Our family loves Halloween! Admittedly, in the early days, we were trick-or-treating holdouts (all that sweet store-bought Halloween candy…shudder!). Now that the kids are older, I’ve found a healthy balance with these Halloween food ideas. We just buy candy made with better ingredients (and make sure to buy non-candy treats too).
Reinventing your Halloween dinner plans is another way to bring peace to this sweet-toothed holiday. These festive yet healthy Halloween recipes are perfect for snacking on before or after trick-or-treating, or as a way to make Halloween fun at home. You can also serve these healthy Halloween treats at your next Halloween party.
Although there are some healthier dessert treats on this list, many of these recipes are suitable as appetizers or meals. Halloween cake, caramel apples, brownies, and Halloween cupcakes may be crowd-pleasers, but they’ll add even more sugar to your evening.
Healthy Halloween Recipes and Halloween Food Ideas (Mom Approved!)
Some of these recipes are our original creations, and some are great ideas adopted from others. For Halloween food ideas, I chose the following:
- Eat nutrients (healthy fats, protein, vitamins, etc.)
- made with real food
- Easy enough for kids to make (see my parenting rules: Mom doesn’t have to do everything!)
After all, playing with food is a lot of fun. With these low-prep recipes, you can spend more time creating your desired costume or face painting.
1. Spider web pancakes
Start your day with grain-free pumpkin pancakes. Melt the chocolate (because it’s Halloween) and quickly drip it from the spoon in a spider-like fashion, “rotating” it into a dramatic and delicious web on top of each stack. Melt cocoa butter wafers with a little honey, white chocolate version.
2. Banana Ghost
My younger daughter looks forward to making these super easy banana “ghosts” every year. Peel a banana, cut it in half, and press chocolate chips into the tip of the banana to make it look like an eye, and sliced almonds to make it look like a crying mouth. Stand upright on the flat edge of a chocolate-covered plate for a cute self-serve Halloween dessert.
3. Clementine “Pumpkins”
Halloween party food couldn’t be easier (or healthier). Peel a mandarin or clementine orange. Be careful not to damage the orange pieces. Insert a thin slice of celery into the mouth of the orange and voila! Now you have an adorable pumpkin-inspired Halloween snack that little kids (and adults) will love.
Serve it on a whole platter or serve it on a small dessert plate with your dinner (because you’ll get plenty of actual dessert later!).
4. Jack-o-lantern stuffed pepper
Most of us have probably made some version of stuffed peppers before. Easy to make fun and healthy spooky meals.
Use 8 to 10 bright orange bell peppers. Cut off the top, remove the seeds, and cut a smiling (or scary) jack-o-lantern face into the side. Fill with Philadelphia Cheesesteak toppings (our favorite) or a more traditional filling, bake, and enjoy.
Or why not try it as a Halloween appetizer? Orange bell peppers are prepared similarly, but left raw and stuffed with radish cream cheese dip and cut vegetables.
5. Watermelon Monster Head
We’ve all seen watermelon fruit baskets, but what about watermelon monster heads? It’s much healthier than candy apples and much tastier than candy corn (sorry candy corn lovers!). Cut the watermelon in half, scoop out the shell, and cut the mouth into jagged pieces. Add fruit slice eyes to the watermelon “head” by inverting it onto a fruit salad plate. Apparently this spooky Halloween monster has lost the lunchboxes that the kids are happily eating.
6. Meatloaf Mummy
We regularly make meatloaf cupcakes (like mini meatloaf with whipped sweet potato “frosting”). For Halloween, use white mashed potatoes piped with flat icing tips to dress them up for the event. Add a couple of green peas for the eyes and you’ve got a meal that looks like a mini-mummy wrapped in a bandage.
7. Witch’s Beer Smoothie
Shhh…this is a green smoothie recipe that I always make! The bright green of cucumber and lime is perfect for Halloween. Just give it a new name, serve it with a garnish of peeled grapes (the centerpiece), and you’ve got a spooky snack your kids won’t say no to.
8. Hot cider (or wine!)
This “treat” is one of the best ways to add a natural hygge touch and give your home an even more cozy and inviting atmosphere. Plus, it smells amazing! Simmer Mullings spices long in cider (or adult wine around my house!) and serve warm.
9. Pumpkin soup or chili
If you haven’t tried velvety, creamy pumpkin soup for your fall meals, you’re wasting your time! This time of year, there are lots of pumpkins in gardens and markets. This soup is a budget-friendly option and a great potluck party food idea. It’s easy to make, requires minimal preparation, and is easy to keep warm until ready to eat.
You can also add pumpkin to chili. This is one of my favorite sneaky tricks for getting more vegetables.
10. Zoodles or Shirataki (for the “brain”)
I’ve been writing about shirataki noodles for a while, and this unusual noodle has a slimy texture that’s perfect for doing the “brain” pose. Peeled zucchini noodles made in a spiralizer are also suitable for this. Served with alfredo sauce or Thai peanut sauce as a brain “goo,” it offends and pleases at the same time.
11. String Cheese Ghost
If you have a lunch box, these super easy Mozzarella String Cheese Ghosts are a cute and high protein snack. Just draw a friendly face or a spooky ghost face yourself using a sharpie.
12. Chilling Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie boards allow for endless creativity. Especially when it’s Halloween themed! Cut the cheese with a Halloween-shaped cookie cutter and add the clementine pumpkin (top) and olive “eyeballs”. The string cheese and pepper “fingers” are also a nice touch. You can also add cheese balls to dip the vegetables.
13. Deviled Eggs (of course!)
This didn’t even need a name. Adding black olive spiders makes deviled eggs even more sinister. Or mix the filling with beet puree and top with olives for a “bloody centerpiece.” Either way, they are rich in protein and fat that help children feel full and regulate blood sugar levels.
14. Vegetable tray skeleton
Who said vegetables can’t be dressed up too? My kids inherited this Halloween tradition from me and have fun making different characters every year. I would be happy if you could eat vegetables too! They learned knife skills years ago in an online cooking course for kids, and now they’re paying off.
Serve with hummus or real ranch dip.
15. Halloween cookies
Instead of frosted sugar cookies with sprinkles or Oreos, try healthier homemade cookies. Make delicious gingerbread cookies, but use Halloween-themed cookie cutters instead. Or mix cream cheese and honey to make a pipeable frosting and decorate molasses cookies with “spider webs.”
16. Creepy Meatballs
This is also a protein-packed main dish or Halloween appetizer. You can also add sliced green olives on top to make a meatball “centerpiece.” Wrap it in spaghetti squash noodles and tomato sauce for a spooky mummy look.
17. Ghost Marshmallow
These spooky ghost marshmallows are made with honey and feature gut-healthy gelatin and probiotics. For candy eyes, dab melted dark chocolate with a toothpick to create a ghost face. Mom (or older kids) can make the marshmallow mixture and the kids can pipe it onto the tray and decorate it.
Do you have any ideas for spooky and fun Halloween menus? Share your favorite authentic Halloween food ideas.
