5 Spooky Treats to Make Halloween Special This Year

It's no secret that Halloween is going to look a little different this year. We love the spooky holiday as much as the next person–and so do our kids!–so we were glad that the CDC released its guidance on how to celebrate safely this year. Here's how they rank various activities, categorized as low, moderate, and high risk:

High risk

Door-to-door trick or treating
Indoor costume parties
Indoor haunted house
Hayrides or tractor rides

Moderate risk

One-way trick or treating (with wrapped goodie bags)
Visiting a pumpkin patch (with social distancing, masks, and hand sanitizer)
Socially-distanced outdoor movie night

Low risk

Carving or decorating pumpkins with your household
Halloween scavenger hunt in your home and/or garden
Movie night at home
Decorating your home

Okay, so while some of the traditional stuff is on pause, basically anything at home and with members of your household is a go! We love spending time at home baking and decorating treats with our families, and we think it's a great way to spend some time celebrating Halloween (and you get to swap some processed candy for homemade options!). Here's what we'll be making with our kids this year:

Ghost Pancakes

1 large egg
1 cup almond milk
1.5 cups rolled oats
1 banana
1 TBSP chia seeds
1 TBSP flax seeds
1 TBSP honey
Pinch of salt

1. Blend the oats, chia seeds, and flaxseeds in a blender until it resembles a flour.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and melt a little butter to ensure that the pancakes don’t stick.
4. Spoon the batter into the pan in ghost shapes. When bubbles start to come through on the top, check the bottom. When it's looking well cooked, flip and cook the other side.

Clementine "Pumpkins"

ingredients

Clementines
Celery

1. Wash and slice celery stalks in half, and chop into small pieces.
2. Peel clementines and set aside.
3. Kids can help with adding celery (stems) to the clementines (pumpkins).

Rice "Creepy" Treats

Ingredients

1/3 cup natural peanut (or almond) butter
1/4 maple syrup
3-4 cups rice crisp cereal

1. Melt nut butter and maple syrup in the microwave at half power, or over low heat.
2. Mix in rice cereal with a wooden spoon, and stir thoroughly until fully combined.
3. Spread into parchment-lined pan. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours and slice into bars. Decorate with your kids!

Boo-nanas

Ingredients

Bananas
Dark chocolate

1. Melt dark chocolate over low heat, or in the microwave at half power.
2. Peel and cut bananas in half.
3. Spoon melted chocolate into a resealable bag and cut the corner. Help your kids pipe on eyes and mouths.
4. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Beat sugar, coconut oil, and butter until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, vanilla, and egg.
2. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Fold dry ingredients into wet, stirring until just combined.
4. Refrigerate dough for at least 1-2 hours (preferably overnight)
5. Roll out on a floured work surface and cut out with Halloween-themed cookie cutters. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 8 minutes.

Remember, your little ones feed off of your energy and mood. If you keep a positive mindset and make the day feel special and exciting to them, they'll love every second of it. Make the most of the day and create memories that you'll all look back on fondly–certainly not a typical Halloween, but still a happy one.

If you try any of these recipes, snap a pic and share it with us, or tag us over on Instagram! We love to see what you're up to. For more easy & healthy recipe inspiration, download the free Baby2Body App.