Skip to Content

October Food Holidays – List of National Food Holidays This Month

 This list of October food holidays gives us so many recipes to share. From National Homemade Cookies Day on October 1 to National Caramel Apple Day on October 31, every day of the month has at least one food or drink associated with it. This makes the month very easy to honor with food. 

National days are fun to celebrate, no matter the reason. However, when you add in some mention of food, everyone gets excited. Unsure about what national days are? Check out this national days guide for more information.

The guide gives information about the history of national days, why we celebrate them, and includes some fun facts about these special days.

Keep reading to learn more about the tasty national food holidays to celebrate this month. 

Grapes, apples, pumpkins and words October Food Days.

If you are interested in food, you are probably aware just how many days of the year are devoted to celebrating a favorite food. You will probably find that you are scouring the internet to find out what food today will celebrate. 

National days are a great way to tie food and celebrations together. Nothing quite says Halloween like some candy corn turkey cupcakes for National Candy Corn Day, does it?

What is a national food holiday?

Have you ever seen those diet cookbooks where there isn’t anything to decide, but instead the author tells you what to eat on each day of the month? National food holidays are a bit like this. 

Food days are the internet’s way of telling you what you could cook that day based on what the national day of the month it is.

Check out the national day list for October and look through the list. Do you see how many of them are devoted to food? Let’s make it easier for you to find them. 

Just browse this list of national food holidays in October below. Every day is associated with food or drink in some way and the month also has some a lot of national food observances. With these lists you can’t go wrong with your party planning.

October food monthly observances

October is the fall in the Northern Hemisphere, so it makes sense that the foods honored this month are geared for fall, cool weather, and Halloween.

It is not just days of the month that are associated with food. Sometimes the whole month is known for a certain type of food. For October we observe these foods during the entire month:

Apples, pretzels, cookies and caramel with words October monthly food observances.

  • National Eat Better, Eat Together Month – Eating together is so much fun. Perhaps a Halloween cookie exchange would be the way to give this a try.
  • National Apple Month – It’s fall, and that means it’s apple time. Let’s make some monster mouth apple snacks for the kids.
  • National Bake and Decorate Month – It is amazing how many home decor items start with food. Check out our graveyard picket fence decoration for an example.
  • National Caramel Month – You won’t believe how many caramel apple topping there are to try!
  • National Cookie Month – Your family will love these fun owl cookies.
  • National Pretzel Month – Our candy corn pretzel fudge will be a hit on your Halloween party table.
  • National Dessert Month – Try some pumpkin patch dirt cups. The kids will love to help you decorate them!

These are just a few of the October monthly observances. October food holidays also celebrate chili and cookbooks, pasta, and pickled peppers, sausages, seafood and so much more!

Share these October food holidays on Twitter

Want to share this list of national food holidays in October with your friends? Here’s a tweet to get you started:

October is National Cookie Month. Let's make some Halloween cookies and find out more about the October food holidays! #octoberfooddays #nationalcookiemonth #october🥮👻🍪 Click To Tweet

List of October food holidays

Even though Halloween is on our mind in October, the month is also filled with lots of other foods, as well. 

Here is a list of all the October food holidays to look forward to. Most are labeled national days (or international days) and others are just labeled by the food itself.

Caramel custard and fried scallops are two October food holidays.

We have also given you lots of ideas for recipes and other ways to celebrate these national food days in October. Have fun!

Some of the links below are affiliate links. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you if you purchase through an affiliate link.

October food holidays calendar

Below is a list of the national food days in October. On some of the days, there are recipes to help you celebrate.

Some days have links to more information about the day and on other days, there are links to products on Amazon or pages with fun facts that will help you get the most out of the national day.

October 1

October 2

  • National Produce Misting Day – This day in October recognizes the practice of misting crops to keep our fruits and vegetables fresh. We often see this in use at the grocery story when the misters come on unexpectedly.
  • National Fried Scallops Day – Scallops are best when cooked on the stove top in a very hot pan, often cast iron, to get an excellent sear. When you cook scallops this way, you get a lovely crispy outside and tender interior. 
  • World No Alcohol Day – This annual day in October draws our attention to the harmful effects of alcohol. The day was first proposed by Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss and the WHO.

October 3

  • National Caramel Custard Day – This delicious dessert is made from a soft mixture of eggs, milk and sugar that is soft set and has a sweet caramel dripping over the top of it. 

