Halloween Recipes (Treats) of the week include Boo Bark, Bloody Coconut Raspberry Monster Eyeballs, Finger Cookies With Strawberry Jam, Cats With Chocolate Avocado Frosting, Pumpkin Peanut Butter Truffles, Pumpkin and Pecan Fudge, Three Musketeers Bars, Candy Corn, Pecan Pumpkin Spice Butter Cups...and more!

HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE CATS WITH CHOCOLATE AVOCADO FROSTING [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

THIS RECIPE IS :

Dairy Free Vegan

SERVES

20

INGREDIENTS

TO MAKE THE CANDY CORN:

• 2 heaping tablespoon coconut or cashew butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Carrot Juice
• Turmeric powder

TO MAKE THE SANDWICH COOKIE:

• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 pitted dates, soaked for 30 minutes in warm water
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons date soaking liquid
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

TO MAKE SANDWICH COOKIE FILLING:

• 1/4 cup  powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons coconut butter
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE RAW AVOCADO FROSTING:

• 2 large (or 1 1/2 cups) avocado, pitted and flesh scooped out
• 2/3 cup raw cacao powder
• 6 pitted dates, soaked for 30 minutes in warm water and drained
• 1 tablespoon coconut nectar, maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:

• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 1 cup applesauce
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups oat flour
• 2/3 cup of cacao powder
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

TO DECORATE:

• Dried mango, cut into circles
• Goji berries, rolled into nose shapes
• Cacao nibs
• Medjool dates, cut into strips

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE CANDY CORN:

1. Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl until it becomes a crumbly dough.
2. Transfer into a plastic bag and roll around into a smooth ball. Remove from the bag and separate into three parts.
3. Add some turmeric to one third, and carrot juice into another. Massage each, one at a time, until uniform, adding as much as needed. Make sure to do one color at a time and wash your hands in between handling to prevent mixing.
4. If the butter starts to become to liquid, set in fridge for 2-4 minutes to set for handling.
5. Roll balls into skinny strips—the skinnier the strips, the smaller the candy corn. Press together side by side. Set back in the fridge to stiffen if needed. Cut into triangles.
6. Store in the refrigerator as these melt easily.

TO MAKE THE SANDWICH COOKIE:

1. Combine dry cookie ingredients (oat flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda) and stir.
2. In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all liquid cookie ingredients (1 teaspoon vanilla extract, coconut oil, dates) until uniform.
3. Mix wet into dry to form the dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350º F.
5. Roll out dough 1/2-inch thick and cut circles using a 1 1/2-inch diameter glass.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, and cool completely on tray before filling.

TO MAKE SANDWICH COOKIE FILLING:

1. Meanwhile, blend all of the filling ingredients in a small food processor until smooth.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon filling between two cooled cookies. You can then, if you would like, place them into the fridge for 10 minutes so filling firms up a bit.
3. Store in the fridge, but allow it to sit at room temperature for 8-10 minutes to soften up before consuming.

TO MAKE THE RAW AVOCADO FROSTING:

1. Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and run until smooth.
2. Adjust sweetness as needed.

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with baking cups.
2. Sift and mix all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk all of the wet ingredients together, then pour into the dry ingredients, mixing until smooth.
4. Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake pan, about two thirds full for each.
5. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until the cupcake slowly springs back when pressed with a finger.
6. Be sure to completely cool before frosting.

TO ASSEMBLE:

1. Decorate the cookies prior to placing onto the cupcakes. To decorate, use frosting to stick the ingredients. The dates are the whiskers, the goji berries the nose, dried mango and cacao nibs the eyes, and candy corn as the ears.
2. Remove the baking cups from the cupcake (optional), top with frosting (once cooled), then add the completed cookie cat on top
3. Store in a cool spot if not serving immediately.

AUTHOR & RECIPE DETAILS

Simple, creative vegan versions of classics that are big on flavor. Jasmine Briones, also known as The Sweet Simple Vegan, has dedicated her life to inspiring others to choose health. Jasmine is a Los Angeles living nutrition student and plant-based wellness and lifestyle blogger that works through her website, Sweet Simple Vegan, and social media outlets, to promote health and self-love.

 

BOO BARK [VEGAN]

THIS RECIPE IS :

Dairy Free Vegan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag vegan dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• a few drops of all-natural orange food coloring
• walnuts
• dried cranberries
• brown rice crisp cereal
• naturally colored green sprinkles
• vegan candy eyes (optional!)

