8 Healthy Halloween Snacks (Gluten-Free)

216 Shares

Make Halloween fun, scary, and HEALTHY with this list of 8 healthy Halloween snacks. These treats are great for Halloween and autumn-themed parties and potlucks, plus ideas for trick-or-treaters too. Real food, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly Halloween treats!

Halloween doesn’t have to be about eating scary sugar-filled frankenfoods with hydrogenated oils and artificial flavors and colors. As an alternative, this post includes eight healthy Halloween snack ideas.

Boo, did I scare you? Halloween was my absolute favorite holiday growing up, probably because I had a major sugar addiction. I relied on sugar as emotional comfort for many, many years, up until I was in my mid-30s and realized that sugar is not a substitute for connecting with your feelings, even if they don’t always feel good. Read about how I overcame my sugar addiction here and my tips for going sugar-free here.

The truth is that sugar doesn’t have to be considered evil or something to be afraid of, but that doesn’t mean that we have to resort to eating fake foods, either. I mean, there’s a difference between having a treat every now and then, and eating foods that might cause behavioral problems, stomachaches, or even more serious disorders, including cancer. This study from 2013 showed increased risk of some types of cancers from a higher intake of trans fats.

I’m of the mindset that real foods are always preferable over fake foods, and that’s why I’m sharing these ten healthy Halloween snacks with you today. Halloween can still be fun and filled with treats, but let’s make an effort to clean up those treats we feed ourselves and our kids.

Eight Healthy & Gluten-Free Halloween Snacks

Black and orange popcorn. To make this seasonal twist, you’ll need two cups of corn kernels, plus some natural black and orange food colorings. The black color can come from 2-3 capsules of activated charcoal and the orange can come from mixing a 1/4 teaspoon each of dried beet powder and dried turmeric. Pop the popcorn in two batches, using a tablespoon of coconut oil for each batch. When you’re melting the coconut oil in a large lidded pot, you can whisk in the food coloring for each batch.
Homemade Halloween gummies using these adorable Halloween molds. These are so fun! Use 100% juice and grass-fed gelatin, plus raw honey or maple syrup to sweeten. You’ll need about 1 cup of juice to two tablespoons of gelatin and sweetener to make your gummies.
Black and orange yogurt. You can do the same thing with the natural food colorings as above, but using different containers of plain yogurt. Add some of your homemade Halloween shaped gummies on top for extra fun.
Black and orange chia pudding. Layered chia puddings are one of my favorite healthy Halloween or anytime-of-year snacks. For this one, I divided two cups of almond milk and mixed each cup with 1/4 cup of chia seeds, plus my all natural orange and black food colorings. I topped the chia pudding with a scary eyeball gummy!
Candy made without hydrogenated oils. It is possible to find healthier candy made without those nasty trans fats and artificial colors and flavors. Surf Sweets is my favorite brand for a wholesome candy; Surf Sweets makes pre-portioned jelly beans for handing out to trick-or-treaters.
Fruit made into fun, Halloween shapes like these adorable Boo Bananas with coconut butter. You have to see it to believe how cute these treats are. I pinned this idea and a whole set of healthy Halloween snacks on my Vegan & Gluten-Free Halloween Pinterest board!
Quarters. Okay, so you can’t eat quarters, but handing them out instead of candy is a totally valid option. If you’re feeling really wealthy, give out some silver dollars too.
Gluten-free homemade cookies and cupcakes. I get that you aren’t supposed to give out homemade treats to kids on Halloween, but for your own family and friends, making a wholesome homemade treat using real food is such a great way to celebrate. Heck, there are some amazing mixes out there that are free from preservatives and make home baking so easy! Simple Mills makes a great gluten-free cupcake mix, and Bob’s Red Mill has an awesome gluten-free muffin mix!