October 4

  • National Taco Day – Tacos were invented centuries ago in Mexico. Like so many other international dishes, they have been Americanized and come in many versions here. From taco stuffed pasta shells, to 15 bean taco soup, and spicy shrimp tacos with cabbage slaw, there is a taco recipe for all tastes.
  • National Vodka Day – There is some debate as to where vodka was first invented, but there is no debate about its popularity or use in cocktails (like the sea breeze and cosmopolitan). Vodka significantly leads the overall sales of spirits in the USA. 
  • National Cinnamon Roll Day – Cinnamon rolls are a sweet baked dough flavored with a cinnamon sugar filling. Common toppings for cinnamon rolls are cream cheese frosting or a sugar glaze. This sweet treat is a popular breakfast food

October 5

  • National Apple Betty Day – Apple Betty is similar to an apple crisp since both have a buttery crumb topping. However, Apple Betty uses mainly flour butter and brown sugar in the topping, while an apple crisp topping normally contains oats. 
  • Rocky Mountain Oyster Day – In spite of the nautical sounding name, Rocky Mountain oysters (also known as prairie oysters) are a dish made of bull testicles!

October 6

  • National Orange Wine Day – No list of wine national days would be complete without a mention of National Orange Wine Day. This wine is made from white wine grapes where the skins are not removed. This gives a bolder, more savory taste to the wine. 
  • National Noodle Day – Noodles are a common ingredient in dishes from Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Thai cuisines, to mention just a few. It is not surprising that this tasty pasta has its own national day!
  • Garlic Lovers Day – The unique, pungent flavor of garlic is used in almost all types of cooking. It is so popular that it also has another national day celebrated in April – National Garlic Day!

October 7

  • National Frappé Day – This iced drink normally incorporates water, coffee, sugar, milk and ice. It’s generally served with whipped cream and other toppings. You will often find a frappé that has been made with coffee, but it doesn’t have to be! You can make a very flavorful frappé drink with tea, juices or even hot chocolate.

Fluffernutter, pumpkin seeds and angel food cake.

We’ve completed one week, but we are not done yet. Here are some of the October food holidays to look forward to next week.

October 8 

  • National Fluffernutter DayPeanut butter lovers unite! The fluffernutter is a delicious sandwich which combines marshmallow cream and peanut butter. It now has its own day! The fluffernutter sandwich is a New England classic with a long and sweet history. There is even a Fluff pride day in Massachusetts call Fluff Fest! 
  • National Pierogi Day – A pierogi is a delicious dumpling made with unleavened dough and a filling that is either savory or sweet. These dumplings are common in Central, Eastern and Southeastern European cuisines and are often pan fried. This book from Amazon has over 50 Polish pierogi recipes to try!

October 9

  • National Pro Life Cupcake Day – The pro-life debate and abortion is a subject on which many disagree. On this national day, cupcakes are baked to honor the lives of the unborn and to give an opportunity to get a discussion going on a controversial subject.
  • National Moldy Cheese Day – A common question when it comes to cheeses, is “is it okay to eat moldy cheese?” Lovers of Maytag blue, Roquefort, bleu, camembert, gorgonzola, and Stilton cheeses will definitely answer yes!
  • International Beer & Pizza Day – One of the world’s most beloved food and drink combinations is pizza and beer. Many of us enjoy this duo very often. Are you a pizza and beer lover?

Some of the links below are affiliate links. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you if you purchase through an affiliate link.

Cooked pizza with bottles of beer on a table.

October 10

  • National Angel Food Cake Day – This tall and tender cake is made mostly from egg whites, cake flour and sugar. It has a chewy light brown crumb exterior and pure white interior which is ultra light in flavor. You’ll need an angel food cake pan to get that tall look that we associate with the cake.
  • National Cake Decorating Day – Get some fun facts and recipes to celebrate this tasty national food day.
  • Squid and Cuttlefish Day – Squid, cuttlefish, and octopus all belong to the family cephalopods. All are able to spread ink. Although not often seen in the seafood section of the grocery store, you cook both squid and cuttlefish in the same way that calamari is cooked. Have you ever eaten either of them?
  • World Porridge Day – Porridge is basically the same thing as oatmeal – water or milk added to oats and cooked. World Porridge Day is an international event organized to raise funds for the charity Mary’s Meals, to aid starving children in developing countries.

October 11

  • National Sausage Pizza Day – 83% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month and sausage pizza is a top favorite. With this popularity, it’s no surprise that the entire month of October is observed as National Pizza Month!
  • Southern Food Heritage Day – Iced tea, pickled shrimps, and fried chicken are three of the most loved Southern foods throughout history, but there are so many more to learn about. After all, who could forget Southern chicken pot pie, or corn bread muffins or buttermilk biscuits? Today is the day to enjoy them all!

October 12

  • National Gumbo Day –  A gumbo is a popular southern dish and the official cuisine of Louisiana. Gumbo consists of a flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener and the combination of celery, bell peppers and onions, known as the Creole “holy trinity.”

October 13

  • National Yorkshire Pudding Day – Yorkshire pudding is a classic British side dish that is often served with a Sunday roast. The secret to getting a crisp Yorkshire puddings is to make sure that the muffin tin and fat you are using is piping hot. This will give you taller and crispier Yorkshire puddings.

