Eating a whole food plant-based diet doesn't mean all the Halloween fun goes out the window! You can still make Halloween a special occasion filled with spooky sweets (surprisingly healthy) treats for your kiddos. We've rounded up 10 of our favorite plant-based Halloween treats that your kids will actually want to gobble up. And every single one of these recipes is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free!
Be sure to parent however you feel most comfortable, but keep in mind:
- A few pieces of candy won’t hurt you or your child (unless you/they have a special health condition).
- By withholding anything 100 percent you risk making candy a object of desire.
- There are plenty of healthy alternatives to traditional Halloween candy that are just as sweet and satisfying!
- Incorporate bits and pieces of their candy stash into otherwise healthy treats, reducing how much refined sugar they are consuming at once (suggestions below).
Here are a few non-sugar focused ways to elevate your Halloween this year:
- Focus on the decorations: Try these 75 DIY Halloween decorations
- Do Halloween crafts together: Try these 23 Halloween DIY crafts
- DIY your own costumes: These 85 adorable DIY kids Halloween costumes will be just as fun to wear as they will be to create together.
- Make some savory treats: Here are 14 creative ways to season your popcorn!
- Spooky sounds: Play this 1-hour playlist of spooky Halloween sounds on repeat!
Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for...
10 plant-based Halloween treats (that your kids will never know are healthy!)
Plus, optional ways to incorporate little bits of their candy stash!
1. Dairy-free chocolate peanut butter "milkshake"
One of our favorite sweet treat recipes for kiddos because it tastes like chocolate peanut butter ice cream (only one of the best flavor combos known to man!) AND it's just 4-ingredients. What's not to like? Grab this vegan chocolate peanut butter "milkshake" recipe here.
Make it extra spooky: Cut a jack-o-lantern face out of a piece of paper and use as a stencil by placing it over shake, and dusting heavily with extra cacao powder.
Use their candy: Top with 1-2 Tablespoons of crumbled Oreos, sliced Snickers, or sliced PayDays.
2. Gluten free fudgy brownies (with a secret healthy ingredient)
Black beans in brownies? You bet your plant-based bottom! Turns out, they’re actually what’s been missing from your vegan brownie recipe all along. Black beans make the ideal fudgy brownie dough – and they give this sweet treat a boost of fiber and protein! This vegan brownie recipe is also gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
Make it extra spooky: These fudgy brownies are well…very fudgy and malleable. Roll into lollipop-sized balls and stick onto a popsicle stick. Stick on 2 sunflower seeds, angled with the pointy side out, and tilted upward slightly, making the face look menacing.
Use their candy: Slice their chocolate bars and melt on top of the brownies, or use to top brownies after they have cooled.
3. Frozen grape “eyeballs”
This one is so easy it’s almost not fair. You can either just freeze green grapes as is, or peel red grapes for a more eyeball-like appearance.
How to make grape eyeballs:
- Blanch grapes
- Rest in ice water
- Peel
Make it extra spooky: If you use a liquid B12 supplement, it is typically blood-red. Spray grapes once or twice and mix before freezing for a “bloody” appearance.
4. Witches fingers: Peanut butter cup energy balls
Image and recipe from Minimalist Baker
Make these energy balls, by the Minimalist Baker, then roll them into finger shaped logs. Add a slivered almond to the end to replicate a fingernail. Call them “Witches fingers” and bend them at the “knuckle” slightly.
5. Banana coco-nibs ghosts
Another one that's so simple there's really no excuse to skip it.
Ingredients:
2 Bananas
8 cocoa nibs
Instructions:
1. Peel the bananas, and chop them in half.
2. Place the cut side on the plate so they are standing up.
3. Place 2 cocoa nibs towards the tip of the ½ banana to replicate eyes – Voila, ghosts!
Use their candy: Crumble chocolate-based candy bars and Oreos to make “dirt” and place your ghosts in the dirt.
6. Apple strawberry monsters
The little ones in your fam will love this spooky whole food snack – and making them's pretty fun, too!
Ingredients:
1 Apple
Sunflower seeds
1 strawberry
(Caramel Sauce)
7 pitted and soaked dates
1/4 cup of non-dairy milk
3/4 teaspoons of vanilla extract (natural)
1/2 teaspoon of tahini
1/4 teaspoon of coarsely ground sea salt
A pinch of ground flaxseed
To make caramel sauce: Blend caramel sauce ingredients together until smooth.
Instructions:
1. Slice the apple in quarters, and remove the fibrous middle from each piece.
2. Cut a sliver the long way out of the skin side of the apple, as the opening of the “mouth”
3. Fill with caramel sauce
4. Place in sunflower seeds as “teeth”
5. Add a strawberry slice as a “tongue”
Use their candy: Add 2 pieces of candy corn to each mouth to make it a vampire’s mouth.
7. Clementine pumpkins
This winning combo makes for healthy and easy Halloween-themed snack. Peel a clementine and leave it whole. Add a small slice of celery (matchstick sized) to the center as the pumpkin “stem”
Use their candy: Crumble chocolate-based candy bars, and Oreos to make "dirt" for the pumpkin patch.
8. Caramel apple slices with crushed peanuts
A (WFPB) re-imaging of the fall-time classic, caramel apples!
Ingredients:
2 sliced granny smith apples
¼ a cup of crushed peanuts
(Caramel sauce)
7 pitted and soaked dates
1/4 cup of non-dairy milk
3/4 teaspoons of vanilla extract (natural)
1/2 teaspoon of tahini
1/4 teaspoon of coarsely ground sea salt
A pinch of ground flaxseed
To make caramel sauce: Blend caramel sauce ingredients together until smooth.
Assembly:
-Smear apple slices with caramel sauce, and sprinkle with peanuts.
Use their candy: Sprinkle with crushed candy bars or Oreos.
9. Cookie Dough Ball Pops
This is one of the stealthiest health foods out there, because it honestly does taste like dessert...but it's made with chickpeas!
Ingredients:
1 can or drained and rinsed chickpeas
1 dash of sea salt
1 TBS of vanilla extract
a few TBS of water
1 TBS of all natural peanut butter
3 TBS of maple syrup or date syrup
¼ a cup of raisins or vegan dark chocolate chips
Garnish: Cacao powder
Instructions:
1. Blend ingredients together (excluding chocolate chips/raisins, and cacao powder)
2. Use a rubber spatula to condense cookie dough in blender to ensure even blending
3. Once smooth, stir in chocolate chips/raisins with a spoon
4. Roll into balls, and place on the end of a popsicle stick
5. Roll in cacao powder and add 2 almond slivers to the tops, stick out like alien eyes. Place chocolate chips or raisins in front of the slivers for the pupils.
10. Witch’s Finger Halloween Snacks
Give ants on a log a spooky update!
Ingredients:
8 finger-length slices of celery
¼ a cup of all natural peanut butter (no added sugar)
8 almond slivers
Instructions:
1. Fill celery boats with peanut butter
2. Add almond slivers on the end as “nails” or use raisins to keep the classic "ants on a log" flavor profile.
3 TOP TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR HEALTHY HALLOWEEN TREAT EXTRA SPOOKY:
1. Sprinkle ground flaxseed and chia seeds on anything to make it “dirty”
2. Add a spray of liquid B12 to anything to make it “bloody” (keep it to 1-2 sprays)
3. Add 2 cacao nibs (or dark chocolate chips) to anything to give it “eyes."
There ya have it! Happy Halloween :)
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