Sugarfree Halloween Treats – a Roundup

Are you looking for sugarfree Halloween treats, or some real food for a Halloween meal? Here are a dozen suggestions for an unsweetened Halloween!

October has arrived! And soon we’ll be in the season for ghoulies and ghosties, parties and trick-or-treaters, and mountains of candy.

Now, I don’t eat any sugar, but that’s not typical, and most people have no need to avoid it completely. Many, though, would like a few more options…  Some just really don’t have a sweet tooth and can’t imagine why anyone would eat candy corn. Many would like a few alternatives at a party. And every year, families with children seem to look for other Halloween themed foods –  anything from a cute lunchbox snack to a meal that’s appealing enough that the kids eat some real food before ripping into the goody bags! So I asked around among some of the bloggers I know, for their best ideas and greatest hits!

Note to regular readers of Inhabited Kitchen – although everything I have written for the blog in the last three years is gluten free, some of these are not. Those that are not are clever ideas that can be adapted to your own recipes…  but do look at them carefully. And I was amused by how many of those I selected were vegan! Also, a few do have a touch of sugar – candy eyes, for example. If even that amount is an issue for you, either don’t eat them or find a substitute. (Cloves – which of course you also would not eat – might work in some places.)  And many of these bloggers include links to other Halloween recipes – there is so much out there, once you start looking!

So have fun!

I really must start with appetizers, snacks and party foods, and my own Savory Halloween Worms.  I was inspired by directions I saw for homemade gummy worms, but these are tomato based. Rather convincing looking, if I say so myself… they’ve been a major hit at parties! They are a bit fussy, but I give you all the tricks I learned to make them easier, and the reaction of my friends was so worth it! (Add a bit of hot sauce if your guests like zip – I was making it for several who don’t, so…)

Since we’re starting with creepy crawlies, obviously spiders are next. I loved the Halloween Spooky Spider Deviled Eggs from Sharon at Grits and Pinecones.  For some of my friends it just isn’t a party without deviled eggs, You can make a whole platter, for a party,  or you can do as she does and make just a few as a snack for the family.

Witch’s Brooms from Chrysa of Thrifty Jinxy make another great snack or lunchbox treat! Both easy and fun – I love her colored swirl!  And the kids could help you with it. (Just use gluten free pretzels, if you need to.)

I’ve seen several versions of Witch’s Fingers, and I loved these gnarly Bloody Falafel Fingers, from Vegan Richa.  And they are gluten free, and vegan, for that matter. (And hey, you now have a recipe for baked falafel. Win, win…)

As we go through monsters, and our snacks get heartier and closer to full meals, we come to English Muffin Pizzas: Vegan Mummies, from Amy at Veggies Save the Day. Again, both gluten free and vegan (though you wouldn’t expect either, to look at them!)  And may I just say that using round slices of cheese on your round pizza is brilliant?

Now I’m looking at dinner. These can be family dinner, or dishes on a buffet, or the side dish, but they’re most likely to be part of a real meal.

I start with, well, two recipes for one…   I’ve made variations of Roast Stuffed Pumpkin for years – so have written up both a version with sausage, and a vegan recipe. I love them both for dinner parties, but my, it makes a lovely Jack o’Lantern…  (And many thanks to a reader for the idea!)

As long as we’re stuffing pumpkins,  Elena made these adorable minis, with a black stuffing for Happy Kitchen Rocks. Aren’t they cute?

Or you can stuff peppers, as Kelly did at Tasting Page, with more vegetables! Zoodles with Pumpkin Kale Pesto make a wonderful side dish, and gets some vegetables on the table!

Sara serves up some delicious Pepperoni Pizza Pockets  for Dinner at the Zoo. The recipe itself certainly stands alone, but it’s so fun to carve a face into it – these Jack o’Lanterns are so cute!  (She just calls for your own pie crust, so if you’re gluten free, use one that is.)

Healthy Slow Cooking gives us some impressive looking options for a Spooky Skull Vegan Pot Pie! The recipe itself is a vegan pot pie with gluten, so some people may need to use their own recipes – but I love the looks of it! And you have to click through and see what Kathy does with a skull pan…

And we come back, full circle, to worms. These are the easy worms – Katie of A Fork’s Tale gives us Halloween Hotdog Worms that you could make with children… a fun, quick, creepy crawlie sort of supper before heading out for the evening’s festivities!

And finally… perhaps dessert? I wasn’t really looking for fruit, or anything at all sweet, but these are too cute. Shelley of Two Healthy Kitchens – with her daughter – came up with a Frankenstein’s Monster Kiwi!  So, for a small party, as she describes – or a bigger one, for that matter –  you can still have something a little sweet and a little spooky.

Want even more ideas? Come to Pinterest, and follow my Sugarfree Halloween Pinterest board! I’m still actively looking for unsweetened Halloween ideas, and pin them as I find them! And, please, Share these widely – I’m sure you all know someone looking for a meal idea or a non-sugary lunchbox treat!

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