If you’ve been counting down the days until the arrival of leaves, corn mazes, and pumpkin patches, you can finally settle in: Fall is officially here! For many people, nothing says comfort like fall flavors: pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, maple, and more.
You don’t need to spend the afternoon peeling apples or roasting pumpkins (or indulge in Halloween candy) to get into the spirit of autumn. These healthy snacks only take a few minutes to make, and most of them are so delicious nobody will notice they’re healthy. Whether you’re looking for healthy fall snacks to tuck into a lunchbox or office snack ideas for a fall party, these six finger foods are sure to delight.
- Mini caramel apple dippers
- Pumpkin pie hummus
- Tangerine pumpkins
- Cinnamon apple chips
- Boonanas
- Candy corn fruit pops
Mini Caramel Apple Dippers
Caramel apples are a fall favorite, but the sticky mess that goes with them isn’t. These mini caramel apple dippers are healthy and bite-sized! They have the sweet, gooey quality of caramel apples, and they’re a cinch to make (and eat).
Tools:
- Melon baller
- Chopstick
Ingredients:
- Granny Smith apples
- Pretzel sticks
- 1 tub of caramel dipping sauce
Instructions:
- Use the melon baller to carve balls out of the apples.
- Poke a small hole in the top of each ball with the chopstick.
- Insert a pretzel in each hole.
- Serve immediately with caramel dipping sauce.
Pumpkin Pie Hummus
If you’ve ever dreamed of eating pumpkin pie for every meal, this hummus may be your new favorite fall snack. Creamy, sweet, and spicy, this hummus, adapted from Thyme and Toast, is the perfect fall dip for apple slices, graham crackers, or pita chips.
Tools:
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients:
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
- Add the ingredients to the food processor or blender. Pulse until combined, then blend on a higher speed until the hummus has a creamy consistency.
- Serve with your favorite dippers.
Tangerine Pumpkins
What’s not to love about tangerines? They’re delicious, easy to peel, and hit the supermarket stands in the fall when most of us are in need of juicy sweetness. Believe it or not, tangerines just got even better, thanks to this incredibly simple, healthy recipe. Delight your guests with these adorable miniature pumpkins.
Ingredients:
- Tangerines
- Celery stalks and leaves
Instructions:
- Peel tangerines, removing as much of the white pith as possible.
- Wash the celery, and cut into 1- to 2-inch narrow pieces.
- Insert the celery into the peeled tangerines.
- Arrange the celery leaves to look like pumpkin leaves.
- Serve and enjoy.
Cinnamon Apple Chips
When apple and cinnamon get together, good things happen. These sweet, crispy apple chips are proof that pies, cobblers, and strudels may be nice, but all you really need are the basics.
Tools:
- Very sharp knife
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper
Ingredients:
- 2 apples
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 225ºF.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Wash and dry the apples.
- Slice the apples as thin as possible, leaving the skin on.
- Arrange the apple slices in a single layer on the baking sheets, leaving a little space between each slice.
- Sprinkle cinnamon over the slices.
- Bake for an hour, turn the slices over, and continue baking until the chips are crispy. Time will vary depending on the type of apple, the thickness of the slices, and your crispiness preference.
- Cool, serve, and enjoy.
Boonanas
If you’re searching for Halloween treats without tons of sugar or artificial flavors, look no further than these frozen easy fall treats. Frozen bananas are naturally sweet and a great source of fiber and potassium. Protein-packed Greek yogurt and natural peanut butter transform them into nutritious and ghoulish mummies and ghosts. While these set in the freezer, you can work on some fun office decorations to really get in the Halloween spirit!
Tools:
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Small microwave-safe bowl
- 16 frozen treat sticks
- Knife
- Small spoon
Ingredients:
- 4 large bananas
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- Honey or maple syrup to sweeten the yogurt (optional)
- Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
Instructions:
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel 2 bananas and slice each in half crosswise, then slice them in half lengthwise to make 4 long, narrow pieces. Insert a popsicle stick into the bottom of each piece, and arrange on the baking sheet. (These will be the mummies.)
- Peel the remaining 2 bananas, cut the pointy tips off, then slice them into 3 equally sized round logs. Insert a popsicle stick into the bottom of each piece, and arrange them on the baking sheet. (These will be ghosts.)
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Mix the yogurt with the sweetener to your preferred sweetness (optional).
- Remove the bananas from the freezer, dip each one in yogurt, and return to the baking sheet.
- Place 2 miniature chocolate chips on each ghost for eyes. (Don’t place eyes on the mummies yet.)
- Return the baking sheet to the freezer for an hour to let the yogurt set.
- Add the peanut butter to a bowl and heat it in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds until smooth and creamy.
- Stir the peanut butter and, using the small spoon, drizzle it on top of the mummies in a crisscross pattern to make bandages.
- Place mini chocolate chips on the mummies for eyes.
- Return the sheet to the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Candy Corn Fruit Pops
Nothing says Halloween like candy corn, but unfortunately, candy corn boasts 12 not-so-healthy ingredients and zero nutrition. These fun candy-corn fruit pops, on the other hand, are all natural and rich in nutrients.
Tools:
- 3 lollipop sticks
- Knife
- Bowl
Ingredients:
- Pineapple slices
- Cantaloupe
- 1 banana
Instructions:
- Cut a pineapple slice into 3 wedges.
- Cut the cantaloupe into 3 trapezoids that fit on top of the pineapple wedges.
- Cut the banana into 3 cones that fit on top of the cantaloupe
- Layer a piece of pineapple, cantaloupe, and banana onto each stick to look like candy corn.
- Slice the rest of the fruit and mix it together in the bowl.
- Make the candy corn pops stand up in the bowl by spearing several pieces of the fruit in the bowl with the bottom of the lollipop sticks.
- Serve immediately.
Non-DIY Options
If the DIY route isn’t your thing—or you’re craving fall flavors but don’t have time to whip up a snack at home—there are a number of holiday party catering ideas you can tap into. Look for fall-themed snacks and starters on local menus and try foods that take advantage of seasonal veggies, like this kale parsnip salad or roasted Brussels sprouts from Black Hearth. Or if you’re looking for something sweet, try baked goods with cinnamon, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and/or ginger, like these cinnamon horchata mini cupcakes from Mission Minis.
Ready, Set, Make
Fall brings more than enough opportunities to indulge in not-so-healthy snacks. Your friends and family will love munching on these simple, cute, and healthy fall snacks.