Our family loves Halloween! It's true, in the early days we were trick-or-treaters (all those sugary store-bought Halloween treats… shudder!). Now that my kids are grown, I've found a healthy balance with these Halloween food ideas. We just buy candy with the best ingredients (and make sure you have treats not candy also).
Reinventing our Halloween dinner plan is another way to make peace with this sugar-happy holiday. These festive yet healthy Halloween recipes are perfect to eat before or after trick-or-treating, or just a way to make Halloween fun at home! You can even serve some of these healthy Halloween treats at your next Halloween party.
You'll find some healthier desserts on this list, but many of these recipes work well for an appetizer or a meal. Halloween cake, caramel apples, brownies, and Halloween cupcakes may be more crowd-pleasers, but they really add to the night's sugar load!
Healthy Halloween Recipes and Halloween Food Ideas (Mom Approved!)
Some of these recipes are our original creations and some are great ideas we've adopted from others. I made sure to choose Halloween food ideas that:
- Have food (healthy fats, protein, vitamins, etc.)
- They are made with real food
- They are easy for children to make (see my rule of parenting: mom doesn't have to do everything!)
After all, playing with our food is a lot of fun. These low-prep recipes leave time for all the costumes and face painting you want!
1. Spider Web Pancakes
Start your day with some grain-free pumpkin pancakes. Melt some chocolate (because Halloween) and spoon it in a quick, spider-like fashion to “spin” a dramatic and delicious web on top of each stack. You can also melt cocoa butter wafers with a little honey to make one white chocolate version.
2. Banana ghosts
My youngest daughter looks forward to making these super easy banana “ghosts” every year. Simply peel a banana, cut it in half and press chocolate chips on top of the banana as eyes and a sliced almond as an open, wailing mouth! Stand upright on the flat edge of a chocolate sprinkled plate for a delightful self-serve Halloween treat.
3. Clementine “Pumpkins”
Halloween party food doesn't get any easier (or healthier) than this. Peel a tangerine or clementine orange, being careful to keep the orange segments intact. Insert a short piece of thinly sliced celery into the opening of the orange and voila! You've got an adorable pumpkin-shaped Halloween snack that little kids (and adults) will love.
Make a whole plate or serve it on a small dessert plate with dinner (since they'll have a lot of real dessert later!).
4. Stuffed Jack O'Lantern Peppers
Most of us have made some version of stuffed peppers before. You can easily make them into a fun and healthy scrumptious meal!
Use 8-10 bright orange peppers. Cut off the top, scoop out the seeds, and cut out a smiling (or scary) Jack o' Lantern face on the sides. Fill with Philly cheese filling (our favorite) or a more traditional filling, bake and enjoy!
Or, make it a Halloween appetizer. Prepare an orange bell pepper in the same way, but leave it raw and stuff it with cream cheese radish dip and chopped vegetables.
5. Watermelon monster head
You've seen watermelon fruit baskets… how about a watermelon monster head? It's much healthier than candy apples and much tastier than candy corn (sorry if you like candy corn!). Cut a watermelon in half, remove the rind and cut out a jagged mouth. Invert over a plate of fruit salad and add a few glasses of fruit slices to your watermelon “head”. It looks like this spooky Halloween monster has lost his lunch, which kids will love and devour!
6. Meat mummies
We regularly make meatloaf (like mini meatloaves with whipped sweet potato “brost”). For Halloween, we dress these up for the occasion by using piped white mashed potatoes on top with a flat top of cream. Add two green peas for eyes and you have a meal that looks like a mini zombie, all wrapped up in bandages!
7. Witches Brew Smoothie
Shhh… this is just one green smoothie recipe I make all the time! Cucumber and lime give it a bright green look that's perfect for Halloween. Just call it a new name and serve it with a garnish of peeled grapes (eyeballs) and you've got a scrumptious snack the kids won't turn down.
8. Mulled cider (or wine!)
This “treat” is one of the best ways to add a touch of natural hygge and make it feel more comfortable and attractive at home. Plus, it smells amazing! Simply simmer the spices in cider (or around my house, wine for grown-ups!) and serve warm.
9. Pumpkin or chili soup
If you haven't tried a creamy, velvety pumpkin soup for a fall meal, you're missing out! Pumpkins are abundant in the garden and marketed this time of year. This soup is a budget friendly choice this is also a great party food idea. It's easy to make, requires minimal prep, and is easy to reheat until you're ready to eat.
You can also add pumpkin to chili, one of my favorite foods tricks for growing vegetables.
10. Zoodles or Shirataki Noodles (for the “brain”)
I have a whole post shirataki noodlesbut these unusual noodles have that perfect slip-on feel to pose as “brains”! Peeled zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer will also work well for this. Serve with alfredo sauce or Thai peanut sauce and present it as brain “goo” to make them stand out and satisfy them at the same time.
11. String cheese ghosts
If you're packing lunches, these super-light Mozzarella String Cheese Ghosts are a delicious, high-protein treat. Just use a Sharpie to draw your own friendly or spooky ghost faces!
12. A creepy shrimp board
With a snack board, there's no end to how creative you can be. Especially when it's Halloween themed! Cut the cheese with Halloween-shaped cookie cutters, add pumpkin clementines (above) and olive “eyeballs”. String cheese and bell pepper “fingers” also make a nice touch. You can add a ball of cheese to dip some vegetables.
13. Deviled Eggs (Of course!)
I didn't even have to come up with a name for it! Make deviled eggs even worse with the addition of black olive spiders. Or mix the filling with some beetroot puree and top with olives to “bleed the eyeball”. Either way, they're packed with protein and fat to help fill kids up and regulate blood sugar.
14. Skeleton of vegetable trays
Who says vegetables can't be dressed up too? My kids have picked up this Halloween tradition from me and have fun making a different character each year. And I'm happy to supply the vegetables! They learned knife skills from one online cooking courses for children years ago, and now they are paying!
Serve with hummus or farm drop with real food.
15. Halloween cookies
Instead of frozen sugar cookies with sprinkles or Oreos, try some healthier homemade cookies. Make some delicious gingerbread cookies, but use Halloween themed cookie cutters instead. Or mix cream cheese and honey to make a piped frosting and decorate the molasses cookies with a “spider web”.
16. Be spooky
Here's another protein-packed main course or appetizer for Halloween. You can add a sliced green olive on top to make an “eyeball”. Wrap in spaghetti squash noodles and tomato sauce for a spooky zombie look.
17. Ghost marshmallows
These crunchy marshmallows are made with honey and contain gelatin and gut-healthy probiotics. Instead of candy eyes, brush melted dark chocolate on a toothpick for ghost faces. Mom (or older kids) can prepare the marshmallow mixture and the kids can pipe the trays and decorate them.
Do you have ideas for a spooky and fun Halloween menu? Please share your favorite real food ideas for Halloween!