PREPARATION

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Using a double boiler melt chocolate. Spread evenly onto parchment paper.
3. Meanwhile, melt coconut butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add all-natural food coloring. Drizzle on chocolate and use a knife to swirl.
4. Top with goodies of your choice such as walnuts, dried cranberries, brown rice crisps, sprinkles and monster eyes!
5. Place in a cool place to harden. Once set, cut into squares and enjoy!
6. Store in the refrigerator.

AUTHOR & RECIPE DETAILS

Easy-to-make, nourishing recipes for busy families. Crissy is a registered dietitian, wife, mom and creator of the blog Begin Within Nutrition where she shares easy-to-make, nourishing recipes for busy families. She has a passion for helping others find balanced health and wellbeing through a healing diet.

 

WITCH FINGER COOKIES WITH STRAWBERRY JAM [VEGAN, GRAIN-FREE]

SERVES

16 cookies

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COOKIES:

• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons agave
• 1/2 cup coconut oil at room temperature (should be the consistency of softened butter)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 16 sliced almonds

FOR THE STRAWBERRY JELLY:

• 3/4 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons agave

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together the agave and coconut oil and smooth and creamy.
2. Add in the vanilla and almonds extracts and beat once more.
3. Add the coconut flour and salt into the bowl and stir until well combined, and a wet dough forms. Scrape the dough onto a large piece of saran wrap and wrap into a flat, thin disc. Place into the refrigerator until firm and roll-able, about 25-30 minutes.
4. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
5. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped berries and agave and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook the berries, stirring frequently, until they become very thick and smooth, about 13-14 minutes. Make sure to really keep an eye at them near the end of cooking time, so they don’t burn.
6. Transfer the berry mixture to a bowl and mash with a fork. Place into the refrigerator to set up.
7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll 1 tablespoon-sized balls into 4-inch long finger-shapes, that are about 1/2-inch thick. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and firmly press a sliced almond into the tip of the finger, to create fingernails. Remove the almond before baking. Then, using a small, sharp knife, make several horizontal, shallow cuts just under the fingernail, and then in the center of each finger, to represent knuckles.
8. Lightly press in the dough on either sides of the knuckles to shape them. Place the whole pan into the freezer for 10 minutes.
9. Once frozen, bake the cookies until golden brown, and lightly crackly (the cracks are normal, don’t worry!) about 13-14 minutes. Let cool on the pan completely.
10. Once cooled, dip the bottom of the finger into the strawberry jam, so it looks like it’s been cut off. Then, fill the fingernail space with a dollop of the jam, and press in a sliced almond.

NOTES

You will only use about half of the jam, but it's hard to make a smaller amount with it burning.

Store cookies in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They will become crunchy, as the coconut oil will harden once chilled. Just let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving, if you like a softer cookie.

AUTHOR & RECIPE DETAILS

Over-the-top dinners and desserts that are deceptively easy to make. Taylor is the blogger, recipe developer, photographer and general mess maker behind the blog Food Faith Fitness. Her blog aims to show that eating healthfully does not have to break the bank or equal bland and boring! It can be easy to make and totally delicious. Taylor believes in living a balanced, whole life so Food Faith Fitness also focuses on fitness/nutrition tips and working on keeping Christ at the center of daily life. However, Taylor also believes that moderation is key, so sometimes it’s ok to just go and eat a cookie! When she isn’t blogging or messing up her kitchen, Taylor leads a pretty simple life. Places that you could find her include: the gym, her Bible study or just snuggling up on the couch with husband and doggy, watching The Food Network (Chopped in particular!) Taylor also has not-so-secret obsessions with all things peanut butter, cookie dough (even better if they are together!) pink and leopard print. Keep up with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

 

1. Pumpkin Peanut Butter Truffles

Source: Pumpkin Peanut Butter Truffles

Taking a bite out of one of Alexa Peduzzi‘s Pumpkin Peanut Butter Truffles is like taking a bite out of the best orange-leaved, scarf-wearing fall day you’ve ever had. You can always hand them out to your friends … or save them all to eat yourself while you watch scary movies in bed. The choice is yours!

2. Raw Chocolate Coconut Balls (Just Like Bounty Truffles!)

Source: Bounty Truffles

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with a sweet treat that includes coconut and chocolate? Bounty bars are a popular chocolatey-coconutty confection, but why buy a bag of those store-bought candies when you can make Julie Van den Kerchove‘s amazing Bounty Truffles?

3. Two Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Source: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups by Emily von Euw are only TWO ingredients (peanut butter and chocolate, hello!), so easy to make, and way better than any candy that comes wrapped in orange plastic.