October 14

  • National Dessert Day – Always the Holidays has a super selection of desserts for you to try today! From white chocolate desserts, to candy corn recipes, there’s a sweet treat everyone will love.
  • National Chocolate Covered Insect Day – Do you think that you could eat an insect? What if it were dipped in chocolate? Today is the day for esoteric food lovers to celebrate.

October 15

  • National Cheese Curd Day – Cheese curds are moist pieces of curdled milk that are often enjoyed as a snack. They are popular in Quebec and in the Midwest and Western part of the USA. They contain 222 calories a cup, and are a favorite snack of Green Bay Packers football fans.
  • National Chicken Cacciatore Day – In Italian, the word cacciatore means “hunter,” and a “hunter-style” meal is cooked with chicken (also sometimes duck or pork). The recipe usually contains onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and herbs, and often wine. 
  • National Roast Pheasant Day – While not a common ingredient in American kitchens, pheasant is easily cooked by roasting in a slow cooker. Popular seasonings include rosemary, and thyme.
  • National Mushroom Day – We use mushrooms several times a week in recipes at our house. They are versatile and easy to cook with.

Food Days in October - Chicken cacciatore, mushrooms, gumbo stew and Yorkshire pudding.

October food holidays with variable dates each year

Some national food days in October are not dedicated to a specific date, but happen on a particular day of the week each year, so their date changes. The variable date days in October are as follows:

  • National Fruit at Work Day (1st Tuesday)
  • National Pumpkin Seed Day – (1st Wednesday)
  • National Coffee with a Cop Day – (1st Wednesday)
  • National Kale Day – (1st Wednesday)
  • World Egg Day – (2nd Friday)
  • World Champagne Day – (4th Friday)
  • National Bread Stick Day – (Last Friday) 

Pasta, garbanzo beans, and cupcake with words Celebrating October national food days.

More October food holidays

We are halfway through the month and look at all the national food holidays in October that we have covered already! There are so much more to come, too! Perhaps one of these national food days in the next two weeks will be right up your alley.

October 16

  • National Liqueur Day – A liqueur takes an ordinary cocktail to a whole new level. Check out how Kahlua coffee liqueur is used in our Ghostbuster Cocktail – perfect for Halloween.
  • World Food Day – 150 countries take part every year in World Food Day. It is one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. World Food Day’s aim is to raise awareness about food supply and distribution issues around the world.

October 17

  • National Pasta Day – Check out some fun facts and get lots of recipes to help you celebrate this delicious national day.
  • Four Prunes Day – Prunes are are a good source of potassium, and have many health benefits. How many prunes do you eat in a day?

October 18

  • National Chocolate Cupcake Day – Who can resist a chocolate cupcake recipe? Why not try one in the shape of a turkey for Thanksgiving this year?

October 19

  • National Seafood Bisque Day – A bisque is a thick creamy seafood soup that is puréed and strained for a fine, smooth final result. French chefs say that the dish is made with shellfish and thickened by a paste made from their shells. A bisque differs from a normal seafood soup or chowder because it is much more creamy.

October 20

  • National Brandied Fruit Day – During the Victorian era, people discovered brandy added to fruit helped preserve it. This is great for us, since the process also creates a delicious dessert for adults!

October 21

  • National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day – Today our recipe is the best of dessert and breakfast – pumpkin cheesecake muffins.
  • Garbanzo Bean Day – Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas are often served in meatless meal and have many health benefits. They are very versatile and can be used in main courses, appetizers, salads and even desserts.
  • Apple DayJohnny Appleseed must have known how popular apples were when he traveled to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania planting apple trees. He even planted them in Ontario!

Just a week left. Which national food holidays in October will you celebrate?

Pretzels, Good and Plenty candy and pumpkins - Food days in October.

October 22

  • National Nut Day – Do you enjoy do it yourself projects? Celebrate National Nut Day by making a cinnamon and nut wreath for fall.
  • Eat a Pretzel Day – Pretzels are a very popular snack food. Celebrate the day by eating pretzels. Here are some recipes to help you choose which way to try them!

October 23

  • National Boston Cream Pie Day – The Boston Cream Pie is a recipe with a long history. It dates back to 1856 when it was first served in Parker House in Boston, Massachusetts. Pie lovers move over – Boston cream pie is actually a cake!
  • National Canning Day – Canning is the perfect solution for using up end of season vegetables, so it makes sense that it happens in October.

