Halloween is always an exciting time of year, for kids and grownups alike. Even this year, when you look around, you will see jack-o'-lanterns and decorations outside many homes. Inside those homes, however, you may find a lot of candy just waiting to be devoured. Does the thought of so much sugary stuff around your house make you shudder with fright? With a little creativity, you can add fun, healthy Halloween treats into the mix. Try these recipe ideas to make Halloween healthier for your family.
Spooky Fun Halloween Fare
Serve up healthy snacks dressed in Halloween themes, such as cheesy bloodshot eyeballs, carrot witch fingers, banana ghosts, apple monster mouths, and spooky spider deviled eggs. Here are a few of our frighteningly favorite recipes:
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Blackberry and Cheddar Cheese Skewers |
Jack-o'-Lantern Clementines and Ghostly Cheese Sticks |
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Carrot Jack-o'-Lanterns and Witch Broomsticks |
Hot Dog Mummies |
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Spooky Green Apple Monsters |
Mini Mummy Pizzas |
See All Our Favorite Recipe Ideas
Trick or Treats to Go
We’ve scared up some of our favorite transportable treat ideas that are kid-friendly and mom-approved.
- 100% juice boxes or pouches
- Snack-size packages of pretzels, popcorn, graham crackers, dried fruit or vegetables, trail mix, nuts, or pumpkin seeds
- 100% real fruit strips, ropes, or leather brands
- Sugar-free gum
These hauntingly healthy snacks are as fun to make as they are to eat. Great for party favors or to give out as healthier treat options.
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Goldfish Jack-o'-Lantern and Spooky Popcorn Bags |
Ghostly Faces on Vanilla Pudding Cups |
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Happy Jack-o'-Lantern Faces on Mandarin Orange Cups |
Spooky Ghost Apples Wrapped in Tissue (or tie up green apples in plastic bags and add a frightening Frankenstein face) |
What to Do with Gobs of Candy
If your kids do end up with an excess of less healthy Halloween treats, here are some ways to enjoy the evening’s haul responsibly and get rid of leftover candy:
- Keep enough candy for each child to have one or two pieces a day for one or two weeks--long enough for the excitement to fade.
- When your child asks for a piece of candy, pair it with a healthy snack: an apple or banana, some nuts, crumbled into yogurt, or celery with peanut butter.
- “Purchase” candy from your child with money or tokens they can trade-in for a fun activity: an afternoon matinee, extra time playing at the park, going ice-skating, or dinner at their favorite pizza joint.
- Save some for holiday baking.
- Use well-wrapped candy to add to candy bowls for Thanksgiving guests or to fill the Christmas stockings.
- Use it to decorate a holiday gingerbread house or use it in an arts and crafts project.
- Donate extra candy to a homeless shelter, children’s hospital, or care package program for troops overseas. Sometimes, a local dentist may have a program for accepting excess Halloween candy.
Looking for more creative ways to celebrate Halloween? Try making these DIY Trick-or-Treat Bags for those healthy Halloween treats.
