~ 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 •
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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”?!?
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 …
- Apple Mummies from Two Healthy Kitchens
- Pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern Cookies from Amy at Amy’s Healthy Baking
- Frankenstein Kiwis from Two Healthy Kitchens
- Ghostly Halloween Fruit Dip from Two Healthy Kitchens
- Halloween Fruit Kabobs from Two Healthy Kitchens
- 17 Spook-tacular, Healthy Halloween Treats, Snacks and Beverages
- 31 Halloween Fruit Recipes
~ by Gretchen
Apple Monsters
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
- Quarter and core the apple, then quarter each piece again, so you have 16 thin wedges.
- Spread 1 teaspoon nut-free butter on each apple slice.
- 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."
- 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."
- Place 1 red grape half in the center of each bottom slice to create the "tongue."
- 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.
- Place 2 small dollops of nut-free butter on the top portion of each "mouth," then gently press a grape "eye" onto each dollop.
- 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 monsterAmount 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.
Really fun.
Thanks, Peter! You’d totally be happy with these as a Halloween treat, right?? 😉 Fun for kids AND adults!! ~G&S
Very fun!! Looks like something to do with the kids!!
This would be so fun to make with the kids! They love helping create their own snacks – and these are fun and healthy! Sounds like a win for everyone! 😀 ~G&S
I just keep laughing when these guys show their cute little faces, which makes it hard to read! These are adorable! And I love that they’re nut-free. My niece (who’s 2 now!) will probably be needing nut-free snack ideas for the class room/activities soon. So, super thanks for the idea! I adore these!
Oh my goodness, Debi! She’s two already?!?! Wow! And yes – definitely keep these in your back pocket for all those upcoming class parties! More and more every year, we’re seeing limitations on what kids can bring to school for snacks, lunches, and party treats, and also what snacks kids can have at athletic practices and on the bus to games. It’s so important that kids with allergies be kept safe, so even kiddos without allergies have to be cognizant of that – and of course, you always want to send in a class snack that you know ALL the kids will be able to enjoy! You’d hate for one kiddo to be left out because of an allergy! I hope you and your niece will enjoy making these together … and sharing them with her friends once she’s in preschool! Happy Halloween! 😀 ~Shelley
As a mom of a kid w/ multiple food allergies, I very much appreciate the effort of creating something safe! I like the idea of using sunbutter w/ these since my daughter is also allergic to soy.
Hi Christine! We’re so glad that these are an idea that your family can enjoy, and can adapt to be safe while still being really fun – kids shouldn’t have to miss out on the fun just because of allergies! With these apple monsters, it’s so easy to swap sunbutter, Wowbutter, or even any real nut butter – depending on the allergies of your kids or the kiddos in your class or playgroup. Thanks so much for the sweet comment, and Happy Halloween! 😀 ~G&S
Hehe, these make me laugh out loud, I just love them!!
Aw! Thanks so much, Tara! Love that you think these apple faces are so cute!! 😀 We just love that the kids will have a healthier option for a treat (in between all that inevitable candy!). And these are so quick and easy to whip up for a class party or playgroup! ~G&S