Four Healthy Halloween Treats

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Perhaps more so than any other day of the year, Halloween is associated with copious amounts of candy. And as any parent knows, too much candy is not at all a healthy choice – candy’s large amount of sugar and preservatives are known to wreak all kinds of havoc on the body. That’s why some parents (and people who answer their door to eager trick-or-treaters every Halloween) turn to healthier treats when the year’s spookiest holiday comes around.

The challenge with providing healthy Halloween treats is that your favorite grocery or department store likely puts their unhealthy candy options on front display – in fact, they might not even have healthy treat options available. Plus, many kids have an insatiable sweet tooth that nothing short of candy will quell. With these four healthy Halloween treats on hand, though, you might just get your kids to forget all about candy.

1. Grilled Cheese Jack O’ Lanterns

If you can’t go for sweet, go for savory. That’s exactly what this healthy treat does – and it does so with the classic jack o’ lantern Halloween look. For each grilled cheese sandwich, you’ll want two whole wheat sandwich thins so that your kids only get healthy grains from this treat. Cut jack o’ lantern faces into each sandwich thin, then place them inside up in your oven with cheese and butter to create a gooey, savory filling that kids will absolutely love. Find the recipe here.

2. Candy Apples

When you were a kid, you may have heard tales of certain neighbors giving trick-or-treaters apple slices rather than candies to provide healthier options. With candy apples, you can indeed satisfy your kids’ nagging sweet tooth with a healthy treat. Simply melt dark chocolate in a double boiler or your microwave, dip apples on a stick in the chocolate, and let it solidify on the apple. The double punch of dark chocolate and apple won’t just taste delightful – it’ll offer a huge antioxidant kick, too. Find the recipe here.

3. Ghost Banana Pops

Who said healthy treats couldn’t be spooky? This recipe for bananas covered in white chocolate is designed to resemble tiny, adorable ghosts. Start by quartering a banana, then inserting a popsicle stick into each and freezing them. Then, melt your white chocolate and layer it atop your frozen bananas. Before the chocolate solidifies on your frozen bananas, add two chocolate chips per quarter to give these ghost banana pops tiny eyes. Find the recipe here.

4. Plum-Grape Spider

Just as with the ghost banana pops, the plum-grade spider involves some arts and crafts too, making it fun for the kids to help with! You’ll need one plum, a dozen pretzel sticks, and a bag of grapes to make the spider. Use a knife to cut six small holes into the plum where the spider’s legs will start, then use pretzel sticks to build the legs. Cover the legs with grapes to finish. For an added bonus, find edible eyes to give the spider a face. Find the recipe here.

What are some of your favorite healthy Halloween treats? Sound off in the comments!