Children are more inclined to try new and familiar foods when the pressure is off! These spooky but fun snacks are just that…fun! Plus, depending on the age and ability of your child they may be able to help prepare these so get your kids in the kitchen!
We encourage you to adapt these snack ideas to work for your family – depending on the age and ability of your child you may need to replace or omit some ingredients.
Healthy Halloween Snack #1: Pancake Spider Web
Age: 12 months +
It’s so easy and fun to make pancakes in different shapes!
To make this web:
- First make your favourite pancake batter.
- Next, put the pancake batter in a squeeze bottle. You could buy one (like this one from Amazon) or you could reuse a condiment bottle (like ketchup or mustard).
- Then squeeze out a large X onto your pre-heated frying pan. Cross that X with another line to make a 6 point star. Connect the lines two times to complete the web.
- Allow the first side to cook completely, then carefully loosen each part of the we before flipping over.
- Cut raisins nearly in half to make flies.
- Take a plum. Cut it in half and remove the pit. Place one half on the plate. Cut the remaining half in 8 wedges. “Glue” the wedges as legs to the body of the spider. I cut a little bit off of each wedge so that there was a flat edge to butt up against the body.
Healthy Halloween Snack #2: Apple Monsters
Age: Once your child has a good command on chewing apples. May not be suitable until 4 years old.
These monsters are so cute they couldn’t possibly scare anyone!
- Take an apple, slice it in half and remove the core. Slice the halves into four slices each (so you’ll end up with 8 slices total).
- Thinly spread peanut butter on one side of each slice.
- Slice a strawberry into four slices and place as tongues on four of the apple slices.
- On the remaining slices, stick some sunflower seeds in for teeth. Place the slices with sunflower seeds on top of the ones with strawberries to form the mouth.
- For each of 8 dried apricots, stick a toothpick in half lengthwise. “Glue” cheerios on for eyes with the peanut butter then stick two each into the apple mouths.
If your child lives with a peanut allergy, use an alternative spread such as Wowbutter or sunflower seed butter.
Please note that caution is also warranted with toothpicks and young children. Advise your child to remove the food from the stick before eating instead of eating it off the stick.
Healthy Halloween Snack #3: Strawberry Jack-O-Lanterns
Age: 2 years old +
These cuties need only three ingredients: fresh strawberries and two kinds of chocolate!
- Melt orange chocolate wafers and dip the strawberries in to coat.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, place chocolate chips in a ziplock bag and melt on low heat in the microwave. Cut a tiny hole in one corner and use that to pipe the faces!
Healthy Halloween Snack #4: Cheese String Witch’s Broomstick
Age: 12 months +
Healthy Halloween Snack #5: Banana Ghosts
Age: 2 years +
Remember when we said it couldn’t get easier than the cheese string broomsticks? Just kidding; these banana ghosts are even simpler!
All you do is unpeel a banana, cut it in half and then add mini chocolate chips for eyes and a regular sized chocolate chip for the mouth!
Healthy Halloween Snack #6: Orange Jack-O-Lanterns
Age: 9 months +
They’re cute but the best part about this snack is that there’s no refined sugar! These jack-o-lanterns are naturally sweetened by the oranges and a few dates.
Cut off the tops of the oranges and scoop out the flesh. Using a curved grapefruit knife works really well.
Place the flesh and packet of gelatin in a blender and blend until smooth-ish.
- Pour into a microwave safe dish and microwave on high until bubbling (or heat on stove).
- Return to blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth then pour into a lidded container and place in fridge.
- Meanwhile, carve faces into your oranges using a sharp paring knife.
- Once the fluff has set a bit… like a marshmallow salad (this will take a few hours), scoop and fill the oranges. You will have extra fluff
For non-babies who might prefer a sweeter snack, feel free to stir in some nutella for a delicious chocolate-orange mousse!
Orange Jack O Lanterns
Ingredients
- 3 naval oranges
- 1 packet of gelatin powder
- 500 ml 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1/2 brick 4 oz or 120g cream cheese
- 5 dates
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cut off the tops of the oranges and scoop out the flesh. Place the flesh and packet of gelatin in a blender and blend until smooth-ish.
- Pour into a microwave safe dish and microwave on high until bubbling (or heat on stove).
- Return to blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth then pour into a lidded container and place in fridge.
- Meanwhile, carve faces into your oranges using a sharp paring knife.
- Once the fluff has set a bit... like a marshmallow salad (this will take a few hours), scoop and fill the oranges. You will have extra fluff.
