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10 Spooky and Healthy Halloween Snacks for Kids
Halloween is a time for fun and creativity, and this extends to the snacks enjoyed during the festivities. However, balancing seasonal treats with health-conscious choices can sometimes be a challenge, especially for children. To help you offer delightful yet nutritious options, we’ve curated a selection of ten spooky and healthy Halloween snacks that are sure to please kids of all ages. These recipes combine festive themes with wholesome ingredients, making them both enjoyable and beneficial. Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or simply looking to make the holiday special, these creative snacks will add a touch of fun to your celebrations while supporting a healthy lifestyle.
Spiderweb Pancakes
Spiderweb Pancakes are a fun and creative twist on traditional pancakes, perfect for Halloween or any time you want to add a bit of whimsy to your breakfast. These pancakes are decorated with a spiderweb design using simple ingredients.
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more at room temperature, for skillet
3 drops black food coloring gel
Pure maple syrup, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Place a baking sheet in the oven. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter in a measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Transfer 1 cup batter to a separate bowl. Add 2 to 3 drops food coloring and a few drops water, and whisk until evenly colored. Transfer to a zip-top plastic bag with a small hole cut in one corner or a squeeze bottle.
- Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly butter skillet. Draw a spider web in the skillet using the black batter. Cook until set, about 1 minute. Pour 1/3 cup of undyed batter over the spiderweb, completely covering the web. Cook, until pancake is covered in bubbles with a few that have popped, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve with pure maple syrup.
Bagel Pizza Mummies
Bagel Pizza Mummies are a fun, easy-to-make Halloween snack that transforms mini bagels into spooky mummies with melted cheese “bandages” and olive “eyes.” These are perfect for a kid-friendly meal or party appetizer during the Halloween season!
Ingredients
1 bagel, split and toasted
1/4 c. marinara sauce
2 slices sandwich-style pepperoni
1 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, thinly shaved and then thinly sliced
1 pimiento-stuffed green olive, thinly sliced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place bagel halves, cut sides up, on a small baking sheet. Top with marinara and pepperoni, dividing evenly. Arrange mozzarella on top, mimicking mummy wrapping. Place 2 olive slices on each bagel for eyes. Bake until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through 4 to 5 minutes.
Hot Dog Rattlesnake Bites
Hot Dog Rattlesnake Bites are a fun and spooky Halloween treat that looks like mini rattlesnakes, perfect for kids and party-goers. These bites are made with hot dogs wrapped in puff pastry or crescent dough to resemble coiled snakes, complete with “eyes” and “tongues” for a playful presentation.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 (8-ounce) container crescent roll sheets
2 to 3 hot dogs, cut into 7 1 1/2-inch lengths
1/8 of a roasted red bell pepper, cut into a snake tongue
Grainy Dijon mustard, plus more for serving
Two black peppercorns
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease paper. Unwrap 1 crescent roll sheet onto a cutting board. Cut, crosswise, two 1-inch strips. Cut strips into seven segments. Wrap segments around hot dogs. Cut a third 1-inch strip. Cut 3 diamond shapes, and place on four of the wrapped hot dogs. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Shape a piece of aluminum foil into a cone. Lightly grease. Cut a thin strip of dough and wrap around the foil (this will be the rattler). Place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly grease all the parts. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Arrange body segments on a cutting board. Carefully remove the foil from the tail (you can use a toothpick to help push it away) and arrange at the end of the body.
- Use a paring knife to create a slit in one rounded end of a hot dog. Insert the bell pepper tongue. Place two small dabs of mustard on the snake’s head and top with peppercorns to create eyes. Place at the head of the snake body. Serve with mustard alongside.
Mummy Pumpkin Hand Pies
Mummy Pumpkin Hand Pies are a festive and delicious Halloween treat. These handheld pies are filled with a sweet pumpkin filling and wrapped in pie dough to resemble a spooky mummy. They’re a fun, portable dessert perfect for Halloween parties or family gatherings.
Ingredients
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for work surface
3 Tbsp. plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. plus a pinch kosher salt, divided
1 c. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 c. canned pure pumpkin
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, divided
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
24 edible candy eyes
Directions
- Pulse flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor, 4 to 5 times. Add butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal with several pea-size pieces remaining, 12 to 15 times. Add 5 tablespoons ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until dough just begins to come together (add up to an additional tablespoon of water, if needed). Divide dough into 2 piles; knead together and wrap each with plastic wrap. Use plastic to flatten and press dough into loose rectangles. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute. Add pumpkin, egg yolk, pie spice, vanilla, pinch of salt, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one piece of dough at a time on a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 6 three-by-four-inch rectangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Top rectangles with a rounded tablespoonful of pumpkin mixture, spreading lightly and leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges.
- Knead dough scraps together and reroll. Cut into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide and 5 inches long. Top hand pies with several overlapping strips to create a mummy. Seal edges with your fingertips and trim excess.
- Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Brush strips lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. Place candy eyes on mummies.
Spiced Pumpkin-Molasses Cake
This Spiced Pumpkin-Molasses Cake combines warm spices, rich molasses, and pumpkin purée for a moist and flavorful cake perfect for fall. The deep, earthy notes of molasses pair beautifully with the spiced pumpkin, making this cake a delightful treat for holiday gatherings or cozy autumn nights.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 c. cake flour, spooned and leveled
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. molasses
1 c. canned pure pumpkin
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 large egg
Confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 10-inch round cake pan. Whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together molasses, pumpkin, buttermilk, oil, and egg in a second bowl. Pour wet ingredients into well of dry ingredients, and whisk just until combined. Transfer to prepared pan.
2. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cook completely.
3. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar, using a festive stencil made from parchment paper.
Mummy Meat Loaves
Mummy Meat Loaves are a fun, savory Halloween dinner idea. These mini meat loaves are shaped into individual mummies and wrapped with strips of puff pastry to create a spooky, delicious meal. Perfect for a Halloween dinner party or a fun family dinner.
Ingredients
3/4 lb. white or yellow potatoes
Kosher salt and pepper
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. panko or plain bread crumbs
2 clove garlic
1 medium carrot
3/4 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
12 grape tomatoes
3/4 c. lowfat sour cream
24 oz. peas
Directions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with foil liners. Place the potatoes in a pot, add enough cold water to cover, and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt, reduce heat, and simmer until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; stir in the bread crumbs. Add the garlic and carrot and mix to combine. Add the beef and pork and mix just until incorporated. Divide the meat mixture among the foil liners and push a tomato into the center of each one. Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the meat registers 155°F, 14 to 16 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the sour cream and 1/4 tsp salt and mash until very smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-in. ribbon tip (Wilton 104). Transfer the meat loaves to a platter and pipe the potatoes back and forth over each top to resemble a mummy’s wrapping. Place 2 peas on each for eyes.
Banana Mummies
Banana Mummies are a fun, spooky, and healthy Halloween snack that both kids and adults will enjoy. These adorable treats are made by wrapping bananas in melted white chocolate or candy melts to resemble mummies, and then adding candy eyes for a playful, festive touch.
Ingredients
4 bananas
1 lb. white chocolate
4 oz. white chocolate
16 mini M&M’s
4 oz. milk chocolate chips
8 lollipop sticks
Directions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Skewer each banana half with a lollipop stick and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
- In a large microwave-safe measuring cup, melt 1 pound white chocolate in the microwave according to package directions. One at a time, dip the bananas into the chocolate to coat, shaking off any excess. Return to the baking sheet and immediately place two M&M candies near the top for eyes.
- Melt the remaining white chocolate in the microwave according to package directions and fill a small piping bag fitted with a small, round nozzle tip. Pipe zigzags over the banana to form bandages. Repeat this step with the milk chocolate, if using. Chill or freeze until ready to serve.
Pumpkin & Pesto Crostini
Pumpkin & Pesto Crostini is an elegant and flavorful appetizer that combines the creamy sweetness of roasted pumpkin with the herby richness of pesto, all served on a crisp crostini. This autumn-inspired bite is perfect for entertaining or as a seasonal snack.
Ingredients
4 c. peeled, sliced pumpkin or butternut squash (1/2 inch thick)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 c. plus 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves
1 c. packed baby spinach
1 large clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice
8 to 10 slices dark rye bread
4 oz. burrata cheese, torn into small pieces
3 Tbsp. chopped, toasted pecans
Directions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together pumpkin, red pepper, and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring once, until tender and lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes. 2. Combine, basil, spinach, garlic, and remaining 1/3 cup oil in a blender. Process, scraping down sides as needed, until blended and smooth, about 30 seconds. Stir in Parmesan and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and black pepper.3. Cut each bread slice into 4 pieces. Bake on a baking sheet until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Top crostini with burrata, pumpkin, pesto, and pecans, dividing evenly. Season with salt and black pepper.
“Poison” Candy Apples
“Poison” Candy Apples are a spooky and stunning Halloween treat that gives a sinister twist to the classic candy apple. These dark, glossy apples look mysteriously tempting, making them perfect for Halloween parties or themed gatherings.
Ingredients
12 baby Granny Smith apples
12 wooden candy apple sticks or dowels
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 tsp. black gel paste food coloring
Directions
- Wash and dry the apples thoroughly. Place on a baking sheet and poke firmly with dowels. Line a second baking sheet with buttered parchment paper, and set aside.
- Place a candy thermometer in a medium saucepan and add sugar, 3/4 cup water, and corn syrup. Place over medium heat; whisk until sugar is dissolved. Let the temperature rise without stirring until it reaches the hard-crack mark at 310 degrees F. Remove pan from heat. Carefully remove the thermometer, and add food coloring.
- Swirl the pan to mix in the color completely. Swipe and twirl the apple through the candy, shake off excess, and place on a buttered baking sheet. Repeat with remaining apples.
Breadstick Rattlers
Breadstick Rattlers are a fun and spooky snack perfect for Halloween or themed parties. These breadsticks are shaped like rattlesnakes and are sure to be a hit with both kids and adults. With a savory garlic and cheese flavor, they make a delicious and playful addition to your Halloween spread.
Ingredients
1 (13.8-oz.) tube refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 c. olive oil, for brushing
1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
3 black olives
12 dried chiles
store-bought tomato soup for 12
Directions
- Unroll tube refrigerated pizza dough. Cut into 12 strips on the long side and roll each into 12-inch ropes, tapering one end (to create the tail) and flattening the other end (to create the head).
- Wrap each rope in a spiral around a greased 10 ½-inch chopstick. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle body with poppy seeds and tails with sesame seeds. Cut black olives into small triangles and place on the head of each snake to make the eyes.
- Bake on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets at 350°F until golden brown, 15 to 18 mins. Cool 3 mins. before carefully removing chopsticks.
- While still warm, use a toothpick to carefully thread dried chiles (cut into tongues) into the tip of the flat end of each snake to make the tongue. Serve with store-bought tomato soup. For added flair, put the soup in a cauldron-like cast iron pot.
