As you probably know, we love creating themed recipes here at Early Start Nutrition, so we’ve decided to bring you a blog full of spook-tacular Halloween recipe ideas (and bad Halloween puns, sorry!).

Halloween is often a time where children have a lot of sugary foods, such as sweets and chocolate. And while it’s fine for children to have a treat or two, many will have up to 7 times the amount of sugar recommended! To help, we’ve put together some fang-tastic Halloween recipe ideas that are great to make with children, either in their childcare setting or at home.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Click here to download your free recipe card (PDF, 172KB)

Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes)

• 120g plain flour
• 80g caster sugar
• 1tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2tsp ground cinnamon
• 120ml whole milk
• 40g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs
• 200g can pumpkin puree
• 180g cream cheese.

Method

• Preheat your oven to 170°c (325°F) Gas 3
• Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and butter in a bowl and stir until you get a sandy consistency and the ingredients are combined (you can also use an electric mixer or a handheld whisk)
• Gradually pour in the milk and mix until combined
• Now stir in the pumpkin puree by hand until it combines with the cake mixture
• Place 12 cupcake cases into a cupcake baking tin and spoon the mixture in until they’re about two-thirds full
• Put the cupcakes in your preheated oven and bake for around 20 minutes, or until golden
• Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tin before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool
• When the cupcakes are cool, either pipe or spoon the cream cheese on the top to create your frosting
• Eat and enjoy!

Haunted Hummus

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Ingredients (Serves Three to Four)

• 1 can chickpeas (in water)
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 garlic cloves.

Method

• Using the measuring spoons, help children to measure out the ingredients. Parents/practitioners can help with opening the tinned ingredients.

• Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a dash of water if the hummus is too thick. You can ask children to do some taste testing and adjust the seasoning!

• Encourage children to pour or spoon the hummus into bowls. To make it look like a pumpkin, make a green stem using cucumber or any other green vegetables. Children can use a blunt knife to add lines for a pumpkin effect!

• Use your favourite cookie cutters to create the perfect pitta/tortilla dips.

• Serve and enjoy!

Freaky Frankenstein Wraps

Ingredients (makes 4 wraps)

For the tortillas (if you’re not using shop- brought ones):

• 100g fresh spinach
• 25g vegetable oil
• 180g plain flower
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• Your filling of choice (e.g. black beans and cheese, tuna and sweetcorn, sliced chicken and avocado).

For Frankensteins face:

• 1/3 of a cucumber
• 1/2 carrot
• 4 black olives
• 1 red and/or yellow pepper
• 4 breadsticks.

Method

To make the tortillas

• Rinse the spinach and add it to a pan on medium heat and wilt for roughly two minutes
• Add the spinach to a blender, along with the oil and blend until smooth
• Pace the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the spinach mixture, along with roughly 30ml of water
• Use a spoon/ whisk/ your hands to combine and knead until a soft dough forms- roughly 5 minutes or so
• Shape into a ball, cover and leave for 15-20 minutes
• Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface
• Use a rolling pin to role each dough portion into roughly 8/10 inch discs
• Heat a non- stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add your tortilla and cook for 1-2 minutes each side (keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn!).

To make Frankensteins face:

• Chop the cucumber, carrot and pepper shapes that will make Frankensteins face (make the size and shape suitable for children to reduce their risk of choking)
• Cut the olives in half lengthways and then slice into small pieces (a semi circle shape)
• Break the breadsticks in half or thirds
• Fill your tortilla wrap with your chosen filling
• Now use the vegetables and breadsticks to create Frankensteins face!

Quivering Quesadilla 

Ingredients (makes 1 quesadilla)

• 2 tortilla wraps
• 60g grated cheese.

Method

• Place one tortilla on top of the other and use a knife to create the outline of your pumpkin
• Now create the face of your pumpkin on one of the tortillas (make sure children use child- friendly knives!)
• Sprinkle the grated cheese onto the tortilla without the pumpkin face and place the other tortilla over the top
• Place on a baking tray and pop in a pre-heated oven (180°) for around 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the tortilla wraps have crisped slightly.

Perilous Pumpkin Kebabs

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Children in your setting will love this fruit show-stopper! You could also make some wicked vegetable kebabs.

Ingredients

• Any fruit you like!
• We used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana and pineapple
• 1 medium sized pumpkin
• Wooden kebab sticks.

Method

• Carefully cut out the pumpkin face. We didn’t scoop out the middle, so we can use it after to make a tasty pumpkin soup!
• Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces
• Carefully thread the fruit onto the kebab sticks
• Pierce each kebab stick into the pumpkin.

Terrifying Tortillas with Spooky Salsa

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These toasted tortilla shapes are delicious and perfect for dipping!

Ingredients

• Tortilla wraps- either white or wholemeal
• Mild paprika
• Salsa dip
• Halloween cookie cutters (ours were £1! From Asda).

Method

• Cut your chosen Halloween shape out of the tortilla wraps (or bread/pitta)
• Place them on a baking try and give them a light dusting of paprika
• Pop them in the oven at 180°c for a few minutes, until slightly crisp
• Spoon the salsa (chopped tomato, diced red onion, with your favourite herbs) in a bowl
• Arrange the tortilla shapes decoratively on a board or plate.

Ominous Oranges

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How cute are these little guys?! They are a great way of encouraging children to eat fruit.

Ingredients

• Medium to large oranges
• Any fruit of your choosing. We used mixed berries.

Method

• Carefully cut the top off each orange to form the lid
• Scoop out the orange centre
• Carefully cut or draw a scary face into each orange
• Fill with your chosen fruit mix.

BOO-tiful Bananas

These bone- chilling bananas are speedy snacks to make and will go down a treat with the children in your setting!

Ingredients

• Bananas
• Raisins
• Stick on edible eyes
• Wooden lollipop sticks.

Method

• Cut each banana in half
• Push a lollipop stick into banana half
• Place the eye on the banana
• Roll each raisin in your hand and place on the banana to make the mouth.

Petrifying Pizzas 

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Ingredients (Serves One)

• 1 small pizza base or pitta bread
• 1 tbsp passata
• A pinch of oregano
• 30/40g grated cheese
• 1 unsalted black olive- chopped.

Method

• Use a cookie cutter to stamp out the pizza base circles

• Spread the passata and sprinkle the oregano onto the top of the base

• Decorate your pitta with the cheese to create a web

• Place in your pre- heated oven (200°C/gas mark 6) for 8-10 minutes

• Add the olive to your pizza to create the spiders body.

Freaky Frankenstein Toast

Click here to download your free recipe card (PDF, 528KB)

Ingredients (Serves One)

• 1 slice bread (white or wholemeal)
• 1/2 avocado- halved, pitted, peeled, and mashed
• 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese
• 2-3 unsalted black olives- chopped
• 1 small red pepper or tomato.

Method

• Toast the bread and spread on the mashed avocado

• Arrange the olives to create Frankenstein’s hair and scar

• Use the sliced mozzarella to make the white part of his eyes and place the chopped olive pieces on top to make the pupils

• Cut a slice or red pepper or tomato and use this to make his mouth.

Wishing you all a horrifying Halloween!