Healthy Halloween recipes

Though the dark side of the trick or treat holiday is teeming with candies, cakes, and dessert drinks, Halloween can have a healthy side that features yummy lower calorie recipes. Here are two healthy Halloween recipes to sink your fangs into and a healthy Halloween cocktail to sip.

Healthy Halloween Pumpkin cookies

Makes 36

Fun to have at the front door for guests or to take to the office to treat your co-workers, these pumpkin cookies are yummy and low-fat. For a change, add a modest cup of mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate to the mix before baking.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup apple butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 2 cups oats, finely ground in a food processor
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of a standup mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat apple butter, pumpkin and sugars until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground oats, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, blending on low speed until just moist
4. Drop generous tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on paper towels or wire rack.

Healthy Halloween Apple walnut bread pudding

Serves 8

Apples are a fall season fruit that makes this bread pudding a warm and cozy treat as a Halloween party dessert, after Halloween party midnight nosh, or comfort breakfast the next day.

Ingredients:

• 2  cups low fat 2% milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 10 ounces whole-wheat bread, cubed, and left out to dry slightly
• 2 large apples, cored, diced
• Reduced fat vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, sugars, apple pie spice. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.
3. Place bread in a large bowl and add milk mixture, pressing down to thoroughly soak bread. Add half to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with apples and cover with remaining bread mixture.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool slightly. Cut into squares and top with modest scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Healthy Halloween Pumpkin ginger martini

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ounce cream liqueur
• 2 ounces ginger vodka, such as SKYY Infusions Ginger
• 1/2 ounce sugar free pumpkin spice syrup, such as DaVinci Pumpkin Pie Sugar Free Syrup
• 1 teaspoon whipped cream
• Cinnamon stick for garnish

Directions:

1. Pour the liqueur and vodka into a shaker filled with ice and shake well.
2. Add the pumpkin pie syrup and shake again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Top with a teaspoon of whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

More healthy Halloween recipes

• Low-carb Halloween recipes
• Easy substitutes for a healthy Halloween
• Fun and healthy Halloween treats