Don’t Get Spooked by Sweets — Try These 10 Better-for-You Halloween Treats

Halloween season is here, so it’s time to bust out the bloody bandages, clean out the old cast-iron cauldron, and study up on your seances. And there’s no better way to honor the scariest holiday of the year than with a proper Halloween bash (or monster mash, or graveyard smash)?

Whether it’s a spooky soirée for you and your friends or a party for some little monsters, the focal point of the celebration (as with all parties) is the finger food — minus the fingers, of course.

You can always go with the traditional frightening fare — candy apples, ants-on-a-log, popcorn balls, “devil’s” food cake — but we wanted to offer some more imaginative options that are not only tasty, easy to make, and freaking cute, but they’re also better-for-you!

Check out the list below for some hauntingly yummy Halloween treats.

Peanut Butter Apple Monsters

With sunflower-seed teeth and a strawberry tongue, these gremlin-looking green apples are the perfect snack for guests who are scared of eating too much sugar. Photo courtesy of @nutriacure.

Fiendishly Frightening Fruit Platter

Ghostly red peppers, Frankenstein kiwis, and cantaloupe tombstones make for a very frightening fruit platter. Photo courtesy of @foodbites.

Ghostly Chocolate Cupcakes

These are not your ordinary cupcakes. Tucked away within each fluffy chocolate cake is a hint of tangy guava and sweet beet puree. Topping each cupcake is a crown of coconut-milk frosting. Drizzle some thinned out guava juice over the top for an even more ghastly effect. Photo courtesy of Goya.

Mummy’s Favorite Jalapeño Poppers

These jalapeño poppers are almost too cute to eat… almost. Photo courtesy of @thepurplepumpkinblog.

Ghastly Gluten-Free Zombie Fingers

These are almost as scary as someone with a gluten intolerance eating a piece of bread. Made primarily from dates, peanut butter, and oats, these zombie fingers are easy to assemble, and they most definitely look the part. Photo courtesy of Recipes from a Pantry.

Boo-nana Popsicles

The ideal non-dairy frozen treat for your guests. Not too messy, these popsicles will be gone so fast you’ll begin to wonder if they ever existed at all… Photo courtesy of Well Plated.

Candy Corn Parfait

These have the candy-corn look, but with added tropical flavor. Just layer some pineapple, tangerine, and a shot of whipped cream to capture the aesthetic of classic candy corn.  Photo courtesy of Family Fresh Meals.

Bat Energy Bites

All you need is 20 minutes, a microwave, and a mixing bowl to put these scary snacks together. These ones are just as fun to make as they are to eat. Photo courtesy of Chelsea’s Messy Apron.

Tangerine Pumpkins

Rushing to complete the Halloween party preparations? These tangerine pumpkins don’t require much assembly: Just peel and pop a little wedge of celery on top to give them that pumpkin look. Photo courtesy of Bren Did.

Ahhhhh Vegetables!

For some, nothing is scarier than a platter of roasted vegetables, but we think these spooky shaped beets, carrots, and squash are just devilishly delightful. Photo courtesy of Live Eat Learn.

Making one of these creepy creations? Tag @meatlessmonday and we’ll repost the scariest photos (and maybe the cutest).