Happy Halloween!

Has anyone else gone overboard with Halloween candy this year? In case you and your family are on sugar overload like me from chocolate and candy, here are three healthy but festive snack ideas that are both fun and easy to throw together- no added sugars, just fruit with a bit of protein from the nut butter and string cheese: Apricot Fruit Bugs, Apple Bites and Ghost Cheese 🙂

All three snacks require no cooking or baking and can be thrown together rather quickly for an afternoon plate or even for a party platter!

Chris and I went to a Halloween party this weekend, we dressed up and I brought snacks. Tons of food, dips, dessert and homemade chili 🙂 Here’s one photo with a few of us – Chris was a racing pit crew (we are on a budget, he wore a helmet at first but it got hot), I was a black and white clown (I’m all about comfort, can you tell? Oh and my red nose kept falling off), to the right of me was “a guy riding an ostrich” which won for the most original costume, next was a Harajuku girl, Mario and Luigi in kid-sized costumes (ha!) and a sexy female Zorro. At the party were three different groups that dressed up as Waldo – no one knew each other either, who would have thought that? Pretty funny…

Also, when you have a second, check out Cara’s Halloween video over at Fork and Beans. She’s been rockin’ her blog the whole month of October with all sorts of festive food and homemade candy. To top it off, she wrapped up this month out with an adorable video – love that girl!

Apricot Fruit Bugs 

Ingredients

6 packages all-natural fruit leather (I used Stretch Island Fruit Snacks, grape flavor but any will do)
16 dried apricots
sesame seeds OR sunflower seeds OR currants OR melted coconut butter for eyes

Useful Tools/Equipment:
metal or wooden skewer

Directions

1. Carefully open the fruit strips so they do not tear. Using a sharp knife, cut each fruit leather into 8 thin vertical strips. With the three packages, you should have a total of 48 strips or “legs” for the bugs.
2. Gently squeeze the sides of an apricot together until 3/4-inch thick. Using a wooden skewer, make a hole through the center of the side of the apricot and thread one of the fruit leathers through the hole. Repeat twice more on either side of the first hole. Gently flatten out the apricot to its original shape.
3. The end of the fruit leather that is inserted into the apricot will become slightly sticky when pulling through the center, I dabbed two sesame seeds on the legs for an adhesive and made two eyes. This could also be done with maple syrup/honey/agave or melted coconut butter for a “glue”. You could also melt coconut butter and pipe straight onto the apricot to make eyes in lieu of the seeds or nuts. Enjoy!

Makes 16 fruit bugs (easy to cut in half or thirds for smaller batch if needed)

“Bugs” can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Ghost Cheese (inspired by Octopus Hot Dogs at Cafe Mom)

Ingredients

String cheese
currants, small pieces of raisins or other dried fruit or black olives for eyes

Tools/equipment needed
boning knife
wooden skewer

Directions

1. Cut stick of string cheese in half so you have two “ghosts”. Using a sharp boning knife, slice each piece of cheese in half lengthwise, leaving 3/4 to 1 inch connected at one end for the “head”.
2. Cut the two legs in half again half length-wise, so you now have 4 “legs.” Continue (if desired) to cut in halves to make a total of eight legs.
3. To insert eyes (currants, raisins or olives), poke two holes in the “head” of the ghost and push the two eyes in to adhere. Enjoy!

For step by step instructions on cutting, please click here.

Apple-Nut Butter Teeth (inspired by Fork and Beans’ Apple Vampire Mouths)

Ingredients

2 apples (I used two Granny Smith)
handful of sliced or blanched almonds or raisins, cut in half or sunflower seeds
lemon juice (to help prevent turning brown), optional but for aesthetics
your favorite nut or seed butter, homemade or store-bought

Tools/equipment needed
1 small knife or boning knife

Directions

1. Cut each apple into 4 slices. Cut core from each wedge.
2. With a small knife, carve out a small wedge to make a top and bottom lip. Make sure not to cut too far because you want to make sure that the apple is still in tact.
3. Place lemon juice in a bowl and brush onto each apple wedge (optional).
3. With a small knife, spread a small amount if nut or seed butter on the bottom “lip”.
4.  Carefully and gently (to avoid “teeth” breaking),  place the almonds/seeds/raisins into the top portion of the mouth until it sticks without holding it. The nut/seed butter also helps hold the “teeth” into place. Use your knife to carve out a little tiny hole if needed. Enjoy!

Makes 8 apple teeth. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

For step by step cutting instructions, click here.

In addition to my snacks, I also brought a creamy pumpkin dip with vanilla wafers and ginger snaps to the party, recipe soon! Whoops, so much for sugar overload 🙂

Wishing everyone a safe (but fun) Halloween tonight!