Healthy Halloween Recipes for Kids

Halloween is a time of magic, merriment and, in the opinion of many parents, way, way too much sugar. If you’re like most parents, you’ve spent time searching for ways to serve up healthier Halloween recipes for your children, so they can indulge and enjoy while still getting the nutrition they need. Before the kids' costumes go on, let Pottery Barn Kids serve up some healthy Halloween recipes to get you through the holiday unscathed.

Staring Smoothies

These are super easy to make and only require a few ingredients. First, use your favorite meringue recipe and whip up a nice, thick batch. Pipe the meringue onto a baking pan covered in wax paper, creating one pair of round eyes at a time that join in the center. Just before baking, dot the center with a small chunk of licorice or a carob chip to finalize the look. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until just hardened.

Allow these to cool once they come out of the oven, then blend up your favorite smoothie mixture. Pour it into a set of Halloween-themed glasses and set them out on the table. Then, set a set of your meringue eyes onto the top of the smoothie. A final tip: this works best with very thick smoothies, so avoid juices or overly thin mixtures.

Ghostly Gouda

Filling up treat bags for parties can be a pain, especially when you’re trying to keep things healthy. However, if you think outside of the box, there are some fairly simple solutions to give you an excellent start. Cheese strings, still in their individual packages, make excellent ghosts with the addition of little more than a black permanent marker; just draw on eyes and a spooky mouth, and you’re ready to go.

Quidditch Cheese Sticks

Alternatively, use string cheese to make Quidditch sticks. This is both a tasty snack and an excellent way to beef up your Halloween party decor. Cut several lengths in half, and then split their ends until it resembles a broom. Take a single breadstick or straight pretzel, and slide it in between them. Use a length of chive to tie the top of the broom strands to the pretzel. Package these individually or set them up on a platter for kids to grab. Get even more creative by lightly dusting grapes with a spritz of gold food glitter to mimic the look of a Quidditch ball.

Orange Pumpkins

Not keen on the mess associated with carving pumpkins? There’s an easy finger food solution that’s simple to make. Orange pumpkins made from peeled tangerines, clementines or oranges are easy for kids to eat and are the perfect size for lunch boxes. Simply peel the fruit, and then slice a piece of very crisp celery into a stem-sized stick. Place this into the core of the orange, and you’re set. Your pumpkins will keep for a short while at room temperature, however, you should refrigerate and store them in air-tight containers until little ones are ready to eat them or bring them to school.

Scary Sandwiches

This is yet another extremely simple recipe that’s absolutely terrific for home-packed lunches when it’s time for school. Start by making your child’s favorite sandwich; any kind will do.

Once your sandwiches are made, use cookie cutters to trim off the edges and cut them into bite-sized shapes. Pumpkin and ghost shapes work particularly well for this, but regular circles can be made into monsters, too. If you don’t have any cookie cutters, skip this step and simply slice the sandwich diagonally.

Next, it’s time to decorate. Kids can help with this if they are old enough to handle basic food supplies; mom or dad may have to help with cutting. For meat sandwiches, use a slice of folded salami to create a tongue and tuck it under the sliced edge or between the bread. For other sandwiches, try placing chunks of cheese in place of teeth, grated carrot strips for eyebrows, cucumber eyes or even piped jam detailing. Get creative and have fun with it!