Kid-Friendly Halloween Treats Made from Fruits and Vegetables
Halloween season is here, so it’s time to bust out the bloody bandages, clean out the old cast-iron cauldron, and study up on your seances. There’s no better way to celebrate the scariest holiday of the year than with a proper Halloween bash (or monster mash, or graveyard smash).
This Halloween is going to be a bit different than years past: you might be hosting your spooky soirée outside, or throwing a virtual scary-movie night, or having a Halloween scavenger around the neighborhood. But regardless of what you’re doing, the focal point of any Halloween celebration is the finger food — minus the fingers, of course.
You can always go with the traditional frightening fare — candy apples, ants-on-a-log, popcorn balls, “devil’s” food cake — but we wanted to offer some more imaginative options that are not only tasty, easy to make, and freaking cute, but they’re also better-for-you!
Check out the list below for some hauntingly yummy Halloween treats.
Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes
A breakfast for people who love dessert, these pumpkin pecan pancakes are full of fall flavor. Canned pumpkin, butter milk (or a plant-based substitute), and a secret ingredient (okay, it’s silken tofu) create a fluffy, puffy texture. A sprinkling of chopped pecans helps you create a perfect bite. Terrifying tip: use a jack-o-lantern cookie cutter to make spooky Halloween pancakes.
Photo Credit: @veganairhostess
Peanut Butter Apple Monsters
With sunflower-seed teeth and a strawberry tongue, these gremlin-looking green apples are the perfect snack for guests who are scared of eating too much sugar.
Photo Credit: @nutriacure.
Fiendishly Frightening Fruit Platter
Ghostly red peppers, Frankenstein kiwis, and cantaloupe tombstones make for a very frightening fruit platter.
Photo Credit: @foodbites.
Ghostly Chocolate Cupcakes
These are not your ordinary cupcakes. Tucked away within each fluffy chocolate cake is a hint of tangy guava and sweet beet puree. Topping each cupcake is a crown of coconut-milk frosting. Drizzle some thinned out guava juice over the top for an even more ghastly effect.
Photo Credit: Goya.
Mummy’s Favorite Jalapeño Poppers
These jalapeño poppers are almost too cute to eat… almost.
Photo Credit: @thepurplepumpkinblog.
Ghastly Gluten-Free Zombie Fingers
These are almost as scary as someone with a gluten intolerance eating a piece of bread. Made primarily from dates, peanut butter, and oats, these zombie fingers are easy to assemble, and they most definitely look the part.
Photo Credit: Recipes from a Pantry.
Boo-nana Popsicles
The ideal non-dairy frozen treat for your guests. Not too messy, these popsicles will be gone so fast you’ll begin to wonder if they ever existed at all…
Photo Credit: Well Plated.
Candy Corn Parfait
These have the candy-corn look, but with added tropical flavor. Just layer some pineapple, tangerine, and a shot of whipped cream to capture the aesthetic of classic candy corn.
Photo Credit: Family Fresh Meals.
Bat Energy Bites
All you need is 20 minutes, a microwave, and a mixing bowl to put these scary snacks together. These ones are just as fun to make as they are to eat.
Photo Credit: Transformation Fitness & Wellness.
Tangerine Pumpkins
Rushing to complete the Halloween party preparations? These tangerine pumpkins don’t require much assembly: Just peel and pop a little wedge of celery on top to give them that pumpkin look.
Photo Credit: Bren Did.
Ahhhhh Vegetables!
For some, nothing is scarier than a platter of roasted vegetables, but we think these spooky shaped beets, carrots, and squash are just devilishly delightful.
Photo Credit: Live Eat Learn.
Making one of these creepy creations? Tag @meatlessmonday and we’ll repost the scariest photos (and maybe the cutest).