● Balance out some of the trick-or-treat sweets with four devilishly delicious low-sugar recipes
● Dishes include ‘Mummy Toast’, a ‘Frankenstein Smoothie’, ‘Guac Brain Dip with Spooky Crackers’ and a ‘Guacamole Spiders Web’
● Perfect for Halloween parties or simply getting the kids involved in the kitchen
Photos thank you to The World Avocado Organization
But besides the witches, ghosts and vampires, what can be a little frightening is how much sugar there is in a handful of trick-or-treat goodies. While Halloween is a day for indulgence, parents seeking to diffuse the sugar rush with some healthier options should look no further than the avocado.
With its bright green colour, unique texture and incredible versatility, the avocado lends itself fantastically to an array of tasty low-sugar Halloween recipes that both kids and adults will enjoy. What’s more, aside from their great taste, avocados are also packed with important nutrients including healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
So whether you’re planning a Halloween party, or you simply want to get the kids involved in preparing some devilishly delicious and nutritious Halloween dishes, here are four fun recipe ideas from the World Avocado Organization.
About the World Avocado Organization
Mummy Toast
Children will love decorating their own mummy toast. Make it a competition:? The scariest mummy wins!
Ingredients
2 avocados, sliced into thin strips (for the ‘bandages’)
12 mini mozzarella balls
Cheese spread (e.g. cream cheese, goat cheese, mascarpone or burrata)
6 slices of bread
A handful of your favourite seeds (e.g. pumpkin, sunflower, poppy or black sesame)
Salt and black pepper
Method
1. Toast a slice of bread.
2. Spread the toast generously with your chosen cheese spread.
3. Garnish with thin strips of avocado for that terrifying mummy bandage look.
4. Place two mozzarella balls on the toast, add two seeds for the.
5. Sprinkle the toast with your seed selection, a grind of black pepper and a few grains of salt.
6. Repeat to make six spooky mummies!
Frankenstein Smoothie
This vitamin-packed smoothie recreates the monstrous Frankenstein, complete with blueberry brains.
Ingredients
2 avocados, pit and skin removed
Juice from 1 orange
Juice from 1 lemon
2 frozen bananas, cut into chunks
2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
250ml unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp. hemp seeds
2 handfuls of blueberries
100g dark chocolate
Equipment
Food processor or blender
2 jam jars
Method
1. Blend all the ingredients together (bar the chocolate and blueberries) until smooth, add extra almond milk if you’d like your smoothie to be thinner.
2. Next melt the chocolate (in the microwave or a bain marie) and pour it round the top of the glass to get the drippy effect as seen in the photo, add two dots for the eyes and stick a couple of blueberries to the jar. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.
3. Pour your smoothie mixture into the glasses, top with some blueberry brains and serve with a reusable straw.
Guac Brain Dip in a Cauliflower Bowl with Spooky Crackers
This is a super fun, simple, and safe way to get kids cooking, using seasonal cookie cutters.
Ingredients
4 multigrain tortilla wraps
2 tbsp. olive oil, or truffle oil for a more decadent version
Curry powder (or you try your own spice mixtures using paprika, cumin or za’atar)
1 small cauliflower
3 ripe avocados
½ red onion, finely diced Seasalt
Juice of 1 lime
20g coriander, finely chopped
50g coriander, roughly chopped
1 green serrano or jalapeño chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
Equipment
Cookie cutters (Halloween-themed if possible!)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. While the oven is warming up, prepare the guacamole. Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and place in a colander or sieve over a bowl to remove the excess juice.
3. Mash the avocados with a fork and add the onion, tomatoes, a pinch of salt, lime juice, coriander and chilli and set aside while you make the crackers.
4. Brush both sides of the tortillas with olive or truffle oil.
5. On a chopping board, use cookie cutters to cut as many shapes out of the tortillas as possible.
6. Arrange the shapes on a baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle them with the curry powder or the spice mix of your choosing.
7. Bake the shapes until they are crispy, ±8 minutes, though keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.
8. Meanwhile, wash the cauliflower. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut a slice from the top (opposite side of the stem) so it can stand upside down. Remove as much of the tough stem as you can to create space while keeping the head in one piece.
9. Fill the cauliflower ‘bowl’ with guacamole and serve with the tortilla crackers.
Guacamole Spiders Web
A spidery take on the classic Mexican dip. Perfect for a Halloween party!
Ingredients
3 ripe avocados
½ red onion, finely diced
Seasalt
Juice of 1 lime
20g coriander, finely chopped
50g coriander, roughly chopped
1 green serrano or jalapeño chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional) 4 tablespoons of soured cream
3 black olives
A pack of your favourite nachos crisps
Equipment
Cocktail stick
Method
1. First, prepare the guacamole. Mash the avocados with a fork and add the onion, a pinch of salt, lime juice, finely chopped coriander and chilli.
2. Put the guacamole in a wide shallow serving bowl and carefully pour four or five rings of soured cream starting from the inside out.
3. Using a cocktail stick, mark lines from the centre out to create a spider web effect.
4. Create a spider using the black olives, using half an olive for the head, strips to make the legs and a whole olive for the body. Place the spider on the web.
5. Decorate with the remaining coriander and serve with nachos.
