Halloween is almost upon us at last, and the weekend beforehand is one Halloween celebration after another in our household. Trick-or-treating at local businesses in town? Check. Trunk-or-treat sponsored by another town’s park district? Check. Party with all your friends and all your kids’ friends, in family costumes with alcoholic beverages being served? Check mate.
We’ve established that the first thing a good Halloween party needs is some booze (glow-in-the-dark eyeball Jell-O shots, anyone?). But a party isn’t a party without snacks. The problem? Standard party snacks, especially for Halloween, are less than clean eating staples. Think caramel apples, apple cider donuts, and all the kids’ trick-or-treat candy. That’s not to mention the usual party fare like chips, dips, pizza, and wings.
Now that I know exactly how many burpees it takes to burn off the calories in a Fun Size candy bar (“helpful” AKA soul-crushing chart at right), I’m thinking twice about Halloween candy binges, and I want to be able to celebrate the holiday without completely wrecking my lifestyle.
So here are some festive, healthier options to bring with to your next Halloween party that you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in. Save those calories for something that really counts — like eyeball Jell-O shots.
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Festive, Healthier Halloween Party Treats that Won’t Wreck Your Healthy Lifestyle
1. Melted Witch Healthy Fruit Dip (in a cauldron!)
This spooky twist on a classic fruit dip cuts out the added sugar and adds green food coloring to make it look like the witch is melted in her own caldron. Top it with one-half of an Oreo and a Hershey’s kiss for the witch’s hat, plus a pretzel stick “broomstick” for decorative effect (you’re not eating these so they don’t violate the healthy-eating rule). Serve with your favorite cut-up fruit, AKA whatever assortment the grocery store has pre-cut and inexpensive.
Melted Witch Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz. light cream cheese (neufchatel) (1 brick, room temperature and softened)
- 1 5.3-oz strawberry Greek yogurt (I like Siggi's)
- 1 5.3-oz vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional - omit if you are looking for the healthiest option)
- 5-10 drops green food coloring
Instructions
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With a hand mixer, mix cream cheese with two yogurts until fully combined and fluffy.
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Add 1 tsp almond extract and 1 Tbsp honey and blend again.
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If additional sweetness is desired, add more honey, 1 tsp at a time, and blend to taste.
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When you have perfected the flavor to taste, add green food coloring (5-10 drops of liquid or 2-3 drops of gel) and blend for that subtle witch coloring.
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Stir in mini chocolate chips.
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Transfer dip into plastic cauldron and top with witch hat and broomstick.
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Serve with all kinds of fruit. Strawberries, pineapple, grapes, cantaloupe, and watermelon work well for dipping.
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Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
- Experiment with your favorite flavors of yogurt. I've also made this recipe with Oikos Triple Zero Strawberry Banana yogurt (2 containers of same) and it was equally delicious.
- When choosing a yogurt, look for options with the fewest grams of sugar per container. Siggi's, Icelandic Skyr, Chobani "Hint of" and Yoplait Q are all good options. I aim for 11 grams of sugar or less per container.
- Substitute vanilla extra for almond extract if you don't care for almond flavor. Or try a combination of the two.
- The amount of honey you add depends on your preference for sweetness as well as the yogurt base you selected. As little as 1 Tbsp but up to 1/4 cup may be required depending. Try to minimize the amount of honey used for the healthiest option.
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2. Festive Veggie Trays
A veggie tray, that staple of parties where any guest is concerned about their diet, is made instantly more festive when you shape your raw veggies into something cute. Both of these options are made with baby carrots, yellow and orange bell peppers, black olives, cucumber and broccoli.
Serve with your favorite hummus or bean dip. Stay nearby the platter at the party if you’re a nervous social snacker like I am. At least that way you are filling up on healthy veggies instead of temptations.
3. Eyeball Zucchini Pizzas
A quick and surprisingly satisfying pizza substitute, I actually make these all year long (sans the black olive) and eat them as an afternoon snack when I really wish I had pizza. But at Halloween, topped with that olive pupil, they are creepy and bloodshot and fun without leaving you bloated and sluggish the next day.
Zucchini Eyeball Pizzas
Vegetarian | Clean Eating
Ingredients
- Zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1 jar Rao's marinara sauce
- Mozzarella cheese finely shredded
- Sliced black olives
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and spray liberally with Pam cooking spray.
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Wash and slice zucchinis into 1/4-inch-wide round slices. Press with paper towels to remove excess water from slices.
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Lay on foil-lined book sheet and top each zucchini with 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp marinara sauce.
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Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
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Place 1 sliced black olive in the center of each "eyeball."
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Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked. (It will start to turn translucent as it cooks.)
4. Spider No-Bake Brownie Protein Bites
For a snackable sweet treat, no-bake bites are my go-to. With natural sweeteners and healthy ingredients, you can feel better about indulging in these — no burpee calculator required for real, whole foods in my opinion. This recipe uses coconut or almond flour and cocoa powder to make a chocolately protein-rich bite that tastes like brownie batter. With just a smattering of chocolate chips inside and some spooky chocolate legs for Halloween effect, the added sugar in this recipe is minimal. Candy eyeballs are a necessity for appearance, but I don’t actually eat them with the no-bake bites because the chemical taste doesn’t do anything for me.
No-Bake Brownie Bites
Healthier | Natural Sweetener | Gluten-Free | Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 oz nut butter (I used almond)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut or almond flour
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is dairy-free and delicious)
- 30 candy eyeballs
- 1 oz chocolate almond bark or semisweet melting chocolate
Instructions
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Combine nut butter and maple syrup in microwaveable dish. Microwave in short increments to melt nut butter and stir well to combine.
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Add dry ingredients: coconut or almond flour, ground flax seed, and cocoa powder. Stir to combine. Batter will be thick.
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Add almond milk 1 Tbsp at a time to achieve brownie batter-like consistency.
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When dry ingredients are fully integrated, add 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.
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Use tablespoon measure to measure approximately 3/4 Tbsp of batter. Using clean hands, roll into a ball. Repeat to make 15 no-bake bites.
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Add candy eyeballs by pressing into batter.
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Place no-bake bites in freezer while melting almond bark or chocolate wafers for next step.
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Melt 1 ounce of chocolate almond bark or chocolate melting wafers according to package directions. When melted, transfer to Ziploc sandwich bag and snip tiny corner of bag to form a piping bag.
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On a piece of wax paper, pipe shape to make spider legs with the melted chocolate. Place frozen bite in the center of piped chocolate spider legs and let set.
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After all chocolate has hardened, transfer spiders to airtight container and store in freezer until ready to eat. (I think they taste best straight out of the freezer!)
There you have it: From appetizers to dessert, a healthier way to celebrate Halloween and still feel good about it the next day.
Share your Halloween party fun with #NeverDoneWithFun on social media and drop a comment below to tell me your favorite Halloween treat of all time (doesn’t have to be healthy!)
