If you want to do the most fun, whimsical, crazy edition of dinner and a movie possible, we recommend the original Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory from 1971.
Starring Gene Wilder as the insane candy man, this musical classic is fun to watch for both adults and kids (though, warning: There is that one scary scene). And there are tons of literally sweet inspirations for party foods in the movie, from three-course gum, to everlasting gobstoppers, to fizz soda that makes you fly.
If you’re the type of person who sometimes eats dessert for dinner, or you have a sweet tooth the size of a dinner plate, dive into this sugary and chocolatey themed dinner party.
Dress the part
If you’re hosting, we suggest you don your best purple coat with tails and your very tallest top hat to look like the titular character we all know and love. You can also encourage other guests to pick a child to dress as, such as Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop or Mike Teavee.
Or you can really hit a home run and dress like an Oompa Loompa.
Get your Willy Wonka on
Before you can enjoy any scrumdidlyumptious fare, you have to get the movie ready:
MOVIE: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Don’t have it? Get it at Amazon or see more options)
RUN TIME: 100 minutes
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1971
RATING: G
STARRING: Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum, Jack Albertson
Dinner and a movie: Your Willy Wonka menu
And now, for our feature presentation…
Appetizer: Vibrant vanilla cake pops
Everything is wacky and backward in the chocolate factory, so let’s not mess around here and eat cabbage soup every night like Charlie’s family. Why not whet our appetites and please our palates before the meal by starting with a bite-sized dessert?
MORE: Jalapeno popper dip
These colorful cake pops are perfect little finger foods for before the meal. Plus, they set the tone for the movie and the night.
Entrée: Loaded black mole braised beef fries
Who says you can’t have chocolate for dinner? Mole sauce takes all of the anxiety out of making a dish that is a tasty dichotomy of savory and sweet.
It goes without saying (but we will anyway) that loaded black mole braised beef fries from Hola Jalapeno are an ideal fit for your whimsical movie theme.
Dessert: Frozen blueberry yogurt in lemon bowls
Do the wrong thing in the chocolate factory, and you could end up turning into a blueberry — just as Violet did. She eats the three-course dinner gum, enjoys the first two and then eventually gets rolled away after transforming into a bulbous fruit.
MORE: Loaded cookie bars
We swear this frozen blueberry yogurt in lemon bowls is safer.
Beverage: Chocolate espresso martini
OK, so sure, we basically had cake and chocolate for dinner. Why stop at beverages? Treat yo’ self!
These chocolate martinis are all about indulgence. Finish off your glasses with a rim of chocolate syrup and strawberry garnish. It’s completely over the top, but so is Charlie and Grandpa Joe flying through the air in a glass elevator.
Beverage: Pumpkin fizz cocktail
One of the most iconic scenes takes place near the end of Willy Wonka when Charlie and Grandpa Joe drink fizz soda and go for a ride to the ceiling. Remember how they save themselves from harm with a few good burps?
MORE: Candy vodka with Jolly Ranchers
This pumpkin fizz cocktail captures all of the fun of that bubbly beverage, from its colorful whimsy to its carbonation. This drink can be served in its current alcoholic form or easily adapted for little ones by going sans bourbon.
