You’ve got to make this spooktacular snack tray for your Halloween party or just a fun lunch at home with your kids or grandkids! It’s a fun project and even if (when) you eat the whole thing in 5 minutes flat, you’ll feel good afterward!
Energy Ball Spiders
Use any energy ball recipe you love. I have several, but I created a caramel-flavored one for these spiders that’s in the recipe instructions below.
I know pretzels aren’t whole food, and I never buy them except for special crafty things like this. If you can think of a spider leg alternative, let me know! But the salt on the pretzels with the energy ball is like salted caramel bites…soo good.
The Candy Eyes
I found candy eyes in the cake decorating section of my grocery store for about $3 a long time ago, and have had a little bag in my pantry for ages. I tell my kids they are for decoration only and not for eating, so they pick them off. They really come in handy for cute stuff like this. You can always use raisins though. For vegan-specific candy eyes, click here. For a recipe to make your own, click here.
How to Make the Carrot Ghosts and Cucumber Aliens/Skeletons
Use a reusable straw to poke those eyes out! Cut the carrot slices thinly on the diagonal of the carrot, and then cut the bottom off to make striaght edge. Notch the bottom into a zig-zag design with knife cuts. It goes pretty quickly!
Hummus is the Star Here
It’s fun to dip the veggies in hummus, and some extra pretzels leftover from those spider legs are delicious in hummus, too. Pretzels and hummus have got to be one of my favorite snacks.
Make any kind of hummus, even real pumpkin hummus, curry hummus, or green chili hummus. I used the recipe in my cookbook and used white beans this time. Or, just buy some. Put it into a shallow bowl and use a spoon to create those pumpkin ridges. Cut a chunk of cucumber off for the stem. I ran a fork down it to give it texture.
Snacks Recipes Galore…
Plant-based and nutritious snacks that are FUN for Halloween time lunches and parties!
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- 1 package or batch of hummus
- cucumber
- large carrots
- clementines
- mini peppers
- celery
- bananas
- raisins
- mini chocolate chips
- peanut butter
- candy eyes (see post for details), or raisins
- thin traditional-shaped pretzels
- sunflower seeds
- energy balls (my recipe below, but any will work)
- more black and orange foods to fill up the tray: such as blackberries, black grapes, prunes, mango chunks, orange slices
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- I made a caramel-flavored energy ball with a food processor. Proecess 1 cup chopped dates until smooth, then add 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup walnuts (any nut works), 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Process until very smooth. Add extra oats if too sticky.
- Roll into balls. Break pretzels into small curved legs of even length (less than 1 inch). Press into a ball for legs, and press two sunflower seeds for eyes.
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- Cut bananas in half. Press a raisin flat to make a mouth and press it into the banana. Press in two mini chocolate chip eyes.
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- Cut thin celery sticks about 1 inch long for stems, and poke into the peeled clementines.
For jack-o-lanterns, draw on some clementines with peels on with a sharpie.
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- Spread peanut butter on celery sticks, and add candy eyes for spookiness. I tell my kids the eyes are for decoration only, and not to be eaten.
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- Put your hummus in a small shallow bowl. Use a spoon to create swoops in pumpkin lines. Add a cucumber stem (cut about an inch of cucumber and cut in half for a half-circle). I used a fork to create texture lines on the stem.
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- Use hummus as glue to put eyes on peppers.
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- Cut peeled cucumber into slices. Poke holes for eyes and mouth with a reusable straw. Cut sides with a knife to narrow into a face.
Cut peeled carrot diagonally to create thin slices. Cut off the bottom to create a straight edge. Make little chops to create a zig-zag bottom. Poke holes for eyes with a sturdy reusable straw. Don’t ask me how to get the carrot out of the straw after that….still figuring that out!
Enjoy dipping in hummus!
Source: faithfulplateful.com ~ Images: faithfulplateful.com
