Spooky fun filled treats

Halloween, well-known by both the young and old for the parties where celebrants wear masks and costumes or go “trick or treating” from house to house to gather their treats. Halloween has become such a tradition, that many even classify the day as a holiday, but is it really an official holiday? Sorry to say no, but that does not stop the spending. In 2021, consumers spent $10.1 billion on Halloween!

But back to the basics- the fun about Halloween is the celebration, not just the treats. If you are planning a Halloween party here are some healthier ideas for items you can serve. And visit our website for more.

Tasty Treats for the Halloween Bash

Ghost Bananas

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vanilla low fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 DOLE® Bananas
• 6 lollipop sticks
• 18 semi-sweet chocolate chips, regular and/or mini chips
• Floral Foam or Styrofoam

Directions

1. Place yogurt in shallow plate and place coconut on a piece of wax paper.
2. Cut bananas in half, crosswise. Insert lollipop stick into the cut end of each banana.
3. Roll bananas in yogurt until coated. Roll in coconut, picking up edges of wax paper to help coat each banana with coconut. Press chocolate chips at pointed end of bananas to make the face. Press sticks into Styrofoam to display.

Making Mummies: Unwrap fruit leather and cut crosswise in half. Wrap one piece of fruit leather around one banana leaving the top open for the eyes. Press chocolate chips for eyes. Press mummies into Styrofoam to display.

Source: Dole Foods

Sparkling Ghouls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 pieces (2 x 1-inches each) fresh ginger, sliced
• 3 cups diced DOLE® Tropical Gold® Pineapple
• 6 cups ice cubes
• 1 liter plain seltzer
• Cranberry “Blood” (recipe below)

Directions

1. Stir together honey, water and ginger in small saucepan. Heat mixture until honey melts without bringing it to a boil. Remove from heat and cool completely. Remove ginger before using.
2. Combine pineapple and honey-ginger syrup in food processor or blender. Cover; blend until smooth.
3. Fill six tall glasses with ice cubes. Divide pineapple mixture between glasses, about 2/3 cup in each. Pour in 2/3 cup seltzer and stir. Dot some Cranberry “Blood” in several spots along inner edge of the glasses, making sure “blood” touches glass. The “blood” will swirl as it falls to the bottom of the glass!

Cranberry “Blood”: Choose frozen cranberry concentrate without corn syrup. In a small saucepan, simmer 1/2 cup thawed cranberry concentrate until reduced by half, about 4 or 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. If Cranberry “Blood” is made ahead, refrigerate and then bring to room temperature before adding it to the drinks.

Source: Dole Foods

Spooky Halloween Fruit Platter

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons gluten free white chocolate chips
• ½ pound DOLE® Green Grapes
• 2 teaspoons gluten free mini dark chocolate chips
• 6 whole DOLE® Mandarin Oranges
• Black edible marker
• 4 ripe DOLE® Bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
• 1 large DOLE® Red Apple, halved, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons caramel topping
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

Directions

1. Heat white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl in microwave oven on high 40 seconds or until melted, stirring every 20 seconds; transfer to small zip-top plastic bag and snip bottom corner with kitchen scissors.
2. Pipe white chocolate onto grapes for white part of “eyeballs”; place mini chocolate chip in center of each for “pupils”. Dry completely
3. Draw jack-o’-lantern faces on oranges with marker; dry completely.
4. Press chocolate chips, pointed side down, into bananas to make “ghost faces”.
5. Arrange apple slices on a serving platter; drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with peanuts. Arrange “ghost bananas,” “eyeball grapes” and “jack-o’-lantern oranges” on serving platter.

Source: Dole Foods