4. Chocolate Marshmallow Popcorn Bars

Source: Chocolate Marshmallow Popcorn Bars

Popcorn balls are a common Halloween treat, but Sheri Silver‘s Chocolate Marshmallow Popcorn Bars take that snack to the next level. They’re crunchy, chocolatey, sticky, and totally fun to eat!

5. The First Raw Vegan Butterfinger Candy Bar

Source: Raw Vegan Butterfinger Candy Bars

Everyone loves a Butterfinger! But this version is totally raw, and not to mention vegan, gluten-free, and still full of creamy chocolate and crunchy peanut butter toffee. Plus, the best part about Brandi Doming‘s Raw Vegan Butterfinger Candy Bars? They won’t have your dentist finding toffee shrapnel in your teeth weeks after Halloween!

6. Raw Snickers

Source: Raw Snickers

Not only is Judy Moosmueller‘s Raw Snickers bar absolutely gorgeous to look at, it also tastes incredibly similar to traditional Snickers bars. It’s all there: the chocolate, the nougat, the caramel, and the peanuts … are you drooling yet? You can also eat these frozen for a variation on a Snickers ice cream bar.

7. Raw Vegan Twix Bars With Banana Date Caramel

Source: Raw Vegan Twix Bars With Banana Date Caramel

Even though regular Twix bars don’t have a single banana molecule in them, Crazy Vegan Kitchen‘s Raw Vegan Twix Bars With Banana Date Caramel are too good to pass up! Sometimes it’s worth it to break tradition.

8. Almond Joy Bars

Source: Almond Joy Bars

If you love Almond Joy candy bars, you’ll go nuts (or almonds!) for Marquis Matson‘s homemade Almond Joy Bars. What makes this candy even better than the original bar is that they incorporate almonds into the base for maximum almond flavor, instead of just placing one measly little guy in there. Almond Joy better step up its game!

9. ‘Milk’ Chocolate Bars

Source: ‘Milk’ Chocolate Bars

Sweet, creamy decadence in the shape we have come to recognize as holy: the chocolate bar. Emily von Euw‘s ‘Milk’ Chocolate Bars don’t actually contain any milk, but they taste just like the milk chocolate bars you used to greedily inhale when you were a kid.

10. Nightmare-Worthy Bloody Coconut Raspberry Monster Eyeballs

Source: Nightmare-Worthy Bloody Monster Eyeballs

Throwing a bash at your haunted mansion this Halloween? Try serving up a platter of eyeballs! But not just any eyeballs … One Green Planet‘s Nightmare-Worthy Bloody Monster Eyeballs! Soft, rich coconut truffles are stuffed with juicy raspberries and chocolate chips to create the trickiest treat you ever laid eyes on (and will look right back at you)!

11. Raw Peppermint Oreos Dipped in Dark Chocolate

Source: Raw Peppermint Oreos Dipped in Dark Chocolate

Everyone knows that Oreos are super delicious, but what happens when you dip them in chocolate? A total explosion of amazingness! Once a platter of Emily von Euw‘s Raw Peppermint Oreos Dipped in Dark Chocolate appears, everyone will forget about their bags of boring old store-bought candy and devour every last minty-chocolate crumb.

12. Clean Eating Pumpkin and Pecan Fudge

Source: Clean Eating Pumpkin and Pecan Fudge

These Clean Eating Pumpkin and Pecan Fudge squares by Karielyn Tillman will literally melt in your mouth! They have the smooth texture of traditional fudge but are packed with crunchy bits of pumpkin seeds and pecans. All you have to do is add everything to a mixing bowl and stir. No boiling the sugar and no candy thermometers, which can sometimes be scarier to deal with than a zombie invasion.

13. Homemade Vegan Caramel Apples

Source: Homemade Vegan Caramel Apples

It wouldn’t be Halloween (or autumn, for that matter!) without sticky, gooey, sweet caramel apples! Bringing Wendy Irene‘s Homemade Vegan Caramel Apples to a Halloween party will impress every single witch, ghoul, and goblin in the neighborhood.

14. Homemade Peppermint Patties

Source: Homemade Peppermint Patties

Are you the person that would hoard all the peppermint patties at the end of a trick-or-treating session? Noming Thru Life‘s Homemade Peppermint Patties are made with only seven ingredients and couldn’t be easier to put together. You’ll be living in cool minty and chocolatey bliss in no time. Make two batches: one to share and one to keep all to yourself!