October 24

  • National Bologna Day – The word bologna gets its name from a city in Italy called Bologna. Ironically, in spite of the name, bologna is called mortadella in Italy. Have it in a sandwich, or enjoy the taste of it pickled!
  • National Food Day – October is very focused on food days in general. In addition to World Food Day on October 16 which focuses on food distribution around the world, there is also National Food Day on October 24, which focuses on healthy and nutritious food
  • National Good and Plenty Day – Produced by the Quaker City Chocolate & Confectionery Company of Philadelphia, PA. in 1893, Good and Plenty is believed to be the oldest branded candy in the United States (source Wikipedia). They are narrow cylinders of sweet black licorice, surrounded by a hard candy shell.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you if you purchase through an affiliate link.

October 25

  • National Greasy Food Day – Although most diet doctors would not approve, French fries, greasy hamburgers, fried fish and chips and other not so healthy, greasy and fried foods are on the menu today. 
  • World Pizza Maker’s Day – Gone are the days of plain Jane pizzas. Today is the day to bust out all the pizza recipes. From chicken bacon Alfredo pizza to vegetarian pizza with pineapple, it’s a pizza lover’s day to celebrate.
  • World Pasta Day – We’ve already celebrated National Pasta Day on October 17. Head to our post on World Pasta Day to learn about the best sauce pairings for 20 different types of pasta, with recipes included, like this spicy shrimp and tomato pasta.

Mincemeat pies on a plate with cinnamon sticks.

October 26

  • National Mincemeat Day – Our modern day mincemeat pies are nothing like the originals. We call pies filled with dried fruit and spices mincemeat, but those of ancient days were actually filled with minced meat, (hence the name) suet, dried fruits, spices cloves and nutmeg. New to the taste of mincemeat? Amazon has it in jars to try.
  • National Pumpkin Day – Celebrate this holiday themed day with some pumpkin recipes suitable for both Halloween and Thanksgiving.

October 27

  • National American Beer Day – There are many beer days on the national day calendar lists. Today it is time to celebrate American beer. Open a can of Budweiser, Coors, Miller, Sam Adams or one of the many other American beers to honor the day.

October 28

  • National Chocolate Day – Chocolate is a popular dessert ingredient, so it’s no surprise to see it included in Halloween sweet treats. Check out these Oreo mummy pops for a tasty example.
  • Wild Foods Day – Today is a celebration of wild plants, fruits, and vegetables. If it is edible and can be grown naturally without help from humans, it’s on the menu today! You’ll be giving your health a boost. Wild foods are naturally free of preservatives and pesticides, and contributing to an eco-friendly lifestyle by eating them. This book from Amazon discussion how to forage for and identify wild foods.

October 29

October 30

  • National Candy Corn Day – This traditional fall candy is being celebrated today. Check out the recipes that you can make with candy corn.
  • Buy a Doughnut Day – Fun fact: If you buy a doughnut today, you’ll be doing it in appreciation of Salvation Army volunteers who distributed doughnuts to servicemen during the first world war.
  • Haunted Refrigerator Night – No, it is not about ghosts hiding in your fridge. Today is the day to open the fridge door in search of moldy food and other horrors that live deep within your icebox in the form on left over food.
  • Sugar Addiction Awareness Day – What one person thinks is just a simple sweet treat can be a real problem for others. Sugar Addiction Awareness day is a ‘wake-up call’ to emphasize the seriousness of diabetes and the need to recognize the risk of sugar in our diet.
  • Pumpkin Bread Day – At times, it seems as though October could be called Pumpkintober. There are pumpkins everywhere. Today it is pumpkin bread’s turn. This book has hundreds of pumpkin bread recipes to try.

October 31

Pumpkins and coffee with words October National Days.

It is not just food that has a national day celebrated with it during October. All sorts of topics get made into national days. Check out our list of national days of October for the complete list of days to celebrate.

If you enjoy doing puzzles, be sure to also check out our new puzzle category. We have a word search for October as well.

Flour, apples, nuts, cinnamon, spices and pumpkins with words food day lists.

More national food holidays

For other lists of national food days, check out these posts:

Pin the October food holidays for later

Would you like a reminder of the national food days in October? Pin this image to one of your food boards on Pinterest.

You can also watch our video on YouTube for the October food holidays.

Pumpkins, nuts, seeds and other fall food with words October National Food Days.

Yield: 1 National Days Printable

October National Days Planner Printable

Leaves, cup of coffee and plaid shirt with words Hello October.

Print out this planner to accompany the October calendar of national days, and fill it in with your favorite national days in October. It's a great way to keep track and plan for the whole month.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Difficulty easy

Materials

  • Heavy cardstock or printer paper

Tools

  • Computer printer

Instructions

  1. Load your heavy card stock or glossy photo paper into your Deskjet printer.
  2. Choose portrait layout and if possible "fit to page" in your settings.
  3. Print out and use the to do list to plan your activities for the month.

Notes

Halloween background with a to do list overlaid on top.

Share on Social Media

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Skip to Instructions