9 Healthy Halloween Recipes
Before indulging in Halloween candy and devilish treats, make room at your table for these healthy dishes to fuel a night of trick-or-treating.
Healthy Halloween? I know that sounds like the worst case of Halloween party-pooping ever, but hear us out: These recipes are truly delicious. Empanadas, hand pies, even cupcakes are included in this roundup of tasty and satisfying treats to bring to a party or give to the kids to cushion the sugar blow that’s about to come.
Wait, back it up … cupcakes? Well, notice that these dishes are filed under the heading “Healthy Halloween,” not “Recipes for Year-Round Health Nuts.” But all joking aside, these red-velvet cupcakes do actually have a secret nutritious weapon: They get their red coloring from beets. But just tell everyone it’s good old Red Dye #3 and no one will ever suspect they’re eating health food.
1 /9 Thomas J. Story Bell Pepper Jack-o-Lanterns with Vegetables and Dip
Give your Halloween party some personality with these carved edible “bowls.” Make them as goofy or as scary as you like, depending on your mood! Not only do these jack o’lantern snacks add a festive touch, they will make sure kids and adults alike will continue to snack on vegetables in between bites of Halloween candy. This healthy Halloween snack is a must.
Recipe: Bell Pepper Jack-o-Lanterns with Vegetables and Dip
2 /9 Thayer Allyson Gowdy Red Pepper-Potato Dip with Crudites
3 /9 Annabelle Breakey Pumpkin Soup with Pumpkin Seed–Mint Pesto
4 /9 Erin Kunkel Spinach Jack-o’-Lantern Hand Pies
Turns out that spinach wrapped in pie dough passes the picky-eater test! For these Halloween riffs on the classic calzone, use 4- by 5-in. pumpkin-shaped cookie cutters (find at cooking or craft stores and online). Or cut out a pumpkin-shaped template from paper, set it on the dough, and cut around it with a thin, sharp knife.
Recipe: Spinach Jack-o’-Lantern Hand Pies
5 /9 Erin Kunkel Chicken Curry Moon Pies
Toasting the cumin brings out its flavor, and a bit of Madras curry powder makes this a savory pie that’s as appealing to grown-ups as it is to kids.
Recipe: Chicken Curry Moon Pies
6 /9 Erin Kunkel Halloween Ham and Cheese Hand Pies
This is an adaptable little recipe. We love the warm, spicy flavor of brown mustard, but feel free to use your family’s favorite mustard. You can also customize the filling by using any kind of thinly sliced cheese and/or meat that you or your kids prefer.
Recipe: Halloween Ham and Cheese Hand Pies
7 /9 Annabelle Breakey Pumpkin Curry Empanadas
Snack on these handheld pies before going trick-or-treating snack, or eat a couple for a vegetarian Halloween meal.
Recipe: Pumpkin Curry Empanadas
8 /9 Erin Kunkel Pie-Spiced Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
The warm spices of holiday pies are mixed with seeds and a touch of salt for a sweet and savory snack to eat by the handful. It can be shared with any trick-or-treaters on the Halloween trail, since it won’t set off peanut allergies.
Recipe: Pie-Spiced Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
9 /9 Antonis Achilleos Red Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream
Cupcakes only a vampire could love? Hardly! These healthy Halloween treats get their color not from the usual food coloring but from puréed roasted beets, so kids (and Dracula) can get a dose of veggies without even knowing it.
Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream
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