15. Raw Mini Three Musketeers Bars

Source: Raw Vegan Mini Three Musketeers Bars

These homemade Raw Vegan Mini Three Musketeers Bars by Amy Lyons are so much better than those squished fun-sized candy bars that always manage to make their way to the bottom of your big bag o’ Halloween candy. They’re not only vegan but also totally raw and gluten-free, too! Plus they’re miniature-sized, so you can go ahead and indulge in all the chocolatey, nougat-y bliss you want!

16. Sugar-Free Puffed Quinoa and Cacao Nib Chocolate Bars

Source: Sugar-Free Puffed Quinoa and Cacao Nib Chocolate Bars

Is there anything prettier than deep, dark, shiny chocolate bars? Annie Oliverio‘s Sugar-Free Puffed Quinoa and Cacao Nib Chocolate Bars are a great DIY and refined sugar-free rendition of a Crunch bar. They’ve got all of the crispy chocolate flavor you love without any of that other scary junk they’re putting in candy bars these days.

17. Butterfinger Brittle

Source: Butterfinger Brittle

Another great alternative to the Butterfinger candy bar, Kristen Genton‘s Butterfinger Brittleis crunchy and crumbly, sweet and flaky, and a great addition to your homemade Halloween candy arsenal. Oh, and did we mention that it only takes five minutes to make? You’ll be immersed in chocolate and peanut butter bliss before you know it!

18. Healthy ‘Raffaello’ (Coconut-Almond Truffles)

Source: Healthy “Raffaello”

These Healthy “Raffaello” truffle-inspired bites by Lucie Javorska are made of wholesome, natural ingredients and will get you hooked before you can say “coconut.” The almonds wrapped in soft, creamy and sweet coconut “dough” are crazy addictive!

19. 4 Ingredient Chocolate Caramel Truffles

Source: 4 Ingredient Chocolate Caramel Truffles

The best part about Shannon Leparski‘s 4 Ingredient Chocolate Caramel Truffles (other than the fact that they’re only four ingredients!) is that you probably already have all of the things you need to make them in your pantry right now! This is a great recipe to make if you got invited to a Halloween party last-minute and need something quick and impressive to whip up.

20. Strawberry Peach Fruit Roll Ups

Source: Strawberry Peach Fruit Roll Ups

If you’re not a chocolate lover, try Christa Clark‘s homemade Strawberry Peach Fruit Roll Ups! They’re chewy, sweet, delicious, and don’t have any creepy artificial flavors or colors that might as well have been cooked up in a cauldron.

21. Coco-Choc Bounty Tarts

Source: Coco-Choc Bounty Tarts

Another one for the chocolate and coconut lovers out there, Taryn Fitz-Gerald‘s Coco-Choc Bounty Tarts are another variation on this ultra-popular flavor combo. But these tarts are like the average Bounty or Mounds bars (minus the bad stuff, and loaded with good stuff) taken to a whole other level!

22. Vegan Candy Corn

Source: Vegan Candy Corn

You can’t let Halloween go by without the sweet snack that nobody can ever seem to stop eating: candy corn! Ditch the waxy, gross store-bought kind (you don’t know how long it’s been sitting on the shelf!) and make Victoria Hoff‘s amazingly chewy and sweet homemade Vegan Candy Corn instead!

23. Vegan Snickers

Source: Vegan Snickers

Another homemade variation on the beloved Snickers bar, Tomi Makanjuola‘s Vegan Snickersare sweetened with dates and dried pineapple. They are naturally sweet and have a caramel-like taste, and the dried fruit mimics the caramel and nougat layer in the regular Snickers bar perfectly without the need of added processed sugar or syrup.

24. 4 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge

Source: 4 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge

This is probably one of the easiest candy recipes ever created, and everyone is guaranteed to love it! Just put out one plate of Rhea Parsons‘s 4 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge and you’ll see it disappear faster than a frightened ghost.

25. Pecan Pumpkin Spice Butter Cups

Source: Pecan Pumpkin Spice Butter Cups

What do you do if you can’t decide between having pecan pie and pumpkin pie for dessert? The solution is easier than you think: mash them together and add chocolate! One Green Planet‘s Pecan Pumpkin Spice Butter Cups are an autumnal alternative to traditional peanut butter cups, so easy to make, and – dare we say – even more delicious!

No tricks here – these homemade vegan candy recipes are sure to delight every ghoul, ghost, and mountain troll – and ensure that this Halloween will be the sweetest and scariest yet!

Lead image source: Raw Vegan Twix Bars With Banana Date Caramel