Healthy Halloween snacks are for young and old alike. Anyone who thinks Halloween is the worst is no fun; I am one of those people. The decorating, costumes, planning, and expenses, oh my!
Spooky but Simple Seasonal Treats
You would think having two children with a natural flair for acting and dress-up 365 days a year would have changed my mind. But no. I am adamant that fake cobwebs and face paint belong in Hell, along with the mini Mounds bars they rode in on.
Be that as it may, when October 1 rolls around, I start hyping myself for all the chaos that is about to ensue. Fake tombstones in the yard, endless searching for a character mask that doesn’t exist, avoiding large quantities of candy around the house taunting me, and my favorite: stepping on small plastic spiders hiding in the carpet, which are worse than Legos.
Kid-Approved and Adult-Loved Recipes
Even though I suffer from self-diagnosed seasonal curmudgeonry, I’d rather not have my kids remember me as the crazy lady who turns off the porch light at 8 p.m. sharp. Luckily for me (and them), Halloween cooking is my jam: my mad-scientist kitchen skills shield my children from my harsh inner reality.
This Halloween looks as though we will likely be staying indoors with our loyal quarantine crew. Nonetheless, we plan to do it up right by transforming some of our favorite healthy foods into spectacularly spooky treats that kids and adults alike will love. Though most don’t associate Halloween with healthfulsnacking, there are plenty of ways to mix up the sugar rush with real food that is scary-satisfying.
Cooking with kids can be fun any time of year, but there is something marvelously magical about the excitement of turning typical foods into supernatural artworks. Although these treats look dangerously difficult to master, I assure that they are manageable for novice cooks of all ages, and frightfully flavorful.
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Mummy Dip
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded or grated Asiago
- 8 oz spaghetti sauce (I love Rao’s)
- 1/2 cup of yellow pepper, diced
- 4 oz pepperoni (reserve 2 slices for eyeballs)
- Sliced green or black olives for eyeballs
- 5 sticks mozzarella string cheese
Instructions
- Lightly spray an 8-inch baking dish or pie pan with olive oil.
- Fold together cream cheese and seasonings, spread evenly across the pan.
- Combine the shredded cheeses and sprinkle over the cream cheese.
- Spoon on the spaghetti sauce, being sure to cover to the edges.
- Layer the bell peppers and diced pepperoni.
- Top with remaining cheese mixture.
- Use the extra pepperoni slices and olives to make eye balls on the pan, then layer the string cheese all over the pan (around the eyes) to make “mummy” come to life.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Deviled Spiders
Ingredients
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp mustard (I like to use pale-ale style from Trader Joe’s)
- 1/8 tsp of salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- 2 pieces bacon, finely chopped
Instructions
- Cut the eggs in half.
- Scoop out the yolks and add to a mixing bowl.
- Mash the yolks with a fork and fold in all of the above ingredients, mixing well.
- You may need to add more sour cream, depending on what consistency you desire.
- Pipe the mixture into the egg white shells, and then decorate them with the black olive spider parts.
Spooky Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
- 1 bag of carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ to 1lb white cheese, thick-cut sliced
- ½ to 1lb yellow cheese, thick-cut sliced
- 2 large yams
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
Not Halloweenified, but other items that I use for killer boards:
- 1 lb prosciutto
- 1 lb salami, thinly sliced
- 1 lb assorted olives
- 4 to 6 oz Marcona almonds
- 8 oz pickled green beans
- Popcorn or corn nuts
Instructions
For the Carrot “Fingers”:
- Peel and cut each about 3 inches from the tip.
- Carve out a small “shelf” on each carrot tip to make a secure spot for the red pepper fingernail.
- Slice the red bell pepper to size in chunks to fit on the carrot finger. You can use a dollop of cream cheese, to secure the “nail” in place.
For the Cheese Ghosts/Bats & Sweet Potato Pumpkins:
- Use Halloween cookie cutters to carve out cheesy ghosts and bats (Miceli Dairy mozzarella cheese for the ghosts, and pumpkins, bats, moons and leaves made from Middlefield Original Cheese Company Gouda, cheddar and Colby. If ya’ll find black cheese, let a girl know!).
- Using the same method, slice the yams into ½-inch thick slices, and using the pumpkin cookie cutter, imprint the design to the sweet potato.
Homemade Halloween Crackers
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- Additional sea salt for topping
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Add olive oil and using a fork or your fingers, mix until combined and mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add water and mix just until dough comes together into a ball.
- If the dough is too crumbly, add a bit more water. If it’s too sticky, add a bit more flour. Try not to overwork the dough.
- Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes then roll out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch.
- Cut into shapes using your favorite cookie cutters. Place cut-outs on parchment-covered baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy.
Story Kelly Kinsey
Photography and Styling by BurkleHagen
