt, then stir. Let the salsa sit for about 10 minutes so the flavors have a little time to come together.
Mash the avocado: Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash it with a fork until creamy but still a little chunky. Finish the guacamole: Finely chop the red onion. Cut the cherry tomatoes into very small pieces, then drain away any extra liquid before adding them to the avocado. Stir in the lemon juice and a little salt, then taste and adjust if needed.
Draining the tomatoes really helps keep the guacamole thick enough for dipping.
Serve: Pile the cooled bat chips onto a platter and serve them with the tomato salsa and guacamole.
Helpful Tips
Don’t throw away the scraps. After cutting out the bats, tear or cut the leftover into smaller pieces. Brush them with a little olive oil and bake them alongside the bats for extra dipping chips. They may cook a little faster depending on their size, so keep an eye on them.
Brush on a light layer of oil. You only need enough olive oil to lightly coat both sides. Too much can make the chips feel greasy instead of crisp.
Watch the wing tips. The narrow parts of the bats brown faster than the centers, so start checking them around the 7-minute mark. Pull them out once they’re golden and crisp.
Drain the tomatoes for the guacamole. After chopping the cherry tomatoes, remove any extra juice before mixing them with the avocado. This helps the guacamole stay thick enough to scoop up with the chips.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Make the dips ahead. The tomato salsa can be made a few hours in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Give it a quick stir before serving.
- Keep the guacamole fresh. Guacamole is best made closer to serving, but if you need to make it ahead, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate it. That helps slow down browning.
- Store the bat chips separately. Let them cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate them, or they can lose their crisp texture.
- Assemble right before serving. Keep the chips and dips separate until you’re ready to eat. That way the bats stay crisp instead of soaking up moisture from the salsa or guacamole.
More Halloween Ideas
The bat chips can handle the appetizer, but they probably shouldn’t be responsible for the whole night, haha. If you still need a few more ideas for the party table, head over to my Halloween recipes!
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