Apple Monsters – A Nut-Free, Healthy Halloween Treat!

by Gretchen · May contain affiliate links

Published Updated February 14, 2024

~ Halloween treats can be healthy, too! These silly monster faces will be sure to make your kiddos giggle, and you’ll be thrilled with the nutritious snack they’re begging for during Halloween! Made with nut-free butter, these allergy-friendly Apple Monsters are perfect for class parties, too! ~

This Recipe Is:     Ready in 30 Minutes or Less    Vegetarian    Allergy-Friendly Nut-Free Options  

Nine Apple Monsters (with both red and green apples) sitting on a scratched black background.

These little monsters aren’t scary at all. Nope, nope, nope.

They’re pretty much anything except scary! These monsters are sweet, funny, silly, delicious …

Delicious?! Delicious monsters???

Oh yeah! Exceptionally yummy!

Overhead of several apples (red and green) plus a sprigs of red and green grapes on a patterned wood cutting board.

And ya wanna know what else? These Apple Monsters are also nut-free and allergy-friendly. And allergy-friendly = perfect for school parties!

It’s nearly Halloween, and all the little ghosties and goblins (or Darth Vaders and princesses!) will be prepping for the very first holiday party of the school year.

And you? Well, you’re probably helping out, because these elementary school years go by in the blink of an eye. Right? Those class parties are going to be ending by middle school, so there’s that leeeeettle pressure to sign up as a party parent while you still can.

One pile of sliced green apples alongside a pile of slice red ones on a cutting board with knife.

We get it. Shelley and I are the.exact.same.way. We know how it goes.

There’s a finite number of opportunities to be that super-fun momma who has the coolest activities and most awesome crafts at the class party. But then there’s also that feeling that, with each passing year, you’ve gotta up your game!

So … you’ve no doubt been scouring Pinterest looking for spook-tacular fun! And also scary good snacks.

Of course you made our Apple Mummies and Frankenkiwis last year. Can you show up with the same thing this year? Hmmm … probably not. (However, if you didn’t make them last year – hop to it! Those little snacks are so cute! And tasty, too!)

You need new ideas. New fun. New awesome.

Collage of 8 photos showing the steps in making the Apple Monsters.
You see how quickly these adorable (but never frightening!) monsters come together! So easy to make, so fun to eat! Simply chop the apples, smooth on some creamy nut-free butter, add puffed rice “teeth” and a red grape “tongue” before making green grape “eyes” – fast and healthy!

Well, you’ve come to the right place! But since Halloween pretty much means a total chocolate binge and an overload of sugar, Shelley and I just had to share another healthier treat that’ll have the kiddos AND the teachers AND the other party mommies all cheering with excitement!

Everyone will be oooohhhing and aaaaaahhhhhing and asking where, oh where, do you find the time to come up with these ideas?!? (And thanking you for creating something totally adorable that was also the one bright spot of nutrition in the whole candy-filled day!)

Since you’re spending so much time online searching for Halloween games, crafts and treats, you’ve no doubt seen plenty of ideas for snacks, but so many of them are just more, more, more sugar … on top of all the candy and other sugary sweets that already seem to go hand-in-hand with Halloween.

Even some of the treats that start with fruit … often just end with sugar (sugary marshmallows, frosting, cookie crumbs, sprinkles). Suddenly what should’ve been a healthy snack is … just not.

And so many of even the healthier snacks involve nuts and seeds that just aren’t allergy friendly for class parties or playgroups.

Closeup of one monster made from red apples, with two green ones behind.

We’ve recently talked here on THK about how the schools in our town are so cautious about peanuts and tree nuts. While we’re still allowed to send foods with nuts in during lunch, all classrooms and sports practices are 100% nut free. So a nut-free spread was in order, and I knew nuts and even sunflower seeds were out, too.

I let the produce at the grocery store inspire me, stocked up on loads of fresh ingredients, and went to work.

It didn’t take long to create an adorable little guy who met our standards of being easy (just a couple minutes to make!), healthy, nut-free, delicious and FUN!

