14 Healthy Halloween Treats to Trick Your Taste Buds
Posted by Allison Day on October 12, 2016, http://www.foodnetwork.ca/heal...e-peanut-butter-cups
Even if you’re a bit too old to trick-or-treat this Halloween, chances are you have access to a plethora of less than healthy treats. With up to 100 calories per mini chocolate bar (and who eats just one?), these extras can add up quickly. Stick to one or two of these treats on Halloween, or make healthier sweets that are sure to trick taste buds of those young and old.
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Burnt Toffee Peanut Butter Banana Cups
Without an ounce of added refined sugar, these peanut butter cups use natural peanut butter, dark chocolate, coconut oil and a secret ingredient: banana! Keep a few hidden in the freezer for chocolate emergencies beyond Halloween.
Get the recipe for Burnt Toffee Peanut Butter Banana Cups
A filling of low-fat cream cheese, peanut butter and protein-rich Greek yogurt on top of a cookie crumble crust turns chocolate peanut squares into a healthier Halloween treat. Bring a tray of these tricky treats to your office party — we guarantee no one will know the difference.
Chocolate and peanut butter, Halloween’s favourite duo, pair together for a treat lower in sugar than the classic chocolate cup with all of the flavour. Keep portion sizes to half a cup, and enjoy a salty-sweet treat that’s as fun to eat as it is to hand out to your costumed pals.
Candy rings may be delicious, but they’re saturated with refined white sugar, artificial flavour and food colouring. Natural apple rings baked slowly in the oven with maple syrup turn out crispy-chewy, retaining their nutrition without causing a toothache.
It wouldn't be Halloween without pumpkin spice scones. Please your Halloween guests with a batch of these vegan delights fresh from the oven, or as a snack while you hand out candy in the evening. If your sweet tooth is only soothed by chocolate, replace the maple glaze with a drizzle of melted dark chocolate on top.
You won’t be able to tell that these chocolate-adorned fruit and nut bars are healthy. Filled with iron- and fibre-rich fruits, they make for a snack that won’t cause wild spikes in blood sugar. Wrap them up in parchment paper for your office party, or send one along with the kids this fall for a dessert they’ll ask for again and again.
Almond butter is a nutritious, delectable apple dip, combining with fall fruit to create a protein-fibre combo that will keep blood sugar levels stable. This Halloween-appropriate version keeps chocolate lovers satisfied with a hint of cocoa. Use the dip as a sweet dessert at your Halloween party, or before the kids head out trick-or-treating, mixing up the fruit with whatever is on hand.
While a bag of pretzels is a healthier Halloween treat, they’re certainly not very exciting unless dipped in chocolate. Go big with these soft, doughy pretzels, made with whole wheat flour and include warming fall spices. It’s a wholesome snack that pairs well with a mug of hot apple cider after an evening of trick-or-treating.
If you're picking pumpkin seeds from your Jack O'Lantern this year, turn them into a sweet treat that’s rich in minerals, protein and fibre, while remaining low in sugar. A handful of dark chocolate chips makes these even more festive — a little goes a long way here.
Tender, chewy Halloween-inspired pumpkin spice cookies get a healthy makeover with whole wheat flour. Yogurt and pumpkin purée keeps these moist, so they’ll keep well into the next week if stored airtight.
The vibrant, Halloween colour combination alone is enough to trick your taste buds. Orange and chocolate, a cold-weather power couple, combine for an adults-only bite that combines sweet and bitter in a pleasing French-style candy.
You’re only two ingredients away from a homemade peanut butter cup. Dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan, these treats will keep for a few days, so you can get ahead of your healthy Halloween candy-making game before the rush.
While it may seem unconventional, granola spiked with rich dark chocolate suits Halloween quite well, especially when things get spooky with a ghostly white dollop of yogurt and swirl of “bloody” jam. There’s nothing scary about the wholesome ingredient list in this recipe either.