Healthy Halloween Snacks

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. What’s not to love about dressing up and pretending to be someone or something else (surrounded by oodles of sweets, yes I just said oodles). As parents, having children lets us experience the magic all over again and see it through their eyes. This year my girls each choose costumes on their own… a cupcake and a pirate. That describes them both perfectly sweet but a little bit salty (like a pirate…get it?). As always I set out to create fun recipes that are healthy too! I recently overheard a comment “aww healthy (food), that’s no fun”.  Here are some great recipes I created that prove healthy food can {and should} be fun.

 

Pumpkin Pinwheels 

Ingredients:

2-3 Tortillas

Pumpkin Cream Cheese (recipe below)

10-15 Baby Spinach Leaves

Spread the pumpkin cream cheese on one side of the tortilla, being sure to cover all the way to the edges. Roll the tortilla up tightly (this helps it stay together when sliced).  Don’t worry if some cream cheese oozes out, that’s normal. Slice the rolls into (about) 1/2 inch pieces making pinwheels. Stick a piece of a spinach leaf into the middle of each pinwheel. Ta-da, you’re done! Now wait for the compliments to roll in while you laugh (in your head) at how easy they were to make.  Makes about 15 pinwheels.

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Plain Cream Cheese

3 tbsp Pumpkin Puree

2 tbsp pure Maple Syrup

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

 

  Caramel Apple Pops

Ingredients:

4 Granny Smith Apples

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

1/4 cup unsweetened Coconut

1/4 cup Dye-Free Sprinkles (optional)

Using a melon baller cut out rounds from the apples, be sure to leave some of the green skin for the top. Each apple should make about seven “mini apples” depending on the size of apple you are using. Use a skewer to poke a hole in the “top”, where the skin is, this makes sticking in a lollipop stick a breeze. Once you have a stick in each one, dip them in the caramel sauce and then in coconut or dye-free sprinkles if desired. Allow about 10 minutes before serving (gobbling them up) for the caramel to set a little. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. These are the perfect size for little ones. I proudly showed my girls how to eat them in one bite, which they loved. The caramel in this recipe never gets too hard or sticky so it’s easy on little teeth.

 

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Coconut Milk

2 tbsp Vegetable Spread (non-hydrogenated) or Butter

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1/4 tsp pure Vanilla

1/4 tsp Salt (omit if there is salt in the nut or seed butter)

1/4 cup smooth Peanut Butter or Sunflower Seed Butter

Add all of the ingredients to a deep, glass (microwave safe bowl). Microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk all of the ingredients for about 20 seconds. Microwave 45 seconds and whisk again for about 20-30 seconds. Microwave 1 more minute (at this point it should be bubbling) and whisk for a minute or two. The sauce should be smoothing and thickening. Allow the sauce to sit for a few minutes then whisk again before using in a recipe. Perfect for caramel apples, drizzled on ice cream and a small drizzle in your morning oatmeal is divine. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

 

Witch’s Brew

Ingredients:

16 oz. pure Carrot Juice

16 oz. Apple Juice

1/2 cup Coconut Water

Ice

Add all of the ingredients to a pitcher with an airtight lid and shake like crazy (kids love this part). Or you can whisk them together if you don’t have a pitcher with a lid. Serve with a straw, it’s more fun that way. A bright orange “brew” sure to quench the thirst of all little wizards and witches (that’s won’t have them flying around the room on a sugar high). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

 

Pear Mummy Pops

10 Seckel Pears (or any small pears)

1/2 cup plain Cream Cheese

1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt

2 tsp Honey

Chocolate Chips

Use a skewer to poke a hole in the top of each pear, this makes sticking in a lollipop stick a breeze. Add a lollipop stick to each pear. Remove the stems and whisk the cream cheese, yogurt and honey together for a few minutes until you a smooth mixture. Add to a piping bag, squeeze bottle or plastic baggie.  Snip a tiny bit off the end of the baggie (if using) to pip the mixture out.  Be sure the bag is zipped so it doesn’t come out the wrong side. Decorate the pears with mummy bandages.  Kid’s love helping with this part.  For mummies the rule is: the messier the better. Add two chocolate chips for eyes and you’re done!  Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before serving.

 

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) container of Pumpkin Puree

1/2 cup Cashews

1/3 cup Almonds

5 Dates, pitted

1/2 cup Almond Milk

4 tbsp pure Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves (optional)

Puree all of the ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth. This will likely take a few minutes, just let the machine do the work. Scrape the sides down a few times. It will seems lumpy at first that just means you need to blend some more. Serve with apple slices or graham crackers.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  Warning: it may be difficult not to eat the entire bowl in one sitting (yup, it’s that good).

 

Pirate Bites

2-3 Spinach Tortillas

2 tbsp Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Black Olives, chopped

Using a spooky cookie cutter (we used a skull and bones) cut shapes out of the tortillas. Ghost or pumpkin cookie cutters work great as well, basically anything with a face. Spread each shape with cream cheese (kids love this part). Add the olive pieces to make faces. Warm them to slightly above room temp before serving. My girls gobbled these up at lightning speed and they “technically” don’t even like olives. I guess they were too excited to care, win win!

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Ps. I still have a few spots in this Sunday’s cooking class Fantastic Fall for ages 5-12! Click HERE to register!