These funny faces will be a delight at the party (or as a cute afternoon snack!) and you’ll just pat yourself on the back knowing you provided a nutritious treat to balance out alllllllll that candy!

Closeup of a monster made out of green apples slices, with others surrounding.

So go be that awesomesauce momma who has it all together! Snacks are taken care of! Now … what games can we play to the tune of “The Monster Mash”?!?

Screen Shot 2015-10-15 at 11.22.45 AM

Want more really great inspiration for a healthier Halloween? You’ve gotta check out our Healthy Halloween board on Pinterest! Terrifyingly terrific!

Needing More Adorable Halloween Snack Ideas? Be sure to check out …

~ by Gretchen

9 different monsters (with both red and green apples) on black background.

Apple Monsters

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

These silly, nut-free apple monsters will be sure to make your kiddos giggle ... and you'll love how nutritious they are! Perfect for Halloween class parties!

  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less    Vegetarian    Allergy-Friendly Nut-Free Options  

Ingredients

  • 1 apple
  • 1/3 cup, plus 2 teaspoons nut-free butter spread, divided (see note)
  • puffed rice cereal
  • 4 red grapes, each sliced vertically in half
  • 8 green grapes
  • 16 chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Quarter and core the apple, then quarter each piece again, so you have 16 thin wedges.
  2. Spread 1 teaspoon nut-free butter on each apple slice.
  3. Lay half of the apple slices on top of the other halves (matching up nut-free butter sides so the apple slices stick together), to create the "mouth."
  4. Push puffed rice "teeth" gently into the nut-free butter, all around the "mouth," leaving room to place a red grape "tongue" on the bottom slice of each "mouth."
  5. Place 1 red grape half in the center of each bottom slice to create the "tongue."
  6. To create the "eyes," slice the ends off the green grapes, then cut each grape in half horizontally. (If your grapes are exceptionally large, you may get more than two "eyes" out of each one.) Using the tip of the knife, make a small slit in the top of each grape half, then place a chocolate chip, pointy-end down, into the grape, pushing the point of the chocolate chip into the slit you cut.
  7. Place 2 small dollops of nut-free butter on the top portion of each "mouth," then gently press a grape "eye" onto each dollop.
  8. Enjoy immediately, or store in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving.

Notes

Nut-free butter: We chose WowButter (a soy-based, nut-free product), but you could also substitute a peanut-free sun butter (made from sunflower seeds). Alternately, if nut allergies aren’t a concern, you can use regular peanut butter.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 servings Serving Size: 1 monster
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 66Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 23mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

Apple Monsters – An Allergy-Friendly, Healthy Halloween Treat! {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
Apple Monsters – An Allergy-Friendly, Healthy Halloween Treat! {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

39 thoughts on “Apple Monsters – A Nut-Free, Healthy Halloween Treat!”

    • That’s awesome! They’re really a lot of fun to make – if you have kiddos, it’s like an edible art project you can enjoy making together. And then comes the real fun – eating them! So yummy and super-nutritious, too! Winning on ALL fronts! 😉 Enjoy! ~Shelley

      Reply
    • I’m so excited that you’re going to have your kiddos help you make them, Angela! I’ve always loved cooking with my kids – they learn so much that way! Enjoy these Halloween snacks – and have a wonderful Halloween season! 🙂 ~Shelley

      Reply
    • Hi, Bintu – great to hear from you! I’m thrilled you like this idea – just something fun so that Halloween doesn’t have to totally be about the candy alllllll day long, you know? Nice to be able to offer these as a healthy Halloween treat to fuel the little ghosties up on something other than sugar … at least until more candy rolls in hahaha! Enjoy! ~Shelley

      Reply
    • Aren’t they fun? And the great part is that they’re healthy, too – so you can actually share a healthy Halloween treat that’s adorable and exciting for the kiddos! Plus, you’ve got options for keeping it nut-free, for playgroups and school parties and other situations where you might not want to offer peanut butter. Totally winning here lol! 😉 ~Shelley

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Skip to Recipe